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Mar 29, 2010

Analysis of the "New START" Treaty

On March 26, President Obama announced that after nearly a year of tough negotiations, the U.S. and Russia have reached agreement on the Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures to Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (the “New START Treaty”). In this analysis, John Isaacs and Kingston Reif examine what is known about the treaty to date.

Mar 17, 2010

Keep Your Rosaries Off My Deterrence

The United States is, and will continue to be, vulnerable to nuclear attack so long as nuclear weapons exist. But this doesn't mean that it can't keep its options open on missile defense and negotiate a START follow-on agreement that will enhance American security. The two efforts are not mutually exclusive and framing them as such presents a false dilemma, Kingston Reif and Travis Sharp argue in DoD Buzz.

Dec 17, 2009

Analysis of FY 2010 Defense Appropriations Conference Agreement (HR 3326)

The Conference agreement on the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill was adopted by the full House on Wednesday, December 16, roughly 24 hours after it became available for public viewing. The Senate is expected to act on the legislation this week. The bill includes $497.7 billion for the Department of Defense’s annual “base” budget, excluding funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Dec 4, 2009

Commitment to Nuclear Non-Proliferation: New Directions under the Obama Administration

In this speech delivered to the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, John Isaacs argues that we have entered an era of great change on nuclear weapons issues. The election of Barack Obama as President has provided an opportunity for unprecedented transformation. If we do not see substantial progress in the next six months, however, the President’s vision will be in jeopardy.

Dec 3, 2009

Pruning the Nuclear Triad? Pros and Cons of Bombers, Missiles, and Submarines

As the United States and Russia negotiate bilateral reductions in nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles, attention must be paid to the composition of each country’s strategic arsenal of nuclear-armed bombers, land-based missiles, and submarine-based missiles. This fact sheet considers the arguments traditionally made about the strengths and weaknesses of each leg of the nuclear triad.

Nov 23, 2009

Playing Chess With Russia: An Update on the New START Agreement

In this interview published on Daily Kos, Kingston Reif discusses New START and the obstacles faced by the United States and Russia, which include verification issues, missile defense, advanced conventional weapons systems, and upload capacity.

Oct 27, 2009

A Shift in Focus: Changes in the Missile Defense Program

On September 17, President Barack Obama announced changes in the American missile defense program seeking a more proven and cost-effective system than that introduced by the Bush administration. FPIF spoke with Kingston Reif, Deputy Director of Nuclear Non-Proliferation at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, to understand the reasons for the changes and its effects on American foreign policy.

Oct 21, 2009

Analysis of FY 2010 Defense Authorization Conference Agreement (HR 2647)

On October 7, a House-Senate conference committee finalized the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Authorization bill. The bill authorizes $550.2 billion for the national security budget and $130 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan, which adds up to $680.2 billion in total funding, the same amount requested by the Obama administration. The House passed the conference bill on October 8. The Senate is expected to follow suit soon.

Oct 8, 2009

Senate Sounds of Silence on Nukes

Given the important role Capitol Hill can play in foreign policy, recent Senate reactions to major Obama administration announcements are worth analyzing as a sign of challenges ahead. After a survey of press activity, the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation concludes that only the sounds of silence have been heard from the Senate on arms control – except for Republicans’ predictable disavowal of reformulated plans for missile defense in Europe.

Sep 24, 2009

Analysis of FY 2010 Senate Defense Appropriations Bill (HR 3326)

On September 10, 2009, the Senate Appropriations Committee completed its markup of the fiscal year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill (HR 3326). The Committee bill provides $625.8 billion in total discretionary funding, $3.5 billion less than the President’s request. Of the total, $497.6 billion is for the Department of Defense “base” budget and $128.2 billion is for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sep 21, 2009

Obama's Options on Missile Defense

While media elites and professional pundits love to frame public policy debates as epic battles of conservative and liberal worldviews, judgments about national security rarely boil down to two stark alternatives. The president typically considers at least a handful of distinct options when making any major foreign policy decision. The U.S. missile defense system in Europe, originally proposed by President George W. Bush, serves as the perfect example.

Sep 17, 2009

President Obama's Revamped European Missile Defense Offers Better Security

In response to the Pentagon's announcement September 17 that it intends to modify plans for the U.S. missile defense system in Europe, experts at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation concluded that the decision is technically and politically wise.

Sep 14, 2009

2009-2010 College Debate Topic on Nuclear Weapons: A Guide to Background Materials, Publications, & Organizations

In 2009-2010, the national college debate topic asks whether or not the United States “should substantially reduce the size of its nuclear weapons arsenal, and/or substantially reduce and restrict the role and/or missions of its nuclear weapons arsenal.” To help debaters prepare, the Center prepared an online guide to background materials, publications, and relevant organizations.

Jul 28, 2009

Analysis of FY 2010 House Defense Appropriations Bill (HR 3326)

On July 22, 2009, the House Appropriations Committee completed its markup of the fiscal year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill (HR 3326). The Committee bill provides $636.6 billion in total funding, $3.8 billion less than the President’s request. Of the total, $508.4 billion is for the Department of Defense “base” budget and $128.2 billion is for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Jul 22, 2009

Bargaining Chip or Gas Mask? Prospects for Missile Defense

In this full-length article published by the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, John Isaacs and Travis Sharp review the history of missile defense since World War II in search of insights that can be applied today. Isaacs and Sharp argue that President Obama retains two viable options for U.S. missile defense in Europe: “The Bargaining Chip" or "The Gas Mask."

Jul 13, 2009

Analysis of Senate Defense Authorization for FY 2010 (S. 1390)

The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) completed its markup of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Defense Authorization bill (S. 1390) on June 25, 2009. The marked up bill recommends $679.8 billion in funding, $375 million less than requested by the administration.

Jul 6, 2009

Decrease Stockpiles, Increase Security

This week in Moscow, Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev are holding a summit meeting that will heavily influence the next decade of U.S.-Russian relations. If the two leaders strike up a personal and political rapport, it could unfreeze a relationship that became icy in the final years of the Bush and Putin administrations. If the summit produces less favorable results, it could intensify mistrust and leave several foreign policy wounds to fester.

Jun 24, 2009

House Armed Services Committee Action on the FY 2010 Defense Authorization Bill (H.R. 2647)

The House Armed Services Committee completed its markup of the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Authorization bill (HR 2647) on June 17, 2009. The marked-up bill recommends an overall FY 2010 authorization level of $680.5 billion, which includes $130 billion for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and $550.5 billion for the Pentagon and nuclear weapons activities.

May 8, 2009

Analysis of the Fiscal Year 2010 Pentagon Spending Request

On May 8, the Obama Administration released complete details of its Fiscal Year 2010 Pentagon Spending Request. The request included $533.8 billion for the Department of Defense and $130 billion to support "Overseas Contingency Operations" (military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan), included for the first time as part of the White House’s annual budget request, rather than through special supplemental appropriations bills.

May 6, 2009

Analysis: Final Report of the Congressional Commission on the Nuclear Strategic Posture of the United States

On May 6, the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States released its final report. As one might expect given the diverse make-up of the Commission, the final report offers a mixture of good and bad recommendations. In this comprehensive analysis, Kingston Reif examines the two competing visions in the Commission’s report.

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