Arms Control Today articles from June 2008

Arms Control Today archives from June 2008

Editor's note.
June 1, 2008... It may seem strange to argue that the 1968 nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) has been a success at a time when North Korea has opted out of the treaty, Iran has skirted its requirements, and the nuclear-weapon states are still far from...

NPT: past, present, and future.(FOCUS)(nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty )
June 1, 2008... Over the course of its 40-year existence, the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) has established an indispensable yet imperfect set of interlocking nonproliferation and disarmament obligations and standards. Rather than the dozens of...

Notable quotable.(In BRIEF)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... "This treaty regime faces today the most serious tests it has ever faced: the ongoing nuclear weapons proliferation challenges presented by Iran, by North Korea, and now by Syria. We are gathered here as part of the review cycle of the Treaty...

Denuclearizing South Asia: global approaches to a regional problem.(Fifteen Years Ago in ACT)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... On the surface, it would appear the United States faces a difficult choice between its global policy of opposing all proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and its desire for improved relations with both Pakistan and India. But it is not...

Numbers.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Estimated Nuclear Warheads Held by Nuclear-Weapon States * 38,974 In 1968 55,246 In 1980 70,481 ** In 1986 40,344 In 1995 28,245 In 2005 20,100 *** In 2008 * The 1968 nuclear...

To the brink: Indian decision-making and the 2001-2002 standoff.(Reports of Note)
June 1, 2008... This report examines the 2001-2002 standoff between India and Pakistan that followed a December 2001 attack on the Indian parliament by terrorists operating out of Pakistan.The 10-month confrontation occurred less than four years after India's...

The challenge of nuclear-armed regional adversaries.(Reports of Note)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... In this 60-page report, the authors analyze the potential consequences of nuclear-armed regional adversaries for U.S. and allied security. Regional adversaries are defined as countries that pursue policies that are at odds with the interests of...

U.S.-Saudi cooperation.(Treaty Update)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... On May 16, Saudi Arabia and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in the area of peaceful civil nuclear energy cooperation. Under the agreement, the United States will aid Saudi efforts to develop civilian nuclear power...

All highly enriched uranium removed from Latvia.(Treaty Update)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Under the supervision of the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and several international organizations, 14.4 kilograms of highly enriched uranium (HEU) in spent nuclear fuel were removed from Latvia and...

On the calendar.(What's Ahead)(Brief article)(Calendar)
June 1, 2008... On the calendar. June 2-6 International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors meeting, Vienna. June 16-18 Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism meeting, Madrid. June 23-26 Preparatory...

The nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty: the next 40 years.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) turns 40 on July 1, and the international community will have much to celebrate. Most importantly, the number of nuclear-armed states can still be tallied on the fingers of both hands. ...

Envisioning a world free of nuclear weapons.(Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store)
June 1, 2008... On the 40th anniversary of the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), there is a resurgence of interest in achieving the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons. It is welcome. To be sure, the vision is not new. My government, along with many...

Elimination or irrelevance.
June 1, 2008... The dilemma facing the world today is whether it should aim at preserving the present nonproliferation status quo and strengthening it or aim at the final elimination of nuclear weapons as the international community did with its effort to ban...

New opportunities for nonproliferation.
June 1, 2008... The 40th anniversary of the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and the treaty's looming 2010 review conference offer serious opportunities to think anew about the challenges and the opportunities in the critical field of nuclear...

Fulfill and strengthen the bargain.
June 1, 2008... Nuclear weapons are designed to cause terror and destruction on a vastly greater scale than any conventional weapon, killing thousands in a single attack and leaving behind ecological and genetic effects that can persist indefinitely. The risk...

The nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty: the past 40 years.
June 1, 2008... On July 1, the nearly 190 states-parties to the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) will mark its 40th anniversary. Four decades ago, representatives of roughly 60 states gathered in London, Moscow, and Washington to sign the accord, which...

NK delivers plutonium documentation.(ASIA AND AUSTRALIA)(North Korea)
June 1, 2008... U.S. officials May 8 obtained documents detailing the operating records of North Korea's key plutonium-related facilities at Yongbyon. Examination of the records would provide some indication of the amount of plutonium that the facilities...

House agrees on NK sanctions waiver.(ASIA AND AUSTRALIA)(House of Representatives, North Korea)
June 1, 2008... The House of Representatives May 15 approved a provision granting the president the ability to waive certain sanctions on North Korea in order to allow U.S. agencies to advance additional efforts to dismantle Pyongyang's nuclear facilities. The...

Proposals offered on Iranian nuclear program.(THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA)
June 1, 2008... In mid-May, Iran delivered to Germany and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council proposals for negotiations on a wide range of issues aimed at resolving concerns regarding its nuclear program. The Iranian proposals came shortly...

