as the president completes the new s.t.a.r.t. ty with it signing in prague, and, of course, the nuclear posture review released on tuesday and the nuclear control summit next week, and the nuclear nonproliferation review conference next month, and the the comprehensive test ban to the ratification debate living at some point down the road. so all of these are items that have been very much on our minds at the new deterrent working group. you have at your places a document we published about seven or eight months ago now i believe, that is a helpful, we hope, introduction to many of these issues. i suspect very few of you need an introduction, but we will nonetheless find that the ideas, the information, the quotes from some of our most distinguished and senior civilian and military leaders on the nuclear deterrent and what it takes to preserve it will be further resource to you in enriching your understanding of these issues. above and beyond which will be going from this distinguished panel about today. i'm expecting momentarily

religious view in the obligations and the implications of treaties because he said that signing the new s.t.a.r.t. treaty is a way for the united states and russia to fulfill their obligations under the nonproliferation treaty which starts about the legitimate nuclear weapons state, eliminate their weapons capability at some unspecified point in the future. and the president said, secretary of state collinton has said the decision by the united states and russia to reduce their nuclear warhead capability will influence others to reduce theirs as well and not to seek nuclear weapons. that is a statement of stunning naivete because the implications is we come down, the rulers of northern korea, iran, and other nuclear prolivelators will say i think we should relook at our policy of getting nuclear weapons. afterall, if the united states is reducing its warhead levels, maybe we don't need nuclear weapons. in fact, i think the people in places like tehran, fantastic, the united states is coming down. let's ramp up to get the capability even more quickly. but it's not just this particular bilateral tr

weapons states the united states and russia still have 90% of the weapons and the success of the new s.t.a.r.t but we cannot stop here. but we do have to work with the allies because each has a different strategic be fish and and declaratory policy and the separate issues them to work very strongly including our counterparts such jazz admiral chilton and in the case of npr where we made the statements about china is where we are making clear we want more transparency and of their viability and the engagement with those confidence-building measures that will reassure not only nuclear powers but also the region and other people. >> thank you. specifically to mr. miller and general jolted never breaded talks about the broader picture. specifically of those whose sustain the concept and hedged 43 says the deity will continue in the life extension program with the intention of keeping by mandated by congress although the studies to deform the decision and now needed recommend it men and three program was concluded last year and also the air force recognizes their needs to be a line that sustainment

that is a cause that he and president obama advanced just last week when they signed the new s.t.a.r.treaty in prague. these two leaders have also, in their personal interaction over the past year, given a new start to u.s.-russian relations. before turning the program over to him, i would be remiss if i did not convey on behalf of of all of us our deepest condolences to president medvedev and his fellow citizens on the tragedy that they suffered as a result of a terrorist outrage two weeks ago on march 29. i happened to be riding as a passenger on the moscow metro just a few days ago. it was a powerful and moving experience, a reminder of the courage and the fortitude of a great people. i might add that we all observed from a distance with admiration and with compassion another recent event in moscow. while russians were still grieving for their own compatriots, president medvedev led a throng of muscovites in laying flowers at the gate of the polish embassy in moscow this weekend. the russian people are fortunate to have in our guest of honor today a leader who is working so hard to

. >> does the president's effort to reduce arms by reducing weapons, the new s.t.a.r.t. talks, does help? >> there's a strong correlation between what the big guys are doing with their weapons -- >> some people are cynical. what's the connection? >> the case in the '60s, some people think this is the way the trend is going. when you see the nuclear powers get serious about disarmament, you see countries giving up their weapons -- >> where are are you on an israeli attack on iran? would we have to support something like that? >> i'm with bob gates, the secretary of defense, that at most this would buy us a year, year and a half, and what admiral mullins says, unintended consequences. we don't need a third war in the middle east. the beginning of a warks not the end of one. >> very impressive. thank you. i need people like you around. when we return, thoughts about sarah palin and the latest headline, quote, she's no dummy. [ female announcer ] new purefitness... from crystal light. the first fitness drink with no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or preservatives. new purefi

the rescue efforts and will hold another update at 8:30 a.m. this morning. >> president obama signed a new arms reduction treaty with russia it happened in prague within the new half hour. the new s.t.a.r.t treaty shrinks both countries arsenals by one-third. >> thank you for starting your thursday with us. >> hope you have a great day. we start now at 4:30 a.m. we'll see you tomorrow. i cook twice a week at the fire station. i'd pick up a lot of the work around the house, the chores, the kids, the shopping, the cooking. i have two teenagers, and i'll be putting them through college someday soon. i'm very aware of what things cost, and, you know, i have to use all the money-saving tricks that i can come up with. with compare & save at giant, we search local competitors' prices and show you the difference right on the shelf. using the compare & save, i know that i'm getting a good price, and that works for me. more savings, every time you shop, only at giant.

