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All CNS nonproliferation content related to North, Central, and South America.
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General
Posted: January 26, 2012
LANL posts 'banner year'
Posted: November 9, 2011
Outside Publications
The Evolution of Economic Coercion: From Sanctions to Targeted Financial Measures [Subscribers Only]
Posted: November 9, 2011
Outside Publications
The Proliferation of WMD in the Modern World: Trends and Straining Regimes
Posted: November 19, 2010
Video | Seminar
Fifty Years of Arms Control Negotiating Experience
- Ambassador James Goodby looks back at some of his experience as negotiator and talks about the lessons he learned during his distinguished career.
Posted: November 10, 2010
Video | Seminar
The Future of U.S.-Russia Arms Control
- Ambassador Linton Brooks discusses the future of U.S.-Russia arms control.
Posted: November 10, 2010
Video | Seminar
U.S. Export Controls
- Gene Christiansen Senior Aerospace Engineer Bureau of Industry and Security U.S. Department of Commerce.
Posted: September 1, 2010
Press Release
CNS Experts Comment on White House Announcement Regarding Export Control Reform Efforts [PDF]
- President Obama announced steps toward reforming the U.S. export control system, including his intention to establish an Export Enforcement Coordination Center.
Posted: March 30, 2010
START Follow-On Treaty: Advancing Nuclear Disarmament Beyond U.S., Russia
- Alexander Bollfrass and Johan Bergenäs, for World Politics Review.
Posted: March 25, 2010
Feature Story
START Follow-On Talks Successfully Concluded: What's Next?
- Conclusion of the Treaty of Prague is, without doubt, a success,
slight delay notwithstanding. Now Obama and Medvedev need to outline the
contours of the next treaty — perhaps as early as at the 2010 NPT Review
Conference.
Posted: February 10, 2010
Obama's Empty Threats Weaken U.S.
- If Iran continues to break non-proliferation rules, Barack Obama needs international consensus before threatening Tehran again.
Posted: January 19, 2010
OPINION - A View from Moscow
START Follow On Treaty: Deadlines and Deadlocks
- Prospects for a new strategic arms control agreement between the United States and Russia may be hampered by domestic politics in both countries.
Posted: January 19, 2010
Obama's Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament Agenda: Building Steam or Losing Traction?
- Theodore Kalionzes and Kaegan McGrath, an issue brief for the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
Posted: August 4, 2009
Outside Publication
Obama's Challenging NPT Agenda
- The Obama administration is positioning
the U.S. to gain concessions at the upcoming NPT review conference.
Posted: July 10, 2009
Obama's Moscow Visit Highlights Progress and Obstacles in U.S.-Russian Nuclear Relations
- Meeting in Moscow July 6-7, U.S. President Obama and Russian President Medvedev agreed on a framework to guide negotiators in striking a new strategic arms agreement.
Posted: July 8, 2009
Analysis of the Strategic Posture Commission's Arguments against U.S. Ratification of the CTBT
- As the Commission could not reach consensus on U.S. CTBT ratification, this brief examines the arguments expressed by the treaty's opponents.
Posted: July 6, 2009
Interview
VIDEO | Only Presidents Can Push START Through
- The absolute key to a successful negotiation is presidential intervention.
-
Interview
VIDEO | Obama is Serious About Disarmament
- Obama's upcoming visit to Moscow could likely result in an agreement between Moscow and Washington.
Posted: May 18, 2009
VIDEO | The Situation in US Congress & CTBT Ratification
-
- Overview of the present situation in the US Congress and how it affects the chances and approaches to ratifying the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty.
Posted: February 18, 2009
The United States and the CTBT: Renewed Hope or Politics as Usual?
- An Issue Brief by Sean Dunlop and Jean du Preez for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI).
Posted: February 13, 2009
New WMD Coordinator Has the Right Stuff, But Will He Have the Right Staff?
