Barack Obama reversed 65 years of US policy of using the US nuclear arsenal as a deterrent. The move is akin to whistling past a graveyard, hoping that nothing bad will happen. It is also the exact opposite of the Peace Through Strength policy employed so effectively by Ronald Reagan.

By changing the policy, the Obama administration hopes the United States can focus on stopping the spread of atomic weapons to terror groups such as Al Qaeda as well as halt North Korea's nuclear buildup and Iran's nuclear ambitions, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday in announcing the new Nuclear Posture Review.