is the united states by going with a new treaty they are much thicker than now because it will affect. >> you are now withdrawing the old system now and easily they could start a new s.t.a.r.t. treaty. and order to collect nuclear disarmament have further arms reductions, it would be very important to persuade russian political leaders and strategic communities and three principals ideas. the first is that nuclear disarmament will not affect russia or citizens of the world. to put it in a different way that the russian interest it will be paid much less attention. second, the united states is serious about nuclear disarmament. as i mentioned in the beginning it sends conflicting signals. on the one hand it is the first practical treaty for the last 20 years which will probably be rectified but on the other hand, official accounting rules make a very strange plaintive view from the actual nuclear weapons there were some doubts in russia about the united states with respect to nuclear disarmament very few people doubt that. but many doubt the seriousness. the military establishment. actual the one is a merit to exist off of russia. and last but probably the most important ide

. >> i don't know if it will be possible to have simultaneous ratification on the new s.t.a.r.t. treaty and arson and your parliament, but i am sure that your opening proposal about how you and president obama are going to communicate is going to cause a simultaneous nervous breakdown in the white house and in the kremlin. [laughter] >> but i'm sure you're up to handling that. >> emerging markets management. if i may, i would like to switch to the economy. two questions. looking back and looking for. looking back, after the global crisis, russia was hit by quite a steep and fast economic recession. did that surprise you? and also how fast russia bounced out of the. the second question is russia is well known to have the largest reserves of gas in the world. is that changing now that so much gas, i mean, huge quantities of gas are being found in the all over the world. how will that change relations with europe and even china? [speaking in native tongue] >> translator: speaking out on the global recession, if i was surprised, i will be frank. well, i was surprised. every one of us

housetops like ratification of the new s.t.a.r.t. treaty signed by president obama and president medvedev, an upcoming nuclear security summit next week advance the goals. the secretary will stress the urgency of the challenge and the need for bipartisan resolved to meet it. in sedan, a special envoy continued his discussions with the government of southern sudan, in advance of sunday's national, state, and local elections. he is back in khartoum this evening where he has met with heads of the international observer missions and with president jimmy carter -- former president jimmy carter. elections will begin sunday, april a 11. the sudanese people's liberation movement have announced they have withdrawn some candidates from competition, but that others may continue. we view these elections as an important step in the implementation of the peace agreement which ended a 22-year war between the north and south. this weekend is the deployment of a large number of observers -- 17,000 accredited domestic observers -- and a number of inter

but it should support what the obama administration is doing with both new s.t.a.r.t. and follow-on negotiations there. on india and pakistan, you know, pakistan is probably -- even though the nuclear security summit is not designed and hopes to avoid actually pointing fingers at any single country, but obviously the issue of nuclear security is a big one in pakistan. both the security of nuclear material and the security of their nuclear weapons. i don't think -- i can't imagine we're going to see too much -- too much progress between india and pakistan at this summit but i think it's a good thing that both are at least attending. andy, do you want to -- >> well, one comment. about the administration's going to zero agenda. which is secretary of defense gates said last week is not anything that's going to happen soon. but i mean, one of the fundamental problems about that agenda is that enlisting the support of other countries with it. beginning with the russians. and then the chinese. and then the indians and the pakistanis and so on down the line. i mean, nobody else

the other in the s.t.a.r.t. follow-on or what have you is a clear indication that we still fundamentally don't understand the nature of nuclear weapons in the new world that we're in. so i think if we're ever going to achieve president obama's vision or even start getting reasonably close to that vision, we need a much more fundamental transformation of our thinking about nuclear weapons and what it takes to maintain a deterrent and what it takes to get out of a situation where we need to maintain a deterrent. >> other questions? okay. well, i thank everyone for coming and we hope to continue this conversation with you in the future. >> another student cam winner before "washington journal." now all of a debt anti- government militia and extremist groups -- now, a look at anti- government militia and extremist groups. this is 40 minutes. host: joins us now is mark potok. welcome to the program. >> welcome to the program. backgroundlittle and your organization. guest: it was formed in alabama. for several years we did classic civil rights work. in the early 1980's, we got into with the work that made the place well known, suing a white supremaci

the other in the s.t.a.r.t. follow-on or what have you is a clear indication that we still fundamentally don't understand the nature of nuclear weapons in the new world that we're in. so i think if we're ever going to achieve president obama's vision or even start getting reasonably close to that vision, we need a much more fundamental transformation of our thinking about nuclear weapons and what it takes to maintain a deterrent and what it takes to get out of a situation where we need to maintain a deterrent. >> other questions? okay. well, i thank everyone for coming and we hope to continue this conversation with you in the future. [inaudible conversations] >> all this month, see the winners of c-span studentcam video documentary competition. middle and high school students from 45 states submitted videos on one of the country's greatest strengths or challenge the country is facing. watch the top winning videos every morning on c-span at 6:50 eastern right before "washington journal." meet the students who made them and for a preview of all the winners, visit studentcam.org. >> president obama travels to prague later this week to sign a nucle