- President Obama's new WMD Proliferation/ Terrorism Coordinator will watch over a vast array of activities. But whether he will be given the stature and staff to do the job right remains an open question.
A Feature Story by
Anya Loukianova,
Leonard Spector
Posted: January 12, 2009
Nuclear Security Spending: Assessing Costs, Examining Priorities
- a report by Stephen Schwartz and Deepti Choubey for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
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The Costs of U.S. Nuclear Security
- an article by Stephen Schwartz for the Los Angeles Times.
Posted: January 8, 2009
Panetta Picked To Head CIA
- William Potter was quoted in an article in the Monterey County Herald.
Posted: January 7, 2009
Nuclear Challenges and Policy Options for the Next U.S. Administration [PDF]
- A new Occasional Paper presents papers by participants of the Monterey Nonproliferation Strategy Group meeting on August 20-21, 2008.
Posted: September 25, 2008
Barack Obama and John McCain on Nuclear Security Issues
- Examining the similarities and some important differences in the policies of Obama and McCain.
- A CNS Feature Story by Stephen I. Schwartz.
Posted: October 26, 2007
The Iran Counter-Proliferation Act: Potential Implications for Russian-Iranian Relations and U.S.-Russian Nuclear Cooperation
- A review of the likely impact of the Iran Counter-Proliferation Act, in light of a recent move by the Bush Administration to tighten financial sanctions against Iran.
CNS Feature Story by Anya Loukianova and Nikolai Sokov.
Posted: March 13, 2004
Overcoming Impediments to U.S.-Russian Cooperation on Nuclear Non-Proliferation: Report of a Joint Workshop
- A joint product of the U.S. National Academies (of which Dr. William Potter is a member) and the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Posted: September 24, 2003
The Democratic Presidential Candidates on WMD Proliferation and International Security
- The 10 Democratic candidates have adjusted their
strategy, and they have played up their foreign policy differences with
the Bush administration and with each other. Foreign policy issues now
look poised to play an important role in the Democratic presidential campaign.
Feature Story by Scott Parrish.
Posted: May 14, 2003
U.S. Efforts to Halt WMD Proliferation: Past Experience, Current Programs, and Future Priorities
- Testimony by Clay Moltz
Subcommittees on Europe and on International Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Human Rights of the Committee on International Relations of the U.S. House of Representatives
Posted: April 2003
The Department of Homeland Security: Goals and Challenges
- On September 20, 2001, in response to the devastating 9-11 terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush proposed the creation of the
Office of Homeland Security (OHS), which came into existence on October 8, 2001.
An issue brief by Jennifer Mitchell and Jason Pate for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI).
Posted: March 7, 2003
Disarming Iraq by Force: WMD Stakes and Scenarios
- While a U.S.-led war to disarm Iraq appears increasingly probable, anticipating the consequences of the coming conflict is not a simple matter. The stakes in the coming clash include a wide range of possible positive and negative consequences.
Feature Story by Michael Barletta.
Posted: February 18, 2003
High Risks, Limited Ability and Unpredictable Consequences
- "Three key issues would be involved in successful military strikes against North Korean nuclear facilities."
An op-ed by Phillip C. Saunders for the South China Morning Post.
Posted: October 29, 2002
Sino-U.S. Relations After Crawford
- "As Chinese President Jiang Zemin returns home from his Crawford, Texas summit with U.S. President George W. Bush, their third meeting within a year, he must be quite satisfied with what he has been able to achieve."
An op-ed by Jing-dong Yuan for the Korea Herald, October 28, 2002.
Posted: October 9, 2002
Islamist Terrorist Threat in the Tri-Border Region
- The tri-border region of South America received little attention as a locus of terrorist activity
despite a recent history of Islamist terrorist activity. But this region, which already has a history
of mass casualty Islamic terrorism, is also an area of concern.
An issue brief by Jeffrey Fields for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI).
Posted: July 25, 2002
Bush's Hawks Circle Over Policy
- The recently released US Department of Defence report on China's military power has focused attention on the nation's growing military capabilities and its intentions as a rising power.
