France to Reduce Nuclear Warheads

[tekisui]

President Nicolas Sarkozy has said France will reduce its number of airborne nuclear weapons by one third.

Mr Sarkozy said the reduction to fewer than 300 missiles would leave France with "half the maximum number of warheads we had during the Cold War".

But he also insisted he was committed to France's nuclear deterrent, saying it was its "life-insurance policy".

He made the comments in a major defence policy speech after inaugurating a new nuclear-armed submarine, the Terrible.

"By giving this information, France is fully transparent since it has no other weapons than those in its operational stocks," he said in the speech at the northern port of Cherbourg.

"Moreover, I confirm that none of our weapons are targeted at anybody."

Mr Sarkozy's speech was his first about France's nuclear deterrent since he was elected president in May.

link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7308563.stm

Reducing Nukes is a good thing. Hopefully all the Nuke Nations can join and it will build to NO NUKES. Obama has stated he would work towards that end, as well.

[whistle]

1. Bush and Cheney have plans to reduce nuclear warheads also

...by dropping several thousand on Iran