Obama and Cameron’s nuclear opportunity

BASIC's “This Week” article from March 12, 2012 by Rachel Staley was republished on Politics.co.uk. The article focused on the transatlantic relationship and ways in which Barack Obama and David Cameron can capitalize on nuclear issues during their two-day meeting in March.

Scrapping Trident ‘premature’

Speaking on the Today program on March 5th, Sir Menzies Campbell, co-chair of BASIC's Trident Commission, describes the BASIC Trident Commission as looking at all the realistic options for Britain’s nuclear deterrent, in the context of report released from the Liberal policy think tank Centre Forum.

Getting a ‘New START’ on the next negotiations

Today will be Ellen Tauscher’s final day as the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, and Rose Gottemoeller is expected to be named as her successor for the time being. As the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, Gottemoeller negotiated New START for the US and this weekend marked the one year anniversary of its entry into force.

Obama and the Bomb

The rhetoric in the arms control community has changed in the past 5 years. Working to achieve “Global Zero” or a “world free of nuclear weapons” have become common expressions, vocalized by governments and top level officials whom previously subscribed to a much different school of thought. It is unquestionable that U.S. President Barack Obama and his administration have made a massive impact on the strength and direction of the non-proliferation and disarmament regime and thus it is not surprising to have a compilation of essays by nuclear experts entitled “Obama and the Bomb.”