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Posted: December 12, 2012 North Korea's Rocket Launch: by CNS Staff; On December 12, DPRK successfully launched the Unha-3 SLV. CNS experts available for comment on implications of this launch.
Image: Launch of the Unha-3 SLV (Src: Korean Central News Agency)

2012 Feature Stories

Posted: December 6, 2012 To Boldly Go: Harnessing Open Source Technologies for International Arms Control

by CNS Staff

Social networks, phone apps, crowdsourcing, and geospatial databases can enhance international arms control and nonproliferation efforts.
Image: DPRK Unha-3 ballistic missile (on an Apple iPad)

Posted: November 28, 2012 Critical Questions: Urgent Decisions for the 2nd Obama Administration

With contributions from Chen Kane, Bryan L. Lee, Miles A. Pomper, Amy E. Smithson, Nikolai Sokov, Leonard S. Spector, Jessica C. Varnum, and Jon B. Wolfsthal

CNS experts propose nonproliferation and disarmament priorities.
Image: President Obama (wikipedia.org)

Jessica Varnum on the future of 123 Agreements.

Posted: November 14, 2012 Virtual Science Challenge for Youth Online Conference

by Masako Toki

US and Russian high school students enjoy the first interactive online conference investigating solutions for nuclear spent fuel.
Image: Team 4, La Puente High School, Mini-Project One in Progress

Posted: November 5, 2012 A Regional Arrangement on Securing Radiological Agents as a CSBM: Common Interest in Preventing Radiological Terrorism

by Aviv Melamud and Nilsu Gören

Two of CNS's Middle East Next Generation Fellows have contributed a new paper to the EU consortium on the Middle East WMD Free Zone.
Image: Earth

Posted: September 27, 2012 Launch of New Book by CNS's Potter and Mukhatzhanova: Nuclear Politics and the Non-Aligned Movement

by VCDNP Staff

The book explores structures and politics within the NAM, the largest grouping of states engaged on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation issues.

Image: Book cover

Posted: September 11, 2012 CNS and VCDNP Experts Provide Insights on 2012 IAEA General Conference

by CNS Staff

In the lead up to the 2012 General Conference, CNS and VCDNP have prepared a series of Fact Sheets on the on-going issues facing IAEA member states.
Image: Vienna International Centre, Vienna, Austria

Posted: August 29, 2012 Sam Nunn, Richard Lugar First Recipients of Nuclear Security Award Created in Their Honor

by William Potter

This new international award recognizes those dedicated to advancing the cause of nuclear security.
Image: Sam Nunn, Richard Lugar

Posted: July 31, 2012 2012 Conference on a WMD-Free Zone in the Middle East: Prospects, Challenges, and Opportunities

edited by Bilal Y. Saab

This CNS special roundtable report discusses the conference in Helsinki, Finland, and takes a long-term view of the future of arms control in the region in light of the Arab uprisings.
Image: Report Cover

Posted: July 19, 2012 Minimizing Dangers Posed by Syria's Military Assets During and After The Current Civil Turmoil

Testimony of Leonard S. Spector before the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives, July 19, 2012.

See also:
Fears Mount Over Assad's Stockpiles of Chemical Weapons
Leonard Spector was interviewed on the PBS NewsHour.
Image: Syria map

Posted: July 5, 2012 U.S.-Russian Partnership for Advancing a Nuclear Security Agenda

A new paper by CNS, VCDNP, and the Center for Energy and Security Studies (CENESS, Moscow, Russia).
Image: Paper Cover

Posted: June 21, 2012 CNS Youth Science Challenge Draws Attention of U.S. and Russian Presidents

A CNS youth science program funded by the State Department was touted as one example of US-Russian cooperation in the presidential joint statement.
Image: VSC Website

Posted: May 22, 2012 CIF Report: High School Students Present on Nuclear Safety and Security in Vienna

by Masako Toki

This year's Critical Issues Forum spring conference brought participants to Vienna for their Nonproliferation Conference as a side event of the NPT PrepCom.
Image: Participants, Vienna International Center, Austria

Posted: May 22, 2012 NATO's New Nuclear Policy: Consensus without Progress but a Glimmer of Hope for Disarmament

by Miles A. Pomper

NATO's Deterrence and Defense Posture Review (DDPR) fails to resolve the issues of nuclear weapons deployed in Europe.
Image: NATO Chicago summit: Working dinner of Heads of State and Government (Src: http://nato.int)

Posted: May 17, 2012 Prospects for Nuclear Security Partnership in Southeast Asia

A new paper by CNS, VCDNP, and the Center for Energy and Security Studies (CENESS, Moscow, Russia).
Image: Paper Cover

Posted: May 14, 2012 NATO-Russia Disputes and Cooperation on Missile Defense

by Nikolai Sokov

As the 2012 NATO Summit draws near, the lack of agreement between the Alliance and Russia stands in contrast to the promise of the last summit in 2010.
Image: NATO Chicago summit graphic (Src: http://nato.int)

