Citing no substantive evidence, President Trump announced that he would not certify the Iran nuclear agreement, setting up a 60-day window for Congress to potentially re-impose nuclear-related sanctions against Iran. This episode dives into why Congress should do what it does best — nothing — with Tess Bridgeman, a former Deputy Legal Adviser to the […]
Prospect of Atmospheric Nuclear Test by North Korea Raises Specter of Danger
Senior Science Fellow Philip Coyle was quoted in the New York Times. “The DPRK would be taking a big risk — missile tests fail,” said Philip E. Coyle III, a nuclear scientist and former head of the Pentagon’s weapons testing. The live nuclear warhead could come down on a neighboring country, or if the missile […]
Differences Between House and Senate FY 2018 NDAA on Major Nuclear Provisions
To download a PDF version, click here. A. Treaties: Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty House: Sections 1243 and 1244: Authorizes $25 million to establish a program of record to develop a conventional road-mobile ground-launched cruise missile system that, if tested or deployed, would violate the INF Treaty. Senate: Section 1635: Authorizes $65 million to establish […]
Mattis: Use of tactical nuclear weapons discussed with South Korea
Policy Analyst James McKeon was cited in The Military Times. “However, it’s not the size that determines their tactical or strategic status, McKeon said. The bombs are tactical ― and not governed by the 2010 new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START treaty ― if they are delivered on a tactical aircraft, such as an F-16 or […]
Cooperative Threat Reduction or: How I Stopped Worrying and Got Rid of the Bomb
When the Cold War ended, four separate countries suddenly inherited the former Soviet nuclear arsenal. Destroying and removing those weapons was a herculean effort, and it couldn’t have been done without the bipartisan leadership of two U.S. Senators. We tell the story with Senators Nunn and Lugar, as well as former Assistant Secretary of Defense […]
