As the 2015 general election and the decision on whether to replace Trident approaches, it is important to consider the implications of the continued possession of nuclear weapons for British democracy. Historically, Britain’s bomb has been dependent on US support, a relationship notable for its opacity and lack of democratic accountability.
Blog
Mr. Alexander goes to Washington
On Wednesday, Britain's Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, will be in Washington, D.C. discussing the UK government's study on alternatives to the Trident nuclear weapon system, released in mid-July.
Minimum Deterrence: Examining the Examination
The mid-August publication of the National Institute for Public Policy’s Minimum Deterrence: Examining the Evidence has re-invigorated the debate on America’s nuclear policy and on the concept of nuclear deterrence in general: Does it make sense in the 21st century? Can a ‘Deterrence Lite’ policy, hereafter called ‘Minimum Deterrence’ (MD), really work?
Supporting President Obama on Nuclear Reductions
The year 2013 has not been an easy one for President Barack Obama. A formerly friendly media has started to ask hard questions, his supporters on the left accuse him of following the policy pathways of George W. Bush, and the right excoriates him for, well, living.
The NATO Alliance: Rethinking Reassurance
Recently, BASIC hosted two events centered around NATO’s nuclear posture burden-sharing. One of the underlying concerns from representatives of NATO member-states was that of reassurance.
Egypt & the future of the Middle East WMDFZ
What happens when the regional leader in WMD Free Zone talks suddenly undergoes a volatile regime change?
For years, Egypt, driven by a desire to avoid the insecurity and perceived imbalances that would stem from nuclear weapons proliferation, has been a strong advocate for a weapons of mass destruction free zone (WMDFZ) in the Middle East.
Cold War Thinking and Nuclear Deterrence in the 21st Century
BASIC’s This Week released on Monday July 29th focuses on the prevailing Cold War mentality that pervades strategic thinking in many of the nuclear armed states.
Time for Action in Iran
U.S. President Barack Obama pledged to change a great number of things in his first election campaign 2008, and among them was bringing peace to the Middle East. Long neglected during his first Presidential term, it seems that now, at last, Israeli-Palestinian relations may be rising to a higher level of political salience.