2010 Story Archives

Posted: December 22, 2010

New START Ratification: A Bittersweet Success

by Nikolai Sokov, and Miles A. Pomper

Senate ratification of New START aids strategic stability but issues raised during its consideration and the concessions made to win its approval will be challenge to Obama's nonproliferation agenda and the next stage of nuclear arms reductions.
Image: Senate floor

Posted: December 22, 2010

New START and the Maintenance and Modernization of US Nuclear Weapons

by Stephen I. Schwartz

Faced with senators who are skeptical of and even openly hostile to his nonproliferation and disarmament agenda, President Barack Obama went to unprecedented lengths to try and secure Republican support for the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START).
Image: Senate floor

Posted: December 21, 2010

It's not just New START: Two other U.S.-Russian Nuclear Agreements Boost U.S.-Russian Reset

by Thomas Young, Cole Harvey, and Ferenc Dalnoki-Veress,

The U.S.-Russian Agreement on Civilian Nuclear Cooperation enters into force and Russia agrees to conduct feasibility studies into the conversion of six nuclear research reactors.
Image: Presidents Medvedev and Obama

Posted: December 10, 2010

The Treaty of Pelindaba: Establishing the African Commission on Nuclear Energy

by Dr. Patricia Lewis and Hubert Foy

Established in November 2010, AFCONE is required by the Pelindaba Treaty to ensure treaty obligation compliance and peaceful nuclear cooperation, regionally and internationally.

Image: Pelindaba Nuclear Facility

Posted: December 1, 2010

Belarus Agrees to Remove All HEU

by William Potter

Belarus plans to eliminate its highly enriched uranium (HEU) stocks (believed to be over 170 kg) prior to the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, Korea.

Image: Sonsy facility

Posted: November 24, 2010

Nato and Nato-Russia Summits Fail to Resolve Key Disarmament Issues, but Create New Opportunties for the Future

by Miles Pomper and Nikolai Sokov

Lisbon did not lead to major breakthroughs in nuclear disarmament, which were possible and which many had hoped for. Nonetheless, there are modest opportunities for progress on several fronts in the coming years.

Image: Presidents Medvedev, Obama and Sarkozy

Posted: November 2, 2010

Missiles, Maneuvers and Mysteries: Review of Recent Developments in North Korea

by Catherine Boye, Melissa Hanham, Seungho Lee

DPRK's leadership succession and nuclear activities have garnered attention recently. A new report examines recent DPRK actions, including the parading of new missiles systems.
Image: October 10, 2010 military parade

Posted: October 27, 2010

CNS and the Austrian Foreign Ministry launch the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation

by CNS Staff

The new center will serve as an international hub for dialogue, research, and education in the area of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
Image: Andromeda Tower, location of the new Vienna Center

Posted: September 23, 2010

Is Nuclear Proliferation Contagious?

by William Potter and Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova

The spread of nuclear weapons is a danger, but if one nation should decide to disavow its nonproliferation commitments, there is little reason to expect an epidemic.
[For the International Herald Tribune]
Image: Earth

Posted: August 30, 2010

Quantum-Based Instruction: The Language of Nuclear Security

by Lisa Donohoe Luscombe

Russian Nuclear Scientists and English Language Faculty participate in a unique team-teaching course in content-based English language instruction for nonproliferation.
Image: Team-teaching course attendees

Posted: August 13, 2010

CNS Experts Author Three of Amazon's "Top Ten Hot New Releases in Arms Control"

by MIIS Staff

At #2 is volume one of "Forecasting Nuclear Proliferation in the 21st Century: The Role of Theory," edited by William Potter with Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova.
Image: Cover of Forecasting Nuclear Proliferation in the 21st Century.

Posted: July 16, 2010

Brazil Challenges International Order by Backing Iran Fuel Swap

by Eduardo Fujii and Sarah Diehl

The article analyses the motivations behind Brazil's involvement in the negotiations of a nuclear fuel swap deal with Iran.
Image: Portait of Brazilian President Lula and and Iranian President Ahmadinejad.

Posted: June 23, 2010

Why Russia Supported Sanctions Against Iran?

by Alexander A. Pikayev

On the eve of the Obama-Medvedev Summit, CNS is honored to publish a recent analysis by Alexander Pikayev on the issue of Russian support of UN sanctions on Iran.
Image: Russian President Medvedev and Iranian President Ahmadinejad.

Posted: June 17, 2010

The 2010 NPT Review Conference: Deconstructing Consensus [PDF]

by William Potter, Patricia Lewis, Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova, and Miles Pomper

The 2010 NPT RevCon took place in New York on May 3-28, 2010. In this new report, CNS experts give a first-hand account and analysis of the events that unfolded in New York.
Image: 2010 Review Conference. Src: Xinhua.

