Arms Control Wonk

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Life Imitates Art: Another Missile Defense Test Failure

In the popular television program Sex and the City, Trey MacDougal, the husband of a principal character, has a little problem, um, performing under pressure. The Missile Defense Agency’s own Trey, Henry “Trey” Obering III, seems to be having a…

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More on North Korea, Pakistan, Uranium

Jon Wolfstahl has an analysis of recent reports indicating that North Korea shipped UF6 to Libya. He covers a lot of the same issues that I did here, but includes a sentence which speaks to an important question: how can…

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North Korean Ballistic Missiles

The Detroit Free-Press has a helpful FAQ on Iran and North Korea with one significant factual error: Q: Is the United States threatened by a North Korean weapon? A: Yes. North Korea has missiles that could hit Alaska and Hawaii.…

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National Security Presidential Directives

The National Security Presidential Directive process is essential to making and implementing foreign policy. Every Administration since the National Security Act of 1947 has made extensive use of such documents to coordinate and implement policy directives, as is evident for…

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480 Nuclear Weapons in Europe

Gravity Bombs of a different design, (c), Shambroom. Hans Kristensen concludes that the United States keeps 480 nuclear weapons at air bases in Europe, about twice the previous estimate of outside analysts (including Hans himself). The smoking gun is Presidential…

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Gertz and Xiong: A Love Torn Asunder

China’s Central Military Commission Xiong Guangkai Ain’t On It … A little low hanging fruit this morning. Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough report: Pentagon officials said Chinese Deputy Chief of Staff Gen. Xiong Guangkai is retiring. Gen. Xiong … is…

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North Korea Claims to have Nuclear Weapons

The North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement to the Korean Central News Agency declaring North Korea’s nuclear status: We had already taken the resolute action of pulling out of the NPT and have manufactured nukes for self-defence…

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Bush Slashes CTBTO Contribution (Dumb Austerity Measure 1)

The CTBTO offices in Vienna. The Bush Administration has hacked 25 percent from its budget request for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), reports David Ruppe over at Global Security Newswire. The Bush Administration’s FY 2006 Budget Request…

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President's FY 2006 Defense Budget Request

Wonky readers will, no doubt, be pouring over the President’s FY 2006 Defense Budget Request released on Monday. The Summary Justification Materials (R1s, P1s, etc.) are available on Defenselink (left). The Detailed Justication Materials (R2s) will be available in a…