A couple of events in Washington this week arising from a new report will focus attention anew on the presence of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons in Europe, as NATO foreign and defence ministers prepare to meet in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday ahead of next month’s NATO summit.
Strategic Stability
Romney’s Foreign Policy Fantasies: “Breathtaking Weakness?”
BASIC Board Member William Hartung wrote an opinion piece for Talking Points Memo (TPM) on the Obama Administration's engagement with Russia on arms control, notably New START, and what should be the focus between the two Presidential candidates on arms control in the 2012 US election.
U.S. Report on the CTBT
Although all eyes are currently on the second Nuclear Security Summit happening today and tomorrow in Seoul, South Korea, a significant development on nuclear issues will also happen this Friday, when the U.S. National Academy of Sciences releases it long-awaited report on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The report, while technical, will have far-reaching political implications for nuclear arms control.
Obama and Cameron’s nuclear opportunity
BASIC's “This Week” article from March 12, 2012 by Rachel Staley was republished on Politics.co.uk. The article focused on the transatlantic relationship and ways in which Barack Obama and David Cameron can capitalize on nuclear issues during their two-day meeting in March.
Paris Roundtable: NATO’s future deterrence posture–What can nuclear weapons contribute?
This roundtable workshop in Paris from March 5th-6th was a part of the series of workshops held throughout Europe with the purpose of engaging with officials and experts in discussion on NATO\’s nuclear posture.
BASIC News: update on activities January-February 2012
BASIC kicked off 2012 by engaging experts, elites, journalists and students in Egypt. BASIC continued its work for the Trident Commission, and engaged with Track II participants on Iran’s nuclear program, in separate meetings in the United Kingdom.
The Russian presidential election and strategic posturing
Russia will hold its presidential election on Sunday and Vladimir Putin is expected to move from his current role as Prime Minister back to the presidential helm, for at least the next six years. Ahead of the election, he has ramped up the rhetoric on strengthening Russia’s strategic posture, and has posed Russia as still being the only true global counterweight to U.S. military power.
Getting a ‘New START’ on the next negotiations
Today will be Ellen Tauscher’s final day as the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, and Rose Gottemoeller is expected to be named as her successor for the time being. As the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, Gottemoeller negotiated New START for the US and this weekend marked the one year anniversary of its entry into force.