Israel’s demand for peace, recognition and solidarity before the achievement of a WMD Free Zone is a tall bar to progress and fails to appreciate how further steps towards disarmament would contribute to improving the current security context of the Middle East.
Middle East
Mainstreamed or Sidelined? Non-NPT States and the Nuclear Order
Our Project Leader, Sebastian Brixey-Williams, asked a Carnegie panel of nuclear practitioners from India, Israel, and Pakistan whether they saw their states as responsible nuclear states, and what criteria they use to make such an assertion.
To Fix North Korea, Start with Syria
When North Korea launched a nuclear test on 9 September – its fifth so far – it was making a clear statement to the international community of its intentions to continue to pursue full nuclear capability.
Non-state actors & WMD: Does ISIS have a pathway to a nuclear weapon?
On March 2014, during the Nuclear Security Summit held in the Netherlands, President Obama identified his number one concern as being the prospect of a nuclear weapon going off in Manhattan. UK Home Secretary Theresa May pinpointed her particular fear of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) acquisition of “chemical, biological or even nuclear weapons” in the “world’s first truly terrorist state”. Fortunately, there has not yet been a nuclear or radiological terrorist attack, but the smuggling of nuclear material remains a pivotal threat to nuclear security.
UK Disagrees With EU Saudi Trade Embargo
Alexander Mosesov from Sputnik News featured a story about the UK’s disagreement with the EU-Saudi trade embargo. The article argues that the reaction by the UK to the decision was predictable. Paul Ingram was quoted in the article saying,
“This response [to oppose the embargo] from the British government is absolutely predictable. There is a strong belief in Whitehall [the British civil service] that the British defense industry depends upon exports to Saudi Arabia, and the strategic support the UK gives to Riyadh benefits UK influence in the region”
What next after the Iran Nuclear Deal?
The Iran nuclear deal is seen by many as a success for international relations and security. Implementation Day (16th January) came after years of intensive negotiations. Iran has reduced activities that could have been used to develop nuclear weapon capabilities and the E3+3 has responded by lifting many of its sanctions. There remain severe doubts and enemies of the deal in the United States, Iran and neighbouring states. There are likely to be developments in the region that could put the agreement under further pressure.
Agreement with Iran: No Longer Enemy Number One
Profil Online’s Christina Feist interviewed BASIC’s Paul Ingram on the Iranian economy, Western interests and the relationship with Israel just a few days after Implementation Day.