The renewal of the “independent British nuclear deterrent” has met remarkably little debate in the UK. Except in Scotland, that is. This week the leader of the Scottish National party and first minister in Edinburgh, Alex Salmond, went head-to-head with Alistair Darling, the Labour leader of the ‘Better Together’ campaign, for a second live debate over next month’s referendum on Scottish independence.
Analysis
Did Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki Save Lives?
An article written by Ward Wilson, a seniron fellow at BASIC was published in the Diplomat. The article talks about the utility of nuclear weapons and the rationale for keeping them.
UK Stays Silent on Nuclear-Arms Pact Extension with United States
Paul Ingram was quoted in this GSN article on the secrecy surrounding the U.S.-UK Mutual Defense Agreement:
“With the deepening of technical collaboration that shapes the procurement decisions here in London over nuclear weapons program, in a manner that stretches or breaks Article 1 of the [Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty], it is high time we took this relationship and its consequences for international security seriously.”
Iran: beyond the concessions and expectations
What will it take for negotiating parties to reach a lasting deal over Iran's nuclear programme–and what does it mean for the non-proliferation regime?
The prospect of success with Iran
This week, Iran and the P5+1/E3+3 group of world powers are under pressure to produce a comprehensive agreement around the former’s nuclear program by a deadline of Sunday, July 20th, or otherwise agree to extend their existing interim arrangement. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry were holding direct discussions after several foreign ministers from the P5+1 gathered in Vienna this past weekend to assess progress toward a long-term deal that would provide reassurance that Iran’s program will not be used for producing nuclear weapons.
Iran Nuclear Talks Hit Critical Juncture With Kerry to Join
This article by Jonathan Tirone at Bloomberg about the critical juncture of the Iran talks in July 2014 cites BASIC's executive director Paul Ingram as saying: “There remains deep skepticism on both sides and influential forces aligning against a deal…Complete failure is highly unattractive but a comprehensive solution will also be elusive.”
Iran Nuclear Talks Hit Critical Juncture With Kerry to Join
This article by Jonathan Tirone at Bloomberg about the critical juncture of the Iran talks in July 2014 cites BASIC's executive director Paul Ingram as saying: “There remains deep skepticism on both sides and influential forces aligning against a deal…Complete failure is highly unattractive but a comprehensive solution will also be elusive.”
U.K. Independent Panel: Retain Trident Subs, But Explore Delay Options
The Trident Commission, spearheaded by BASIC, launched its concluding report on July 1st, and it is expected to add significant value to the debate on whether or not to keep Britain’s nuclear deterrent. An article by Elaine Grossman in the National Journal explores the various viewpoints concerning the report's findings, and emphasizes BASIC's involvement as the organizers of the report. The article does not argue a stance, but rather clearly and in some detail lays out the arguments and counterarguments advances by the report and those in opposition to its conclusions.