An op-ed by Jing-dong Yuan for the South China Morning Post.
Posted: July 2002
The Treaty of Moscow
- The U.S.-Russian summit held in Moscow and St. Petersburg on May 24-26, 2002 capped the process of rapprochement between the two states that began in earlier summits in Ljubljana, Genoa, Crawford, and Shanghai, with both aspiring to leave behind the logjams of the Cold War.
An issue brief by Victor Mizin for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI).
Posted: May 30, 2002
Japan-U.S. Track II Project
- Agendas, papers, and summaries for the First and Second U.S.-Japan Track II Meeting
on Arms Control, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Verification Conferences.
Updated: December 2001
Bush-Putin Summit, November 2001
- On November 13-15, U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a series of discussions in
Washington, D.C. and Crawford, Texas, on a wide range of issues, including U.S.-Russian economic cooperation, Russia's
relations with NATO, and the situation in Afghanistan. The most closely watched part of the discussions, however, was
the question of strategic arms control.
An issue brief by Michael Jasinski for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI).
Posted: Spring 2001
Rebuilding Bilateral Consensus: Assessing U.S.-China Arms Control and Nonproliferation Achievements [PDF format]
- A report for the Nonproliferation Review, CNS, Vol. 8.1.
by Evan S. Medeiros.
Posted: Spring-Summer 1999
The Threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction: A US Response [PDF format]
- A viewpoint for the Nonproliferation Review, CNS, Vol. 6.3.
by Richard G. Lugar.
Top
Country Overviews
Each Country Overview contains an overview of the country's nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and missile programs, with links to other relevant web sites,
and excerpts from the Nuclear and Missile Developments Database and Chemical and Biological Weapons Terrorism ListServ.
Top
Chemical/Biological (CBW)
Posted: December 23, 2011
Feature Story
Lucky Number Seven? The 2011 Biological Weapons Convention Review Conference
- The BWC Review Conference adopted a forward-looking document containing a number of proposals to strengthen and improve the Convention.
Posted: August 10, 2011
Video
Biological Warfare in the American Civil War
- Dr. Seth Carus, Director, Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
Posted: March 19, 2010
Addressing the Spectrum of Biological Risks: A Policy Agenda for the United States
[PDF]
- Jonathan B. Tucker testified on U.S. international biosecurity policies before the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, on March 18, 2010.
Posted: February 3, 2004
Chronology of Incidents Involving Ricin
- The use of ricin, a deadly toxin derived from the castor bean, marks the second case in three years where someone has sent mail containing a toxic substance to the offices of the country's most senior lawmakers.
Posted: August 15, 2003
Bioterrorism Threat Assessment and Risk Management Workshop [PDF format]
- Final Report and Commentary presented to the U.S. Department of Energy on June 24, 2003 by Raymond A. Zilinskas (Rapporteur).
Updated: March 10, 2003
Smallpox: Threat, Vaccine, and U.S. Policy
- On December 13, 2002 President Bush announced a multi-phase plan for the vaccination of certain subsets of the U.S. population against smallpox.
Feature Story by Richard Pilch.
Posted: July 12, 2002
Legislative Response to Potential Bioterrorist Threat
- On June 12, 2002, President George W. Bush
signed into law the "Public Health Security and
Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002." The new law seeks to significantly increase America's
ability to prepare for, prevent, detect and respond to bioterrorism in an
efficient and coordinated manner.
Feature Story by Kristin Thompson.
Top
Missile
Posted: February 16, 2004
Missile Defense and Space Policy: 2004 Presidential Candidate Positions
- President George W. Bush and the leading Democratic presidential contenders offer differing views on missile defense, the weaponization of space, and space exploration.
CNS Feature Story by Caitlin Baczuk and Rebecca Schauer.
Posted: February 2, 2004
Moonstruck: What's Up with U.S. Space Policy?