the nuclear posture review, the new s.t.a.r.t. treaty being signed, and the nuclear summit.st want to make a couple of a point about the non- proliferation treaty conference. it is not a silver bullet. our yardstick is that we want to get our point of view out. this is a strong, central pillar of the president's agenda on non-proliferation. we believe that the united states and other countries very much want to move to consensus, but in the end, if there is not consensus because of the activities of some outsiders, we believe we will still be able to have great agreement on three central pillars and moving forward to strengthen the nonproliferation treaty. i think it is best to turn to ambassador burke. i will be here to answer some questions. >> thank you. i agree with everything you have said. i will not take a lot of additional time on the point you have made. i do want to welcome the members of the press corps here in new york who have shown up for this briefing today. let me briefly make a couple of points. the u.s. is not approaching the impending review conference in

the focus on this new s.t.a.r.t. , you mentioned the president was here a week ago in prague, playing out his vision for it. that in part helped him win the nobel peace prize. a lot of critics at the time suggesting he didn't deserve it. this step forward, the white house shows clearly, it's a big victory for the president. one of the senior advisories telling me it only happened because of his direct personal involvement. five one-on-one meetings with the russian president to seal this deal. specifically, what it will do is basically reduce the number of warheads on each side from about 2,200 to 1,500. also, the launchers reduced from 1,6 to to 800 on both sides. the president suggests that this was a step forward and also said that that we trying to iron other our divisive issues here in the czech republic. >> what i made clear was that our missile defense systems were not directed at changing the strategic balance between the united states and russia, but were, instead, directed at protecting the american people fr

the other in the s.t.a.r.t. follow-on or what have you is a clear indication that we still fundamentally don't understand the nature of nuclear weapons in the new world that we're in. so i think if we're ever going to achieve president obama's vision or even start getting reasonably close to that vision, we need a much more fundamental transformation of our thinking about nuclear weapons and what it takes to maintain a deterrent and what it takes to get out of a situation where we need to maintain a deterrent. >> other questions? okay. well, i thank everyone for coming and we hope to continue this conversation with you in the future. >> in a few moments, the director of national intelligence, dennis blair, on the states of the intelligence community. in about an hour, a briefing on nuclear weapons policy, and after that, we will be air the preview of next week's summit on nuclear weapons. the financial crisis commission continues its focus on some prime lending. the panel hopes to publish its report on the financial crisis but the end of the year. tomorrow morning, the commission hears from alan greenspan. other witnesses include former citigro

the president in prague, signing this historic s.t.a.r.t. 2 treat y new s.t.a.r.t., they're calling iting to prague to sign this treaty and next week doing this nuclear summit. what do you make of this policy? is it smart politics for him to be focusing so heavily on an issue that is not at the forefront of a lot of voters' minds and does it open him up to allegations, from conservatives, that he's do dovish on this? >> there will be a big debate about deterrents and america's role in national security. i think it's interesting to look at america's role in the world and to what extend this obama administration is trying to redefine that after the bush era. and i think that this national posture, the nuclear posture review, gives us some insight into that. into what role the united states plays, into what role deterrents play. we have a practical problem on our hands with all of this. we talk about rogue nations, outliar nations, there are a lot of people in the world not listening to united states. friends and foe alike. if that continues, then you have to ask yourself, so what's this

the new york in the coming weeks. my expectation is it that we are going to be able to secure strong, tough sanctions on iran this spring. i think there are two ways in which these s.t.a.r.ts have advanced or at least influenced russia-u.s. discussions around iran. president medvedev and i have been able to build up a level of trust and our teams have been able to work together in such a way that we can be frank, we can be clear, and that helped to facilitate our ability, for example, to work together jointly to present to iran reasonable options that would allow it to clearly distanced itself from a nuclear weapons. that was not just an approach that was taken by the united states and russia, but it was taken by the international atomic energy agency. what we have seen from the start is that a host of countries, led by countries like the united states and russia, have said to iran, we are willing to work through diplomatic channels to resolve this issue. unfortunately, iran has consistently rebuffed that approach. i think that russia has been a very strong partner in saying that it has no interest in bringing down iranian society or the iranian government, but it does ha

for example, the new s.t.a.r.t. treaty with russia is part of our comprehensive agenda to pursue a world without nuclear weapons. an agenda that reflects the three pillars of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, nations with nuclear weapons will reduce them, nations without nuclear weapons will forsake them, and the recognition that nations have a right to a peaceful nuclear energy. whether or not the rights and responsibilities of nations are upheld will in great measure determine whether the coming years and decades result in greater security, prosperity and opportunity for americans and for people around the world. and perhaps nowhere do we see this more and evidenced than in the middle east where we face two defining challenges that i want to touch on tonight. preventing iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them, and forging a lasting peace between israelis and palestinians as part of a comprehensive peace in the region. ladies and gentlemen, when president obama took office, iran had alre