Arms Control Today back issues from January 2009:
Reassessing the Role of Nuclear Weapons
Jan 01, 2009; ... Beginning Jan. 20, U.S. nuclear weapons policy can and must change. The U.S.-Soviet standoff that gave rise to tens of thousands of nuclear weapons is over, but the policies developed to justify their possession and potential use remain largely the same. Previous post-Cold War efforts to ...
Nuclear Weapons in 21st Century U.S. National Security
Jan 01, 2009; ... Working Group of the American Association forthe Advancement of Science, American Physical Society, and the Center for Stategic and International Studies, December 2008. This report, authored by a working group drawn from several scientific and policy organizations, details a ...
Orienting the 2009 Nuclear Posture Review: A Roadmap
Jan 01, 2009; ... Reports off Note Andrew Grotto, a senior national security analyst at the Center for American Progress, and Joe Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Fund, contend that a forthcoming U.S. nuclear posture review (NPR) offers a golden opportunity to recalibrate the U.S. nuclear ...
Chemical and Biochemical Non-Lethal Weapons: Political and Technical Aspects
Jan 01, 2009; ... Addressing the continuing debate regarding the appropriate use, if any, of "nonlethal" chemical and biological weapons, Ronald G. Sutherland, an expert on chemical weapons issues and emeritus professor of chemistry at the University of Saskatchewan, concludes that "continued political attention ...
On the Calendar
Jan 01, 2009; ... What's Ahead Jan. 19-Mar. 27 UN Conference on Disarmament, first session, Geneva. Feb. 16-20 Group of governmental experts on cluster munitions meeting. Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, Geneva. Mar. 2-6 International Atomic ...
Wassenaar Arrangement
Jan 01, 2009; ... Treaty Update At their annual meeting Dec. 2-3 in Vienna, the members of the voluntary Wassenaar Arrangement, which monitors and creates guidelines for the export of conventional arms as well as goods and technologies that have both military and civilian applications, continued work ...
Engagement With Russia: Managing Risks, Repairing Rifts
Jan 01, 2009; ... The U.S. security relationship with Russia is a matter that is more significant to the U.S. government and the American people than was apparent during the presidential election. Elections are primarily about attitudes. The exercise of power is about the management of consequences. As ...
Drawing a Bright Redline: Forestalling Nuclear Proliferation in the Middle East
Jan 01, 2009; ... If Iran goes nuclear, so too will more of its neighbors, or so says the established wisdom. It is a logical deduction given the extent to which Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey feel a need to maintain power and political parity with Iran and the security concerns that Persian Gulf countries ...
Dealing With North Korea: "Diplomatic Warfare" Ahead
Jan 01, 2009; ... U.S. presidents have struggled with the challenges posed by a hostile North Korea since the end of the Korean War and with the dangers of a nuclear North since the mid-1980s. The diplomatic struggle over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program has had many ups and downs, from the near ...
Chinese-U.S. Strategic Affairs: Dangerous Dynamism
Jan 01, 2009; ... Many aspects of the Chinese-U.S. relationship are mutually beneficial: some $400 billion in trade, bilateral military exchanges, and Beijing's increasingly constructive diplomatic role. There are other grounds for concern. Each side's militaries view the other as a potential adversary and ...
Countries Sign Cluster Munitions Convention
Jan 01, 2009; ... During a December ceremony in Oslo, 94 countries signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), including many western European countries that have stockpiled and produced the weapons. Unexpectedly, Afghanistan also agreed to the treaty, breaking with the United States, which reiterated its ...
Stepping Back from the Brink: Avoiding a Nuclear March of Folly in South Asia
Jan 01, 2009; ... Historian Barbara Tuchman described the trail of misperceptions and bad decisions that led to mankind's worst self-imposed disasters as a "March of Folly." Now is the time for India and Pakistan to take steps to ensure that another war or crisis between them does not result in a nuclear exchange ...
States Approve OPCW Budget, Not Report
Jan 01, 2009; ... A Dec. 2-5 meeting in The Hague of Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) states-parties failed to adopt a consensus final report but agreed on a budget for 2009 and modest measures to reform the treaty's verification system. The 126 state-parties participating in the conference approved a ...
BWC States Address Safety, Security Measures
Jan 01, 2009; ... At a Dec. 1-5 meeting, states-parties to the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) discussed steps to improve the safety and security of biological agents as well as oversight mechanisms to prevent the misuse of biotechnology for hostile purposes. The conference was the second of a ...
