Nukes of Hazard

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North Korea Nutshell: Geneva or Bust
2008-03-13 05:18:00
For months now, the U.S. has urged North Korea to submit a declaration that is both complete and clear. The North Korea ns have responded by discounting U.S. claims and the frustration in Washington with the delay is becoming more evident as the weeks pass by. This has led U.S. Ambassador Chris Hill to consider some more creative approaches to break the impasse. Rumors have been circulating that Hill was considering trying to separate the controversial issues of the nuclear declaration out of the main issues involving the bomb-making program itself, thereby allowing progress on this latter... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
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Kingston Reif Interviews Dr. Leonard Weiss on U.S.-India Nuclear Deal
2008-03-12 19:53:00
Kingston Reif, Scoville Fellow at the Center, recently interviewed Dr. Leonard Weiss on the U.S.-India nuclear deal. Weiss is an affiliate at Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University, a consultant to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and advisor to the Campaign for Responsibility in Nuclear Trade. The interview can be seen below. Check it out. [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
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Highlights of House Hearing on Missile Defense
2008-03-12 00:43:00
On March 5, the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs held a hearing entitled, ?Oversight of Ballistic Missile Defense (Part 1): Threats, Realities, and Tradeoffs.? In his opening statement, Subcommittee Chairman John Tierney (D-MA) described the hearing as the beginning of ?a robust and concerted investigation into the rationale for missile defense; its costs, benefits and technical obstacles; and the accountability, transparency and testing regime of the Missile Defense Agency.? The specific purpose of this first oversight hearing was to examine ?the potential threat our... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
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National Security Legislative Wrap-up
2008-03-10 17:47:00
This week, both the Senate and the House are expected to take up the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution. Both Budget Committees approved the Bush Administration's request: $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. While some Members of Congress may try to increase the Iraq and Afghanistan money to a more realistic total of about $170 billion for the next fiscal year, the President's overall defense total is likely to be endorsed. In contrast, the House Budget Resolution includes $37 billion... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
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Downing a Sick Satellite, or Upping the Arms Race?
2008-03-06 17:46:00
The Center's Katie Mounts recently put together a terrific piece on the long-term ramifications of the decision by the United States to shoot down its failing spy satellite. The full text of the article is provided below. Downing a Sick Satellite , or Upping the Arms Race ? When the White House announced in January that a failed U.S. intelligence satellite would soon fall out of orbit to the Earth, Bush administration officials claimed the potential for risk was “very small." That story quickly changed, however, in order to launch an experiment with dangerous consequences. Claiming that... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]

Ballistic Missile Defense: An Update
2008-03-05 01:16:00
The last few weeks have witnessed some important developments in the arena of ballistic missile defense. Significantly, during his recent visit to the United States, Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek announced that U.S. and Czech negotiators are nearing an agreement on placing an early warning radar base in the Czech Republic. Recall that in January 2007, the Bush administration asked that formal negotiations begin on the proposed deployment of a ground-based mid-course defense (GMD) element of the larger Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) in Europe to defend against an Iranian... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
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National Security Legislative Wrap-up
2008-03-03 18:43:00
Last week, the Senate spent three days of debate on Iraq with no final vote on either of the measures introduced by Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI). The first measure would have cut funding for U.S. troops 120 days after enactment of the measure except for specified purposes, including bringing troops home. The second measure would have required an Administration report to Congress on its strategy for combating al Qaeda. On March 5, the Senate and House Budget Committees are slated to markup or write the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution, and both chambers are expected to take up the measure... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Security , National , National Security , Wrap

John Isaacs: An Early Look Ahead: McCain, Clinton and Obama on National Sec
2008-02-29 22:57:00
The Center?s Executive Director, John Isaacs, recently wrote a terrific piece on what to expect from McCain, Clinton , and Obama in terms of national security issues. Key sections are provided below. Policy toward Iran President Bush has displayed unremitting hostility toward the radical regime dominating Iran, a country that U.S. intelligence sources report had previously been pursuing a nuclear weapons program. He branded Iran part of the ?axis of evil? and promoted regime change as the preferred U.S. policy. With a few limited exceptions, the United States under Bush has refused... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: National , Early

