This Washington Post article by Mary Beth Sheridan recounts how the United States has lost the ability to peek into the Russian nuclear arsenal because the first Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), along with its accompanying verification measures, expired without a replacement in force.
Read the full article:
The growing threat from nuclear weapons has revived the idea of their complete elimination. BASIC has been monitoring the various important developments as the world moves closer to getting to zero nuclear weapons.
“There's no real indication of the deep shifts in thinking necessary to begin giving up the nuclear fix.”
BASIC Executive Director Paul Ingram quoted by Spiegel Online. Read more:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,687640,00.html
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review conference concluded at the end of May on a positive note. However, the months ahead look uncertain. Diplomatic relations over the North Korean and Iranian programs continue to deteriorate, and there still lacks a firm indication on whether the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) will be ratified by the end of the year.
“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)
“If leaders at the summit get it right, they could render nuclear power safer to use in the fight against climate change, strengthen the non-proliferation regime, and build further international confidence in … nuclear disarmament.”
BASIC Research Director Ian Kearns quoted by Reuters in Sundays Zaman.
Read more:
http://www.sundayszaman.com/sunday/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=207074
In the run up to the NPT Review Conference (3-28 May), there have been a number of critical developments. Russia and the United States have signed the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the Obama Administration just released its Nuclear Posture Review, and Washington is about to host one of its largest summits ever, on nuclear security.
Far more remains to be done before the world can feel assured that nuclear security issues are being addressed seriously enough…..