Money is the mother’s milk of politics; motivation is the mother’s milk of the politics of treaty ratification. Arms control battles in the United States tend to be uneven fights — and not just because skeptics need only 34 votes to quash a treaty in the Senate. The “arms control lobby” has not been known …
The Cooling Tower
by | 2010-10-16 | No Comments
I have a commentary over at 38 North about the political symbolism of North Korea’s construction/excavation activities near the ruins of the Yongbyon reactor’s cooling tower: What is clear is the political symbolism of the site itself. The Six Party Process, at least as we knew it, is dead and buried. The trucks and other …
Test Ban Wonkery: Streaming Live
by | 2010-10-14 | 1 Comment
Many years ago, I managed to convince VERTIC’s then Executive Director, Michael Crowley, to send me on a two day trip to Vienna just to meet with our friends at the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization. During those days, the treaty’s verification regime was still half built, and the building was buzzing with activity. …
North Korean-Iranian Cooperation
by | 2010-10-13 | 17 Comments
Earlier this week, the appearance of an Iranian-style nosecone on a North Korean missile raised eyebrows all over the wonk-o-sphere. That the two countries cooperate in missile development is not exactly new news, but the images from Kim Il Sung Square gave eloquent testimony to this relationship. But just how far does the technical collaboration …
