Arms Control Wonk

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Paris Negotiations Update 15: What are 20 Centrifuges Among Friends?

“Deal Imperiled as Iran Hesitates” (Washington Post) “Iranians Refuse to Terminate Nuclear Plans” (New York Times) “Iran: Nuclear resolution unacceptable” (CNN) “Iran says European position at nuclear talks still unacceptable” (AFP) “Diplomats Say Iran Uranium Deal Salvaged” (AP) “EU Stands…

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Tracking the Dragon: Unneccessary Redactions

I’ve now had an opportunity to spend considerable time looking at the declassified documents in Tracking the Dragon: Selected National Intelligence Estimates on China, 1948-1976. Despite my initial reaction that the release was a real goldmine, I can’t help but…

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Pakistan Aided Iran With Centrifuge Technology

You may have noticed that the New York Times ran a story entitled “C.I.A. Says Pakistanis Gave Iran Nuclear Aid” that led: A new report from the Central Intelligence Agency says the arms trafficking network led by the Pakistani scientist…

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Paris Negotiations Update 14: Latest Iran Fix

Both Washington and Tehran are both balking at the EU’s draft IAEA resoution. The resolution hints that the IAEA will refer Iran to the Security Council if it resumes uranium enrichment. That goes too far for Tehran and not far…

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Controversial Nuclear Programs Axed

In June, ArmsControlWonk.com reported that Representative David Hobson (R-OH), chairman of the House Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee, had eliminated almost $100 million worth of nuclear weapons related spending in the FY 2005 Appropriations Bill including: * $27.6 million for…

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A European Perspective on Iran

Peter Beaumont, writing in the British paper The Observer, captures my feelings about the role of domestic politics in Iran perfectly. The European view, which has sought to negotiate a uranium enrichment freeze rather than confront Tehran, is more subtle…

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Overwhelming ABM systems: FOIA Can Be a Real Bitch

In March 1969, Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird was asked “Did the deployment by the Russians of their antiballistic missile system around Moscow and Leningrad encourage us to negotiate or didn’t it encourage us to retaliate …” Laird replied, “I…

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Polyus Skif

Slashdot notes the recent publication of images of Polyus-Skif—a Soviet satellite unsuccessfully launched in May 1987 Polyus-Skif is an object of interest because some space hawks claim it was a space-weapon. Typical is Jim Oberg, who wrote in the New…

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"Is Iran set on building a nuclear bomb?"

The answer to that question determines whether or not one supports the Iran-EU3 deal. NPR asked Matt Bunn that very question this morning. (You can listen to they story, “Iran Agrees to Halt Uranium Enrichment, here and Matt’s answer at…