Posted: May 14, 2012 Inflexible Response

by Jon B. Wolfsthal for WMD Junction

An Ohio congressman ignores his own Republican colleagues—and military leaders—and attempts to micromanage the US nuclear arsenal.
Image: Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH) (Src: C-SPAN)

Posted: May 9, 2012 Between Publishing and Perishing?

by Michael Tu

H5N1 research unleashes unprecedented dual-use research controversy.
Image: Scientists studying H5N1 virus (Src: photos.state.gov)

Posted: May 8, 2012 FAQ: The 2012 Middle East Conference

by CNS Staff

A Q&A from CNS experts Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova and Chen Kane highlighting important details about the 2012 Conference.
Image: Map of NWFZs

Updated: May 11, 2011 Comprehensive NPT Resources for the 2012 PrepCom

by CNS Staff

Comprehensive coverage featuring articles and documents related to the NPT Review Process.

Includes 2012 Briefing Book, FAQ, disarmament monitoring reports, experts for commentary, and more.

2011 Feature Stories

Posted: December 23, 2011 Avoiding a North Korean Nuclear Nightmare: by Melissa Hanham for WMD Junction; No one knows what policies North Korea's new young leader he will pursue, or what will happen if he is challenged from within.
Image: Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un (Src: AP)
Posted: December 23, 2011 Lucky Number Seven? The 2011 Biological Weapons Convention Review Conference: by Amanda Moodie; The BWC Review Conference adopted a forward-looking document containing a number of proposals to strengthen and improve the Convention.
Image: Paul van den IJssel and Hillary Rodham Clinton
Posted: December 18, 2011 Passing of North Korea's Kim Jong-il: by CNS Staff; DPRK Supreme Leader Kim Jong-il has died. CNS experts on North Korea are available for comment on the impact of Kim's passing.
Image: Kim Jong-il
Posted: December 13, 2011 Teachers Discuss Nuclear Safety and Security at CIF Conference: by Masako Toki; High school teachers from U.S., Russia, and China tackle pressing issues related to nuclear energy.
Image: Participants
Posted: December 2, 2011 Medvedev's Statement on Missile Defense Might Mean Russia Postpones Further Dialogue Until 2013: by Nikolai Sokov; Dmitry Medvedev's recent statement on military responses to missile defense sounds more threatening than it actually is.
Image: Voronezh-DM radar
Posted: November 17, 2011 Q&A on IAEA-Sponsored Forum on NWFZ in the Middle East: by Chen Kane and Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova; Ahead of the IAEA-sponsored forum on a nuclear weapon free zone in the Middle East, CNS experts provide information on the forum, NWFZs and related issues.
Image: Map of NWFZs
Posted: November 11, 2011 Re-Charting U.S. Government Agencies Involved in Nuclear Policy: by Anya Loukianova; CNS updates its 2009 "U.S. Government Agencies Combating Nuclear Proliferation" chart, showing the complexity of such efforts.
Image: Government Chart
Posted: November 8, 2011 Germ Gambits: The Bioweapons Dilemma, Iraq and Beyond: by CNS Staff; This new book by CNS expert Amy E. Smithson tells the compelling story of how UN inspectors in the 1990s unearthed the true extent of Iraq's bioweapons program.
Image: Germ Gambits cover
Posted: October 14, 2011 Progress Towards a Middle East Zone Free of WMD: by CNS Staff; Finnish Undersecretary of State Jaakko Laajava is named as the Facilitator of the 2012 Middle East Conference. CNS analyzes his role and the prospects for the conference.
Image: Jaakko Laajava
Posted: October 11, 2011 Short Course on Nonproliferation & Disarmament Held in Vienna: by VCDNP Staff; VCDNP and CNS conducted their first intensive course on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament for diplomats in Vienna.
Image: Course attendees
Posted: September 23, 2011 Contagion: A Movie Pandemic Versus the Reality of Public Health: by Raymond A. Zilinskas for WMD Junction; A professional in the real-life fight against emerging infectious diseases evaluates Contagion's dramatic, but not exactly accurate, portrayal of a rapidly unfolding global pandemic.
Image: Contagion movie poster
Posted: September 22, 2011 Can Libya be Locked Down?: by Bilal Y. Saab for WMD Junction; In a post-Qaddafi era, who will secure Libya's chemical and biological weapons materials?
Image: Former Libyan CW production facility at Rabta [Src: GeoEye]
Posted: September 20, 2011 Bringing Belarus Back to the Table: by Miles Pomper for WMD Junction; Belarus is using its stock of highly enriched uranium as political leverage; how can Washington persuade Minsk to let go of its HEU?
Image: Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko
Posted: September 15, 2011 CNS and VCDNP Scholars Provide Insights on IAEA General Conference: by CNS Staff; In the lead up to this month's General Conference, CNS and VCDNP have prepared a series of Fact Sheets on the key issues that will be discussed.
Image: Vienna International Centre, Vienna, Austria
Posted: September 12, 2011 International Task Force Takes Aim at Illicit Proliferation Funding: by Javier Serrat for WMD Junction; An intergovernmental group is sharpening global financial controls to prevent the financing of WMD proliferation and terrorism.
