Retired Senior British Military Officials Argue Against Trident

In an intriguing letter, three former British military officials raised doubts about the need for the use of Britain's trident system.  The AP reported that Field Marshal Dwin Bramal and retired Army generals David Ramsbotham and Hugh Beach downplayed the ability of nuclear weapons to deal with the prominent threats in today's security environment.  Of particularly interest to the United States were a couple of arguments made about the role of the United States in Britain's nuclear affairs:

• The British rely on U.S. developed missiles, as evidenced by the December sale of 2/3 of AWE Management, Inc. to Lockheed and Jacobs Engineering, Inc.  places a large portion of the responsibility for producing Trident
• The role of U.S. support in deterrence calculations.  The letter was quoted as saying, "It is unthinkable that, because of the catastrophic consequences for guilty and innocent alike, these weapons would ever be launched, or seriously threatened, without the backing and support of the United States."

Should Britain scrap its Trident system? What role should the United States play in supporting British nuclear policy?