Six years ago, President Obama stood in Hradcany Square in Prague, Czech Republic and announced “America’s commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.” The President outlined a broad and bold strategy that focused on stopping rogue nuclear states, securing nuclear materials, and lowering weapon stockpiles.
Diplomacy Wins: US-Cuban Relations
On July 20, a flag raising ceremony drew hundreds of spectators and marked the reopening of the Cuban embassy in the United States. The short ceremony paled in comparison to the monumental shift in US foreign policy that the embassy opening represents. After years of estrangement, Cuba and the United States officially normalized diplomatic relations, ending a generation long stand-off.
The World’s First Nuclear Blast: 70 Years Ago, Today
On July 16, 1945 at 5:29am, a bright light flashed across the New Mexico desert, ushering in the atomic age. The world’s first atomic bomb had been successfully detonated.
Why ISIS Cannot Be Defeated by Putting US Boots on the Ground
Seemingly overnight, the terrorist organization ISIS established an illegitimate state spanning the borders of Iraq and Syria. Systematic human rights abuses and dramatic executions have drawn the world’s attention to the group; however, ISIS does not pose an immediate existential threat to the United States, begging the question: are there options other than putting US put boots on the ground to combat this problem?
America’s Nuclear Weapons are Affordable, But at What Cost?
A forthcoming study by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) serves as a reminder that the US must evaluate the worthiness of investing billions of dollars into its nuclear arsenal. The study addresses affordability and concludes that “U.S. nuclear forces are affordable because their projected costs account for a small percentage of the overall defense budget.”
