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National Security Legislative Wrap-Up
2008-04-28 20:31:00
Confusion continues to reign over the remainder of the Fiscal Year 2008 Supplemental Appropriations bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Last year, Congress approved a first portion of funding at $86 billion. The timing, the composition and the procedures for the new bill are still up in the air. In the meantime, mark-up of the Fiscal Year 2009 Defense Authorization bill begins this week in the Senate Armed Services Committee and next week in the House Armed Services Committee. The House and Senate both hope to complete action on the bill before the Memorial Day recess. [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Security , National , National Security , Wrap

Arms Control in 2009: An Early Look at the 111th Congress
2008-04-25 22:15:00
I recently put together an analysis on the prospects for arms control, focusing on the future of the Reliable Replacement Warhead program, in the upcoming 111th Congress . Check it out below. Arms Control in 2009: An Early Look at the 111th Congress by Jeff Lindemyer With the nation's eyes focused squarely on the presidential candidates, little attention has been paid to the growing list of influential members of Congress who plan to retire at the end of this year. These retirements will have important implications as committee chairs and ranking members pass their batons to successors who... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]

Congressional Briefings on North Korean Aid to Syrian Nuclear Facility
2008-04-24 22:12:00
If you've been reading the news today, you've seen that Congress has been briefed by high ranking intelligence officials on the facility in Syria that was bombed by the Israeli's in September of last year. It seems that they have clear information on the nuclear nature of this facility. For the quickest top analysis on this new development, I will direct readers to the people over at the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS). These are the people who originally found the facility using satellite data and broke the story along with the Washington Post. Below are two relevant... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Nuclear , North , Korean , Syrian

Question for Readers
2008-04-24 18:28:00
During last Thursday's housing hearing on missile defense (a summary can be found here), witness Philip E. Coyle III. made the following claim:Different missile defense systems prompt the use of different sorts of decoys or countermeasures by the offense. For example, the laser being developed for missile defense, the Airborne Laser, is to be a high power laser carried in a jumbo 747 aircraft. But if the enemy paints their missiles with an ordinary white paint, a white paint that is 90% reflective to the laser, then 90% of the laser energy bounces off. To compensate for this the Airborne... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Question , Readers

Highlights of Second House Hearing on Missile Defense
2008-04-24 18:18:00
Last Thursday (April 16), the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs held a hearing entitled, ?What are the Prospects, What are the Costs?: Oversight of Missile Defense (Part 2)? (A summary of Part 1 can be found here). In his opening statement, committee Chairman John Tierney (D-MA) described the purpose of the hearing as an effort to ?tackle head-on the questions of what are the prospects of our current missile defense efforts and at what are the costs.? The witness list for the hearing included Dr. Lisbeth Gronlund (Senior Scientist and Co-Director of the Global Security... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: House , Highlights , Hearing

National Security Legislative Wrap-Up
2008-04-23 01:56:00
Confusion reigns over the remainder of the Fiscal Year 2008 Supplemental Appropriations Bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Last year, Congress approved a first portion of funding: $86 billion. The timing, the composition and the procedures for the new bill are all up in the air. Some major questions about the bill: - While the new supplemental was supposed to be about $108 billion, will Congress add another $70 billion to fund the wars into Fiscal Year 2009 in order to avoid new votes on war funding in the fall just before the election and early next year while the... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Security , National , National Security , Wrap

Highlights of Dem Prez Debate in Philadelphia
2008-04-18 19:38:00
Wednesday night?s Democratic presidential debate in Philadelphia included a brief discussion of foreign policy issues, but was largely a rehash of previous positions. Following an extensive spat over Obama?s ?bitter? comment, Clinton?s exaggerated Bosnia experience, and comments made by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the candidates finally got down to the key foreign policy issues of Iraq and Iran. Regarding the latter, Obama highlighted the need to ?keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of the Iranians? through direct talks and a ?carrots and sticks? approach, noting that he would not take any... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Hillary Clinton , Debate , Prez , Highlights