Updated: May 14, 2010

Reducing and Regulating Tactical (Nonstrategic) Nuclear Weapons in Europe: Moving Forward?

by Johan Bergenäs, Miles Pomper, William Potter, and Nikolai Sokov

A report and panel discussion updating a December 2009 report examining the attitudes toward these weapons.
Image: Reducing TNW cover.

Updated: August 17, 2010

Delegitimizing Nuclear Weapons: Examining the Validity of Nuclear Deterrence [PDF]

by Ken Berry, Patricia Lewis, Benoît Pélopidas, Nikolai Sokov and Ward Wilson

A new CNS study examines beliefs surrounding nuclear deterrence and nuclear weapons, and questions the value that has been assigned to nuclear arms.
Image: Delegitimizing Nuclear Weapons cover.

Posted: May 7, 2010

U.S. and Russian High School Students Tackle Nuclear Nonproliferation Challenges

by Masako Toki

This year's CIF Spring conference, held April 22-23 in Monterey was a great success reflecting recent developments of nuclear nonproliferation in the real world.
Image: Several CIF Attendees.

Posted: May 4, 2010

Indonesia Takes the Lead on the CTBT

by Sean Dunlop and Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova

Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa announced that Indonesia would ratify the CTBT in the near future, without waiting for the U.S. to ratify first.
Image: Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.

Posted: April 23, 2010

UPDATE | Nuclear Disarmament Proposals from 1995 to 2009: A Comparative Chart

by Vasileios Savvidis and Jessica Seiler

This newly updated chart compiles 38 proposals released in the last 15 years and identifies measures and ideas put forward, thus producing schematic summaries and an overall comparison.
Image: Earth photo.

Posted: April 22, 2010

Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency Speaks to MIIS Nonproliferation Students

by CNS Staff

Ambassador Yukiya Amano talked with MIIS students on April 16, 2010 following his participation at the Nuclear Security Summit. [Includes his remarks.]
Image: Image: Ambassador Yukiya Amano.

Posted: April 20, 2010

The Nuclear Security Summit: Forging Consensus and Building Momentum

by Thomas Young and Ferenc Dalnoki-Veress

The summit created much needed momentum on nuclear security. Now all participants, not just the U.S., need to ensure that momentum is maintained.
Image: Summit meeting.

Posted: April 7, 2010

OPINION - A View from Moscow

New START: Preliminary Thoughts in Moscow

by Alexander A. Pikayev

CNS expert Alexander Pikayev analyses the new nuclear arms reduction treaty to be signed April 8 by Presidents Obama and Medvedev.
Image: Obama, Medvedev, and Putin matrioshka.

Posted: March 25, 2010

START Follow-On Talks Successfully Concluded: What's Next?

by Nikolai Sokov

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.

See also CNS analysis of prospects for Senate approval in "Ratification of the START Follow-On: The Decisive Dozen"

Image: Obama and Medvedev.

Posted: March 4, 2010

Iraq Faces Major Challenges in Destroying Its Legacy Chemical Weapons

by Jonathan B. Tucker

Iraq joined the Chemical Weapons Convention in February 2009 and now faces major challenges destroying the chemical munitions it inherited from the Saddam Hussein regime.
Image: OPCW inspectors at work.

Posted: March 1, 2010

CNS Special Publication

NPT Briefing Book (MCIS/CNS) 2010

by CNS Staff

The most comprehensive source of background and reference material on the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and its associated regime is now available online. Published by Mountbatten Centre for International Studies with the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.
Image: United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Posted: February 18, 2010

NTI Issue Brief

Nuclear Stockpile Modernization: Issues and Background

by Cole J. Harvey

President Obama's commitment to reducing nuclear weapons while maintaining a nuclear deterrent has triggered debate about the degree of "modernization" remaining weapons should undergo to ensure readiness.
Image: The National Ignition Facility (NIF). [Src: llnl.gov]

Posted: February 5, 2010

The New, 2010 Russian Military Doctrine: The Nuclear Angle

by Nikolai Sokov

Contrary to expectations, the new Russian Military Doctrine reduces reliance on nuclear weapons.
Image: Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.

Posted: February 5, 2010

Panel Discussion Report

Getting Bomb-Grade Uranium Out of Civilian Hands: Toward the Nuclear Security Summit

by Cristina Hansell

On February 1, 2010, CNS and the Royal Embassy of Norway hosted a panel discussion on nuclear security at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs.
Image: Australia's OPAL LEU reactor.

Posted: January 29, 2010

Grading the Report Card: Assessing the WMD Commission Chairs' Biological Scoring

by Kirk Bansak

In the WMD Commission chairs' recent report card, released on January 26th, two grades stand out in the biological risk category.
Image: WMD Commission Chair Bob Graham and Vice-Chair Jim Talent.

Posted: January 19, 2010

OPINION - A View from Moscow

START Follow On Treaty: Deadlines and Deadlocks

by Alexander A. Pikayev

Prospects for a new strategic arms control agreement between the United States and Russia may be hampered by domestic politics in both countries.
Image: Obama and Medvedev sign an agreement.

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