NUCLEAR WEAPONS
AP Photo
April 3, 2009
Obama's Nuclear Speech: Required Reading
Media Feature
By Sasha Talcott, Director of Communications and Outreach
President Barack Obama is expected to deliver a major address on nuclear nonproliferation Sunday during a visit to the Czech Republic. While details have not yet been announced, it is likely that at least part of the address will follow in the footsteps of Obama's campaign promises on nuclear issues. Presented are some "required reading" for each of the major issues at stake, drawing on Obama's campaign pledges.
April 1, 2009
"A Strategic Approach to Nuclear Proliferation"
Journal Article, Journal of Conflict Resolution, issue 2, volume 53
By Erik Gartzke and Matthew Kroenig, Affiliate, Project on Managing the Atom
Gartzke and Kroenig examine why states acquire nuclear weapons, why they engage in nuclear cooperation, and explore the relationship between nuclear weapons possession and a variety of security and diplomatic outcomes. This list does not cover the full range of possible nuclear proliferation issues that could be subjected to scholarly scrutiny, but they offer several advantages for our research. First, these outcomes are substantively important. Second, they can be measured, allowing them to quantitatively analyze nuclear proliferation across cases and over time. Third, this list covers a broader range of outcomes than are considered in the existing literature.
April 1, 2009
"Importing the Bomb: Sensitive Nuclear Assistance and Nuclear Proliferation"
Journal Article, Journal of Conflict Resolution, issue 2, volume 53
By Matthew Kroenig, Affiliate, Project on Managing the Atom
Matthew Kroenig's article "Importing the Bomb: Sensitive Nuclear Assistance and Nuclear Proliferation" argues that sensitive nuclear transfers are an important determinant of nuclear proliferation. In broader terms, Kroenig finds strong support for a supply-side approach to nuclear proliferation. States that are better able to produce nuclear weapons, due to either international assistance or domestic capacity, are more likely to do so.
April 1, 2009
"Taking a Walk on the Supply Side: The Determinants of Civilian Nuclear Cooperation"
Journal Article, Journal of Conflict Resolution, issue 2, volume 53
By Matthew Fuhrmann, Affiliate, Project on Managing the Atom
Matthew Fuhrmann's article "Taking a Walk on the Supply Side: The Determinants of Civilian Nuclear Cooperation," argues that countries provide civil nuclear assistance for three strategic reasons: to strengthen their allies and alliances, to strengthen their relationship with enemies of enemies, and to strengthen existing democracies and bilateral relationships with these countries. The hypotheses are tested using a new data set on more than 2,000 bilateral civilian nuclear cooperation agreements signed between 1950 and 2000.
istock Photo
March 23, 2009
"How to Keep the Bomb From Terrorists"
Op-Ed, Newsweek
By Graham Allison, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Douglas Dillon Professor of Government; Faculty Chair, Dubai Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School
The only thing that can keep nuclear bombs out of the hands of terrorists is a brand-new science of nuclear forensics.
AP Photo
March 11, 2009
"Iran's Nuclear Deception"
Op-Ed, Boston Globe
By William H. Tobey, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"We probably will never know whether the case of the found enriched uranium was a mistake or a feint. That uncertainty, however, and the horrible consequences of a significant lapse in our ability to monitor Iran's nuclear program should lead the IAEA, the Obama administration, and our European negotiating partners to exercise great caution in considering proposals that would depend on intricate and foolproof verification schemes."
AP Photo
Spring 2009
"Obama Taps into Belfer Center Community for Key Policy Posts"
Newsletter Article, Belfer Center Newsletter
The Belfer Center is both proud and humbled that a number of its members have been asked to serve in the Obama Administration. The group's experience and expertise span many of the international challenges confronting the nation today.
Spring 2009
Preventing Nuclear Terrorism: Agenda for the President's Opening Weeks in Office
Newsletter Article, Belfer Center Newsletter
By Matthew Bunn, Associate Professor of Public Policy; Co-Principal Investigator, Project on Managing the Atom; Co-Principal Investigator, Energy Research, Development, Demonstration, and Deployment (ERD3) Policy Project and Andrew Newman, Research Associate, Project on Managing the Atom
President Barack Obama took office in a world where the danger that terrorists could get and use a nuclear bomb remains very real. He should take several key steps in the opening weeks of his administration:This article is adapted from "Preventing Nuclear Terrorism: An Agenda for the Next President" (November 2008) by Matthew Bunn and Andrew Newman. For full text, see: http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/18673.
Spring 2009
"Rolf Mowatt-Larssen and William Tobey Named Senior Fellows"
Newsletter Article, Belfer Center Newsletter
By Sharon Wilke, Associate Director of Communications
Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, former director of the Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and former head of the Central Intelligence Agency's WMD and terrorism efforts, has joined the Belfer Center as a senior fellow along with William H. Tobey, until recently the deputy administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation at the DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
Belfer Center
Spring 2009
"Panel Calls on President and Congress to Address WMD Proliferation"
Newsletter Article, Belfer Center Newsletter
By Sasha Talcott, Director of Communications and Outreach
Belfer Center director Graham Allison served on the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism, which released its report in December. The congressionally appointed Commission called on then President-elect Barack Obama and Congress to immediately initiate several concrete actions, unilaterally and with the international community, to address the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction that pose the greatest peril: nuclear and biological weapons.
