Photo Credit: Associated Press By Farnaz Alimehri, Columnist Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran’s Vice President and Nuclear Chief, recently traveled to the Czech Republic. There, he met with several Czech officials, including the Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek, in an attempt to develop a bilateral nuclear cooperation between Iran and the Czech … Continue reading A Brighter Future for Iranian Nonproliferation?
Category: Nuclear & Unconventional Weapons
How Congress Can Prevent a Nuclear Iran
Photo Credit: CNN By Melanie Campbell, Columnist The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) most recent quarterly report brings good news for supporters of the July 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the international agreement curtailing Iran’s nuclear program. [i] The report confirms that Iran is meeting its nuclear obligations and has granted the IAEA … Continue reading How Congress Can Prevent a Nuclear Iran
The Future of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and Nuclear Suppliers Group
Photo Credit: The Express Tribune By Donna Artusy, Columnist The likely nomination of India to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) sets a troublesome precedent that undermines the legitimacy of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the NSG. Ratification of the NPT has been a prerequisite to joining the NSG, and moving away from this tradition … Continue reading The Future of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and Nuclear Suppliers Group
Why We Should Still Move Forward Towards a WMD Free Zone in the Middle East
Photo Credit: Reuters By Farnaz Alimehri, Columnist At the 2015 Review Conference for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), efforts to establish part of the Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone (MEWMDFZ) were defeated when the participating states failed to agree on the agenda for a regional nuclear weapons conference. … Continue reading Why We Should Still Move Forward Towards a WMD Free Zone in the Middle East
It Doesn’t Matter If They’re Bluffing: We Have to Address North Korea’s ICBMs
Photo Credit: Defense News By Farnaz Alimehri, Columnist North Korea’s (DPRK) nuclear program is constantly making headlines, yet many officials in the West are still skeptical of the regime’s nuclear capabilities. On March 14, 2016, leader Kim Jong-un announced that there will be further testing of nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles.[i] Experts in the United … Continue reading It Doesn’t Matter If They’re Bluffing: We Have to Address North Korea’s ICBMs
The Dynamic Market: Illicit Nuclear Supply and Demand
Photo Credit: The Economist By Jonathan Challgren, Columnist When the legitimate economy struggles, the illicit market often thrives. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 and the subsequent economic challenges faced by Russia in the early 1990’s created a booming illicit market in everything from cast-off military equipment to scrap metal. One such market dealt … Continue reading The Dynamic Market: Illicit Nuclear Supply and Demand
Kicking the Nuclear Can: Dealing with the Modernization Challenge
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons By Kyle Deming, Columnist The long-term effectiveness of the US nuclear arsenal and its place in national security strategy is a far cry from the top tier of highly contested issues in the 2016 American presidential election. The next commander-in-chief will be responsible for critically important decisions about the force structure … Continue reading Kicking the Nuclear Can: Dealing with the Modernization Challenge
China’s Real Objection to Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
Photo Credit: Kashmir Observer By Melanie Campbell, Columnist North Korea’s most recent missile test on February 7, 2016 – just over a month since it conducted its last nuclear test – has only confirmed to the international community that North Korea is a serious and growing nuclear threat. Although North Korea claimed the most recent … Continue reading China’s Real Objection to Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
Should We Fear the Unconventional? Why ISIL’s Chemical Weapons Are Causing the West to Panic
Photo: Roberto Schmidt—AFP/Getty Images, via Time.com By Farnaz Alimehri, Columnist On February 12, 2016, CIA Director John Brennan confirmed that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) used chemical weapons – specifically mustard and chlorine gas – and may use them again, as it has the capacity to produce more.[1] US official speculation about ISIL’s … Continue reading Should We Fear the Unconventional? Why ISIL’s Chemical Weapons Are Causing the West to Panic
Chinese Nuclear Policy, Strategy, and Force Modernization with Dr. Michael Chase
Photo: Missile-laden military vehicles on display at Tiananmen Square, The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images By Brian Wickizer, Reporter The Center for Security Studies (CSS) Lunch Series hosted Dr. Michael Chase on February 11 to discuss China’s efforts to modernize its nuclear forces and Chinese thought on nuclear deterrence. Dr. Chase is a senior political … Continue reading Chinese Nuclear Policy, Strategy, and Force Modernization with Dr. Michael Chase