Robert McNamara on the Effectiveness of Nuclear Deterrence July 7, 2009

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Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2005/03/09/Robert_McNamara

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara passed away on Monday, July 6, 2009. He was 93.

In this excerpt from March 2005, McNamara discusses the effectiveness of nuclear deterrence during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. McNamara implies that, due to their lethality, small stockpiles of nuclear weapons are just as effective as large-scale arsenals in deterring military action by an enemy state.

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The 8th U.S. Secretary of Defense reflects on the history of nuclear weapons policies and current dangers. Secretary McNamara was a principle actor in the formulation of Cold War era nuclear strategy in the NATO alliance. He will share his views on the current state of the alliance and the direction nuclear policy has followed - and perhaps should follow - in today's world. - World Affairs Council of Northern California

Robert Strange McNamara (June 9, 1916 July 6, 2009) was an American business executive and the eighth Secretary of Defense. McNamara served as Defense Secretary for Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1968. Following that he served as President of the World Bank from 1968 until 1981.