Negotiators from the United States, the other four permanent members of the UN Security Council, and Germany recently met with an Iranian team in Baghdad to discuss Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Although there’s still a long road ahead, this resumed diplomatic action marked progress that undoubtedly sets the tone for future negotiations — beginning with another round of talks in Moscow on June 18 and 19.
“Resolving Ambiguity: Costing Nuclear Weapons”
Earlier this week I spoke at an event at the Stimson Center highlighting the release of a new report by the Center’s Budgeting for Foreign Affairs and Defense program titled “Resolving Ambiguity: Costing Nuclear Weapons.” The report was authored by defense budget all-star Russell Rumbaugh and his very able partner in crime, Nathan Cohn.
FY 2013 Energy and Water Bill on House Floor; MOX Under Siege; No Additional $ for CMRR
UPDATE 6/7: Post updated with vote results. The House of Representatives today is scheduled to complete floor action on the FY 2013 Energy and Water bill (H.R. 5325). Below is a list of amendments related to the National Nuclear Security Administratio…
Bipartisan Anti-Nuke Terror Legislation Introduced
6/6 11:25 AM: Moments ago the House Judiciary Committee favorably reported the implementing legislation to the full House. By Miles Pomper and Kingston Reif Earlier today, at long last, Republican and Democratic Members of the House Judiciary Committ…
NATO: Still Fighting the Last (Cold) War
NATO released a deterrence and defense posture review in May during the alliance’s summit in Chicago, but as I point out in a piece on our website, NATO is still clinging to outdated ideas rather than looking to the current and future security environment:
At the 2012 NATO summit in Chicago, the alliance had the chance to make changes that would more efficiently address 21st Century security challenges. Instead, it chose to remain mired in Cold War thinking. A review of its Deterrence and Defense Posture that was released during the summit calls nuclear weapons a “core component” of NATO capabilities and advocates no changes to current posture, even though the status quo includes antiquated systems and a missed opportunity to clarify and harmonize policies on when nuclear weapons might be used.
