BASIC organized a private roundtable with experts and officials to take stock of the current strategic and political dynamics surrounding negotiations on a Fissile Material (Cut-Off) Treaty (FM(C)T). BASIC produced a backgrounder literature review for the roundtable discussion, and also a report summarizing the discussion.
USA
Iraq War anniversary and regional non-proliferation
Today marks the tenth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. On 19th March, 2003, U.S., U.K., Australian and Polish forces sent forces into Iraq on the grounds of ridding the country of—and preventing their further development of—weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
Iran Update No. 166
- United States and Iran claim willingness to negotiate, but on what terms?
- E3+3 (P5+1) talks end with an agreement for future talks
- IAEA meets with Iran; new Agency report indicates Iran installing new centrifuges but curbing stockpiles of sensitive fissile material
- U.S. expands sanctions on Iran, but Israel urges for even tighter measures
- Concerns over the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline
- In advance of Obama's visit to Israel, report indicates Iran to deliver non-nuclear weapons pledge
- U.S. Director of Intelligence: Iran has not decided to build nuclear weapons
E3+3 (P5+1) meet tomorrow with Iran in Kazakhstan
The E3+3 (P5+1: United States, United Kingdom, France, China, Russia, and Germany) will meet with Iran on Tuesday for official talks in Almaty, Kazakhstan, the first formal meeting in eight months. These talks follow last week’s update report from the IAEA on Iran’s nuclear program, indicating that a new type of centrifuge was installed at Iran’s main uranium enrichment plant, Natanz, that could speed up the enrichment process, and increase the accumulation of 20 per cent low-enriched uranium.
The U.S. Nuclear Deterrent: An International Perspective
BASIC's Executive Director reflects upon the Nuclear Deterrence Summit, which included a BASIC event on “European Perspectives on Nuclear Deterrence in the 21st Century” on February 20, 2013. This brief paper includes summaries of views expressed by a number of international participants at the conference, with a focus on transatlantic relations.
NATO Defense Ministerial
NATO’s Defense Ministerial meeting is set to take place in Brussels Thursday and Friday this week. The anticipated drawdown of the International Security Assistance Force from Afghanistan in 2014 and the continued unrest in Syria and Mali are expected to dominate the agenda.
The State of the Union: Obama to announce further nuclear reductions?
President Obama will address the American public in his State of the Union address tomorrow. Last week U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke in Munich, suggesting that the President will address their shared interests in “advancing a comprehensive nuclear agenda to strengthen the non-proliferation regime, [and] reduce[d] global stockpiles of nuclear materials”.
Iran Update 165
- Next E3+3 talks finally scheduled; Iran-U.S. bi-lateral talks a possibility
- Another round of IAEA talks conclude without progress; next meeting scheduled for mid-February
- Iran’s nuclear program prominent subject for Obama’s nominees at confirmation hearings