Non-Proliferation Analysis Archive
On Point: Obama vs. McCain
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.
Obama vs. McCain: Seven Areas of Agreement, and Six of Disagreement, on Nuclear Weapons
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.
The Rush to a Flawed Nuclear Deal
In his July 7 op-ed piece, "New Life for the India Nuclear Pact," Bill Emmott said that Congress must not allow India's close ties with Iran to hold up the U.S.-India nuclear deal and that the deal is worth pursuing. In reality, the India-Iran relationship should be cause for concern.
Fact Sheet on Strengthening Arms Control and Nonproliferation
In order to achieve progress on effective nuclear arms control and nonproliferation, the next President will need to construct a bureaucratic structure that enhances the capacity of the United States to pursue bold measures.
Time to Name a Coordinator for WMD Proliferation
In order to achieve much-needed progress on effective nuclear arms control and non-proliferation, the next President will need to construct a bureaucratic structure that enhances, rather than undermines, the capacity of the United States to pursue bold measures. Filling the position of U.S. Coordinator for the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism would be a great place to start.
In a Nutshell: McCain vs. Obama on National Security
In this useful analysis, Executive Director John Isaacs compares and contrasts John McCain and Barack Obama's positions on Iraq, Iran, nuclear weapons, missile defense, and much more.
These Generals Are Real Heroes
This spring, the New York Times exposed a six-year-long Bush administration propaganda campaign using retired military officers to disseminate pro-Iraq war messages to the American public. In this op-ed published in the Asheville Citizen-Times on June 27, Outreach Coordinator Ashley Hoffman explains how the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation is fighting back against the administration's spin through its own Military Outreach Program.
U.S.-India Nuclear Energy Deal: Status and Update
The U.S.-India nuclear deal has been delayed since last summer. For almost nine months, the deal has been in limbo due to opposition from Indian political parties. Over the next week, key decisions will be made by India about what it wants to do next. In this new policy update, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Director Leonor Tomero summarizes recent events and addresses the near- and long-term prospects of the U.S.-India nuclear deal.
Analysis of Senate Armed Services Committee Action on the FY2009 Defense Authorization Bill (S 3001)
The Senate Armed Services Committee released its markup of S. 3001, the Fiscal Year 2009 Defense Authorization bill, on May 1, 2008. S. 3001, as reported to the full Senate by the Armed Services Committee, fully funds the administration's $612.5 billion FY2009 National Defense request. As part of this total, the Committee authorized $70 billion in additional funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Memorandum to McCain and Obama: A New Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Agenda
The past eight years of the Bush administration have been disastrous for arms control and nonproliferation initiatives. However, the next President can make significant progress in repairing the damage and moving these important issues forward. In this memo to John McCain and Barack Obama, Policy Fellow Jeff Lindemyer outlines four important goals for the next President.
Obama vs. McCain: A Side-By-Side Comparison on Arms Control
This resource provides a side-by-side comparison of Barack Obama and John McCain on 15 key arms control issues.
Growing Economic Ties Better Deterrence
In this letter to the editor of Washington Times, Scoville Fellow Kingston Reif points out that the minimal benefits of an Indian missile defense system are heavily outweighed by its costs.
New Study on Reprocessing and Proliferation
These two documents relate to a study requested by the Department of Energy on the proliferation resistance of materials in advanced nuclear fuel cycles.
McCain's Big Non-Proliferation Speech: Cheers, Jeers, and Questions
On May 27, Senator John McCain gave a major foreign policy address on nuclear non-proliferation. The Center's Director for Nuclear Non-Proliferation, Leonor Tomero, examines the good, the bad, and the ugly in this new analysis. Tomero cuts through the campaign rhetoric to offer a clear-eyed, expert assessment of McCain's non-proliferation proposals.
Analysis of House Armed Services Committee Action on the FY2009 Defense Authorization Bill (HR 5658)
The House Armed Services Committee completed its markup of the Fiscal Year 2009 Defense Authorization bill (HR 5658) on May 15, 2008. The marked up bill recommends an overall authorization level of $601.4 billion, the amount requested by the administration.
Nuclear Terrorism is a Likely Event
In this opinion editorial published in the Knoxville News Sentinel, Senior Military Fellow Lt. Gen. Robert Gard argues that our government is not taking the necessary steps to prevent nuclear terrorism, even though it is one of the gravest threats to U.S. security. "It is incredible that our government is failing to accord the highest priority to taking the actions necessary to prevent terrorists from carrying out their threat to detonate a nuclear weapon on the territory of the United States, which would forever change our way of life," writes Gard.
Nuclear Fuel Recycling: More Trouble Than It's Worth
Although a dozen years have elapsed since any new nuclear power reactor has come online in the U.S., there are now stirrings of a nuclear renaissance. The incentives are certainly in place. What more could the moribund nuclear power industry possibly want?Just one thing: a place to ship its used reactor fuel, writes Center board member Frank von Hippel in this recent commentary.
Center Applauds Request from Nine Senators to Cut Nuclear Reprocessing Funding
The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation commended nine senators who urged funding cuts last week to the Department of Energy's efforts to both resume nuclear spent fuel reprocessing in the United States and to reuse nuclear weapons-usable material in domestic and foreign power reactors pursuant to the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership.
Arms Control in 2009: An Early Look at the 111th Congress
With the nation's eyes focused squarely on the presidential candidates, little attention has been paid to the growing list of influential members of Congress who plan to retire at the end of this year. These retirements will have important implications when it comes to arms control.
Potential U.S. Ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) Fact Sheet
Ratification by the United States of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) requires 67 votes in favor in the Senate. On October 13, 1999, the Senate failed to ratify the CTBT in a vote of 51-48. This was the first security-related treaty in 80 years that the Senate did not ratify.
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