by Leonard Weiss Published in the March 2011 issue of The Nonproliferation Review 18:1, 2011, p.11 Christopher Paine and Thomas Cochran have produced an interesting variation on an old idea for enhancing nonproliferation by internationalizing the fuel cycle (see “Nuclear Islands: International Leasing of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Sites to Provide Enduring Assurance of Peaceful Use,” […]
New START’s Nuclear Compromise
by Kingston Reif The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the United States and Russia officially entered into force in a low-key ceremony in Munich in early February–much to the delight of our military leadership, intelligence community, and just about every national security expert on the planet. The national security case for the […]
How New START Was Won
by Kingston Reif On February 2, President Obama officially ratified the New START treaty in a low-key signing ceremony at the White House. The eight month-long campaign to win the Senate’s approval of the treaty, however, was anything but low-key. It was a knock down, drag out fight, the outcome of which was in doubt […]
Congress Doesn’t Show the Money for Nuclear Security
by Kingston Reif As most observers of Capitol Hill know, the appropriations process for FY 2011 has been a disaster. The 111th Congress did not pass any of the 12 annual appropriations bills that would fund the government for the current fiscal year. An Omnibus appropriations bill that would have combined these 12 bills into […]
U.S. Tactical Nuclear Weapons in Europe Fact sheet
Definition Though there is no single agreed upon definition of a tactical nuclear weapon, it is generally characterized by a lower yield and shorter range than a long-range (strategic) nuclear weapon. Tactical nuclear weapons are also sometimes referred to as battlefield nuclear weapons. Estimated Numbers of Tactical Nuclear Weapons as of 2010 • U.S.: The […]