Recent Policy Analysis
Obama: Additional Sanctions on North Korea
Aug 30, 2010
Jimmy Carter to the Rescue... Again
Aug 25, 2010
Former President Jimmy Carter is in North Korea to secure the release of an American missionary sentenced to eight years of hard labor for illegal entry. The trip comes amid a North Korean nuclear impasse and heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula. Why was Carter chosen to go now and what can we expect from his visit?
Is a “Region by Region” Approach Really Effective in Preventing the Spread of Sensitive Nuclear Technology?
Aug 17, 2010
Following an August 3 report in the Wall Street Journal, the arms control blogosphere has been buzzing about a nearly finalized nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Vietnam. According to the Journal, and now other outlets including The Guardian and Global Security Newswire , the U.S.-Vietnam deal has considerably weaker proliferation controls than the Obama administration has demanded in the past – specifically, the agreement would allow Vietnam to retain the right to enrich uranium.
Current Status of Iran's Nuclear and Ballistic Missile Programs
Aug 13, 2010
There is no hard consensus as to exactly how close Iran is to acquiring a nuclear weapon, fitting a nuclear warhead on a ballistic missile, and/or developing a ballistic missile capable of reaching most of Europe and the United States. In this updated fact sheet, Louis Hellman, Alex Rothman, and Laicie Olson survey the relevant intelligence reports and summarizes the various estimates.
Another Squeeze
Aug 11, 2010
The U.S. will soon announce a fresh list of sanctions against North Korea to dry up the regime’s illegal cash sources that fund its nuclear weapons programs. Pyongyang is expected to unleash more provocations, even a third nuclear test, in retaliation as witnessed in the past. Still, the pressure track is expected to continue until the regime changes its behavior or until a leadership transition takes place in the North.
International Sanctions on North Korea
Aug 11, 2010
Making the 2012 Middle East Conference Work
Aug 2, 2010
It is evident that without Israel’s participation at the 2012 Conference, it will be unlikely that much progress will be realized towards the creation of a Middle East free of WMD. Efforts must be made to ensure all parties remember that the Conference is not just about nuclear weapons, while for its part, Israel must accept the necessity of engaging in the Conference simultaneous to peace building and regional diplomacy, writes Chad O'Caroll in this new analysis.
1995-2001 North Korea Log
Jul 31, 2010
1959-1989 North Korea Log
Jul 31, 2010
2005 North Korea Log
Jul 31, 2010
2002 North Korea Log
Jul 31, 2010
2003 North Korea Log
Jul 31, 2010
1993-1994 North Korea Log
Jul 31, 2010
2010 North Korea Log
Jul 31, 2010
2008 North Korea Log
Jul 31, 2010
2004 North Korea Log
Jul 31, 2010
2009 North Korea Log
Jul 31, 2010
2006 North Korea Log
Jul 31, 2010
U.S. Executive Order 13382
Jul 31, 2010
1990-1992 North Korea Log
Jul 31, 2010
2007 North Korea Log
Jul 31, 2010
1994 U.S.-North Korea Agreed Framework
Jul 30, 2010
Full Text of the 1994 U.S.-North Korea Geneva Agreed Framework
2007 October Six-Party Agreement
Jul 30, 2010
Full text of the Second Phase Actions for the Implementation of the 2005 Six-Party Talks Joint Statement
2007 February Six-Party Agreement
Jul 30, 2010
Full text of the Initial Actions for the Implementation of the 2005 Six-Party Talks Joint Statement
2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks
Jul 30, 2010
Full Text of the September 19, 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks
A Detailed Analysis of the Fiscal 2010 War Supplemental
Jul 30, 2010
The final version of the fiscal 2010 war supplemental was approved by the House on July 27, 2010 by a vote of 308-114. The bill contains approximately $59 billion in spending for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, domestic disaster relief, Haiti, and Vietnam veterans, among other things.
The RIght Strikes Out on START
Jul 15, 2010
If New START is not ratified there will continue to be no verifiable limits on Russia’s nuclear forces and U.S. inspectors will remain in the United States and not be on the ground in Russia inspecting Russia’s nuclear arsenal. As STRATCOM Commander Gen. Kevin Chilton put it, this would be “the worst of both possible worlds," write Kingston Reif and Travis Sharp in DoD Buzz.
On Engagement with North Korea
Jun 29, 2010
Any effort to denuclearize North Korea must be pursued with engagement and diplomatic normalization implemented in tandem with initial steps in other areas, such as disablement and dismantlement, writes Chad O'Carroll.
