Avatar photoIs North Korea Pursuing Boosted Bombs?

Maybe. Over at 38 North, I have a post up about North Korea’s boast that its scientists “succeeded in nuclear fusion reaction” and what that might mean for its stockpile of nuclear weapons: A boosted weapon requires tritium (or, in the case of the “layer cake,” lithium-6 deuteride) which has a half-life of only 12.4 …

Avatar photoSATANAC

We have official word about Bob Einhorn’s new role at State — he is the U.S. Coordinator for Iran and North Korea Sanctions. That acronym works out to CINKS (as in, throwing everything at them, including the Kitchen CINK), but the striped pants wags around Foggy Bottom have done one better. Einhorn is currently the …

Avatar photoNuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy

In a workshop in Islamabad today, one of the Pakistani presenters quoted from Henry Kissinger’s Big Splash on nuclear issues, Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy. This book was first published in 1957. It carried the imprimatur of the Council on Foreign Relations, which convened a study group on these matters. The study group, chaired by …

Avatar photoIll-Fated KSLV 1

This morning’s news reports indicate that, once again, South Korea has failed to put a satellite into orbit. Some might wonder why we discuss this issue on ACW. However, it makes a very interesting case study for how countries acquire missile technology. And failures are much more interesting that successes! Stay tuned! UPDATE (6:13 PM …