- The announcement by President George W. Bush at NASA on January 14,
2003, of plans to establish a permanent base on the Moon has stirred the pot in
a long-simmering debate over the future course of U.S. space exploration.
CNS Feature Story by James Clay Moltz.
Posted: May 30, 2003
What's Behind U.S. Nonproliferation Sanctions Against Norinco?
- The Bush administration's decision to impose a ban on imports
from the China North Industries Group (Norinco)
and its subsidiaries for transfers of dual-use equipment to a company involved
in Iran's ballistic missile program marks a significant shift in the Bush
administration's nonproliferation policy.
CNS Feature Story by Phillip Saunders and Stephanie Lieggi.
Posted: February 2003
Russia's Approach to the U.S. Missile Defense Program
- Russia considered the ABM Treaty as the cornerstone of strategic stability and one of the most important strategic documents between Moscow and Washington.
An issue brief by Victor Mizin for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI).
Posted: July 22, 2002
China's Space Capabilities and the Strategic Logic of Anti-Satellite Weapons
- In recent years, some U.S. politicians and
analysts have claimed that China's reported efforts to develop
anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons pose a direct threat to U.S. space assets (and
thus U.S. space dominance).
CNS Feature Story by Phillip Saunders, Jing-dong Yuan, Stephanie Lieggi, and Angela Deters.
Updated: July 2002
Future Space Security
- Today, only the United States and Russia have tested space weapons of any sort, but a handful of other countries (including India and China) are believed to be conducting at least initial research into lasers and kinetic kill systems intended for space attack.
An issue brief by Dr. Clay Moltz for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI).
Posted: May 14, 2002
"START III": An End Or Beginning of Negotiations
- "During their meeting on May 23-25, Presidents George W. Bush and
Vladimir Putin will sign a new agreement on the reduction of strategic offensive
weapons, often referred to -- especially in the Russian press -- as
'START III.'"
Feature Story by Nikolai Sokov.
Posted: April 15, 2002
Space Weapons or Space Arms Control?
- Feature Story by James Clay Moltz.
Posted: Fall-Winter 2000
Economics vs. Nonproliferation: U.S. Launch Quota Policy Toward Russia, Ukraine, and China [PDF format]
- A report for the Nonproliferation Review, CNS, Vol. 7.3.
by Victor Zaborsky
Posted: 30 May 2000
How a U.S. National Missile Defense will Affect South Asia
- "A US decision to deploy a limited NMD will have negative and destabilizing effects in South Asia." An article by Gaurav Kampani.
Posted: 1 May 2000
Canada Should Shun Missile System
- "Canadians should be horrified at the prospect that our government might
soon enlist as a junior partner in the U.S. National Missile Defense
(NMD) project." An Op-Ed by Peter Saracino for the Toronto Star.
Posted: 1 March 1996
Brazil's Accession to the MTCR [PDF format]
- A report for the Nonproliferation Review, CNS, Vol. 3.3.
by Clay Bowen.
Posted: 1 January 1996
Ballistic, Cruise Missile, and Missile Defense Systems: Trade and Significant Developments [PDF format]
- Nonproliferation Review, CNS, Vol. 3.2.
Top
Nuclear
Posted: February 17, 2012
Getting to Zero
Posted: February 17, 2012
Nuclear New Math
Posted: November 21, 2011
Audio Podcast
Six Minutes To Doomsday: Assessing the State of the Nuclear Threat
Posted: September 20, 2011
Video
Building Budgetary Transparency and Accountability for the US Nuclear Weapons Program
- Stephen Schwartz, Editor of the The Nonproliferation Review.
Updated: September 20, 2011
Outside Publications
Two treaties. One Congress. No time to wait.
- Congress has a chance to take real steps to reduce the risks of nuclear terrorism -- if only they would act.
