Arms Control Today articles from December 2007

Arms Control Today archives from December 2007

Editor's note.
December 1, 2007... It is not always obvious when arms control agreements have been successful. But as Peter Herby and Eve La Haye demonstrate in this month's cover story, a decade-old treaty banning anti-personnel landmines has had an impact in the clearest way...

The CFE Treaty and European security.(FOCUS)(Conventional Forces in Europe)
December 1, 2007... A mere 20 years ago, massive numbers of conventional and nuclear forces stood poised for attack on opposite sides of the Iron Curtain. NATO and Soviet bloc countries were finally able to draw down their arsenals, ease tensions, and build trust...

Notable quotable.(InBRIEF)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... "They cannot fall into the wrong hands, if we manage ourselves politically. The military is there--as long as the military is there, nothing happens to the strategic assets, we are in charge and nobody does anything with them."...

The next steps in U.S. nonproliferation policy.(Five Years Ago in ACT)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... U.S.-Russian cooperation must move beyond strategic nuclear systems into the tactical weapons arena. By some measures, the proliferation threat posed by tactical nuclear systems is more serious than that posed by strategic weapons. Tactical...

By the numbers.(InBRIEF)
December 1, 2007... Select UN First Committee Votes* 120-1-54 Resolution supporting effective arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon states against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. China, India, and Pakistan joined the majority voting...

India has acquired a license from Russia.(Conventional Arming and Disarming)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... According to Russian media sources, India has acquired a license from Russia to produce 40 Sukhoi Su-30MKI Flanker-H fighter aircraft at a cost of over $1.5 billion.

The United States Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress of a potential sale to Israel that includes 2,000 TOW and 1,700 Hellfire missiles.(Conventional Arming and Disarming)(Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The United States Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress of a potential sale to Israel that includes 2,000 TOW and 1,700 Hellfire missiles. The deal could be worth $1.32 billion. The DSCA also notified Congress of...

Saab has announced.(Conventional Arming and Disarming)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Saab has announced that the government of Thailand agreed to allocate $1.1 billion to purchase 12 JAS-39 Gripen fighter aircraft and two Erieye Airborne Early Warning aircraft from Sweden.

Singapore announced.(Conventional Arming and Disarming)
December 1, 2007... Singapore announced that it will purchase 12 Boeing F-15SG Eagle fighter aircraft from the United States at a cost of approximately $1 billion.

The Mines Advisory Group has aided the government of Burundi.(Conventional Arming and Disarming)
December 1, 2007... According to its website, the Mines Advisory Group has aided the government of Burundi in destroying 104 SAM-7 Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS).

Cleared Ground Demining along with Lutamos Todos Contra As Minas.(Conventional Arming and Disarming)(nongovernmental organizations)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Cleared Ground Demining along with Lutamos Todos Contra As Minas, two nongovernmental organizations, announced that they have helped Guinea Bissau eliminate its one-millionth bullet in an effort to destroy excess munitions stockpiles within the...

Uganda has completed the destruction of 460 tons of ammunition and ordnance.(Conventional Arming and Disarming)
December 1, 2007... According to the United Nations Volunteers, Uganda has completed the destruction of 460 tons of ammunition and ordnance, including rockets, bombs, grenades, and shells.

The Angola Press Agency reported that the HALO Trust has destroyed 1,406 explosive devices in Angola.(Conventional Arming and Disarming)(British nongovernmental organization)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The Angola Press Agency reported that the HALO Trust, a British nongovernmental organization, has destroyed 1,406 explosive devices in Angola, including 50 anti-personnel and 38 anti-tank mines.

Funds released for CTBTO budget.(Treaty Update)(Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization )(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Some state signatories agreed to a one-time release of surplus funding to meet current year funding shortfalls for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) during commission meetings that took place Nov. 12-14 in Vienna. At the...

Chemical Weapons Convention.(Treaty Update)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Iraq agreed Nov. 26 to join the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). According to Agence France-Presse, the three-man presidential council endorsed a law to this effect passed by the Iraqi parliament, said Surud Najeeb, head of foreign relations...

Russian nuclear missile sites secured.(Treaty Update)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced Oct. 31 that security upgrades had been completed at 25 Russian nuclear missile sites. The security upgrades, spread across 11 bases, are designed to prevent unauthorized access to...

On the calendar.(What's Ahead)(Brief article)(Calendar)
December 1, 2007... Dec. 4-7 Conference on Cluster Munitions (Oslo Process), Vienna. Dec. 10-14 Annual meeting on the Biological Weapons Convention, Geneva. Dec. 12 Russia may suspend participation in the Conventional ...

How does it stack up? The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention at 10.
December 1, 2007... The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, most often referred to as the Ottawa Convention, (1) is built on a few simple ideas: civilians should not be killed or maimed by weapons that strike blindly and senselessly, either during or after...

Building confidence in Pakistan's nuclear security.
December 1, 2007... Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's decision last month to declare a national emergency and suspend the constitution has ratcheted up concerns about the safety and security of that country's nuclear arsenal. Pakistani officials have...

Is there any fizz left in the fissban? Prospects for a fissile material cutoff treaty.
December 1, 2007... The pursuit of a multilateral ban on the production of fissile material, highly enriched uranium (HEU) and plutonium, for nuclear weapons has been one of the longest-running post-World War II enterprises of the international community and...

IAEA issues mixed findings on Iran.(THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA)(International Atomic Energy Agency )
December 1, 2007... The Nov. 15 release of a key report on Iran's nuclear program and cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) does not appear to have mended a split in the UN Security Council. The body's permanent members remain divided on...

