US to spend billions ‘modernizing’ nuclear arsenal/a> November 6, 2013 By Mathieu Rabechault Washington — The United States plans to spend billions to upgrade a decades-old atomic bomb designed to stop a Soviet invasion of Europe, as part of a controversial project to modernize its nuclear arsenal. Some lawmakers and experts dismiss the effort as […]
Iran, United States Finally Learning to Talk
This week, talks between Iran and the P5+1 regarding Iran’s nuclear program will resume. All eyes are on Geneva, given that the first series of talks was reportedly the most productive and positive that the two sides have had in quite some time.
To help us better understand why the last round of Geneva talks was significant, I’ve written a piece in The National Interest analyzing that negotiation. I focus on the ways in which these talks represented a welcome improvement over the past decade of negotiations with Iran, which have too often been characterized by unrealistic demands, an unwillingness to focus on the most important issues, and an inability to link interim progress with long-term goals.
Here’s an excerpt:
“Finally, a crucial, if subtle, shift in the two sides’ approaches has been a greater willingness to look at the ultimate goals of the talks—what commentators like to call the ‘endgame’—and to work backwards from there to determine interim steps. To an outside observer, this may seem like an obvious way to negotiate, but as Trita Parsi pointed out, the West in particular has studiously avoided discussions of the ‘endgame’ in an effort to maintain the upper hand in past negotiations. Now, that could be about to change.”
Have a look at the full piece, here.
National Interest OpEd on Diplomacy with Iran by Usha Sahay
Time for a Deal with Iran By Usha Sahay November 4, 2013 Frequently, when statesmen or governments make the blunders that their predecessors also made, it’s pointed out gloomily that history repeats itself. But earlier this month in Geneva, the world saw a welcome example of nations attempting to learn from history. Nuclear negotiations between […]
Roll Call OpEd: U.S. Would Benefit From Fixing the Problems With Missile Defense
U.S. Would Benefit From Fixing the Problems With Missile Defense By Lt. General Robert Gard and Philip Coyle In his recent commentary, David Trachtenberg called for more diversity in America’s missile defense systems and claimed that the current U.S. missile defense program “is but a shadow of the robust program needed to protect the nation.” […]
What is Scarier Than Ghost, Goblins & Witches? Nukes!
Witches, ghosts and goblins haunt the stories and movies that we watch this time of week. However, if you truly want to be afraid, it’s worth remembering that terrifying weapons with the power to destroy our planet haunt humankind every day.
Today, there are an estimated 17,000+ nuclear weapons in the world, each of which is larger than the bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in seconds. Pakistan and India continue to develop and grow their nuclear arsenals, while North Korea may be preparing a new nuclear explosive test.
Meanwhile, some in Congress are failing to allow breathing room for diplomacy with Iran, which is our best hope to prevent a war that would make Iraq seem like a skirmish – a truly horrifying outcome. Recent research by the Center found the current sanctions regime to be effective and a need for Congressional patience in allowing their leverage to take hold.
But like all great Halloween stories, there is some hope to be had. In 2009, the number of nuclear weapons that could instantly be targeted at a U.S. or Russian city was reduced by the thousands. “The Center continues to educate Congress and the general public about opportunities to ensure national security while eliminating overly dangerous, extremely expensive and outdated weapons systems,” said executive director, John Isaacs. Yet the number that could be instantly targeted at the U.S. remains at 1,550 which is more haunting than The Conjuring.
In our modern time, it is not only countries with nuclear weapons that should be concerning but also the potential for a terrorist organization to gain access to these weapons and materials.
As in any great horror movie, the hero must act to prevent terrible things from happening. To do that, the U.S. in 2004 launched the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), which has successfully rid ten countries of their dangerous nuclear materials. However, like Death’s scythe, budget cuts have come to target the program, slashing millions from one of the most effective nuclear non-proliferation programs in decades.
While effective programs come under the pendulum in Edgar Allen Poe’s imaginary pit, billions are wasted every year on defense programs that do not enhance national security.
As Center chairman and former president of National Defense University, Lt. General (USA ret.) Robert Gard argues in an OpEd for The Hill, “Many years of pouring money from federal coffers into unnecessary defense programs has not increased security. It has, rather, contributed significantly to our federal deficit and retarded the current economic recovery; and we must not permit the military-industrial-Congressional complex to continue pushing us down this path.”
So, tonight as you watch Dracula, Frankenstein or Jason, it is important to remember that some scary things cannot be packed up and put in the attic until next year.
