ACA Executive Director Daryl Kimball and ACA Research Director Wade Boese “respond”:http://www.armscontrol.org/pressroom/2005/20050510_ArmsControl_Gurus.asp to State Department spokesman Richard Boucher’s “dismissal”:http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2005/45505.htm of an “ACA report”:http://www.armscontrol.org/pdf/USNW_2005_Drell-Goodby.pdf by Sidney Drell and James Goodby regarding U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces.

Asked about Drell and Goodby’s conclusion that the US can further reduce its nuclear weapons stockpile, Boucher replied:

bq. I know the arms control gurus can debate these numbers all day long. But the fact is the U.S. is meeting its obligations under the treaty. Going down to one-quarter of where we were in the Cold War is pretty impressive and it does certainly show we’re all headed in the right direction, and if we’re going to meet our obligations in that way we think others should meet their obligations, too.

Wade and Daryl offer devastating answers to the administration’s “contention”:http://www.armscontrol.org/events/20050203_rademaker_text.asp that the United States is meeting its Article VI obligations.

FYI the briefing got somewhat more entertaining:

QUESTION: Can I stick with arms control treaties for a second?

MR. BOUCHER: Yeah. Arms control treaties for 500. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: On CT … on the CTBT, has …

MR. BOUCHER: That’s arms control treaties for 1,000, I’m afraid. (Laughter.)