Nukes of Hazard

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

National Security Legislative Wrap-up
2008-06-10 00:06:00
Congress completed work on the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution this past week, but postponed action on the Supplemental Appropriations Bill to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The House is expected to act on the Supplemental this week, and perhaps the Senate too. The Senate is also expected to consider the Fiscal Year Defense Authorization bill, but not for another week or two. The House Appropriations Committee is moving close to writing the Fiscal Year 2009 appropriations bills. FISCAL YEAR 2008 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION BILL The Supplemental bill now moves back to the House... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Security , National , National Security , Wrap

Congressional Schedule for DoD and DoE Bills (updated)
2008-06-06 15:06:00
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. Click to enlarge. [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Schedule , Bills

Growing Economic Ties Better Deterrence
2008-06-05 21:19:00
The Center's Kingston Reif had an excellent letter to the editor published last week in the Washington Times. Check it out below. James T. Hackett's column on India 's strategic posture suffers from two major problems ("India's missile power lifts off," Commentary, May 22). First, emphasizing the threat to India posed by China obscures the fact that China is set to overtake the United States as India's largest bilateral trade partner. Moreover, China and India recently announced that New Delhi plans to host a second round of joint military exercises with Beijing this year. Though India... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Growing , Economic

McCain's Nuclear Weapons Speech: Cheers, Jeers, and Questions
2008-06-03 06:05:00
Sen. John McCain's speech last week certainly falls short of calling for a world free of nuclear weapons, but the good news is that his presidency shouldn't look exactly like Bush III. The Center's Leonor Tomero released today an excellent summary of his much talked about Denver speech on nuclear security. While some find his statements largely in line with Bush's, Tomero finds a number of high points: a willingness to begin to address the threat of nuclear weapons, a commitment to internationalism and diplomacy, and a recognition of the necessity of U.S. non-proliferation leadership. Her... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Questions , Nuclear , Weapons , Speech

National Security Legislative Wrap-up
2008-06-02 19:53:00
Congress returns from recess this week from the Memorial Day recess. Pending action on national security issues is possible, including House consideration of the Senate-passed Supplemental Appropriations bill to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. On May 22, the Senate approved funding for the war, rejected Iraq-related provisions, and added, with a veto-proof majority, the G.I. bill and a number of domestic funding provisions. Rather than a House-Senate conference to resolve differences between the House version of the bill and the Senate version, the House will either accept, reject,... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Security , National , National Security , Wrap

Missile Defense Monitor
2008-05-30 18:27:00
The following is a summary of recent non-National Defense Authorization Act-related missile defense news and developments. 1) According to a new study conducted by the Center for Business & Economic Research (CBER) at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, the economic impacts of the Boeing Company?s work on Ground Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) in Alabama in 2007 include: Nearly 5,600 direct and indirect jobs $80 million payroll $198 million in Alabama household earnings 38 jobs created in the state for every 10 Boeing GMD jobs The highly skilled, high-income GMD program work force... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Missile Defense , Monitor , Missile

Lt. Gen. Robert Gard Debates Frank Gaffney on the Impact of the NPT
2008-05-30 18:10:00
The Center's senior military fellow, Lt. Gen. Robert Gard, debated Frank Gaffney on the impact of the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty on U.S. policy both then and now on CSPAN earlier today. Click here to watch the debate using either Flash or Windows Media Player. [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Debates

National Security Legislative Wrap-Up
2008-05-27 21:54:00
Congress took action on a number of national security bills before heading out for the Memorial Day recess. Last week, the Senate completed action on the Supplemental Appropriations Bill to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As in the House, the bill was divided into three parts. The Senate approved funding for the war, rejected Iraq-related provisions and added, with a veto-proof majority, the G.I. bill and a number of domestic funding provisions. The House of Representatives last week completed action on the Fiscal Year 2009 Defense Authorization Bill, rejecting funding for... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Security , National , National Security , Wrap