Zia Mian on "Think[ing] outside the Bomb"
2008-04-18 02:23:00
I attended the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation's Think Outside the Bomb conference this past weekend in Washington, D.C. and had the chance to hear keynote speaker and panelist Zia Mian, Princeton physicist and director of the Project on Peace and Security in South Asia. With Mian's not-so-subtle nudges for those in attendance to question the "bigger picture" (including the capitalist and nation-state systems themselves) and framework through which we view nuclear issues, I felt like I was thrown back into my undergraduate days with my own professors who did the same. A few of Mian's -... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]

National Security Legislative Wrap-up
2008-04-15 08:37:00
The mark-up or writing of the second portion of the Fiscal Year 2008 Supplemental Appropriations bill, totaling about $108 billion, is still floating in the air. The House Appropriations Committee mark-up could be this week, next week or later. The Senate Appropriations Committee has set a tentative date for mark-up of the same bill on April 23. At this point, the bill could become a "Christmas tree" on which to hang many amendments: setting a deadline for bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq, mandates for training and equipping troops, longer rest time between deployments, blocking a... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Security , National , National Security , Wrap

North Korea Nutshell: What Starts in Geneva Ends in Singapore
2008-04-14 20:34:00
A few weeks ago, I wrote about a meeting between the U.S. and the North Korea n negotiators in Geneva to discuss a resolution to the impasse over the declaration of North Korea n nuclear activity. That meeting ended with no announcements on progress other than a vague announcement of ?good discussions.? This past week, the two parties met again, this time in Singapore , and it seems that a resolution is finally beginning to take shape. Experts believe that the U.S. floated the idea that the parties would use a diplomatic device similar to the joint U.S.-China ?Shanghai Communiqué? used during... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]

Summary of Sen. Kyl?s Speech on Nuclear Weapons
2008-04-09 06:10:00
The Center?s Executive Director, John Isaacs, recently put together a terrific summary of Sen. Jon Kyl?s talk yesterday on nuclear weapons, RRW, a world free of nuclear weapons, and space weapons at National Defense University. Check it out below. As Kyl had recently spoken on missile defense to another audience, he focused on nuclear weapons in his talk. Kyl said the U.S. needs a debate on nuclear issues; the other side (the anti-nuclear weapons forces) are dominating the debate. He particularly was critical of the Kissinger-Shultz et al position which is long on ideals but short on... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Nuclear , Weapons , Speech , Summary

George Shultz on Abolition
2008-04-09 00:32:00
If you can get past the partisan material that plasters the National Review Online, Uncommon Knowledge's Peter Robinson recently held some interesting talks with former Secretary of State George Shultz on "A World Free of Nuclear Weapons." The interview online is composed of five segments, between two and eight minutes apiece, each addressing essentially one topic related to nukes. Episode 1 discusses the inefficacy of using the Cold War's bipolar, state-centric deterrence model in today's world. First of all, there are now more and maybe increasing numbers of countries with nuclear weapons.... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Abolition

Missile Defense Highlights of Bush-Putin Sochi Meeting
2008-04-08 16:04:00
On Sunday, President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled a joint ?U.S.-Russia Strategic Framework Declaration.? The Declaration addresses a number of issues central to U.S.-Russia relations, including missile defense, the proliferation of WMD, arms control and disarmament, Iran, North Korea, achieving WTO accession for Russia, and climate change. The full text of the Strategic Framework can be found here and the transcript of the President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin news conference Sunday in Sochi can be found here. In this post I will focus exclusively on the... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Missile Defense , Defense , Highlights

National Security Legislative Wrap-up
2008-04-07 19:04:00
Congress returns this week from recess. On April 8 and 9, Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker will testify before the Senate and House Armed Services Committees and the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs Committees. These hearings will provide the focus for questions about the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Click on The Iraq Insider early and often for live blogging during the hearings. The first mark-up or writing of the second portion of the Fiscal Year 2008 Supplemental Appropriations bill totaling more than $100 billion is likely to begin next week or the week... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Security , National , National Security , Wrap

Has NATO Really Endorsed U.S. Plans for Missile Defense?
2008-04-04 23:47:00
Friday?s media reports out of Bucharest suggest a major triumph for President Bush on missile defense. According to the Washington Post: President Bush advanced his plans Thursday to build a controversial missile defense shield in Eastern Europe by winning the unanimous backing of NATO allies and sealing a deal with the Czech Republic to build a radar facility for the system on its soil. Bush?s success in winning over once-skeptical European governments bolsters his position heading into talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has denounced the shield as the start of a new arms... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Missile Defense , Defense , Plans , Nato , Missile