Disarmament Efforts Get a Boost in Norway
2008-02-29 19:14:00
A group of high-level disarmament experts gathered this week in Oslo, Norway for an international conference hosted by the Norwegian government. Participants for the conference, entitled, "Achieving a World Free of Nuclear Weapons," included former Secretary of State George Shultz and former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn. Schultz and Nunn are two authors of the four-member team, also including former Defense Secretary William Perry and former secretary of State Henry Kissinger, that published articles in the Wall Street Journal last month and in January 2007, calling for a "world free of nuclear... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Disarmament , Boost

Congressional Schedule for DoD and DoE Bills
2008-02-28 18:56:00
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.]
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National Security Legislative Wrap-up
2008-02-25 15:46:00
Congress is back from recess this week. The Senate is scheduled to vote on February 26 on whether to invoke cloture or shut off debate on two Iraq-related bills introduced by Sens. Feingold (D-WI), Reid (D-NV) and Menendez (D-NJ). The first measure would cut funding for U.S. troops 120 days after enactment of the measure except for specified purposes, including bringing the troops home. The second measure requires an Administration report to Congress on its strategy for combating al Qaeda. House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee chairman John Murtha (D-PA) indicated that the Defense... [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: Bob Woodruff at Yongbyon
2008-02-25 06:21:00
Although Woodruff has been to North Korea before, this time he was allowed into the plant at Yongbyon and got to see and videotape the process of disablement himself. As I still remain skeptical about the possible overall outcome of the negotiations, I can't help but be amazed about the contrast of where we are now when compared to just a few years ago. An American journalist in the heart of the North Korea n nuclear complex. I had to see it to believe it. Make sure to catch the stylish yellow shoes everyone is wearing inside the plant. This visit is a part of a week-long series of reports by... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]

Experts Outline "Ten First Steps" to Reduce U.S. Nuclear Arsneal
2008-02-23 20:20:00
Earlier this month, analysts from the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), and independent nuclear weapons experts released a report, Toward True Security, which argues that the United States and the other original nuclear powers ?must drastically reduce the role that nuclear weapons play in their security policies.? According to the report, the United States faces three principal nuclear dangers: 1) a Russian accidental or unauthorized attack; 2) the spread of nuclear weapons to more nations, particularly... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Nuclear , Experts , Reduce , Steps , Outline

Nukes Invisible in Dem Debate
2008-02-22 22:13:00
Last night's Democratic debate in Austin, Texas reflected the changes in the public's primary election concerns over recent months. Iraq and other foreign policy issues largely took a back seat to the economy, health care, and immigration. The action also included recent political but not policy-related headlines from the campaigns - accusations during what Obama called the election's "silly season". Overall, while the candidates' tried to highlight the nuances of their positions, the debate reflected the overall similarities of their policy stances. Unlike other recent debates, however,... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Debate , Invisible , Nukes

Taking "The Shot"
2008-02-20 19:31:00
Following up on Max's excellent post about the strategic logic of what has been dubbed by the Navy as “The Shot ,” I thought I would provide an in-depth look at exactly why this is such a bad policy decision. 1. The Reasoning Given During the briefing that described the necessity of taking “The Shot,” Deputy National Security Advisor James Jeffrey and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. James Cartwright both stated that the reason that this falling space debris was different from previous debris was the possibility that a 1,000 pound tank of hydrazine may fall to the Earth and... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
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National Security Legislative Wrap-up
2008-02-19 18:43:00
Congress is in recess this week. ACTION IN THE LAST WEEK The Senate is scheduled to vote on February 26 on whether to invoke cloture on two bills related to Iraq, the fight against al Qaeda and the readiness of our armed forces. The first measure cuts funding for U.S. troops in Iraq 120 days after enactment of the measure except for specified purposes, including bringing the troops home. The second measure requires an Administration a report to Congress "setting forth the global strategy of the United States to combat and defeat al Qaeda and its affiliates." On February 12, the Senate... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Security , National , National Security , Wrap

