Computers said OK to maintain U.S. nuclear weapons

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Computers said OK to maintain U.S. nuclear weapons

WASHINGTON, Dec 10 (Reuters) - The system for maintaining America's nuclear weapons by computer simulation rather than nuclear testing is working and will be continued "well into the future," an Energy Department review said on Friday.

The 30-day internal department review was ordered by Energy Secretary Bill Richardson after doubts were raised about the system in Congress, which voted in October against ratifying an international treaty banning nuclear tests.

Several senior figures, including a number of former defense secretaries, joined Republican leaders in Congress in opposing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, saying tests could be vital in keeping the nuclear force ready and up-to-date.

The review found "the program, which began in 1993, is sound and developing the science, technology and reliability of the nation's existing nuclear weapons without underground nuclear testing," an Energy Department statement said.

The review was carried out by government officials and experts from companies that work on the program, set up to ensure the arsenal's safety, security and reliability after a U.S. moratorium on nuclear testing announced in 1992.

"The program is working today ... and is structured to sustain this success long into the future," the Energy Department statement said.

It also said the said Energy Department was about to certify to President Bill Clinton for a fourth year that the safety, security and reliability of the nuclear stockpile can be assured without testing.

Such a certification is required annually for the program to continue.

The statement said Richardson had ordered the department to implement 15 recommendations that came out of the review, including focusing more on long-term planning to ensure the scientific capability and experts were available to keep the program working in the next decade.

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Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), December 10, 1999

Answers

Question: How do you know when the U.S. conducts an underground nuclear test. Answer simple California, Nevada ,Arizona and or Alaska have an big earthquakes. Connect the dots two days after the treaty was crushed we had a very powerful earthquake in the middle of the night. The Test ban treaty is finished over kaput. the Cold war is back big time. And the beat goes on.

-- y2k aware mike (y2k aware mike@conservation .com), December 11, 1999.

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