The Obama administration has announced new guidelines for limiting the use of nuclear weapons. Outlined in a nuclear posture review released today, the policy states that the main role of nuclear weapons is to deter or respond to a nuclear attack, and that the U.S. will not use such weapons against non-nuclear states that are in compliance with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. On Thursday, President Obama and Russian President Demitry Medvedev are expected to sign a new START treaty to reduce their countries' nuclear arsenals. What does this strategy mean for national defense and international relations?

Guest:

David Hoffman, contributing editor to Foreign Policy magazine, formerly of The Washington Post. He is author of The Dead Hand, a book about the nuclear arms race

Jim Walsh, International security expert at the Security Studies Program at M.I.T.

Lieutenant General Dirk Jameson, Retired US Army