Why the latest US-Russian arms control agreement is only a START
Jun 29, 2010
The ‘New START’ Treaty signed by Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev in Prague on 8 April 2010 is an important step in the renewed drive for nuclear disarmament, but its overall contribution towards the goal of a world free from nuclear weapons should not be overstated writes Andrew Futter in this new analysis.
Debt, Deficits, & Defense: A Way Forward
Jun 11, 2010
House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.), along with a bipartisan task force that includes Senior Policy Analyst Laicie Olson, announced the release of a new report that identifies nearly $1 Trillion in Pentagon budget savings that can be generated over the next ten years from realistic reductions in defense spending. The report was produced by the Sustainable Defense Task Force, a group convened in response to a request from Rep. Frank to explore options for reducing the defense budget’s contribution to the federal deficit without compromising the essential security of the United States.
John Isaacs Speaks in Malaysia
Jun 1, 2010
However you feel about the role of the United States in initiating the atomic age, whatever you think of the long American and Soviet arms race, it is my firm belief that the United States must provide leadership to end the nuclear arms race – and move towards a world free of nuclear weapons, said John Isaacs in a speech delivered in Malaysia on 2 June 2010.
U.S. vs. Global Defense Spending
May 21, 2010
In 2008, the most recent year for which complete global data is available, the U.S. approved $696.3 billion in defense budget authority (fiscal 2010 dollars). This figure includes funding for the Pentagon base budget, Department of Energy-administered nuclear weapons activities, and supplemental appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan. This number is eight times more than Russia, 15 times more than Japan, 47 times more than Israel, and nearly 73 times more than Iran.
GOP Critics vs. the Pentagon
May 20, 2010
A distressing trend has developed in relation to the politicization of U.S. nuclear weapons policy - President Obama is criticized, while Pentagon support for the president is ignored. In short, there is a pattern emerging of selective and misleading outrage, with partisan critics caricaturizing Obama's policies while neglecting to mention or acknowledge that the policies he is advancing enjoy the strong support of the nation's military leadership, writes General Robert Gard in the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Gates Calls for Real Spending Priorities
May 11, 2010
Invoking the memory of President Eisenhower’s farewell address last weekend, Defense Secretary Robert Gates delivered a fiery speech aimed at overhauling the Pentagon’s budget and restructuring its bureaucracy.
New START and the Obama Nuclear Agenda
Apr 27, 2010
Despite the end of the U.S.-Soviet competition, the remaining 23,000 nuclear bombs across the globe present a clear and present danger to U.S. security. The President's program to focus the world's attention on this problem and to take serious steps to ameliorate this threat is critical to preventing nuclear catastrophes, write Robert Gard and John Isaacs in the Huffington Post.
New START Treaty Crucial for U.S. Security
Apr 25, 2010
Reducing the numbers and stopping the spread of nuclear weapons will require a global effort, and both New START and the test ban treaty are critical measures that will do both, greatly enhancing our national security. The fate of New START in the Senate will decide the outcome of our nuclear spring and our hopes for a more secure future, writes Richard Klass in the Sun Journal.
Young voices critical to advancing nuclear security
Apr 19, 2010
Indeed, the greatest national security threat for my generation is no longer determined by which countries possess nuclear weapons — it is the very existence of the weapons themselves, writes Katie Mounts in the Times Record.
Nuclear weapons are relics
Apr 19, 2010
Once approved by each county’s legislative bodies, New START will make important advances in reducing the unnecessarily large nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia. It’s high time for nuclear weapons--vestiges of a bygone era--to be drastically and decisively reduced in number, writes Mary Slosson in the Register Citizen.
Alan Khazei Speaks to Council and Center Supporters
Apr 16, 2010
On April 1, 2010 Alan Khazei spoke to a gathering of Council for a Livable World and Center for Arms Control & Non-Proliferation supporters at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA.
Rebuttals to Arguments Against “New START”
Apr 15, 2010
Responses to arguments made by skeptics of New START.
Those Were the Weeks That Were: Nuclear Spring
Apr 14, 2010
Stepping back from the past few frantic days on nuclear weapons issues, it is useful to realize how much has been accomplished. The last two weeks have arguably been the two most eventful weeks on reducing the dangers posed by nuclear weapons since the advent of the nuclear age, writes John Isaacs in this new analysis.
