Pentagon review includes nuclear weapon strategy

From CNN Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Pentagon says the strategic review ordered by U.S. President George W. Bush, and already under way, will include an assessment of how many nuclear warheads the United States needs in order to maintain its nuclear deterrence capability.

The Pentagon has described the process as a top-to-bottom review of all Pentagon programs and strategy, and said it always was planned that nuclear force levels would be included.

The president during the campaign called for "a new approach to nuclear security that matches a new era."

In his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, Bush said, "I will work to reduce nuclear weapons and nuclear tension in the world -- to turn these years of influence into decades of peace."

He has hinted he might consider unilateral cuts to the U.S. nuclear arsenal. That arsenal would be reduced to 3,000 deployed warheads under the START II agreement, which has not been ratified by the U.S. Senate.

Russia, which cannot afford to maintain its nuclear arsenal, has proposed deeper cuts, as low as 1,000 to 1,500 warheads.

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