As December deadline for Congressional action on the proposed U.S.-Saudi Arabia civilian nuclear agreement inches closer, why are non-proliferation experts raising urgent alarms over unprecedented concessions in the agreement, and what do these proposed terms mean for global security?
This episode of Nukes of Hazard turns the lens on Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act, the structural intricacies of the proposed framework and the crucial role Congress must play in supervising high-stakes nuclear commerce. Center Senior Policy Director John Erath speaks with two leading nuclear policy experts: Sharon Squassoni, Research Professor of International Affairs at George Washington University and Center Board Member, who breaks down the architecture of the 123 agreement, detailing why transferring dual-use technology breaks with 50 years of U.S. policy and why proposed guardrails like a two-year enrichment study and bilateral safeguards fall short; and Kelsey Davenport, Director for Nonproliferation Policy at the Arms Control Association, who explains why controlling fissile material acts as the ultimate “line in the sand” against nuclear proliferation, why Saudi Arabia’s refusal to adopt the IAEA’s Additional Protocol creates dangerous blind spots, why claims of a U.S. economic boom are overblown and what options lawmakers have to enforce constitutional oversight.