Russian Nuclear Weapons for Belarus?
2008-04-04 17:30:00
Blogging on the NATO Summit in Bucharest, the Acronym Institute?s Martin Butcher recently posted this interesting tid-bit on a possible nuclear defense pact that would allow Belarus to host Russian nukes: Russian Nuclear Weapons for Belarus? Lithuanian paper Respublika is summarised in English by Ria Novosti on the possibility of a nuclear defence link between Russia and Belarus. "The media are quoting Belarusian political analysts as saying that Washington is violating the 2004 Budapest memo under which signatories may not impose sanctions against Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan; this... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]

Upcoming Bush-Putin Meeting Could be Momentous
2008-04-03 08:04:00
George W. Bush and Russian President Valdimir Putin are scheduled to meet this Sunday in the Russian city of Sochi to discuss missile defense and a multi-point strategic framework document to guide U.S.-Russian relations in the near and medium term. Sunday?s meeting comes on the heels of this week?s NATO summit in Bucharest, and will be the last scheduled meeting between Bush and Putin as heads of state. Reports have been circulating during the past few weeks that recent talks between U.S. and Russian officials, including a visit to Moscow by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Upcoming , Meeting

North Korea Nutshell: Here We Go Again
2008-04-02 06:41:00
?Our military will not sit idle until warmongers launch a preemptive strike. Everything will be in ashes, not just a sea of fire, once our advanced preemptive strike begins.? If nothing else, you can always count on the North Korea ns to spice up international diplomacy with some apocalyptic rhetoric. This most recent statement came in response to the South Korea?s top military official commenting that the South would counter-attack against the North?s nuclear sites if the South were to be attacked by nuclear weapons. Normally, these sorts of statements are taken in stride when dealing with... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: North Korea

National Security Legislative Wrap-up
2008-03-31 19:30:00
Congress returns this week from recess. A House-Senate conference to resolve differences between the two versions of the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution may begin this week. The President will attend a NATO summit this week in Bucharest, Romania, and then hold a quickly scheduled summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. A major topic of conversation is the proposed missile defense site in Poland and the Czech Republic. Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker are slated to testify before Congress next week, tentatively April 8 and 9. The first mark-up or writing of... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Security , National , National Security , Wrap

New Yorkers Touring North Korea
2008-03-28 04:44:00
During my normal searching around of material concerning North Korea , I came across a video series put out by the online production group Vice Broadcasting System (VBS). This seems to be the visual arm of the guys who produce the Vice Magazine, a counter-culture type publication that loves to poke fun at conventional wisdom and society. One of their most popular items are their Vice Travel Guides that take people into controversial locals like Baghdad or Sudan from a perspective normally not covered. For example, during their trip to Iraq, they followed around the only Iraqi heavy metal band... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: North Korea , Touring

Star Wars Turns 25 Years Old, but Effective and Capable Missile Defense Sti
2008-03-26 20:35:00
The Center's senior military fellow Gen. Robert Gard and director John Isaacs released today a phenomenal report on America's missile defense program. The analysis covers Congressional, scientific, governmental, and military support for and opposition to a national missile defense program from Reagan's push in 1983 to the present administration. The authors conclude that no elements of the ground-based system should be deployed until they are proven effective at accomplishing their mission, and capable of protecting the United States. Highlights included here, and links found below:... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Star Wars , Wars , Missile Defense , Defense , Star

Visits to India Keep Nuclear Deal Alive
2008-03-26 17:12:00
* Guest post from star Center intern, Colleen Garcia Despite seemingly widespread Congressional belief that the U.S.-India nuclear deal is either dead or dormant, continuing visits to India by international leaders and authoritative U.S. policymakers prove that it is, in fact, very much alive. Many members of Congress - notably excluding those directly involved in relations with India - believe that the U.S.-India deal is a non-issue due to either domestic opposition from the Communist Party in India, or to the belief that Congress already played its part by drawing up and passing the Hyde... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Nancy Pelosi , Nuclear , Joe Biden , Deal

