A new report in The New York Times last week said that U.S. arms contractors have spent $51 million to get the Senate to approve NATO expansion — an amount of money that dwarfs the lobbying efforts of any other industry including tobacco.

Arms manufacturers stand to profit billions of dollars from the sale of equipment if Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic are allowed to join NATO. Under NATO rules , new members are required to upgrade their militaries and make them compatible with those of the military alliance.

Despite the intense lobbying effort, the issue of NATO expansion remains stalled in the Senate, largely because of questions surrounding the cost.

One of the leading opponents of NATO expansion has been the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, one of Europe’s oldest and largest peace groups.

Guests:

• Dave Knight, the chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, one of Europe’s oldest and largest peace groups. Founded nearly 40 years ago by such luminaries as philosopher Bertrand Russell, CND has some 40,000 members.

Related Links:

• Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
• Yahoo–Collection of NATO sites