Foreign Policy Blogs

Nuclear Weapons

Op-Ed: Unreality in Thinking about the Unthinkable

Op-Ed: Unreality in Thinking about the Unthinkable

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, George Schultz, William Perry and Sam Nunn argued for “a world without nuclear weapons, [as] dangers continue to mount.” Lamenting “a dangerous policy paralysis” among the US, its allies and Russia, they write that the road to denuclearization is through “re-engagement” with Russia, a “joint declaration,” and “dialogue,” […]

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On Trump’s Decision to Withdraw From The Iran Deal

On Trump’s Decision to Withdraw From The Iran Deal

Donald Trump’s message and views on Iran have been remarkably consistent throughout his time in the public sphere. Even immediately following the deal’s successful negotiation, Trump came out against it, hurling a line many would become very familiar with: “Never, ever, ever in my life have I seen any transaction as incompetently negotiated as our […]

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Is North Korea Actually Disarming?

Is North Korea Actually Disarming?

The Summit Not too long ago, President Trump was promising “fire and fury”, while Kim Jong-Un was assuring a “super-mighty pre-emptive strike”. On June 12, 2018 as cameras flashed and hands shook, both leaders significantly changed their tune with flattery and promises. The Singapore Summit was indeed a historic moment, with North Korea’s promises of […]

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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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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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Saudi Arabia and the UAE Heat Up Their Arms Race with Iran

Saudi Arabia and the UAE Heat Up Their Arms Race with Iran

While the world’s attention remains focused on the nuclear brinkmanship and missile launches on the Korean peninsula, the Middle Eastern arms race, pitting Saudi Arabia and its ally the United Arab Emirates against Iran has been slowly heating up and could soon reach a boiling point. The spending boom among the gulf states, the Saudis […]

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What If the UN Banned the Bomb and No One Noticed?

What If the UN Banned the Bomb and No One Noticed?

Based on the amount of news coverage, you may not have heard of it, but on July 7, 2017, the United Nations adopted the Nuclear Prohibition Treaty. The agreement bans the use of nuclear weapons, and the threat of their use, as well as their testing, development, possession, sharing, and stationing in other countries. The […]

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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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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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