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Nuclear Weapons

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioStemming Nuclear Proliferation: Prevent and Manage the Rise of New Nuclear Powers

Michael E. O'Hanlon and Stephen P. Cohen, February 28, 2007, Opportunity 08

Stemming Nuclear Proliferation: Prevent and Manage the Rise of New Nuclear PowersNorth Korea has just marked the first anniversary of its nuclear test, calling it a "great miracle." To address this and other threats, Stephen Cohen and Michael O'Hanlon argue that the next President should enhance adherence to international non-proliferation agreements; expand threat reduction efforts; and place less emphasis on the role of nuclear arms in protecting America. Read More

Nuclear Weapons, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Weapons, Arms Control, Proliferation

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioU.S. is One of the ‘Central Pillars’ of Indian Foreign Policy

Bruce Riedel and Bernard Gwertzman, April 29, 2008, Council on Foreign Relations

Bruce Riedel sees the improvement in U.S.-India relations as a major accomplishment of the Bush administration, which carried forward progress made during President Bill Clinton’s tenure. Riedel says the U.S.-India nuclear agreement, which has been held up by opposition in India’s parliament, is likely to be approved next year, and that both major Indian political parties now see the United States as one of “the central pillars of India’s foreign policy.” Read More

India, Nuclear Weapons, Energy Security, Transnational Security Threats, South Asia

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioU.S. Policy and Syria: Who's Converting Whom?

Peter W. Rodman, April 24, 2008, Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs

U.S. Policy and Syria: Who's Converting Whom?Testifying before the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Peter Rodman argued "the conditions do not exist for an improvement of relations with Syria as long as Syrian policies remain hostile to important interest of ours in the Middle East." He concluded that Syria must change course in relation to Iraq, Lebanon, and Arab-Israeli peace before the U.S. reaches out to the country. Read More

Syria, Middle East, Arab-Israeli Relations, Iraq, Israel

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioSouth Asia’s Nuclear Decade

Bruce Riedel, April-May 2008, Survival

Bruce Riedel writes that the danger of a nuclear confrontation between India and Pakistan remains serious and should be addressed by creative diplomacy. Read More

India, Pakistan, Nuclear Weapons, South Asia, Proliferation

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioNonproliferation Trip Report: India

Bruce Riedel, April 2008, The Brookings Institution

Bruce Riedel traveled to India in February to meet with business leaders, government officials, and members of the media. Riedel notes that much of the conversations revolved around Iran’s pursuit of nuclear capabilities and the Iran-India relationship. Some in the United States have strongly criticized India for maintaining strong economic relations with Iran and for having exchanges of low-level military delegations. Riedel notes that although India opposes a nuclear Iran, its ties with Iran will lead it to oppose use of a military option against Iran. Read More

India, Middle East, Nuclear Weapons, Proliferation, Foreign Policy

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioS970: The Iran Counter-Proliferation Act of 2007

Philip H. Gordon, April 08, 2008, Senate Finance Committee

S970: The Iran Counter-Proliferation Act of 2007Testifying before the Senate Finance Committee, Philip Gordon shared his perspective on the Iran Counter-Proliferation Act (S970). He argued that while the bill recognizes a "broad set of diplomatic, political and economic measures,”  in order to change Iran's behavior, "we must take great care not to provoke divisions within the international coalition that has been forming to contain Iran." Read More

Iran, Nuclear Weapons, Proliferation, Sanctions, Weapons of Mass Destruction

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioBreaking New Ground with India: Build a Valuable Indo-U.S. Strategic Partnership

Bruce Riedel and Karl F. Inderfurth, April 08, 2008, Opportunity 08

Breaking New Ground with India: Build a Valuable Indo-U.S. Strategic PartnershipTo assure that Indo-U.S. relations attain more of their capacity to benefit both countries, Bruce Riedel and Karl Inderfurth explain that the next president should embark on a course that can be labeled “policy continuity-plus.” Read More

India, Energy Security, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, South Asia

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Emerging Architecture for Security and Cooperation in Northeast Asia

James E. Goodby, March 2008, Insights and Isues

James Goodby believe the outlook for the Korean Peninsula is far from bleak, but top-level leadership in all countries will be required if 2008 is to see significant progress toward a new system for peace and security in Northeast Asia. Read More

North Korea, Nuclear Weapons, South Korea, Northeast Asia, Proliferation

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioIran, Terrorism, and Weapons of Mass Destruction

Daniel L. Byman, March 2008, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism

Iran, Terrorism, and Weapons of Mass DestructionDaniel Byman assesses Iran’s past and current use of terrorism as well as the threat of proxy groups using weapons of mass destruction at the request of the country's leaders.  He concludes by offering recommendations for decreasing Iran’s support of terrorist organizations. Read More

Iran, Terrorism, Transnational Security Threats, Nuclear Weapons, Weapons of Mass Destruction

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioResurrecting the Test-Ban Treaty

Michael E. O'Hanlon, February-March 2008, Survival

Michael O'Hanlon discusses the usefuleness of nuclear test-ban treaties and offers suggestions for the next president to build on the signing of past treaties. Read More

Nuclear Weapons, Defense, Arms Control, Proliferation, National Security

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioWhat Impact Will Pakistan’s Elections Have?

Stephen P. Cohen and Tariq Ali, February 13, 2008, FT.com

What Impact Will Pakistan’s Elections Have?The assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto in the middle of the country’s election campaign has thrown the already fraught political future of the country into further confusion.  Stephen Cohen and Tariq Ali answer questions online in the leadup to next week's election.  Read More

Pakistan, Terrorism, Transnational Security Threats, Nuclear Weapons, Elections

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioNorth Korea Now: Will the Clock Be Turned Back?

