William F. Burns

William F. Burns contends in the following viewpoint that the diminished threat of nuclear war presents an opportunity for the United States to significantly reduce its nuclear arsenal. According to Burns, the U.S. should restrict the role of nuclear weapons to deterring or responding to a nuclear attack. Burns, a retired United States Army major, was the director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency under President Ronald Reagan. He chaired a study by the Committee on International Security and Arms Control of the National Academy of Sciences, which produced the report The Future of U.S.Nuclear Weapons Policy.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to the author, what changes have the United States and Russia made to their nuclear...