Knives are out in the initial skirmishes over the fiscal 2013 funding for the nuclear weapons complex in the U.S., as a key appropriations committee meets this week.
Analysis
Norway’s Approach to NATO’s Deterrence and Defence Posture Review
NATO is currently debating its nuclear posture as part of the Deterrence and Defence Posture Review, for discussion at the May 2012 Chicago summit. This could have an important bearing on the future direction for NATO – an Alliance bent on maintaining superior and comprehensive capabilities, or one that plays a proactive role in multilateral disarmament.
The Partnership
Book review of “The Partnership: Five Cold Warriors and Their Quest to Ban the Bomb” by Philip Taubman. At the height of the Cold War, eliminating nuclear weapons was seen as the province of dreadlocked hippies, peaceniks, and other “flower children” of the 1960s. It was a perspective that perversely marginalized the arms control agenda, just when it was needed the most.
BASIC News: March – April 2012
BASIC made headlines this spring at a two-day conference in Doha on Nuclear Non-Proliferation in the Gulf and from the second BASIC Trident Commission report on the defense-industrial issues of the UK Trident nuclear weapons system.
Changing the narrative on U.S. tactical nuclear weapons in Europe
A couple of events in Washington this week arising from a new report will focus attention anew on the presence of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons in Europe, as NATO foreign and defence ministers prepare to meet in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday ahead of next month’s NATO summit.
Spotlight on Iran’s nuclear program
This week begins with Iranians celebrating their national day of nuclear technology today… and ends on Friday and Saturday with long-awaited critical talks between Iran and the E3+3 in Istanbul. Some may view the Iranian national day as a deliberately provocative act, but that would be to misunderstand the politics.
With much at stake, GCC wants to participate in Iran negotiations
The Middle East has been left out of the P5+1's negotiations with Iran, and the GCC states want in. At a conference on nuclear non-proliferation in the Gulf, participants raised concerns of double standards for Iran and Israel. Gulf states view military action against Iran as a last resort, but also see the Iranian threat as a global one. Anne Penketh reports.
International Cooperation in Nuclear Security
Commenting on the Nuclear Security Summit II, Paul Ingram told Uranium Investing News: “Obama’s creation of an approach that pulls states into common objectives on this agenda is no small feat given the weeks of diplomatic wrangling and finger pointing that characterizes the diplomacy around the more established nuclear non-proliferation treaty process. However, such progress was incremental, and fell way short of what would be needed to meaningfully tackle threats to nuclear security.”