US shows its nuclear hand in bid to show sincerity on arms

“I think the Americans have got an uphill struggle based on the speeches here today.”

BASIC Program Director Anne Penketh quoted in The Guardian, on the opening-day of the NPT Review Conference.

British lapdog gets ready to be set loose

“The big shift in this relationship has been the election of Obama, which has been basically a shift away from traditional alliances and towards reaching out to new relationships around the world.”

BASIC Executive Director Paul Ingram quoted in RT News.

Iran Update: Number 142

Head of Iran's nuclear organization says Tehran still open to fuel swap
Iran hails new centrifuge
United States focuses on Iranian nuclear program's weapons potential
Iranian President assails U.S. President over Nuclear Posture Review
International divisions over sanctions continue
Iran holds international conference on nuclear weapons and nuclear energy
Khatami prevented from visiting Hiroshima

Nuclear summit takes aim at unsecured bomb material

“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.

Getting to Zero Update

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.

Treading Water in 2010: The Nuclear Weapon States and Nuclear Disarmament

Country by country review of nuclear weapons states’ arsenals and their positions before the NPT Review Conference

US-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement: What comes next?

On October 1, 2008 the US Congress passed the US-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement. The long anticipated agreement would allow US companies to trade nuclear technology, information, and material to India. It has faced several hurdles, including first passing the US Congress in 2006, the Indian Parliament in July, the IAEA Board of Governors in August, and the Nuclear Suppliers Group in September. Controversy surrounds the agreement because, India is not an established member of the nonproliferation regime and it detonated nuclear devices in 1998.

The Nuclear Suppliers Group waiver

The NSG has granted India a waiver; however, members believed an unconditional waiver would undermine the non-proliferation regime and criticized the US position.