When it comes to destroying chemical weapons, the Pentagon's motto is still "Burn, baby, burn."

Forget public opinion. Forget science. Forget Congress.

The Army's chemical demilitarization people have never really supported the decision to use chemical processes to neutralize weapons in Kentucky and Colorado, even though neutralization would be cheaper and safer than burning the deadly gases and munitions.

The latest roadblock is an attempt to divert money for neutralization into incineration programs that are years behind schedule and billions over budget.

Some officials are even lamely blaming the neutralization programs for cost overruns and delays that could cause the United States to miss a treaty deadline for eliminating obsolete chemical arsenals.

These same officials are also talking about moving weapons cross country to burn, even though this alternative was roundly rejected in the past and faces even fiercer opposition today because of terrorism threats.

Sen. Mitch McConnell is trying to end this military madness with an amendment that strips the Pentagon of any authority to shift funds already appropriated by Congress out of the Kentucky and Colorado programs.

The McConnell amendment, attached to an emergency spending bill for the Iraq war and tsunami victims, prohibits the military from moving to other sites the $813 million already set aside for destroying arsenals in Madison County and Pueblo, Co.

To prevent further foot-dragging, the amendment also requires the Pentagon to spend $100 million at the neutralization sites within four months of the bill's passage and further requires bimonthly spending reports to Congress on the two sites.

The amendment also would stop the Pentagon from wasting any more time or money studying chemical weapons transport.

Thanks to McConnell for continuing his push to free Central Kentucky of WMD. The Army has long warned that the longer the weapons are stored, the more dangerous they become.

Kentucky's House delegation should work hard to shepherd the amendment through that chamber. If all goes well, McConnell's amendment could be signed into law next month.

Maybe that will finally do the trick. But we've learned from bitter experience that an act of Congress is no big deal to the people in charge of protecting us from WMD at home.