Retired Four-Star General Barry McCaffrey Gives Keynote Address on Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction to U.S. Senior Joint Military Leaders at Fort Leonard Wood, MO Today

News provided by

Robert Weiner Associates and BR McCaffrey Associates

Apr 16, 2010, 12:12 ET

WASHINGTON, April 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Four-Star General Barry McCaffrey (Ret.), on the heels of the President's nuclear security summit, detailed the breadth of weapons of mass destruction and offered a strategy to combat what he called "Weapons of Mass Pandemonium" to the Joint Staff Senior Leaders today at Fort Leonard Wood, MO.

In a presentation to the Department of Defense Joint Senior Leaders' course, McCaffrey's comprehensive presentation included 13 slides (SEE link: www.mccaffreyassociates.com/pages/documents/CWMD.pdf ).

McCaffrey is now Adjunct professor of International Affairs at West Point and an expert in the media on national security issues.  Among his findings:

  • "Weapons of Mass Pandemonium" include "nukes at one extreme and WW1 vintage mustard at the other extreme."
  • Global stocks exceed 250 tons of civil plutonium -- enough for tens of thousands of nuclear weapons.
  • The total world Nuclear Inventory is approximately 22,300 weapons, and McCaffrey breaks out the nine countries possessing them.
  • "If you can make good beer, you can make low stability, poorly weaponized nerve agent or mustard agent."
  • To maintain "credible United States WMD deterrence" we must have "verifiable treaties with strong international support, monitoring, and reporting" as well as "strong international law enforcement and intelligence cooperation."
  • There must also be "a robust, modernized US strategic and tactical nuclear strike capability accompanied by the political will to employ a retaliatory response."
  • We need a reinforced US National Guard capability to respond to WMD attack.

MCCAFFREY PREDICTS:

  • "The US will be attacked by a non-state actor employing radiological devices or biological agents in the coming decade."
  • "There is a small probability (5%) of employment of a low-yield nuclear device against an American city in the coming 50 years."
  • "There is a modest probability (20%) of employment of nuclear weapons by state actors in the coming 50 years."

Contact: Bob Weiner/Rebecca Vander Linde, 301-283-0821 or 202-306-1200

SOURCE Robert Weiner Associates and BR McCaffrey Associates

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

icon3
440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers
icon1
9k+
Digital Media
Outlets
icon2
270k+
Journalists
Opted In
GET STARTED