BASIC Executive Director, Paul Ingram, was interviewed by Press TV after British Prime Minister David Cameron wrote a piece for the Telegraph, acknowledging his support of Trident and highlighting the country's need to replace the weapons system with a like-for-like program.
Paul Ingram counter's the Prime Minster's arguments here: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/04/05/296582/british-pm-seeks-to-keep-controversial-trident-nukes/
The E3+3, Iran, and the Almaty talks
Last week's talks were deemed by many commentators as a failure. Rather than responding directly to the E3+3’s (P5+1's) agenda around initial small confidence-building steps, the Iranian delegation appears to have looked for reassurances that the end-state would include lifting the sanctions and recognition of Iran’s right to enrich, and that the group of six was serious in recognizing objectives of the Iranian delegation.
David Cameron argues for replacing the Trident nuclear system due to future uncertainties and threats from North Korea and Iran. The author criticizes this stance, highlighting the historical context, fragility of nuclear deterrence, and alternative security challenges. They argue that reliance on nuclear weapons is a misguided strategy in a rapidly changing global security environment.
Richard Norton-Taylor writes about changing assumptions about nuclear deterrence and nuclear possession. He argues that treating Trident as an employment scheme will leave Britain ill-equipped for the real threat: terrorism. He references the BASIC Trident Commission's recent report by John Simpson:
This week, talks over Iran’s nuclear program will resume on Friday and Saturday, in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Friday will also mark four years since President Barack Obama delivered his landmark speech in Prague, Czech Republic, where he called for a world free of nuclear weapons and outlined the details of how his first administration would handle nuclear weapons issues.
The BASIC Trident Commission is publishing its fourth briefing on Thursday, March 28. In this report, John Simpson outlines the emergence of Britain’s nuclear deterrence posture and thinking over the last seventy years, and how successive governments have sought to balance this with effective non-proliferation diplomacy.
This week, BASIC is in Istanbul hosting our second conference on Nuclear Non-Proliferation in the Gulf. Decision shapers–including officials and experts–from the Gulf region, Iran, the UK, and the US are meeting to discuss the current state of global nuclear diplomacy and collective security in the region, the potential for nuclear proliferation in the Gulf and Middle East, the prospects of the establishment of a nuclear and WMD-free zone in the Middle East