Foreign Policy Blogs

Nuclear Security

On the Nuclear Posture Review

On the Nuclear Posture Review

Another day, another crisis. North Korea, despite the international community’s cautious optimism following the Trump-Kim summit, appears to be moving full steam ahead with its missile program, all while the last vestige of the Iranian Nuclear Deal is swept away by hawkish White House advisors calling for regime change. It has become alarmingly clear that, […]

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Trump vs Kim: The Art of the Nuclear Deal

Trump vs Kim: The Art of the Nuclear Deal

The US and North Korea are likely to attempt diplomacy for a few months, but impossible expectations and intentionally vague promises could frustrate both sides. If this causes the deal to fall through, bilateral tensions could boil over once again. On 29 April 2018, the world watched as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and […]

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Unforced Errors: On the Iran Nuclear Deal

Unforced Errors: On the Iran Nuclear Deal

Withdrawing from the Iran deal puts the United States in a weaker position in every way. Following the 2016 election, some wondered if President Trump was some sort of strategic savant, playing a game of three-dimensional chess behind a façade of emotionally volatile ignorance. Trump quickly put this theory to bed, though, and his decision […]

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Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates – The proposition “Negotiations Can Denuclearize North Korea”

  Presented by Intelligence Squared U.S. in partnership with Georgetown University live at the first Georgetown University Women’s Forum

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North Korea, Iran, and the Nuclear Posture Review

North Korea, Iran, and the Nuclear Posture Review

Recently, the Trump Administration decided against nominating Victor D. Cha as Ambassador to South Korea due to his opposition to the “bloody nose” strategy against North Korea advocated by the White House. On the heels of this report, U.S. disarmament ambassador Robert Wood declared that North Korea stands only months away from the ability to […]

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North Korea, Trump, and Underlying Dynamics

North Korea, Trump, and Underlying Dynamics

President Donald J. Trump’s tweets are striking and unhelpful, but they do not explain the essence of the current strategic situation surrounding North Korea. The underlying dynamics are more deeply rooted than any one day’s headline, even if the current U.S. president has done more than his share to exacerbate the situation. In terms of […]

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North Korea’s ICBM Threat and the Trump Administration

North Korea’s ICBM Threat and the Trump Administration

Pyongyang could decide to conduct a new ballistic test in the early weeks of the new administration to gauge President Trump’s response.

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The Snowball Effect of Continued U.S.-Russia Strategic Mistrust

The Snowball Effect of Continued U.S.-Russia Strategic Mistrust

The unthinkable has happened as rising U.S.-Russia tensions in Syria have started to undermine global security through a key nuclear deal cancellation.

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The Fall of North Korea: A Wikistrat Crowdsourced Simulation

The Fall of North Korea: A Wikistrat Crowdsourced Simulation

Drawing from the opinions of 70 analysts, the simulation “gamed out” the various pathways to collapse and the response of major actors in the region.

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Why Obama Needs a Second Thought on “No First Use”

Why Obama Needs a Second Thought on “No First Use”

Maybe the U.S. is ready to adopt a “no first use” policy for its nuclear arsenal but its allies, dependent on America’s “nuclear umbrella”, are not.

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THAAD Fuels Tensions in South Korea-China Relations

THAAD Fuels Tensions in South Korea-China Relations

After months of intense negotiations, the US-South Korea Joint Working Group announced the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).

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One Year On: Iran and the World

One Year On: Iran and the World

One year after the nuclear deal, how has the lifting of sanctions affected regional security after Iran’s return to the international scene?

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Sam Nunn Discusses Today’s Nuclear Risks

Sam Nunn Discusses Today’s Nuclear Risks

The world is in a race between cooperation and catastrophe. If a nuclear disaster occurs—what would we wish we had done to prevent it? Why don’t we do it now?

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North Korea’s Impasse Highlights Northeastern Asia’s Fragile Peace

North Korea’s Impasse Highlights Northeastern Asia’s Fragile Peace

The erratic behavior of the Kim dynasty has long enraged and exasperated both its enemies and allies, though larger states have certainly used North Korea’s existence as a fig leaf for moves of their own.

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Risky Business: Pyongyang’s Dangerous Gamble

Risky Business: Pyongyang’s Dangerous Gamble

After protracted negotiations, China has finally withdrawn its opposition, joining in the UN Security Council’s unanimous decision to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea in response to its recent nuclear and ballistic missile test.

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