EU Issues Space Code of Conduct
Jan 01, 2009; ... In December, the European Union issued a draft code of conduct for outer space activities that skirted many thorny issues that have plagued prior international efforts to prevent an arms race in outer space. Designed to encompass civilian and military uses of space, key features of the text ...
Report Predicts Future Global Arms Trends
Jan 01, 2009; ... The National Intelligence Council (NIC) released its fourth Global Trends report on Nov. 20, timed to correspond every four years to the period of transition between presidential administrations. Chaired by Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Analysis Thomas Fingar, the NIC is within ...
Landmine Ban Deadlines Extended
Jan 01, 2009; ... At the ninth meeting of states- parties to the 1997 Mine Ban Convention, also referred to as the Ottawa Convention, in November 2008, 15 countries requested and re- ceived extensions to their 2009 demin- ing deadlines. The United Kingdom received a 10-year extension, the maxi- mum possible, and ...
WMD Commission Issues Findings
Jan 01, 2009; ... On Dec. 3, a congressionally mandated commission released a report offering 15 recommendations to help the U.S. government improve its ability to prevent and respond to threats of biological and nuclear terrorism. Drawing even more attention and criticism than the recommendations, however, was ...
Test Hit, Diplomatic Flop for U.S. Missile Defense
Jan 01, 2009; ... The Bush administration scored a hit in a recent test of a U.S.based strategic anti-missile system, but struck out in talks to ease Russian opposition to the planned stationing of a similar system in Europe. The lead U.S. negotiator said the Kremlin had shifted its attention to preparing for the ...
U.S. Ratifies Additional Protocol
Jan 01, 2009; ... President George W. Bush Dec. 30 signed the instrument of ratification for a U.S. additional protocol to its International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards agreement. Although the United States is a nuclear-weapon state under the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and is not required to ...
Compliance Report Delays Continue
Jan 01, 2009; ... One of the stated cornerstones of the Bush administration's approach to arms control and nonproliferation issues has been an increased emphasis on ensuring that other countries comply with their arms control and nonproliferation agreements. As then-Undersecretary of State for Arms ...
Six-Party Talks Stall Over Sampling
Jan 01, 2009; ... The latest round of six-way talks aimed at denuclearizing North Korea ended Dec. 11 in stalemate as the parties continued to disagree on the issue of verifying North Korea's nuclear activities. The four days of talks are expected to have marked the last formal gathering of the six parties ...
Russia, India Ink Nuke Cooperation Deal
Jan 01, 2009; ... During a Dec. 5 visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to New Delhi, Russia agreed to provide India with four new nuclear power plants as part of a nuclear cooperation agreement between the two countries. The agreement marks the third such accord India has signed with nuclear suppliers since ...
Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Formed
Jan 01, 2009; ... Kazakhstan ratified a treaty establishing the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (CANWFZ) Dec. 11, allowing it to enter into force in early 2009. Breaking from typical practice, the treaty lacks the endorsement of three of the five official nuclear-weapon states. France, the United Kingdom, ...
EU Pledges Funds for IAEA Fuel Bank
Jan 01, 2009; ... The European Union Dec. 8 pledged 25 million euros (about $33 million) toward the establishment of a nuclear fuel bank under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The EU contribution means that supporters have come close to meeting the initial financial requirements set ...
Letter TO THE EDITOR
Jan 01, 2009; ... Israel Is a Greater Threat Than Iran I was very shocked by the publication of Chuck Freilich's article "The United States, Israel, and Iran: Defusing an 'Existential' Threat" in the November 2008 Arms Control Today. Instead of ACT'S usual careful analysis of a problem, this article was ...
CORRECTION
Jan 01, 2009; ... On page 44 of Arms Control Today's May 2008 issue, the news article "African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Nears Realization" stated that Mozambique "became the 24th country to ratify the Pelindaba Treaty, which means that the treaty needs only four more ...
BY THE NUMBERS
Jan 01, 2009; ... Anti-Personnel Landmines $430 million Total international donations to support mine action* in 2007. Down from $475 million in 2006. 176 million Total number of anti-personnel landmines estimated to be stockpiled by 44 countries in 2007. More than 130 countries ...
Notable Quotable
Jan 01, 2009; ... "The president of the United States now for 50 years is followed at all times, 24 hours a day, by a military aide carrying a football that contains the nuclear codes that he would use and be authorized to use in the event of a nuclear attack on the United States. He could launch a kind of ...