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"The Arms Control Association’s work is an important resource to legislators and policymakers when contemplating a new policy direction or decision."

– General John Shalikashvili

former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Arms Control NOW

Rep. Turner, Sen. Kyl Try to Rewrite Terms of New START Resolution of Ratification

Authored by on May 16, 2011

Rep. Michael Turner (Image Source: The Atlantic Council) By Rob Golan-Vilella and Daryl G. Kimball Last December, the Senate approved the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty ( New START ) by a vote of 71-26. In the context of the treaty's consideration, a number of Senators expressed their support for providing the resources necessary to maintain the existing nuclear weapon stockpile and upgrade the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) weapons complex facilities used for that purpose. Earlier in the year, the Barack Obama administration outlined a robust 10-year plan totaling $85...

South Asia Is A More Dangerous Place After the 1998 Nuclear Tests

Authored by on May 13, 2011

By Daryl G. Kimball Thirteen years after the May 1998 Indian and Pakistani nuclear test explosions, South Asia is a more dangerous place. India's May 11 and 13 nuclear test explosions were its first since its inaugural nuclear weapons test in 1974. Pakistan responded soon thereafter and conducted its first nuclear weapons test detonations (five) on May 28 in the Chagai Hills region. The nuclear tests immediately increased tensions in the region and shocked the world. In India and Pakistan, the test stirred up an orgy of nuclear nationalism in some quarters and prompted protest in others...

Getting a Faster New START

Authored by on May 13, 2011

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- An LGM-30 Minuteman III missile soars in the air after a test launch. The Minuteman is a strategic weapon system using a ballistic missile of intercontinental range. (U.S. Air Force photo) By Greg Thielmann When traveling the interstate on a long car trip, it's usually better to get up to maximum safe speed rather than creeping along at the legal minimum. Likewise, in order to achieve the full benefits of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), it would be highly desirable to commit the United States to reaching the treaty's limits as soon as...

NWFZ Protocols Submitted to Senate

Authored by on May 3, 2011

The White House announced yesterday that the President has submitted the Protocols to the African and the South Pacific Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaties to the U.S. Senate for advice and consent to ratification. Fifteen years since these Treaties were signed by the United States, the submission marks an important step toward providing these countries with assurance that the United States would not use nuclear weapons against them, thereby reinforcing their decision to strengthen their nuclear nonproliferation commitments and encouraging other countries to do the same. As the ArmsControlNow...

NNSA supercomputers: another reason we don't need nuclear test explosions

Authored by on April 29, 2011

By Daryl G. Kimball The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has just released a new video and blogpost on the role of their supercomputers in the nuclear weapons stockpile stewardship program--a role that has grown by leaps and bounds over the past 15 years or so. One message that comes across is that the nuclear weapons labs know more about the physics of nuclear weapons today than they did in the days of nuclear test explosions ... and that old myths and assertions about the necessity of nuclear test explosions need to be revisited. For instance, back in 1992 when we were all...

India Nuclear Deal: Dumb and Dumber

Authored by on April 28, 2011

By Daryl G. Kimball One of the chief proponents of the disastrous 2008 civil nuclear trade exemption for India, Ashley Tellis, is apparently a bit sour about this week's announcement from the Indian government that it will pursue the purchase of the European Eurofighter and French Rafale aircraft rather than U.S. made F-18 (Boeing) or F-16 (Lockheed Martin) as part of its drive to build up its conventional military capabilities. The Hindu reports today: Questioning whether these aircraft represented the best value for the IAF and the best investments for India overall, Mr. Tellis said to The...

Pentagon Oversells Missile Defense Test

Authored by on April 15, 2011

By Tom Z. Collina Today, the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency (MDA) announced that it conducted a "successful" intercept test of the Phased Adaptive Approach system to be deployed in Europe starting this year. This test of the SM-3 interceptor might have been considered a significant step toward the deployment an effective missile interceptor system if there were near-term plans to test the system against realistic targets including countermeasures . However, this test did not include countermeasures and MDA has given no indication when or if such tests will take place. As it has done in the...

Bad Betting Advice on Iran from The Washington Post

Authored by on April 14, 2011

The Washington Post's editors are reinforcing the Iranian government's narrative with respect to Tehran's nuclear program. Last November, the editors criticized Defense Secretary Gates for "talking down military action [against Iran]." This week, they assert that a "better course [than pursuing negotiations] is to bet on a renewed popular uprising in Iran." These policy prescriptions play into Tehran's version of the dispute between the international community and the Islamic Republic – i.e., the United States and its allies are intent on forcing regime change; negotiations are a ruse to deny...

What Language Does Iran Understand?

Authored by on April 11, 2011

By Alfred Nurja Alan Eyre The Prague-based Radio Liberty ( formerly known as Radio Free Europe ) reported last weekend that the State Department has appointed Alan Eyre, as the first Persian-language spokesperson. Reportedly Mr. Eyre is authorized to appear on Iranian state-owned media and according to the article "the move seems to be part of an increased effort by the Obama administration to reach out to the Iranians directly." While it remains to be seen what kind of access to the Iranian public Tehran will grant to U.S. officials, the decision is also important for demonstrating the...

Human Rights Report Release: A Moment to Reflect on U.S. Arms Policy

Authored by on April 8, 2011

By Jeff Abramson In a live broadcast at 11:30 this morning, the State Department will release its annual human rights report. Among many hopes of what will become of this important yearly assessment, one is that it will spur an examination of U.S. arms transfer policies . As noted last week , ACA staff have cross-checked the list of 28 countries for which Congress was notified of foreign military sales last year against the State Department's last human rights reports . More than a third (11) of the states failed to guarantee freedom of speech, association, and assembly, as well as a free...