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 the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator, * $ 9.0 million for research into low-yield nuclear warheads, …
A European Perspective on Iran
by | 2004-11-23 | No Comments
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 and factors in the full spectrum of Iran’s intentions. Iran, seen from this vantage point, …
Overwhelming ABM systems: FOIA Can Be a Real Bitch
by | 2004-11-23 | No Comments
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 don’t think we really retaliated.” Oh really? The Soviet Union deployed ballistic missile defense systems …
Polyus Skif
by | 2004-11-22 | No Comments
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 Scientist that “A working particle beam is believed to have been on board the mysterious …
