Jun 23, 2009
Though burdened with political constraints on its freedom of action, the Obama administration already has made overtures to Iran that may appear merely symbolic but have historically proven successful at breaking the ice in preparation for larger diplomatic initiatives. In this new policy brief, Travis Sharp argues that there are reasons to be guardedly optimistic about the future of U.S.-Iranian bilateral relations.
Mar 18, 2009
If Republicans continue to rally around "no," there will be important implications for national security issues in Congress over the next two years. John Isaacs explores three broad groups of executive-legislative national security topics in this article published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Online.
Feb 26, 2009
On February 26, the Obama administration will release a preliminary outline of its spending priorities and agency budgets (known as “toplines”) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010, which begins on October 1. The defense budget topline released on February 26 communicates an overall funding level without including programmatic specifics, which will be released in April.
Feb 17, 2009
A chess grandmaster once said that tactics are what you do when there is something to do and strategy is what you do when there is nothing to do. When it comes to U.S. policy toward Iran, this is not the time for tactics. It is the time for a strategic reassessment of our approach to Tehran.
Feb 10, 2009
On February 7, Vice President Joseph Biden spoke at the 45th annual Munich Security Conference and outlined key pillars of the Obama administration’s emerging foreign policy. This analysis reviews Biden’s Munich speech to gauge the broad themes that seem to be emerging in the early days of the Obama era.
Jan 15, 2009
As George W. Bush's time in office comes to an end, his administration is working overtime to put a positive spin on his legacy. In this new compilation, executive director John Isaacs considers the good, the bad, and the ugly over the last eight years.
Dec 17, 2008
In 2008, the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation sought input from 60 scientists, academics, members of Congress, senior congressional staffers, and representatives from advocacy groups, think tanks, and foundations to assess the priorities for the next Administration on nuclear arms control and non-proliferation. This report summarizes the consultations.
Dec 1, 2008
Those of us eagerly awaiting relief from the debacle called the Bush administration should avoid getting swept up the in DC parlor game of who is getting what position in the new administration and focus instead on the fundamental changes we need the Obama administration to start making. In short, "It's the Policy Stupid!"
Dec 1, 2008
President-elect Barack Obama announced on December 1 that he will nominate Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) to be Secretary of State. Exaggerated reporting notwithstanding, the fact is that when it comes to foreign policy, Obama and Clinton agree far more than they disagree. In this analysis, executive director John Isaacs compares Obama and Clinton on Iraq, Iran, missile defense, North Korea, and nuclear nonproliferation.
Oct 20, 2008
Despite the Bush administration's investment of an estimated $60 billion since 2001, U.S. national missile defense continues to be an unnecessary and counterproductive enterprise. In this commentary published in Defense News on October 20, Lt. Gen. Robert Gard and Kingston Reif outline three essential changes that could set missile defense back on a productive course.
Oct 17, 2008
Over the past several months, a handful of conservative security analysts have begun to argue for upgrading the current U.S. nuclear arsenal. In this commentary, Executive Director John Isaacs dismantles the argument for bolstering America’s “nuclear deterrent,” which of course is a euphemism for building more new nuclear weapons.
Oct 17, 2008
This updated resource provides a side-by-side comparison of Barack Obama and John McCain on 15 key arms control issues.
Sep 29, 2008
We hear again and again from Washington that we have turned a corner in Iraq and are on the path to victory. In his latest essay for the New York Review of Books, Ambassador Peter Galbraith, Senior Diplomatic Fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, disputes the notion that the current state of affairs in Iraq can be called a success - or a path to victory.
Sep 25, 2008
With members of Congress eager to leave town for the campaign trail, and Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 starting on October 1, Congress slapped together a consolidated appropriations package that includes several appropriations bills and a continuing resolution (known as a 'CR') all rolled into one. The package provides $487.7 billion in total defense funding, $4 billion less than the administration's request but 6.2 percent above the FY2008 funding level.
Sep 24, 2008
Congress decided to skip the normal conference procedure for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Defense Authorization bill (S.3001). Working together, the House and Senate produced a joint bill that now must gain final approval from the House and Senate before it can be sent to President Bush for his signature. The bill fully authorizes the administration’s $542.5 billion National Defense (function 050) request. The bill also authorizes $68.5 billion in "bridge" funding for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, for a “base” budget plus “bridge” budget grand total of $611.1 billion.
Jul 16, 2008
With U.S. troops still in Iraq, rising tensions between the United States and Iran, and the looming threat of nuclear terrorism, foreign policy and arms control have once again taken center stage on the presidential campaign trail. In order to get a detailed picture of Barack Obama and John McCain’s positions, the Center has produced a series of analyses on arms control and national security issues in the 2008 presidential race.
Jul 14, 2008
In a campaign that features back and forth on issues large and small, where Barack Obama and John McCain disagree on everything from taxes to offshore drilling to Social Security to Iraq, it is amazing how much agreement there is on nuclear weapons issues. As Executive Director John Isaacs told the Los Angeles Times on July 13, "We'll have major progress on nuclear issues no matter who is elected." In this short analysis, Isaacs lists seven areas of agreement, and six of disagreement, between Obama and McCain on nuclear weapons issues.
Jul 10, 2008
With pressure on both houses of Congress to pass legislation imposing more
sanctions against Iran, and without key opposition from the oil lobby, the
Iran Sanctions Act of 2008 could be passed yet in the Senate. But, according to Iran Policy Analyst Carah Ong, the act could harm diplomacy not only with Tehran, but also with Moscow, thanks to provisions that are opposed by the Bush administration as well as several senators. Read Ong's full analysis, published on Right Web on July 10, 2008.
Jul 10, 2008
In this letter to the editor of the Washington Times, Scoville Fellow Kingston Reif refutes arguments in favor of a U.S. missile defense system in Europe, including those claiming that it would protect Europe and the United States against an Iranian missile attack.
Jul 7, 2008
Iran currently presents a number of serious problems for the United States. However, the current threat posed by Iran is exaggerated by conflating it with Iran's potential, but far from certain, acquisition of a nuclear weapon in the future. In this new analysis, the two countries' conventional military capabilities are compared side-by-side. The bottom line is clear: Iran does not currently represent an existential threat to the United States or its allies, and there is still time to find a peaceful solution to Iran's nuclear program.
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