Chinese arms shipment sparks outrage.(THE MIDDLEEAST AND AFRICA)
June 1, 2008... In April, South African dockworkers refused to unload a Chinese cargo ship carrying more than 70 tons of small arms destined for Zimbabwe. The refusal set off international reactions that led to the recall of the shipment and calls for stronger...

Bush sends Russia nuclear energy pact to hill.(EUROPE AND THE FORMER SOVIET UNION)(George W. Bush )
June 1, 2008... President George W. Bush May 13 asked Congress to approve a long-stalled civil nuclear agreement with Russia, despite complaints from Capitol Hill about the Kremlin's ongoing nuclear and military cooperation with Iran. Meanwhile, the Senate May...

NPT meet buoys hopes for 2010 conference.(THE WORLD)(Nonproliferation Treaty)
June 1, 2008... An April 28-May 9 meeting of states-parties to prepare for the 2010 nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference marked a significant change in tone from previous meetings. Although ideological differences persisted and some...

UN renews committee on WMD.(THE WORLD)(United Nations Security Council, weapons of mass destruction)
June 1, 2008... The UN Security Council April 25 adopted Resolution 1810 extending for an additional three years a council committee tasked with monitoring, facilitating, and promoting national efforts to prevent other states and terrorists from acquiring...

Nuclear export criteria lacks consensus.(THE WORLD)
June 1, 2008... Leading nuclear exporters at a recent Berlin meeting apparently failed to reach consensus on adopting new criteria to regulate certain sensitive nuclear technology transfers. Meanwhile, India's effort to win an exemption from that group's...

Russia wants limits on prompt global strike.(THE UNITED STATES AND THE AMERICAS)
June 1, 2008... One divisive issue in U.S.-Russian talks on a future strategic weapons treaty is Russia's interest in having that agreement limit long-range missiles and delivery systems armed with non-nuclear warheads. The Bush administration is seeking such...

Anti-missile test shelved by technical glitch.(THE UNITED STATES AND THE AMERICAS)
June 1, 2008... A technical glitch led the Pentagon to scrub its most recently planned test of a long-range ballistic missile interceptor system. The mid-May cancellation came on the heels of a sharp round of congressional debate on the system's capability and...

Panel formed on WMD, Terrorism.(THE UNITED STATES AND THE AMERICAS)(Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism)
June 1, 2008... Congressional leaders recently announced the formation of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism, appointing nine commissioners on May 16. The commission is the result of legislation...

Unexploded weapons clearance plan progresses.(THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICAS)
June 1, 2008... The Department of State opened a bidding process April 29 to solicit plans for a new quick-reaction force that would be able to handle threats to civilians from un-exploded cluster bombs and other explosive remnants of war (ERW). U.S. officials...

Cluster munitions treaty announced.(THE UNITED STATES AND THE AMERICAS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... More than 100 countries agreed May 30 on a draft treaty to outlaw nearly all cluster munitions, after two weeks of final negotiations in Dublin, Ireland and more than a year of intensive discussions. Those endorsing the treaty included several...

"Moral Clarity," Ideological Rigidity, Strategic Myopia.(Essay)
June 1, 2008... Before I retired as a university professor, I would mentally calculate as each term began what public events that year's freshmen were likely to remember. For today's freshmen, born around 1990, the earliest such memory might well be Bill...

Pakistan's nuclear future: worries beyond war.(Books OF NOTE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The contributing authors of this volume examine a range of security challenges stemming from Pakistan's nuclear weapons and energy programs. They first examine the history of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program and explore whether the experience...

Nuclear legics: contrasting paths in East Asia and the Middle East.(Books OF NOTE)(Brief article)(Book review)
June 1, 2008... This book examines why nine countries in two regions have decided to pursue or renounce nuclear weapons. In East Asia, the author finds that a priority on economic openness and state continuity, rather than the fate of individual leaders,...

Banning Landmines: disarmament, citizen diplomacy, and human security.(Books OF NOTE)(Brief article)(Book review)
June 1, 2008... Edited by Nobel Peace Prize winner Jody Williams and two other leading anti-landmine activists, Banning Landmines chronicles progress in curbing the use of landmines since the implementation of the 1997 Ottawa Convention, or Mine Ban Treaty,...

Closing Dimona and Tritium.(Letter to the editor)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Bennett Ramberg presents an interesting and well-researched analysis of the potential radiological hazards of a strike on Dimona and hence of a safety rational for closing down the reactor ("Should Israel Close Dimona?" May 2008). There are...

Time for more NUMEC information.(Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp.)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2008... In a letter in the October 2007 issue of Arms Control Today, Henry Myers ("The Real Source of Israel's First Fissile Material") wrote about lingering suspicions that, in the early 1960s, Israel obtained bomb-grade uranium from the Nuclear...

Theory vs. practice in Combating Nuclear Terrorism.(Letters TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2008... Michael Levi's book On Nuclear Terrorism begins where we at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) did on this topic: the ABC News nuclear smuggling experiments of 2002-2003 involving depleted uranium.(1) Yet, our perspectives diverge....