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SNAP ANALYSIS – Can Middle East WMD-free zone talks happen?

“The decision to convene a conference in two years time to move towards a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction is a major achievement, after 15 years of inaction,” 

BASIC Progam Director Anne Penketh quoted by Reuters. 

Read the full article: http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-48899220100529

Recycled leaders like Hague and IDS are better second time around

Yesterday’s announcement that the government would stick to a limit of 225 nuclear warheads has been rightly welcomed by BASIC (the British American Security Information Council) as a next step in transparency and disarmament.

Mary Riddell references BASIC in her commentary. Read more:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/maryriddell/100041312/recycled-leaders-like-hague-and-ids-are-better-second-time-around/  

The threat of nuclear terrorism: a race between catastrophe and co-operation

“If there was an incident of nuclear terrorism, what happens thereafter? You can imagine if al Qa’eda attacked. You can see them saying, ‘Actually we’ve got more. We will blast more at a time that we choose.’ Even if it was not true there would be panicked emptying of cities globally. If an incident happened in an American city, the US would be under enormous pressure to use enormous military force to target whoever is connected in any way. You’d have widespread instability and conflict.”

BASIC Research Director Dr. Ian Kearns quoted in The National (Abu Dhabi)