Posted: December 17, 2010
Outside Publication
Medical Isotope Production: The US Must Follow South Africa's Lead
- Miles Pomper and William C. Potter for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
Posted: October 28, 2010
Video | Interview
President Chavez's Deal to Acquire Russian Nuclear Reactors [In Spanish]
- Miles Pomper was interviewed on "Foro Interamericano" on VOA-TV.
Posted: September 27, 2010
Stop Holding onto Dangerous Nuclear Material
- Congress should ban HEU exports for medical isotopes.
Posted: September 1, 2010
Press Release
CNS Experts Comment on White House Announcement Regarding Export Control Reform Efforts [PDF]
- President Obama announced steps toward reforming the U.S. export control system, including his intention to establish an Export Enforcement Coordination Center.
Updated: May 11, 2010
Reducing and Regulating Tactical (Nonstrategic) Nuclear Weapons in Europe: Moving Forward?
Posted: February 10, 2010
Obama's Empty Threats Weaken U.S.
- If Iran continues to break non-proliferation rules, Barack Obama needs international consensus before threatening Tehran again.
Posted: January 19, 2010
OPINION - A View from Moscow
START Follow On Treaty: Deadlines and Deadlocks
- Prospects for a new strategic arms control agreement between the United States and Russia may be hampered by domestic politics in both countries.
Posted: January 4, 2010
U.S. International Nuclear Energy Policy: Change and Continuity
- Miles Pomper, a paper for the Centre for International Governance Innovation Nuclear Energy Futures Project.
Posted: December 4, 2009
Breaking the U.S.-Russian Deadlock on Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons
Updated: September 15, 2009
Venezuela's Search for Nuclear Power — or Nuclear Prestige
- It appears unlikely that Venezuela's nuclear alliances will result in nuclear proliferation.
Posted: August 31, 2009
Video Seminar
Prospects for Reducing U.S. and Russian Non Strategic Nuclear Weapons
- Speaker Miles Pomper, CNS Senior Research Associate
- August 25, 2009, Monterey, CA
Posted: July 10, 2009
Obama's Moscow Visit Highlights Progress and Obstacles in U.S.-Russian Nuclear Relations
- Meeting in Moscow July 6-7, U.S. President Obama and Russian President Medvedev agreed on a framework to guide negotiators in striking a new strategic arms agreement.
Posted: June 17, 2009
Issue Brief
START Process and Russian Strategic Force Modernization
- Washington and Moscow are committed to an agreement that includes verification and additional reductions, but the degree of reductions remains unknown.
Posted: May 18, 2009
VIDEO | The Situation in US Congress & CTBT Ratification
-
- Overview of the present situation in the US Congress and how it affects the chances and approaches to ratifying the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty.
Posted: May 7, 2009
Venezuela's Search for Nuclear Power — or Nuclear Prestige
- It appears unlikely that Venezuela's nuclear alliances will result in nuclear proliferation.
Posted: March 9, 2008
New Speaker Video Added to NukeTube
- Nuclear Security Spending: Assessing Costs, Examining Priorities
Posted: January 12, 2009
Nuclear Security Spending: Assessing Costs, Examining Priorities
- a report by Stephen Schwartz and Deepti Choubey for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
-
The Costs of U.S. Nuclear Security
- an article by Stephen Schwartz for the Los Angeles Times.
Posted: January 8, 2009
U.S. Should Produce Own Isotopes: Expert
- William Potter and Cristina Hansell were quoted in an article on Montreal Gazette.
Posted: January 7, 2009
Nuclear Challenges and Policy Options for the Next U.S. Administration [PDF]
- A new Occasional Paper presents papers by participants of the Monterey Nonproliferation Strategy Group meeting on August 20-21, 2008.
Posted: November 13, 2008
Video: The Global Nuclear Future, Realities and Opportunities
- [44 min, YouTube]
- Thomas L. Sanders, Vice President/President Elect of the American Nuclear Society discusses energy future from an American perspective.