History of U.S. Anti-Satellite Weapons Belies Claims that U.S. Has No Motiv
2008-02-18 06:41:00
The Bush administration announced plans this week to use the Sea-Based Midcourse Missile Defense system (SMD) to strike a U.S. spy satellite that lost power shortly after launch last year. Left alone, the satellite would hit the earth, emitting a potentially deadly amount of hydrazine fuel. However, the planned use of a missile against the satellite has raised fears that the whole exercise is a pretense for the Bush administration to test and/or demonstrate its anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons capabilities. As the AP reported, "The Bush administration is trying to convince foreign countries that... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: History , Satellite , Weapons , Claims , Anti

Rice's Reassurances on India-NSG Negotiations Not Very Reassuring
2008-02-16 20:05:00
At a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on February 13, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pledged that the United States will not support an agreement between India and the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) that contravenes U.S. law. At first glance, this appears to be a welcome clarification of the U.S. position on bilateral nuclear trade with India. Upon closer inspection, however, Rice?s statement obscures more than it reveals. Rice?s pledge would be easier to accept if it did not fly in the face of the actual text of a March 2006 U.S. draft proposal calling for an... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Negotiations

Congressional Schedule for DoD and DoE Bills
2008-02-14 06:45:00
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

The Folly of Attacking Iran: Lessons from History
2008-02-12 06:10:00
JustForeignPolicy.org released yesterday an excellent video on the historical backdrop to the current standoff with Iran . It reveals the dangers of an armed U.S. intervention and promise of diplomacy and stars the Center's Senior Military Fellow, Lt. Gen Robert Gard (USA, ret.), as well as a stellar group of Iran experts, including Stephen Kinzer, Trita Parsi, and Barbara Slavin. The video complements the organization's national Folly of Attacking Iran Tour. Check it out below. [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: History , Lessons

National Security Legislative Wrap-up
2008-02-12 01:25:00
On February 4, the President sent the annual military budget to Congress. The budget totals $515.4 billion for Pentagon activities. However, adding funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (estimated by Defense Secretary Robert Gates at roughly $170 billion) plus the nuclear weapons portion of the Department of Energy budget, the total exceeds $700 billion. The Senate and House Budget Committees will take the first legislative action on the budget. Some highlights of the request: --This budget exceeds last years by 7.5% --Total missile defense funding is $12.3 billion,... [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: Chris Hill in Town
2008-02-11 06:08:00
This past Wednesday, Amb. Chris Hill came to Washington to sit before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and provide them with an update on the current status of the 6-Party Talks. Your intrepid Nutshell reporter was there with pen in hand and took down the key elements of what was discussed. I provide to you below the synopsis of my notes from that hearing. Make sure to notice important new information about what Hill what shown about the Russian purchased aluminum tubes and how the U.S. will move forward with full denuclearization (Phase 3). Keep in mind that everything below is an... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Korea , North Korea , North , Town

NATO and Nuclear Weapons
2008-02-10 07:29:00
Two weeks ago, we reported on a recently released 150-page manifesto in which five retired military strategists from the US, Britain, Germany, France and the Netherlands declared that ?the first use of nuclear weapons must remain in the quiver of escalation as the ultimate instrument to prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction.? As noted at the time, the proposal is madness. Fortunately, there are important voices within NATO who are thinking about the future of the alliance?s nuclear policy in a much saner way. During the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Brussels last December,... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Nuclear , Nato , Weapons

