Arms Control Today articles from June 2004

Arms Control Today archives from June 2004

Editor's note.(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... With this issue, Arms Control Today debuts a fresh look designed to make the magazine more appealing and useful. New additions include regular reviews of important books, eye-catching graphics, a new "InBrief" section, and geographic...

The nonproliferation credibility gap.
June 1, 2004... You don't get something for nothing. More than three decades ago, the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) set into place one of the most important international security bargains of all time: states without nuclear weapons pledged not to...

Notable quotable.(In Brief)
June 1, 2004... "Caught publicly in lie after lie by the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] itself, Iran continues to react to exposure by dragging its feet, reneging on commitments made to the IAEA and European governments last autumn, and...

The lessons and legacy of UNSCOM.(Five Years Ago in ACT)
June 1, 2004... The means of verification and the work of UNSCOM has been very successful, but it won't hit 100 percent. The critical question then and now is, what is that shortfall? How many hidden missiles does it represent with what agents to be carried in...

Numbers.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... U.S. And Russian Deployed Strategic Nuclear Warheads (SNWs) (As Of January 31, 2004) 4,978 Number of SNWs in the former Soviet Union 10,271 Number in the Soviet Union in 1990 5,968 Number of SNWs in the United...

IAEA additional protocols.(International Atomic Energy Agency)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... On April 30, IAEA additional protocols entered into force for the 15 members of the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community. Additional protocols to the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) are designed to strengthen and expand...

Physical Protection of Nuclear Material Convention.(Treaty Update)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Kuwait on April 23 deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, which obliges states to ensure the protection of nuclear material within their territory or onboard their ships or...

Certain conventional weapons (CCW) Convention.(Treaty Update)(Author Abstract)
June 1, 2004... On March 19, Turkmenistan deposited its instrument of accession to the CCW Convention, which aims to prevent noncombatants from accidentally being wounded or killed and to protect military troops from inhumane injuries caused by conventional...

Lt. Gen. Ronald Kadish is set to retire Sept.(Comings & Goings)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Air Force Lt. Gen. Ronald Kadish is set to retire Sept. 1 as head of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA). President George W. Bush has nominated Air Force Maj. Gen. Henry Obering III, currently the MDA deputy director, to replace Kadish.

Ambassador Jaap Ramaker.(appointed)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Ambassador Jaap Ramaker, a veteran Dutch diplomat, has been named as special representative of the Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). As such, he will be a liaison between...

James B. Cunningham.(appointed)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... President Bush has named James B. Cunningham, currently the U.S. deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, as ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, pending Senate confirmation.

Jerald S. Paul.(appointed)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Jerald S. Paul has been nominated by President Bush to be principal deputy administrator at the National Nuclear Security Administration.

John S. Wolf.(appointed)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Assistant Secretary of State for Nonproliferation John S. Wolf will leave his post July 2 to become president of the Eisenhower Fellowship program.

On the calendar.(What's Ahead)(Calendar)
June 1, 2004... June 8-10 G-8 summit. The theme will likely be "Freedom, Security, and Prosperity." Arms control topics of discussion will likely center around the initiatives President Bush delineated in his February...

The proliferation security initiative: can interdiction stop proliferation?
June 1, 2004... This month, the United States joins 13 other nations in celebrating the first anniversary of the launch of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). PSI combines the aggressive use of existing national and international legal authorities...

The bush administration's nonproliferation policy: an interview with Assistant Secretary of State John S. Wolf.(Interview)
June 1, 2004... Assistant Secretary of State for Nonproliferation John S. Wolf spoke with Arms Control Today Editor Miles A. Pomper and Arms Control Association Research Director Wade Boese May 13 about the Bush administration's nonproliferation policy. The...

Complementary or competitive? Missile controls vs. missile defense.
June 1, 2004... As cruise and ballistic missile technology has spread around the globe, two approaches to dealing with this proliferation have claimed the greatest adherents. One direction is the long-standing regime--it is now 17 years old--against the...

Survey says: Americans back arms control.
June 1, 2004... Arms control is being challenged today by proliferation crises from North Korea to Pakistan. Yet, perhaps one of the central challenges comes from those in the United States who contend that rather than strengthening and expanding the...

NPT meeting marked by discord.(The World)
June 1, 2004... An important meeting of states-parties to the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) ended in dissension May 7, significantly dimming hopes that a key conference on the treaty next year will generate an international consensus on the accord's...

UN nuclear expert diagnoses NPT ills, offers prescriptions.(The World)
June 1, 2004... Following a recent round of sparring between the nuclear "haves" and "have-nots" over who is most responsible for putting the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) regime at risk, the United Nations' top nuclear expert said May 14 that all...

North Korea nuclear talks: if at first you don't succeed, meet again.(Asia and Australia)
June 1, 2004... A U.S. official called a working group meeting of midlevel officials held May 12-15 in Beijing "useful," but there is scant evidence that the nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula is closer to being resolved. Chinese Foreign Ministry...

How the other four parties view the six-party talks.(Asia and Australia)
June 1, 2004... China China, the host of the six-party talks, maintains close economic and political ties with North Korea and appears intent on serving as an honest broker between Pyongyang and Washington. Although there are indications that Beijing has...