[More Videos]
Posted: October 10, 2008
The Costs of U.S. Nuclear Weapons
- an Issue Brief by Stephen Schwartz for the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
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Congressional Oversight of U.S. Nuclear Weapons
- an Issue Brief by Stephen Schwartz for the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
Posted: September 25, 2008
Barack Obama and John McCain on Nuclear Security Issues
- Examining the similarities and some important differences in the policies of Obama and McCain.
- A CNS Feature Story by Stephen I. Schwartz.
Posted: April 26, 2006
Edging Ever Closer to a Nuclear Death Row
- An op-ed by Steve Andreasen and Dennis Gormley for the Star Tribune.
Posted: December 9, 2005
The Second Last Chance: American Power and Nuclear Nonproliferation
- An article by William C. Potter for The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Posted: March 13, 2004
Overcoming Impediments to U.S.-Russian Cooperation on Nuclear Non-Proliferation: Report of a Joint Workshop
- A joint product of the U.S. National Academies (of which Dr. William Potter is a member) and the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Posted: October 27, 2003
Congressional Debate on Nuclear Weapons Policy: From the Nuclear Brink to the Slippery Slope
- While this year's congressional debates touched on major issues affecting U.S. nuclear policy, members of Congress have yet to delve into a
debate that really articulates what this policy should be. If such a debate occurred, it would probably not reach consensus.
Feature Story by Charles D. Ferguson.
Posted: May 28, 2003
New Nuclear Weapons?
- Will the United States produce newly designed nuclear weapons under the
Bush Administration? Over the next couple of years, the answer will likely be
"no." Recent activity, however, in Congress and the Administration
has raised concern that the prospect of new U.S. nuclear weapons has increased.
Feature Story by Charles D. Ferguson and Peter D. Zimmerman.
Posted: May 14, 2003
U.S. Efforts to Halt WMD Proliferation: Past Experience, Current Programs, and Future Priorities
- Testimony by Clay Moltz
Subcommittees on Europe and on International Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Human Rights of the Committee on International Relations of the U.S. House of Representatives
Posted: January 13, 2003
Study Details Steps To Reduce Dirty Bomb Threat
- The interest of al Qaeda and other terrorist groups in radiological dispersal
devices (RDDs) has caused policymakers to seek new measures to ensure these
materials do not fall into the wrong hands.
Feature Story by Charles D. Ferguson.
Posted: September 16, 2002
Cuba's Accession to the NPT: A Step Toward Strengthening the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime
- On September 14, the Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque announced to the United Nations General Assembly that his
government will accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)
and will ratify the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco).
Feature Story by Jean Du Preez.
Updated: July 2002
Plutonium Disposition
- The United States and Russia pledged to eliminate excess weapons-grade plutonium in order to prevent its theft or diversion for illegal nuclear programs and to prevent its reincorporation into their weapons programs. Plutonium is of the greatest concern because only 8 kilograms are needed to make a nuclear bomb.
An issue brief by Elena Sokova for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI).
Posted: May 27, 2002
Renewed U.S. - Russian Controversy Over Nuclear Testing
- The uncertainty over the nature of activities at the
Novaya Zemlya nuclear test site in northern Russia has frequently been a factor in U.S. government
decisions on stockpile stewardship and participation in international
treaties. The lack of transparency at the two countries' test sites has
contributed to mutual suspicions and calls by some parties in both countries for
the resumption of testing.
Feature Story by Michael Jasinski, Cristina Chuen, and Charles Ferguson.
Posted: May 14, 2002
"START III": An End Or Beginning of Negotiations
- "During their meeting on May 23-25, Presidents George W. Bush and
Vladimir Putin will sign a new agreement on the reduction of strategic offensive
weapons, often referred to -- especially in the Russian press -- as
'START III.'"
Feature Story by Nikolai Sokov.
Posted: Fall 1999
The So-Called Proliferator that Wasn't: The Story of Argentina's Nuclear Policy [PDF format]
- An article for the Nonproliferation Review, CNS, Vol. 6.4.
by Julio C. Carasales.
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