NUCLEAR ISSUES
July 15-19, 2001
A Discussion of China's Nuclear Transparency Options
Conference Paper
By Hui Zhang, Senior Research Associate, Project on Managing the Atom
This paper will discuss how much nuclear transparency China can afford to adopt in light of the changing international security context. The work will examine China’s attitude toward nuclear transparency; the possible influence of high-resolution satellite imagery on China’s position; what sorts of nuclear transparency China could accept under international arms control and nonproliferation treaties; and what kind of on-site inspections China could accept at its specific nuclear production facility and site under an FMCT.
July 15, 2001
Renewing the Partnership: One Year Later
Journal Article, Proceedings the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, Meeting held in Indian Wells, California, July 15-19, 2001
By Matthew Bunn, Associate Professor of Public Policy; Co-Principal Investigator, Project on Managing the Atom
In August 2000, the authors published a comprehensive report assessing the U.S.-Russian Material Protection, Control and Accounting program and making recommendations for accelerating and strengthening the effort. The report emphasized the security importance of the MPC&A program and critically examined the program’s status and policies in several major areas: budgets, schedules, and plans; technical and policy approaches; program management and partnership with Russia; and access. In this paper, the authors update and review their previous assessment in light of the MPC&A progress and challenges of the past year, and make recommendations intended to strengthen and accelerate the effort and increase the chances that MPC&A improvements will be sustained over time.
July 15, 2001
Renewing the Partnership: One Year Later
Conference Proceedings
By Matthew Bunn, Associate Professor of Public Policy; Co-Principal Investigator, Project on Managing the Atom
In August 2000, the authors published a comprehensive report assessing the U.S.-Russian Material Protection, Control and Accounting program and making recommendations for accelerating and strengthening the effort. The report emphasized the security importance of the MPC&A program and critically examined the program’s status and policies in several major areas: budgets, schedules, and plans; technical and policy approaches; program management and partnership with Russia; and access. In this paper, the authors update and review their previous assessment in light of the MPC&A progress and challenges of the past year, and make recommendations intended to strengthen and accelerate the effort and increase the chances that MPC&A improvements will be sustained over time.
Summer 2001
"National Missile Defense and the Future of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy"
Journal Article, International Security, issue 1, volume 26
By Charles Glaser, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 1982-1985; Editorial Board Member, Quarterly Journal: International Security and Steve Fetter, Former Associate, Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program
As the debate on a U.S. national missile defense intensifies, the decision about whether the United States should develop an NMD system seems to be giving way to questions over the type of system to be deployed and its scope: For example, should the United States pursue NMD against Russia or China? What are the possible security benefits and costs of limited NMD? What can the United States do to counter the international political fallout of limited NMD?
July 2001
Economic Aspects of Civilian Reprocessing in China
Conference Paper
By Hui Zhang, Senior Research Associate, Project on Managing the Atom
Currently, China is pursuing a long-term expansion of its nuclear power program and plans to reprocess the resulting civilian spent fuel, recycling the plutonium in MOX fuel for LWRs and in fast breeder reactors. China presently operates three civilian nuclear power reactors, but it plans to build about 20 reactors by 2020. A pilot civilian reprocessing plant has been built at Lanzhou, with a capacity 50 metric tons of spent fuel per year. This plant is ready to start operations now. A key decision now hanging in the balance is whether to proceed with expensive plans to build a larger commercial reprocessing plant, with a capacity of up to 800 tons per year, by 2020.
May 2001
Keeping the Edge: Managing Defense for the Future
Book
By Ashton B. Carter, Former Co-Director, Preventive Defense Project, Harvard & Stanford Universities and John P. White, Member of the Board, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Most national security debates concern the outcomes of policies, neglecting the means by which those policies are implemented. This book argues that although the US military is the finest fighting force in the world, the system that supports it is in disrepair. Operating with Cold War-era structures and practices, it is subject to managerial and organizational problems that increasingly threaten our military's effectiveness.
May, 2001
Partners in Need: The Strategic Relationship of Russia and Iran
Book
By Brenda Shaffer, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 1999–2007; Former Research Director, Caspian Studies Program, 2000–2005; Former Research Director, Caspian Studies Project, 2005–2007
In this incisive Policy Paper, Caspian Basin specialist Brenda Shaffer presents a comprehensive overview of how Russia and Iran view each other, providing a detailed explanation of why Russia does not share all U.S. concerns about Iranian actions. Using her rich command of the Russian literature on Iran, the author argues that because Russia views its relations and cooperation with Iran as vital to national security, it will not jeopardize those relations for the sake of short-term material incentives or out of fear of U.S. condemnation.
March 30, 2001
Graham Allison: US-Russian Relations at Lowest Point Since Cold War
Press Release
By Graham Allison, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School
March 30, 2001 -- The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 signaled the end of the Cold War, or did it? The Bush administration recently ordered the expulsion of 50 Russian diplomats believed to be spies from Washington. In a response reminiscent of the Cold War, Russia retaliated in kind. Russia is expanding sale of arms to Iran and nuclear power plant fuel supplies to India. President Bush has indicated he will press forward with a US national missile defense system even at the risk of violating the 1972 Antiballistic Missile Treaty signed with the Soviet Union.
March 23, 2001
Colin Powell Lauds John Reppert
Press Release
In remarks to the National Newspaper Association on March 23, Secretary of State Colin Powell drew special attention to John Reppert, BCSIA''s Executive Director for Research, who introduced him.
March 23, 2001
US needs a plan to halt Russia's sale of nuclear arms to Iran
Op-Ed, Boston Globe
By Brenda Shaffer, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 1999–2007; Former Research Director, Caspian Studies Program, 2000–2005; Former Research Director, Caspian Studies Project, 2005–2007