Vacation to North Korea?
2008-05-26 01:09:00
Jealous of the New York Philharmonic?s recent trip to North Korea ? Well, don?t be. For about $8400, Abercrombie & Kent?s Marco Polo Club will send you to Beijing and Pyongyang for about a week in early September. According to their promotional materials, To most Westerners North Korea is a closed society, a "Hermit Kingdom" rarely visited and poorly understood. As a valued Marco Polo Club member you have the unique opportunity to visit this little-known country, meet its people and witness the Arirang Mass Games, a spectacle of athleticism and national pride unlike anything else... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Vacation

?Nicknamed the Davy Crocket, it could take down more than bears??
2008-05-24 06:20:00
In a break from events on the Hill comes this darkly comical clip from the History Channel on the M65 ?Davy Crocket? recoilless nuclear rifle. Key lines: ?If there were a military failed inventions hall of fame, there would surely be a place for the nuclear rifle, developed in the Cold War ?60s, the M65. ? The Davy Crocket was hampered by one nagging flaw. ? Its maximum firing range of about 3 miles meant it couldn?t fire its payload beyond the radius of the resulting fallout.? Especially disturbing is that the M65 handlers strangely resemble the New Wave band, Devo? [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Humor , Bears

Vote Results on Amendments to the FY09 Defense Authorization Bill
2008-05-23 19:36:00
In good news, the Pearce (NM) amendment on the Reliable Replacement Warhead failed 145-271, with 227 Democrats and 44 Republicans voting against the measure. (Roll No. 358) The amendment would ?amend title XXXI (DOE National Security Programs) to remove $10 million in funding for energy conservation on military installations and increase funding for the Reliable Replacement Warhead program by $10 million.? In bad news, the Tierney (MA) amendment on missile defense failed 122-292, with 117 Democrats and 5 Republicans voting in favor. (Roll No. 357) The amendment would ?reduce funding for... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Results , Defense , Vote , Bill

White House on the FY09 Defense Authorization Bill
2008-05-22 22:47:00
The White House released its ?Statement of Administration Policy? on the FY09 Defense Authorization bill today. Below are the relevant portions on Iran, missile defense, and RRW. Iran: The Administration also strongly opposes any amendments that would restrict the ability of the United States to deal effectively with the threats to regional security posed by the conduct of Iran. Missile Defense: The Administration strongly opposes the significant reduction of over $700 million to our missile defense programs, including European Missile Defense, Airborne Laser, the Multiple Kill Vehicle,... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: White House , Bill

Congress Announces Appointments to WMD and Terrorism Commission
2008-05-22 06:11:00
Last Friday, Congress ional leadership announced their appointments to the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism . The commission's creation was a recommendation of the independent 9/11 Commission. It is assigned to assess the United States' current non-proliferation and anti-terrorism efforts and provide a "clear comprehensive strategy" with "concrete recommendations" to achieve both goals. Commission members are: Former Senator Bob Graham, Chairman (Chair, Graham Center for Public Service, University of Florida and University of Miami)Former... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Appointments

Amendments to the FY09 Defense Authorization Bill
2008-05-22 04:28:00
Provided below is a list of relevant amendments permitted by the House Rules Committee to the FY09 Defense Authorization bill. Votes will likely come tomorrow. 4. Spratt (SC): 20 minutes of debate ? Iran National Intelligence Estimate Requires the DNI, on an annual basis, to submit to Congress an update of the National Intelligence Estimate entitled "Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities" and dated November 2007. Such update may be submitted in classified form. The President shall notify Congress in writing within 15 days of determining that Iran has met or surpassed any major... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Bill

Potential Amendments to the FY09 Defense Authorization Bill Related to Iran
2008-05-22 00:28:00
Provided below is a list of amendments related to Iran , missile defense, and nuclear weapons submitted to the House Rules Committee for the FY09 Defense Authorization bill. It is unclear which amendments the Committee will permit to be offered. Iran Franks (AZ), #53 States the Sense of Congress that the Department of Defense should develop and maintain a viable military option to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran from successfully developing or deploying a nuclear weapons capability. Spratt (SC), #128 Requires the DNI, on an annual basis, to submit to Congress an... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Related , Bill