START follow-on: The Senate calculus
Apr 14, 2010
On April 8, after nearly a year of tough negotiations, the U.S. and Russia signed the "New START" treaty in Prague, Czech Republic. As John Isaacs explains in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the result of these difficult negotiations will now face what could be equally tortuous consideration by the U.S. Senate.
Invitation: Nuclear Weapons Policy Conference Call for Youth/Student Leaders, 4/20/10
Apr 12, 2010
You are cordially invited to participate in a national conference call, The Next Generation Speaks – A Briefing and Discussion on Critical U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy Initiatives, on Tuesday, April 20, 7- 8:15pm EDT.
Administration Statements and Speeches
Apr 5, 2010
Administration Statements and Speeches on New START
From the Other Side: Senate Republican Letters to President Obama and Senior Administration Officials on New START
Apr 5, 2010
Senate Republican Letters to President Obama and Senior Administration Officials on New START.
Response to Hendrik Hertzberg
Apr 5, 2010
Given the documented interest in nuclear materials of terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda, and given the questionable assumptions that nuclear-energy economics is fraught with, it makes little sense to push nuclear power at a time when protections against proliferation are still so problematic, writes Leonard Weiss in the New Yorker.
Official Administration Explanation of New START agreement
Apr 5, 2010
White House Press Release on Key Facts about the New START Treaty
Event: Discussion of Three New Books on Biological Weapons Science and Policy
Apr 2, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010 at the Henry L. Stimson Center
Analysis of the "New START" Treaty
Mar 29, 2010
On March 26, President Obama announced that after nearly a year of tough negotiations, the U.S. and Russia have reached agreement on the Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures to Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (the “New START Treaty”). In this analysis, John Isaacs and Kingston Reif examine what is known about the treaty to date.
The U.S. and China: A Military Comparison
Mar 17, 2010
A comparison of the budgets, nuclear forces, and conventional capabilities of the U.S. and Chinese Military.
Keep Your Rosaries Off My Deterrence
Mar 17, 2010
The United States is, and will continue to be, vulnerable to nuclear attack so long as nuclear weapons exist. But this doesn't mean that it can't keep its options open on missile defense and negotiate a START follow-on agreement that will enhance American security. The two efforts are not mutually exclusive and framing them as such presents a false dilemma, Kingston Reif and Travis Sharp argue in DoD Buzz.
India and the NPT
Mar 15, 2010
National Advisory Board member Leonard Weiss publishes an article on India and the forthcoming 2010 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in the March 2010 edition of Strategic Analysis.
Growth in U.S. Defense Spending Since 2001
Mar 11, 2010
The Pentagon's budget has increased dramatically since 2001. In inflation-adjusted dollars, the total defense budget has grown from $432 billion in FY01 to $720 billion in FY11, a real increase of approximately 67 percent. The Pentagon’s base budget, which excludes war and nuclear weapons funding, has also grown steadily over the last decade, increasing from $390 billion in FY01 to $540 billion in FY11, a real increase of 38 percent.
Lips and Teeth
Mar 9, 2010
If it is true that North Korea’s WMD programs are being funded principally from illicit arms sales, then it is imperative that China take its UN Security Council sanctions obligations more seriously. In this new analysis, Chad O'Caroll questions whether this duty will ever be compatible with China’s goal of maintaining North Korean regime stability.
Mounting Problems Plague the F-35
Mar 3, 2010
On March 2, U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley announced a probable cost overrun and major delay in the tri-service, nine-nation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Under the Nunn-McCurdy statute, this would trigger an extensive, mandatory review of alternatives.
FY 2011 Threat Reduction and Nonproliferation Funding
Mar 2, 2010
In his historic Prague speech on nuclear weapons, President Obama pledged that the United States would lead “a new international effort to secure all vulnerable nuclear material around the world within four years.” While last year's budget request was well below what is necessary to begin the hard work of achieving this lofty goal, the administration's Fiscal Year 2011 request includes significant increases for many key threat reduction and nonproliferation programs.
The Obama disarmament paradox: A rebuttal
Feb 24, 2010
Greg Mello's recent Bulletin article "The Obama Disarmament Paradox" distorts the Obama administration's nuclear agenda by making unjustified assumptions that discredit President Barack Obama's historic commitment to seek a nuclear-weapon-free world, write John Isaacs and Lt. Gen. Robert Gard, Jr. (USA, ret.) in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
Fact Sheet: 2010 Nuclear Posture Review
Feb 24, 2010
The Nuclear Posture Review is scheduled for release sometime in March or April 2010. The review will set U.S. nuclear weapons policy for the next five to ten years and influence the implementation of President Obama's far-reaching agenda to reduce the role and number of nuclear weapons laid out in Prague. In this new factsheet, Kingston Reif and Chad O'Carroll examine the background, purpose, significance, and challenges of the Nuclear Posture Review.