Now Where Did I Put Those ICBM Parts? (Updated)
2008-03-25 18:35:00
Apparently, the Department of Defense is about as careful with its classified nuclear/missile technology as it is with a pair of house keys. From the LA Times: U.S. officials said today that non-nuclear parts for an intercontinental ballistic missile were mistakenly shipped to Taiwan in 2006 and that an investigation had been started. Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne said at a Pentagon news conference that the items sent to Taiwan were four electrical fuses for nose cone assemblies for ICBMs. Wynne said the fuses have been returned and are at a U.S. base. "It could not be construed as... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Parts

Appointees Announced for Strategic Posture Commission
2008-03-20 19:21:00
The House Armed Services Committee just announced the appointees to the bipartisan U.S. Strategic Posture Commission established in the FY 2008 Defense Authorization bill. Assigned to "look at the strategic posture of the United States in the broadest sense," the commission should submit a report by December 1, 2008 that includes a detailed review of nuclear weapons policy and strategy and an examination of non-nuclear alternatives to nuclear weapons. Appointees nominated by the House Armed Services Committee are: William Perry, Chairman, former Secretary of Defense John Foster, Director... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]

STRATCOM and the Future of Nuclear Weapons
2008-03-19 19:53:00
When Congress finally passed the FY 2008 Omnibus funding in December, they made their intentions towards the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) program clear by completely cutting funding and mandating that the Administration conduct a Nuclear Posture Review before requesting any further developments for the project. Unfortunately, neither the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) nor General Chilton of Strategic Command got the message. At a recent House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing, General Chilton and his colleagues at NNSA ignored Congress's mandate... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Future , The Future , Weapons

Nonproliferation Essay Contest
2008-03-18 18:28:00
For those of you with a strong interest in non-proliferation issues - a likely scenario if you're reading Nukes of Hazard - The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies and The Nonproliferation Review have announced the Doreen and Jim McElvany 2008 Nonproliferation Challenge Essay Contest . The contest is designed to "find and publish the most outstanding new papers in the non-proliferation field." Critical details include: Grand Prize: $10,000 Student Essay Prize: $1,000 Submission Deadline: March 31, 2008 Length limit: 10,000 words For complete details, click here. [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]

Why Missile Defense Upsets Russia
2008-03-18 14:40:00
Center Scoville Fellow and Nukes of Hazard contributer Kingston Reif published an excellent letter to the editor today in the Washington Post in response to comments about Russia n perceptions of the American planned third site in Europe. Full text provided here: In the March 13 op-ed "Moscow's Missile Gambit," Robert Joseph and J.D. Crouch II said the United States should proceed with plans to place missile interceptors and their supporting radar systems in Europe regardless of Russian opposition. A fundamental assumption underlying their argument is that Russia's strategic objections to the... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Missile Defense , Defense

National Security Legislative Wrap-up
2008-03-17 22:44:00
Both the Senate and the House are in recess for the next two weeks. Before they adjourned, both chambers approved the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution. There were no challenges in the Senate to the military budget requested by the Bush Administration: $542 billion for defense budget authority (function 050 in the budget) plus $70 billion as a down payment for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the House, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) offered a Progressive Caucus alternative budget that would have cut the defense budget authority to $468 billion, $69 billion less than requested. The amendment... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Security , National , National Security , Wrap

Another Step Closer to Third Missile Defense Site
2008-03-14 21:52:00
After Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's visit to Washington this week, the Bush administration, though still far from a final deal, is one step closer to having its third missile defense site in Europe. The FY 2008 Defense Authorization bill required before any funding was provided for the site that the Polish and Czech governments approve the deal and that the US Congress must have 45 days to object to its components, and that the Secretary of Defense submit a report to Congress certifying that the interceptors work. Last week, Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and President Bush... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Missile Defense , Site , Step , Closer

Congressional Schedule for DoD and DoE Bills
2008-03-14 21:14:00
Provided below is an updated schedule of Congressional action on key Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Energy (DoE) bills, as prepared by David Culp of FCNL. [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Schedule , Bills