In this article from the front cover of Arms Control Today, Paul Ingram and Oliver Meier discuss the newly agreed draft of the DDPR for the Chicago Summit at the end of May. The authors highlight important points in the debate over U.S. tactical nuclear weapons in Europe and strategic relations with Russia, and explain various principles that should be kept in mind while leaders discuss the future of NATO's nuclear posture at the upcoming Summit.
Counter Proliferation
Evidence submitted by George Robertson
SEPTEMBER 2011
… When as this country’s Defence Secretary, in the 1998 Strategic Defence Review, I made the biggest ever unilateral reductions in our deterrent strength, so that our country now has the smallest stockpile of nuclear warheads and is the only nuclear weapons state with a single system, there was absolutely no reciprocation and today the Chinese are substantially increasing its nuclear forces and Russia is upgrading its strategic nuclear capability.
Themes arising from the BASIC Workshop in Doha
About 50 participants – representatives of Gulf states and experts from the region, and U.S. and European experts and officials, exchanged views on Nuclear Non-Proliferation in the Gulf during a conference on March 21st and 22nd. The workshop highlighted a number of themes, including: justice and rights, disarmament, universality and the health of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and Iran.
Norway’s Approach to NATO’s Deterrence and Defence Posture Review
NATO is currently debating its nuclear posture as part of the Deterrence and Defence Posture Review, for discussion at the May 2012 Chicago summit. This could have an important bearing on the future direction for NATO – an Alliance bent on maintaining superior and comprehensive capabilities, or one that plays a proactive role in multilateral disarmament.
With much at stake, GCC wants to participate in Iran negotiations
The Middle East has been left out of the P5+1's negotiations with Iran, and the GCC states want in. At a conference on nuclear non-proliferation in the Gulf, participants raised concerns of double standards for Iran and Israel. Gulf states view military action against Iran as a last resort, but also see the Iranian threat as a global one. Anne Penketh reports.
Hopes rising for Mideast WMD meeting
Amid rising optimism about the prospects for convening a 2012 conference on establishing a zone free of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the Middle East, Finnish diplomat Jaakko Laajava is to deliver his first briefing to states-parties to the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) in Vienna next month on his efforts to pull the meeting together. Anne Penketh reports on where things stand in the April edition of Arms Control Today.
Review of the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit
The 2012 Nuclear Security Summit held in Seoul from March 26-27, welcomed 50 countries in reaffirming their commitment to strengthening security on nuclear materials to prevent loss, misuse and theft in order to reduce the risk of nuclear terrorism.
In nuclear crisis with Iran, GCC has a duty to be heard
Following BASIC's Conference on Non-Proliferation in the Gulf, Anne Penketh authored the following op-ed for The National on Gulf Cooperation Council participation in non-proliferation efforts.