John Isaacs vs. Baker Spring on Nuclear Reductions
Feb 17, 2010
On February 16, 2010, Center Executive Director John Isaacs debated Baker Spring, a research fellow in national security policy at the Heritage Foundation, on the topic of nuclear reductions as part of a live debate series conducted by the Project on Nuclear Awareness (PONI) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Analysis of FY 2011 Budget Request
Feb 4, 2010
For Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, which begins on October 1, 2010, the Obama Administration has requested a base budget of $548.9 billion for the Department of Defense (DoD). This is $18 billion, or 3.4 percent, above the appropriated Fiscal Year 2010 base budget of $531 billion. In addition, the Administration has requested $159.3 billion for “Overseas Contingency Operations,” to fight the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This brings the Fiscal Year 2011 defense budget request to a total of $708.3 billion.
The Reliability and Safety of U.S. Nuclear Weapons
Feb 3, 2010
On January 28, 2010 at a Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation briefing for Senate staffers that was moderated by Center Chairman Lt. General Robert Gard (USA, Ret.), Dr. Richard Garwin discussed the reliability of U.S. nuclear weapons and options to ensure that these weapons remain safe and secure, and provided insight into what “modernization” is necessary.
Biological Threats: A Matter of Balance
Feb 2, 2010
In the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, the Center's Scientists Working Group on Biological and Chemical Weapons Control argues that the Graham-Talent WMD Commission exaggerates the bioterrorist threat and proposes solutions that won't produce the comprehensive approach needed to strengthen public health security.
Turning the Doomsday Clock
Jan 27, 2010
Twenty-first century threats require innovative and global solutions. Reducing the numbers of nuclear weapons in the world and preventing their further spread will require concerted effort by many nations and sustained leadership from the United States, writes Katie Mounts in the Register Citizen.
Biological Threats: A Matter of Balance
Jan 26, 2010
In response to a report card released on January 26 by the Graham-Talent Commission on the Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism, the Scientists Working Group on Biological and Chemical Weapons at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation released a statement urging a balanced approach to dealing with biological threats.
Iran Sanctions Are Counterproductive
Jan 7, 2010
If the United States hopes for the emergence of an environment in Iran where pro-democracy forces may successfully challenge—and one day replace—the current regime, new sanctions are a step in the wrong direction. Poorly designed gasoline sanctions strengthen hardliners’ anti-American arguments and undercut moderates’ calls for internal reform and external engagement with our country, writes Laicie Olson in the East Texas Review.
Report of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
Dec 18, 2009
The Report of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, “Eliminating Nuclear Threats: A Practical Agenda for Global Policymakers”, was presented December 15, 2009 in Tokyo.
Analysis of FY 2010 Defense Appropriations Conference Agreement (HR 3326)
Dec 17, 2009
The Conference agreement on the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill was adopted by the full House on Wednesday, December 16, roughly 24 hours after it became available for public viewing. The Senate is expected to act on the legislation this week. The bill includes $497.7 billion for the Department of Defense’s annual “base” budget, excluding funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Rooting for Arms Control
Dec 15, 2009
Dwight Eisenhower was the first Republican to recognize that the achievement of an international system to restrain the proliferation of nuclear weapons would be well worth a minor abrogation of national sovereignty. It is to be hoped that the necessary handful of Republican senators will endorse the collective wisdom of predecessors Root, Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush and join their Democratic colleagues in supporting START renewal and ratification of the CTBT.
Nuclear Weapons: The Modernization Myth
Dec 10, 2009
A comparison of U.S., Russian, Chinese, British, and French nuclear forces undermines the recurring argument that Washington is falling behind. As Kingston Reif explains in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, debunking this “modernization myth” demonstrates clearly that the U.S. nuclear arsenal remains second to none.
Fact Sheet: 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference
Dec 9, 2009
The 2010 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference is taking place from May 3-28 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The 2010 Review Conference will be a critical step in the ongoing process of consolidating and bolstering global confidence in the nuclear nonproliferation regime.
Fact Sheet: 2010 Global Nuclear Security Summit
Dec 9, 2009
The Global Nuclear Security Summit is scheduled to take place in April 2010 in Washington, D.C. The summit will focus on safeguarding against nuclear terrorism by bolstering international cooperation and improving security for nuclear materials worldwide.