Nuke and Nonpro Highlights of House Armed Services Committee Action on the
2008-05-21 06:12:00
The Center?s Chris Hellman and Travis Sharp put out their Analysis of House Armed Services Committee Action on the FY2009 Defense Authorization Bill (HR 5658) yesterday. The full analysis is available online and the press release is here. The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) completed its markup of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Defense Authorization bill (HR 5658) on May 15, 2008. HASC's marked up bill recommends an overall FY2009 authorization level of $601.4 billion, the amount requested by the administration. This $601.4 billion total includes $70 billion for ongoing military... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Highlights , Nuke

Missile Defense Highlights of House Armed Services Committee Mark-Up of H.R
2008-05-20 06:21:00
Last Wednesday (May 14), the House Armed Services Committee completed its mark-up of the FY 2009 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 5658). A summary of the bill can be found here and the full text of the bill can be found here. For a summary of the Senate Armed Services Committee?s mark-up, see here. Under the leadership of Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO), and Ranking Member Duncan Hunter (R-CA), the Committee authorized approximately $10.2 billion for ballistic missile defense, a reduction of $719 million from the administration?s request and an increase of $212 million over the current... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Missile Defense , Highlights

National Security Legislative Wrap-Up
2008-05-20 03:34:00
With Congress headed into a Memorial Day recess at the end of the week, the pace of action on national security legislation has picked up. There is nothing like a deadline to force decisions. Last week, the House of Representatives completed action on the Supplemental Appropriations bill to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and unexpectedly rejected new war funding. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a similar supplemental bill, and the full Senate is expected to take action on the bill this week. Last week, the House Armed Services Committee completed its mark-up of the... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Security , National , National Security , Wrap

Earthquake May Affect Chinese Nuclear Weapons Complex
2008-05-15 21:30:00
The 7.9 magnitude earthquake that rocked southwest China on Tuesday may have implications for China’s nuclear weapons complex, as recently highlighted by Jocelyn Ford on NPR’s Science Friday blog. The quake’s destruction reached the nearby city of Mianyang where the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP), which includes the country’s nuclear weapons research, development and testing labs, is located. Dan Stillman, a former Los Alamos National Laboratory official, referred to CAEP in 2001 as “China's equivalent to our Los Alamos, Sandia, and Lawrence Livermore nuclear... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Nuclear , Earthquake , Weapons , Complex

Hobson’s Likely Successor, Rep. Zach Wamp, to Support RRW
2008-05-14 18:13:00
Frank Munger of the Knoxville News Sentinel reports today that Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN) would likely support the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) program if he becomes ranking member of the House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee next year as expected. Wamp would succeed Rep. David Hobson (R-OH), a leading GOP voice against RRW. This is a disturbing, though not entirely surprising, move as the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant are both located in Wamp’s district. The Y-12 plant has reportedly experienced problems refurbishing the... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Support

National Security Legislative Wrap-up
2008-05-12 16:18:00
Postponement is the name of the game. The House had planned to consider the Supplemental Appropriations bill to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but postponed consideration until this week. The Senate Appropriations Committee was scheduled to consider the same bill last week, but delayed the mark-up to a new tentative date of May 15. The Senate had tentatively planned to consider the Fiscal Year Defense Authorization bill before the Memorial Day recess, but that consideration has apparently been put off until June. The House Armed Services Committee is scheduled to complete its... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Security , National , National Security , Wrap

Highlights of House and Senate Committee Action on Missile Defense
2008-05-12 06:40:00
There?s been a lot of action on missile defense funding in Congress over the past two weeks. The Senate Armed Services Committee and the House Strategic Forces Subcommittee completed their mark-ups of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2009 on April 30 and May 7, respectively. In what follows I will highlight the most important budget recommendations, and then conclude with my analysis of these recommendations. S. 2787 Under the leadership of the Chairman Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Ranking Member Jeff Sessions (R-AL), the Senate Armed Services Strategic Forces... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Action , Missile Defense