Image: 1989 Paris summit that created FATF
Posted: August 22, 2011 New Questions About the FBI's Anthrax Case: Valid Concerns or Red Herring?: by Jonathan B. Tucker for WMD Junction; Was specialized equipment necessary to make the deadly powder used in the 2001 letter attacks, and, if not, what does that say about the ability of terrorists to perpetrate such attacks in the future?
Image: Envelopes containing anthrax spores, Sep-Oct 2001
Posted: July 26, 2011 US-French Nuclear Cooperation: Stretching the Limits of National Strategic Paradigms: by Bruno Tertrais for WMD Junction; Newly declassified documents illuminate the nuclear collaboration between Washington and Paris—and reinforce that the US-India nuclear deal is a very different type of partnership.
Image: Presidents Nixon and Pompidou, 1973
Posted: July 22, 2011 Carmageddon: How Californians Learned to Stop Driving and Love the Bomb: by Benoît Pelopidas for WMD Junction; What a traffic jam that wasn't teaches us about the credibility of nuclear threats.
Image: 'The Last Washington Painting,' © by Alan Sonneman
Posted: July 1, 2011 House Committee Adopts Tough New Rules for Nuclear Trade Agreements: by Cole J. Harvey for WMD Junction; A proposed law would require more intensive inspections, strict export control systems, and proven nonproliferation credentials.
Image: United States Capitol
Posted: May 24, 2011 CNS Launches WMD Junction: by Stephen I. Schwartz; WMD Junction aims to provide a respected outlet for a wide range of timely and thoughtful commentary that cannot await the publication cycles of peer-reviewed journals.
Image: WMD Junction home page
Posted: May 16, 2011 American, Chinese, and Russian High School Students Discuss Solutions to Nuclear Challenges in the Middle East: by Masako Toki; The semester-long CIF program concluded with a successful students conference on April 28-29 in Monterey where students from three countries presented their findings on nuclear issues in the Middle East.
Image: Tsinghua High School students
Updated: May 6, 2011 Obama Seeks Senate OK for Protocols to Two Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaties: by Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova and Miles Pomper; Now up for ratification fifteen years after their signing, these two protocols are likely to face Republican opposition.
Image: Map of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones
Updated: April 21, 2011 CNS Newly Opened Vienna Center Gets Executive Director, Hosts Meetings on Nuclear Security: by CNS staff; April has been an eventful first month for the newly opened Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, including appointment of a new executive director.
Image: William Potter and Elena Sokova
Posted: March 1, 2011 The Egyptian Revolution and the Future of WMD in the Middle East: Q&A With Nabil Fahmy: by CNS staff; CNS expert Nabil Fahmy on potential implications of the Egyptian revolution on nonproliferation in the Middle East.
Image: Protester holding Egyptian flag
Updated: March 8, 2011 New Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Managed by CNS Opens in Vienna: by MIIS staff; The new center will serve as an international hub for discussions among representatives of civil society, national governments, and international organizations regarding nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament issues.
Image: Yukiya Amano, William Potter, Michael Spindelegger, Sunder Ramaswamy, Tibor Tóth; See also: IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano Welcomes VCDNP.
Posted: February 15, 2011 A Second Sighting of Russian Tactical Nukes in Kaliningrad: by Nikolai Sokov; Russian tactical nuclear weapons appear to have a curious propensity to surface with some regularity in Kaliningrad oblast.
Image: Iskander, a new Russian short-range missile
Posted: February 4, 2011 As New START Enters into Force, Challenges Ahead Are Even More Challenging: by Nikolai Sokov; The U.S. and Russia are expected to launch the next stage of reduction negotiations, but even setting the agenda is an almost insurmountable obstacle.
Image: Chief negotiators of New START: Rose Gottemoeller and Anatoli Antonov
Posted: February 3, 2011 MIIS Student Negotiators Also Sign New U.S.-Russian Arms Control Treaty: by Daniel Painter and Leo Naboyshchikov; In Fall 2010, 22 Monterey Institute students from nine countries participated in a simulation that negotiated a follow-on agreement to the New START.
Image: Arms control negotiation simulation class
Posted: January 25, 2011 New Start Ratification in Russia: Apparent Smooth Sailing Obscures Submerged Drama and Revelations: by Nikolai Sokov; The Duma's resolution on New START was shaped to balance the one adopted by the U.S. Senate. The votes in both countries suggest that further nuclear arms reductions will not be a trivial task.
Image: Duma voter
Posted: January 18, 2011 US-China Summit Visit Offers Opportunity to Discuss Nuclear Issues: by Jeffrey Lewis; As Hu Jintao visits the US this week, President Obama has a unique opportunity to move forward disarmament agenda.
Image: Presidents Hu and Obama