Commitment to Nuclear Non-Proliferation: New Directions under the Obama Administration
Dec 4, 2009
In this speech delivered to the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, John Isaacs argues that we have entered an era of great change on nuclear weapons issues. The election of Barack Obama as President has provided an opportunity for unprecedented transformation. If we do not see substantial progress in the next six months, however, the President’s vision will be in jeopardy.
Introduction: START I and Nuclear Weapons Reductions
Dec 4, 2009
Background on START I and SORT and update on the New START negotiations.
How the "New START" Treaty Increases U.S. Security
Dec 4, 2009
Arguments in favor of the New START Treaty.
Pruning the Nuclear Triad? Pros and Cons of Bombers, Missiles, and Submarines
Dec 3, 2009
As the United States and Russia negotiate bilateral reductions in nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles, attention must be paid to the composition of each country’s strategic arsenal of nuclear-armed bombers, land-based missiles, and submarine-based missiles. This fact sheet considers the arguments traditionally made about the strengths and weaknesses of each leg of the nuclear triad.
Estimated Global Nuclear Weapons Inventories, 2009
Dec 3, 2009
A summary of the total number of nuclear weapons possessed by each state.
Putting Afghanistan Troop Increase Costs in Perspective
Dec 2, 2009
Adding 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan will cost $30 billion during Fiscal Year 2010. In this new fact sheet, Travis Sharp expresses this hefty sum in more accessible terms, including the cost per taxpayer, cost per minute, and opportunity cost.
Playing Chess With Russia: An Update on the New START Agreement
Nov 23, 2009
In this interview published on Daily Kos, Kingston Reif discusses New START and the obstacles faced by the United States and Russia, which include verification issues, missile defense, advanced conventional weapons systems, and upload capacity.
For Safety, Ban Nuclear Tests
Nov 12, 2009
The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty is a simple, necessary, and effective instrument for preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. It is unsettling that the United States has had such a tool within its reach for over a decade but has failed to grab it. To protect the nation, the Senate must move quickly to consider, and approve, the Test Ban Treaty, Kirk Bansak and Andrew Riedy write in The Register Citizen.
Congressional Caucuses and Arms Control
Nov 5, 2009
To illuminate the executive-legislative interaction that is already occurring and will intensify as the Obama administration moves to complete bilateral U.S.-Russian reductions of nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles, it helps to identify the congressional caucuses that exist to influence nuclear weapons policy. Travis Sharp briefly examines these conduits of informal power on Capitol Hill.
How to Ratify the Test Ban Treaty
Nov 2, 2009
Ten years ago last month, the U.S. Senate failed to approve the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. A decade later, the dangers posed by the potential spread of nuclear weapons and materials to additional states and terrorists have increased dramatically. Stopping proliferation will require a global effort -- and an early, essential step in that effort must be U.S. ratification of the test ban, Kingston Reif argues in this new op-ed for World Politics Review.
Obstacles to Negotiating a New START Agreement
Oct 30, 2009
In May 2009, the United States and Russia began formal negotiations on a follow-on agreement to replace START I, which expires in December 2009. Based on news reports, conversations with Russian and American experts, and discussions with senior U.S. officials, Kingston Reif outlines the four main sticking points in the negotiations.
Letter to Congress on Laser Enrichment Facility in North Carolina
Oct 30, 2009
A letter to Congress about the proliferation risks of a specific uranium enrichment method known as laser isotope separation that Global Laser Enrichment plans to use in its proposed uranium enrichment facility in North Carolina.
A Shift in Focus: Changes in the Missile Defense Program
Oct 27, 2009
On September 17, President Barack Obama announced changes in the American missile defense program seeking a more proven and cost-effective system than that introduced by the Bush administration. FPIF spoke with Kingston Reif, Deputy Director of Nuclear Non-Proliferation at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, to understand the reasons for the changes and its effects on American foreign policy.
Analysis of FY 2010 Defense Authorization Conference Agreement (HR 2647)
Oct 21, 2009
On October 7, a House-Senate conference committee finalized the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Authorization bill. The bill authorizes $550.2 billion for the national security budget and $130 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan, which adds up to $680.2 billion in total funding, the same amount requested by the Obama administration. The House passed the conference bill on October 8. The Senate is expected to follow suit soon.