NK continues denial of enrichment program.(ASIA AND AUSTRALIA)(North Korea)
December 1, 2007... Over the past five years, U.S. officials have alleged that North Korea has pursued a program to produce highly enriched uranium (HEU) for nuclear weapons. In recent discussions with U.S. officials, North Korea has sought to prove that the...

Disablement begins but process unclear.(ASIA AND AUSTRALIA)
December 1, 2007... On Nov. 5, a team of U.S. experts led efforts to begin disablement of North Korea's core nuclear facilities at Yongbyon. According to U.S, officials, disabling the facilities is intended to ensure that they cannot be operated for at least a...

U.S.-Pakistani arms pipeline stays open.(ASIA AND AUSTRALIA)
December 1, 2007... Deeming Pakistan a vital ally, the Bush administration has ignored U.S. lawmaker calls to halt arms transfers to the Pakistani government following the military regime's November crackdown on political opponents, the court system, and the...

Revived U.S.-Indian deal heads to IAEA.(ASIA AND AUSTRALIA)(International Atomic Energy Agency )
December 1, 2007... After appearing close to expiration, the U.S.-Indian civil nuclear cooperation deal was recently resuscitated when some Indian lawmakers relaxed their opposition to government talks with the world's nuclear monitoring agency. The deal's...

The 2008 presidential primaries and arms control.(News ANALYSIS)
December 1, 2007... For more than a year, the 2008 presidential candidates have been traveling the country, giving speeches, writing articles, participating in debates, and shaking hands in anticipation of primaries and caucuses that are set to begin in January....

Bush nuclear fuel-cycle program suffers blows.(THE UNITED STATES AND THE AMERICAS)(George W. Bush's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership)
December 1, 2007... After a sharply critical report from a high-level independent panel and amid continued criticism from Congress, the Bush administration appears to be scaling back its ambitions for the domestic leg of its controversial Global Nuclear Energy...

Nuclear material consolidation schedule lags.(THE UNITED STATES AND THE AMERICAS)
December 1, 2007... Despite nearly two years of deliberations, the Department of Energy lags in presenting plans for the consolidation and disposal of fissile and other high-risk nuclear material, congressional investigators have concluded. The Energy...

Europe eager to preserve CFE treaty.(EUROPE AND THE FORMER SOVIET UNION)(Conventional Armed Forces in Europe)
December 1, 2007... Many European governments are increasingly anxious about the future of a treaty limiting conventional arms in Europe, but officials say there should be no cause for immediate alarm if Russia suspends implementation of the accord. The Kremlin...

U.S., Russia recast plutonium-disposition pact.(EUROPE AND THE FORMER SOVIET UNION)
December 1, 2007... After struggling for seven years to move forward with an agreement to dispose of 34 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium each, the United States has agreed to recast the accord to reflect Russian preferences on the method of disposition more...

Cluster munitions negotiations launched.(THE WORLD)
December 1, 2007... Despite a process already underway to restrict cluster munitions, a group of states recently agreed to another set of negotiations on those weapons systems. The new talks will commence in January and involve countries, such as Russia and the...

CWC conference boosts treaty, exposes rifts.(THE WORLD)(Chemical Weapons Convention)
December 1, 2007... A Nov. 5-9 annual meeting of Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) states-parties approved a number of decisions to strengthen the treaty but also exposed some differing views among the 116 participating states. Those differences on issues related...

Nuclear weapons alert status debated.(THE WORLD)
December 1, 2007... At an annual United Nations meeting, a nonbinding resolution calling on nuclear-armed states to lessen the alert level of those weapons recently won the support of 124 countries despite British, French, and U.S. opposition. It also prompted...

Book review: a somber trip down memory lane.(Critical essay)
December 1, 2007... Arsenals of Folly: The Making of the Nuclear Arms Race By Richard Rhodes, Alfred A. Knopf, October 2007, 400 pp. Richard Rhodes has written an altogether fitting sequel to his two exceptional books on the early history of the nuclear...

Deception: Pakistan, the United States, and the Secret Trade in Nuclear Weapons.(Books OF NOTEl)(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2007... Deception: Pakistan, the United States, and the Secret Trade in Nuclear Weapons By Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clark, Walker & Co., 2007, 608 pp. The authors of Deception, British journalists with experience reporting in South...

Twilight War: The Folly of U.S. Space Dominance.(Books OF NOTE)(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2007... Twilight War: The Folly of U.S. Space Dominance By Mike Moore, The Independent Institute, 2007, 416 pp. Mike Moore, former editor of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, presents a straightforward thesis early in this book: If a cold...

Curveball: Spies, Lies, and the Con Man Who Caused a War.(Books OF NOTE)(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2007... Curveball: Spies, Lies, and the Con Man Who Caused a War By Bob Drogin, Random House, 2007, 343 pp. Expanding on his initial reporting for the Los Angeles Times, Bob Drogin describes the story of Rafid Ahmed Alwan (Ahmed Hassan...

Arms Control Today crossword.
December 1, 2007... Across [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. Proposed site for U.S. deployment of a ballistic missile defense system in Europe 5. White house people 11. Spanish for gold 12. Dispute 13. Moved fast 14. China gets 12% of this...

In memoriam: Randall Caroline Forsberg.(Obituary)
December 1, 2007... Many of us aspire to develop ideas that make a significant and positive difference to society and politics. Few succeed in the way that Randall Caroline Forsberg did over the course of her long and productive career as a peace and disarmament...

Detecting clandestine enrichment.(Letters TO THE EDITOR)
December 1, 2007... Trevor Findlay ("Looking back: The Additional Protocol," Nov. 2007) focused on the difficulties of verifying large bulk-handling facilities in his survey of future challenges. In reality, however, it is still the detection of clandestine...