U.S. Production of Nuclear Explosives Formally Halted

The Bush Administration announced Monday that it is formally abandoning its long-halted production of nuclear explosives, bringing U.S. policy into line with the end of the Cold War arms race.

In a written statement, President Bush said that he is forswearing production of plutonium and highly enriched uranium for weapons in hopes of encouraging other countries to do the same.

The step will have no real effect in the United States, which stopped producing military plutonium--the basic material of thermonuclear bombs--in 1988, under then-President Ronald Reagan.

The United States and Russia already have more nuclear explosives than they want and are dismantling thousands of nuclear weapons under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

But officials said that the Administration move is important diplomatically because it turns the existing halt in production into a formal, long-term policy--”a public and strong American commitment,” in the words of a senior State Department aide. “And that makes it a big step.”

The Administration also announced a series of diplomatic initiatives, some already under way, aimed at raising new barriers to the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and missile technology among countries that do not already possess them.

The steps include seeking U.N. sanctions against countries that violate nuclear safeguard agreements and increased funding for multinational inspection efforts.

“It’s a modest collection of proposals, nothing very earth-shaking,” said Dunbar Lockwood, a senior researcher at the private Arms Control Assn. “It’s certainly a welcome move, but compared to what Bush has done in other areas, it’s kind of a wimp.”

Despite the low-key contents, however, the White House announced the policy move with deliberate fanfare--apparently pleased to unveil a statesmanlike initiative, and make a bit of news, on the opening day of the Democratic National Convention.

Officials released the plans in Kennebunkport, Me., where Bush is on vacation, and then summoned reporters to a high-level briefing at the State Department.