New START Won’t Require Cuts in U.S. Force Structure
Oct 16, 2009
Assuming the United States and Russia can agree to new elimination, counting, and inspection rules as part of the New START negotiations, the United States should have no problem complying with a delivery vehicle limit of 800, which comports with the number of nuclear-armed systems it actually deploys and would not require it to eliminate bombers, missiles, and submarines that have been converted to conventional roles. Kingston Reif explains why in this new analysis.
Biohazard: Why U.S. Bioterror Research Is More Dangerous Than Bioterrorism
Oct 16, 2009
In their new article on ForeignPolicy.com, Lynn Klotz and Edward Sylvester argue that the race to develop countermeasures to biological weapons might have actually increased the probability of a bioterrorist attack and made it more difficult to achieve the kind of international cooperation that can truly reduce this threat.
Senate Sounds of Silence on Nukes
Oct 8, 2009
Given the important role Capitol Hill can play in foreign policy, recent Senate reactions to major Obama administration announcements are worth analyzing as a sign of challenges ahead. After a survey of press activity, the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation concludes that only the sounds of silence have been heard from the Senate on arms control – except for Republicans’ predictable disavowal of reformulated plans for missile defense in Europe.
Rebalancing U.S. Foreign Policy: The State Department and Congressional Fellowships
Oct 5, 2009
This essay argues that in order to reclaim its proper place alongside the Pentagon as the chief incubator and executor of U.S. foreign policy, the State Department must strengthen its legislative affairs activities, and thereby its relationship with Congress, through the improved utilization of congressional fellowships for Foreign Service Officers.
Letter to Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Laser Enrichment Facility in North Carolina
Oct 2, 2009
A letter opposing the laser enrichment facility planned in Wilmington, NC for which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering a license request. Laser enrichment poses proliferation risks because it is harder to detect than other enrichment technologies.
Analysis of FY 2010 Senate Defense Appropriations Bill (HR 3326)
Sep 24, 2009
On September 10, 2009, the Senate Appropriations Committee completed its markup of the fiscal year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill (HR 3326). The Committee bill provides $625.8 billion in total discretionary funding, $3.5 billion less than the President’s request. Of the total, $497.6 billion is for the Department of Defense “base” budget and $128.2 billion is for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Obama's Options on Missile Defense
Sep 21, 2009
While media elites and professional pundits love to frame public policy debates as epic battles of conservative and liberal worldviews, judgments about national security rarely boil down to two stark alternatives. The president typically considers at least a handful of distinct options when making any major foreign policy decision. The U.S. missile defense system in Europe, originally proposed by President George W. Bush, serves as the perfect example.
President Obama's Revamped European Missile Defense Offers Better Security
Sep 17, 2009
In response to the Pentagon's announcement September 17 that it intends to modify plans for the U.S. missile defense system in Europe, experts at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation concluded that the decision is technically and politically wise.
2009-2010 College Debate Topic on Nuclear Weapons: A Guide to Background Materials, Publications, & Organizations
Sep 14, 2009
In 2009-2010, the national college debate topic asks whether or not the United States “should substantially reduce the size of its nuclear weapons arsenal, and/or substantially reduce and restrict the role and/or missions of its nuclear weapons arsenal.” To help debaters prepare, the Center prepared an online guide to background materials, publications, and relevant organizations.
Fact Sheet: Quick Facts about U.S. Military Operations in Afghanistan
Sep 8, 2009
This new fact sheet by Christopher Hellman presents quick facts about the U.S. commitment to Afghanistan, including updated information on troop levels, costs, and casualties.
Local Priorities vs. National Interests in Arms Control
Sep 1, 2009
Would a senator from a state dependent on the nuclear weapons complex oppose an arms control treaty not on the basis of ideology, but because the treaty would mean the loss of jobs or funding in their home state? “Absolutely,” Travis Sharp argues in this new article for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Online.
Congressional Fellowships and Foreign Policy: DOD vs. State
Aug 25, 2009
The Pentagon’s growing control over U.S. foreign policy is partly attributable to its highly organized and efficient legislative operations, which are far superior to those of the State Department and allow DOD to dominate the zero-sum game of congressional budgeting. In this analysis on the Stimson Center Budget Insight Blog, Travis Sharp argues that the State Department should at least double the number of Foreign Service Officers working on the Hill.
Zero Nuclear Weapons: A Feasible Goal?
Aug 25, 2009
Global Zero is dependent on compliance, which in turn relies on mutual trust between states in the international system that weapons will not be concealed. This appears remote and subsequently so too does the feasibility of such a goal as complete nuclear disarmament, Lt. Gen. Robert Gard writes on Atlantic-Community.org.