NNSA Budget Request Contradicts Earlier Claim on JASON Report
2008-02-09 07:05:00
One of the most pressing scientific questions surrounding the debate over the "Reliable Replacement Warhead" program is the issue of warhead certification. It is very likely that the replacement warheads could only be used if they could be certified as reliable without nuclear testing. (Others--myself included--believe that the production of new nuclear warheads is ill-advised even if testing could be avoided). Therefore, the NNSA's plans to introduce a new generation of nuclear warheads hinge on the agency's ability to establish a viable system for determining warhead reliability without... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Report , Request , Budget , Jason

Analysis of FY09 Pentagon Spending Request
2008-02-06 22:42:00
The Center?s Chris Hellman and Travis Sharp released their Analysis of the Fiscal Year 2009 Pentagon Spending Request today. They note that the total ?top line? funding request by the Bush administration for the Defense Department in FY09 is $515.4 billion, an increase of $35.9 billion over current levels. Of special interest, the Bush administration request increases funding for the Missile Defense Agency by approximately 4 percent over current levels to a total of $8.9 billion. It also increases funding for the nuclear weapons activities of the Department of Energy by 5.1 percent to... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]

Breakdown of NNSA FY09 Nuclear Weapons Budget Request
2008-02-06 06:34:00
The folks over at Nuclear Watch New Mexico just put out a terrific breakdown of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Fiscal Year 2009 nuclear weapons budget request. They report that total NNSA nuclear weapons costs are approximately $340 million higher than advertised in ?Total Weapons Activities? section of the budget for a total cost of just under $7 billion. They also note that NNSA is seeking to continue RRW through the Advanced Certification Campaign. Click on the image for a larger, more readable version, or click here for the full PDF version of this... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Request , Budget

Highlights (and Lowlights) from the Recent Republican Presidential Debates
2008-02-06 02:50:00
Since we last reported on the Republican presidential campaign on December 14, there have been four debates as well as a forum hosted by Fox News. Duncan Hunter, Rudy Giuliani, Tom Tancredo, and Fred Thompson no longer remain in the race, and while Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul have yet to formally throw in the towel, most observers believe that either Mitt Romney or John McCain will represent the GOP come November. That said, the race may be all but over by tonight, as McCain holds impressive leads in most of the states up for grabs today (Super Tuesday). Sadly, on the nuclear and... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Debates , Presidential , Highlights , Recent

Lack of Nuke Talk in Recent Dem Debates
2008-02-06 00:47:00
It seems Catherine Collins may have had a good point: the Democratic candidates for president have missed many an opportunity to discuss their positions on U.S. nuclear and nonproliferation policy in their past three debates. (To their credit, however, it's not as if the questions were asked and they chose to ignore them.) What Bush and Kerry agreed was the gravest threat to national security in 2004 - nuclear proliferation - has been largely absent from this year's debates, with the notable exception of almost 15 minute of coverage of nuclear terrorism in New Hampshire. While foreign... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Debates , Talk , Recent , Nuke , Lack

Report Finds Military Unprepared for Domestic Attack
2008-02-05 07:02:00
An independent report released last Thursday found that the military is woefully unprepared for a catastrophic attack -- including the potential use of a nuclear weapon -- on U.S. soil, and that the National Guard doesn't have either the training or the equipment to do the job. The voluminous 400-page report was prepared by the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves, which was tasked by Congress to conduct a comprehensive examination of how the Guard and Reserves are used in national defense and to recommend any needed changes in laws and policies governing the National Guard and... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
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National Security Legislative Wrap-up
2008-02-05 01:06:00
On January 28, President Bush finally signed the Defense Authorization bill, H.R. 4896. However, when he did so, he issued a "signing statement" which indicated that he feels free to ignore four provisions in the bill, including one barring permanent bases in Iraq. The action implicitly confirmed the Bush administration's plans for a long-term U.S. presence in the country. The Bush administration presented its Fiscal Year 2009 budget to the Congress today. I?ll include the details as they become available. KEY NATIONAL SECURITY BILLS TO BE CONSIDERED IN 2008 Fiscal Year... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Security , National , National Security , Wrap