Lt. Gen. Robert Gard: Nuclear Terrorism a Serious Threat
2008-05-11 20:52:00
Lt. Gen. Robert Gard, a senior military fellow at the Center, had a terrific op-ed published in the Knoxville News Sentinel today. It comes on the heels of a Center outreach trip to Tennessee. In the piece, Gard argues that when it comes to nuclear terrorism, the U.S. government has been walking when it should be running. Gard concludes,It is incredible that our government is failing to accord the highest priority to taking the actions necessary to prevent terrorists from carrying out their threat to detonate a nuclear weapon on the territory of the United States, which would... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Terrorism , Nuclear , Threat

Business of the Bomb: The Modern Nuclear Marketplace
2008-05-09 21:35:00
Mark Shapiro and Michael Montgomery of American RadioWorks recently put together an exceptional radio documentary entitled ?Business of the Bomb : The Modern Nuclear Marketplace ? which examines the ?legitimate? side of the illicit networks that assist in nuclear proliferation, focusing on the A.Q. Khan network. Below is a snippet to pique your interest: ? The popular image of desperate terrorists smuggling enriched uranium across borders may not be the most serious nuclear threat to the world. Instead, the people helping to make the bombs are often successful businessmen made even... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]

Congressional Schedule for DoD and DoE Bills
2008-05-08 08:36:00
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

Arms Control and Nonproliferation Highlights of the Bush Administration's F
2008-05-07 06:27:00
Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) Program *FY2009 Request: $40 million for the Department of Energy, in three pots: -Directed Stockpile Work: $10 million -Science Campaign account: $20 million -Engineering Campaign account: $10 million *FY2008 Request: $88.8 million for the Department of Energy; $30 million for the Department of Defense *Final FY2008 Action: $0 for the Department of Energy; $15 million for the Department of Defense Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (the technology development element of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP)) *FY2009 Request: $301.5... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Bush , Highlights , Arms , Control , The Bush

Update: Question for Readers
2008-05-06 22:43:00
Recently, yours truly posited a question for Nukes of Hazard readers regarding the Airborne Laser (ABL). At the April 16 House Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs hearing on missile defense (a summary can be found here), Philip Coyle claimed that "if the enemy paints their missiles with an ordinary white paint, a white paint that is 90% reflective to the [ariborne] laser, then 90% of the laser energy bounces off." Missile Defense Agency (MDA) spokesman Rich Lehner disputed this characterization, arguing that: Regarding the paint, not true....That the U.S. would spend more... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Question , Readers , Update

Highlights of Third House Hearing on Missile Defense
2008-05-06 22:35:00
Last Wednesday (April 30), the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs held a hearing entitled, ?Questions for the Missile Defense Agency: Oversight of Missile Defense (Part 3)? (A summary of Parts 1 and 2 can be found here and here, respectively). Wednesday?s hearing was the third in the Committee?s series on America?s missile defense program. The witness list for the hearing was broken up into two panels. Panel 1 consisted of Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Director Lieutenant General Henry A. ?Trey? Obering III while Panel 2 included Philip E. Coyle, III (Assistant Secretary... [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
2008-05-05 22:56:00
Last week, the Senate Armed Services Committee completed its mark up of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Defense Authorization bill. The marked up bill fully funds the administration?s $612.5 billion FY2009 national defense request, as did the FY2009 Budget Resolution passed by the Senate on March 13, by authorizing $542.5 billion in "base" budgetary authority and $70 billion in war funding. Bush sent to Congress last week specifics of the $70 billion "bridge" war funding request for Fiscal Year 2009. If Congress bundles residual FY2008 funding with this advance FY2009 funding, the resulting "super... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Security , National , National Security , Wrap

Senators Urge Committee to Cut Funding for Reprocessing
2008-04-29 06:26:00
In an April 24 letter, nine senators urged Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Ranking Member Pete Domenici (R-NM) to cut funding for the reprocessing and reuse of spent nuclear fuel. The letter targets funding for the Department of Energy's efforts to reprocess spent nuclear fuel under the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). The non-proliferation-friendly advocates are: Daniel Akaka (D-HI) Sherrod Brown (D-OH) Russ Feingold (D-WI) Tom Harkin (D-IA) Edward Kennedy (D-MA) John Kerry (D-MA) Bernard Sanders (I-VT) Charles Schumer (D-NY) Ron... [This is a content summary only. Click on the above link for the full post.]
More About: Funding , Committee , Urge