Chronology: Bush administration talks with North Korea; April 2003-May 2004.(Asia and Australia)(Calendar)
June 1, 2004... April 23-25, 2003 The United States, North Korea, and China hold trilateral talks in Beijing. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly goes to Pyongyang with strict instructions not to have any bilateral contact with the North Koreans. ...

Congress questions U.S. support for China joining Nuclear Group.(Asia and Australia)
June 1, 2004... Several U.S. legislators expressed reservations May 18 about Bush administration support for China's successful application to join a voluntary regime to coordinate nuclear export control policies, but a top Department of State official sought...

Japan seeks missile defense interceptors.(Asia and Australia)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Pentagon informed Congress May 5 that Japan has asked to buy nine ship-based missiles, which the island nation intends to deploy by 2007 as part of an initial missile defense capability. Japan's estimated $725 million purchase follows a...

Libya's disarmament: a Model for U.S. policy?(News Analysis)
June 1, 2004... Ask Bush administration officials what they want countries developing weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to do and you hear, "Act like Libya." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi surprised the world last December by...

U.S., Panama agree on boarding rules for ships suspected of carrying WMD.(News Analysis)
June 1, 2004... A U.S.-led initiative to intercept dangerous weapons shipments expanded its reach May 12 after U.S. officials concluded a boarding agreement with a key shipping nation: Panama. The deal reflects Panama's willingness to allow U.S. officials to...

Brazil May permit broader inspections.(The United States and the Americas)
June 1, 2004... Attempting to silence the recent clamor over Brazil's nuclear energy program, Brazilian Ambassador to the United States Roberto Abdenur has disclosed that Brazil is carefully vetting an additional protocol to its safeguards agreement with the...

GAO report discloses problems with State Department Nonproliferation program.(The United States and the Americas)
June 1, 2004... A Department of State program that Congress intended be used for emergency nonproliferation aid is instead being used to support some long-term programs, a recent General Accounting Office (GAO) report found. The GAO report, released April...

Iran, IAEA still far apart on nuclear program.(The Middle East and Africa)
June 1, 2004... A June 14 meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors is unlikely to end the controversy over Iran's nuclear programs, despite a "joint action plan" agreed to by both sides in April and Iran's recent statements...

U.S. sanctions Syria.(The Middle East and Africa)
June 1, 2004... President George W. Bush imposed sanctions May 11 on Syria in response to its occupation of neighboring Lebanon and allegations that it supported terrorism and was pursuing clandestine chemical and biological weapons programs. The sanctions...

Libya pledges military trade curbs, but details are fuzzy.(The Middle East and Africa)
June 1, 2004... Building on its December 2003 decision to give up its nuclear and chemical weapons programs, as well as its long-range missiles, Libya announced May 13 that it would halt its military trade with countries it deems a proliferation threat. U.S....

Chemical munition found in Iraq.(The Middle East And Africa)
June 1, 2004... The Iraq Survey Group (ISG)--the task force charged with coordinating the U.S.-led search for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction (WMD)--has confirmed that an artillery round filled with sarin nerve agent was found in Baghdad, Brig. Gen. Mark...

U.S. seeks expansion of G-8 nonproliferation aid.(Europe and the Former Soviet Union)
June 1, 2004... The United States is hoping to use a summit meeting next month to win other countries' endorsement of a proposal to expand a multibillion dollar nonproliteration program beyond Russia, but Moscow is balking. During a conference in Moscow...

Putin reshuffles Atomic Ministry again.(Europe and the Former Soviet Union)(Vladimir Putin)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Two months after Russian President Vladimir Putin buried the former Ministry of Atomic Energy within the Ministry of Industry and Energy, he signed a new decree May 20 reshuffling the nuclear boxes once more, pulling the agency out of the...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
June 1, 2004... * In the May 2004 issue, the article "Energy Dept. Reshuffles Nonproliferation Program" reported that the Department of Energy's Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel Acceptance Program had retrieved 485 kilograms of U.S.- origin highly...

Disarmingly Bland.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
June 1, 2004... Disarming Iraq Hans Blix Pantheon Books, March 2004 285 pp. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The emerging story behind America's intervention to disarm Iraq would be comical if it were not so tragic. The primary objective of the...

Raid on the Sun.(Books of Note)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
June 1, 2004... Raid on the Sun by Rodger Claire. Random House, April 2004, 259 pp. Rodger Claire tells the story of how Israel destroyed Iraq's Osarik nuclear power plant. Written with full cooperation of the Israeli Air Force high command, Israeli...

Toward Nuclear Abolition: A History of the World Nuclear Disarmament Movement, 1971 to Present.(Books of Note)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
June 1, 2004... Toward Nuclear Abolition: A History of the World Nuclear Disarmament Movement, 1971 to Present by Lawrence S. Wittner, Stanford University Press, August 2003, 688 pp. This book marks the third volume in Wittner's acclaimed "The...

Hoodwinked: The Documents That Reveal How Bush Sold Us a War.(Books of Note)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
June 1, 2004... Hoodwinked: The Documents That Reveal How Bush Sold Us a War by John Prados, The New Press, May 2004, 256 pp. John Prados, an analyst with the National Security Archives, has compiled and annotated key documents and speeches that the...