Georgy Toloraya, February 11, 2008, The Brookings Institution

The overall mood regarding possibilities for Korean denuclearization has changed dramatically for the worse since the beginning of 2008. CNAPS Visiting Fellow Georgy Toloraya writes that there is a danger that this pessimism could roll back the progress made thanks to engagement policies in the past year. Read More

North Korea, Nuclear Weapons, South Korea, Proliferation, Developing Countries

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioGlobal Challenges for the Next U.S. President

Strobe Talbott, February 04, 2008

Global Challenges for the Next U.S. PresidentThe next president of the United States will face significant domestic and international challenges. Brookings president Strobe Talbott, author of "The Great Experiment: The Story of Ancient Empires, Modern States, and the Quest for a Global Nation," explains that nuclear proliferation and climate change are two of the most critical issues the next administration will have to address.

Global Governance, Climate Change, Terrorism, Nuclear Weapons, Proliferation

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Iranian Nuclear Program after the National Intelligence Estimate

Philip H. Gordon, January 2008, Foresight (Japan)

Philip Gordon offers possible outcomes following a recent U.S. National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) that downplays the risk of the Iranian nuclear weapon ambitions.  He concludes that the findings will make it harder for the U.S. to gain support for sanctions against the program and that the NIE "will facilitate Iran’s potential development of a nuclear weapon in several ways."  Read More

Iran, Intelligence, Nuclear Weapons, Proliferation, Arms Control

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Geopolitics of Energy: From Security to Survival

Carlos Pascual, January 2008, The Brookings Institution

The Geopolitics of Energy: From Security to SurvivalSince the industrial revolution the geopolitics of energy – who supplies it, and securing reliable access to those supplies – have been a driving factor in global prosperity and security. Over the coming decades, energy politics will determine the survival of the planet. Read More

Energy Security, Climate Change, Russia, Nuclear Weapons, Proliferation

In Brief

At least nine nations are believed to have nuclear weapons – the United States, Russia, England, France, China, Pakistan, India, North Korea and Israel. Other nations may have nuclear weapons or are working towards them, most notably Iran. At the height of the Cold War in 1985, there were believed to be 65,000 nuclear weapons in the world. As a result of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and unilateral decisions by some countries, this number has been reduced to about 20,000.

Featured Experts

Ivo H. Daalder

Ivo H. Daalder

Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy
The Sydney Stein, Jr. Chair

Ivo Daalder, a former director for European Affairs on the National Security Council, is an expert on national security affairs, the use of force, nonproliferation and nuclear weapons, transatlantic relations and the policy-making process.
Read More

Daniel L. Byman

Daniel L. Byman

Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, Saban Center for Middle East Policy

Dan Byman focuses on counterterrorism and Middle East security. He also directs Georgetown University’s Center for Peace and Security Studies.
Read More

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Q&A with Strobe Talbott

Global Challenges for the Next U.S. President

"The Non-proliferation Treaty is coming apart in a way that could mean that we could have 15, 20 maybe as many as 30 countries with nuclear weapons in another decade. And that means you've got the potential not just for thermo-nuclear war but multiple thermo-nuclear wars..."

Watch the Video

Spotlight

ExpertRon Haskins

A former White House and congressional advisor on welfare issues, Ron Haskins co-directs the Brookings Center on Children and Families. He is an expert on preschool, foster care and poverty.

ProgramMetropolitan Policy Program

Redefining the challenges facing metropolitan America and promoting innovative solutions to help communities grow in more inclusive, competitive and sustainable ways.

ExpertIsabel V. Sawhill

A nationally known budget expert, Isabel Sawhill focuses on domestic poverty and federal fiscal policy. She is also co-director of the Center on Children and Families at Brookings.

Policy CenterEngelberg Center for Health Care Reform

The Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform provides practical solutions to achieve high-quality, innovative, affordable health care with particular emphasis on identifying opportunities on the national, state and local levels.

ExpertMartin S. Indyk

Ambassador to Israel and assistant secretary of state for near east affairs during the Clinton Administration, Martin Indyk directs the Saban Center for Middle East Policy. He currently focuses on the Clinton administration’s diplomacy and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

ExpertSuzanne Maloney

Suzanne Maloney studies Iran, the political economy of the Persian Gulf and Middle East energy policy. A former U.S. State Department policy advisor, she has also counseled private companies on Middle East issues.

Policy CenterSaban Center for Middle East Policy

The Saban Center conducts original research and develops innovative programs to promote a better understanding of the policy choices facing American decisionmakers in the Middle East.

Policy CenterJohn L. Thornton China Center

The John L. Thornton China Center develops analysis and policy recommendations to help address key long-term challenges, both in terms of U.S.-China relations and China's internal development.

ExpertLael Brainard

Lael Brainard is vice president and director of Global Economy and Development. She focuses on competitiveness, trade, international economics, U.S. foreign assistance and global poverty.

ProgramGlobal Economy and Development

Global Economy and Development advances research, dialogue, and innovative solutions to address the forces of globalization and the challenges of global poverty.

ExpertThomas Mann

A noted congressional scholar, Tom Mann writes and speaks widely on issues related to campaigns, elections and the effectiveness of Congress.

ProgramGovernance Studies

Governance Studies explores political institutions of the United States and other democracies to assess how they govern, how their practices compare, and how citizens and public servants can advance sound governance.

ExpertAlice M. Rivlin

Alice Rivlin, the first director of the Congressional Budget Office, is an expert on urban issues as well as fiscal, monetary and social policy. She directs the Greater Washington Research project.