BASIC Senior Fellow Ward Wilson was interviewed on Russia Today to discuss the 70th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima. While the conventional narrative claims that the gruesome event led to the capitulation of Japan and the end of WWII, new evidence suggests that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not decisive. What implications does this have for the strategy of nuclear deterrence and the value of nuclear weapons in modern geopolitics?
American Exceptionalism and the Folly of Hiroshima
“Seventy years ago, the world fell under the shadow of a nuclear Armageddon, under which it has been living ever since. On August 6 1945, a US B-29 bomber, the “Enola Gay,” dropped the world’s first atomic bomb, innocently named “Little Boy,” on the Japanese city of Hiroshima….” writes Ward Wilson for Sputnik News.
Read the full article on Sputnik News' website here.
Where is the UK government’s nuclear weapons policy heading?
Whichever way you look at it, it seems that the fiscal hawks and disarmament doves have been blown out of the sky and have sunk into a deep blue ocean where the Trident Successor programme stares them head-on.
2014 Annual Activities Report
In 2014, BASIC prioritised its further engagement in building trust and dialogue amongst opinion-formers and decision shapers working in areas of nuclear deterrence, non-proliferation and disarmament.
Radio Sputnik interview with Paul Ingram
BASIC’s Executive Director Paul Ingram was interviewed by Radio Sputnik. Paul addressed the US relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council in light of the Iran deal.
Romanticizing the Bomb: How nuclear “realists” falsely framed the nuclear weapons debate
There has never been as much dissatisfaction with the international framework governing nuclear weapons (the Non-Proliferation Treaty) as there is today. The treaty is being reviewed and debated at the United Nations in New York this month, and for the first time in 35 years there are serious concerns that it might tear apart at the seams.
The UK’s Next Leader is Going to Face Some Serious Questions on Nukes
In this Vice News article on the future of Trident, BASIC's Executive Director Paul Ingram is quoted, “The Ministry of Defense cannot afford Trident plus all of its other missions. So there is indeed a direct choice to be made between having a brand spanking new nuclear weapons system that nobody expects to use, or hope is never used, and being a country that has conventional forces that has relevance on the world stage.”
The Conservative Party’s Manifesto and Policy on Nuclear Weapons
After a calculated delay, the Conservative Party have today launched their 2015 General Election manifesto: ‘Strong leadership. A clear economic plan. A brighter, more secure future.’