Going up! But in the elevator of the U.S. defense budget, it’s not hats, coats and lingerie but funding for the nuclear weapons complex. The House Armed Services Committee meets on Wednesday to mark up, or revise, the 2012 defense authorization bill.
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Iran Update: Number 150
- Iranian officials allege new virus attack; mark latest plans for nuclear program
- Latest U.S. assessments and speculation about Tehran’s capabilities and intentions
- Sanctions and alleged smuggling
- Regional developments
Chernobyl remembered
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the nuclear accident at Chernobyl on April 26th 1986. Until the combined power of an earthquake and tsunami struck the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan on March 11th, it was the world’s worst civilian nuclear catastrophe. There are key differences between the two: Chernobyl was caused by human error and technological failure, whereas the Japanese tragedy, which is still unfolding, was the result of a natural disaster on an epic scale.
The Time for NATO to Act is Now
Alliance Foreign Ministers meet near the end of this week, and whilst the media will be talking Libya and Afghanistan, Ministers will also be agreeing the work plan for NATO’s deterrence and defence posture review (DDPR), as well as the work of the newly-formed WMD Control and Disarmament Committee.
Anniversary of Obama’s Prague speech
Two years ago this Tuesday, President Barack Obama vowed in his Prague speech to improve U.S. relations with the rest of the world and to strengthen international security by striving for a world without nuclear weapons. Since then, President Obama has proceeded with a flurry of nuclear weapons policy-related activities
Visions for a New Century
Just Launched! Visions for a New Century is a short film taken at a BASIC event hosted at Brian Eno’s studio last year. Visions for a New Century is a collection of interviews around the issue of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. Interviewees include Peter Gabriel, Rory Bremner, Des Browne, Joe Cirincione from the Ploughshares Fund, Baroness Shirley Williams and Brian Eno.
Getting to Zero Update
Russia and the United States have begun the exchange of information on their nuclear arsenals under the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty as they assess next steps on arms control and also try to resolve their differences over missile defense.
Missile defense and relations with Russia
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is in Moscow this week to meet with Russian officials and missile defense will be high on the agenda. NATO leaders agreed at the November summit to work together on missile defense against a possible future threat from the Middle East. NATO also agreed to consider cooperation with Russia.