Pound Foolish: Congress to Cut Nonproliferation Funds by 17%

Axing nonpro, hiking weapons - “The pending federal funding bill would cut by 17 percent the nation’s spending to combat the proliferation of nuclear materials to terrorists and criminals, even though experts consider that among the greatest threats mankind faces.”

--At the same time, the legislation “manages to support a 5 percent increase in spending on U.S. atomic weapons, amid a growing debate about whether increasing investments in such systems is justified a quarter century after the Cold War.” Full story by John Donnelly for CQ Roll Call. (paywall) http://bit.ly/1un4EEW

Nukes in the cromnibus - Nuclear weapons spending in fiscal year 2015 omnibus spending bill includes full funding for Navy’s Ohio-class replacement submarine, full funding for Air Force’s Long Range Strike Bomber, $50 million to improve ground-based mid-course missile defense.

--The bill also provides $8.2 billion for nuclear weapons activities at the Department of Energy, $387 million more than requested. Analysis by the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation here. http://bit.ly/1yDzzhK

Russia and the INF - The U.S. is considering economic and other steps against Russia for violating the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, said Under Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller on Wednesday. Speaking before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, she said, “We are reviewing a series of diplomatic, economic and military measures to protect the interests of the United States and our allies and encourage Russia to uphold its nuclear arms control commitments.”

--According to Gottemoeller, the U.S. is continuing to have diplomatic discussions with Russian officials with the hope that Moscow will return to compliance, “actively reviewing potential economic measures in response to Russia's violations…[and] assessing options in the military sphere to ensure that Russia would not gain a significant military advantage from its violation of the INF Treaty." Deb Riechmann has the full story for the Associated Press. http://bit.ly/1yBYWjS

Understanding the JPOA - Claims that Iran is violating the interim agreement, “distorts the purpose and substance of the JPOA while more broadly misinterpreting what diplomacy can and cannot achieve,” writes Jofi Joseph in The National Interest.

--“For the first time in a decade, the JPOA has imposed genuine constraints on Iran’s ability to advance its enrichment program...That is an accomplishment worth applauding and building upon in the coming months.” Read full column, including explanations of key JPOA requirements, here. http://bit.ly/13c31Dx

Deputy minister talks - Iran and the P5+1 will hold the next round of talks at deputy political director level, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Press TV reports. http://bit.ly/12yB2gl

IAEA funding - “Several states said they would back the U.N. atomic agency on Thursday after it asked for $5.7 million as soon as possible to pay for its monitoring of an extended nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.” Full report by Fredrik Dahl for Reuters. http://reut.rs/1wjEtCk

Tweet - @KelseyDav: At #IAEA meeting US announces intent to provide additional extra-budgetary contributions to fund monitoring of the #IranDeal. Good

Non-nuclear Ukraine - After Russia’s recent actions in eastern Ukraine, many are doubting the 1994 Budapest Memorandum under which Ukraine gave up a large arsenal of nuclear weapons. “It must be made clear to Ukrainians and their supporters everywhere: Nuclear weapons make no sense for Ukraine's future,” writes Steven Andreasen in the Los Angeles Times.

--Though Russian aggression has turned Ukrainian opinion against the Budapest Memorandum, to say nuclear weapons would protect Ukraine, “is to perpetuate myths regarding nuclear weapons and Ukrainian security in 1994 and today.” Full column here. http://lat.ms/1yCEG6Y

Iran’s budgets - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani presented his budget bill for the coming fiscal year. As Bijan Khajehpour reports for Al-Monitor, “Despite a major decline in oil export revenues, the Iranian government could achieve its goal of producing a balanced budget as long as it remains disciplined and manages to cut costs in general expenditure.”

--“However, if oil prices continue to fall or if the nuclear negotiations do not produce a positive outcome, it is conceivable that the government would face a budget deficit, compelling it to increase its borrowing, leading to inflationary pressures.” Full analysis here. http://bit.ly/1zTUD5Y

North Korea’s nukes - “North Korea is likely to have 20 nuclear warheads by 2016 and can be expected to carry out a number of new test detonations as it seeks to miniaturise the devices.” This assessment comes from Siegfried Hecker, the former director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and appears to be corroborated by Chinese assessments. Full story by Julian Ryall in The Telegraph. http://bit.ly/1yUP8FC

Tweet - ChathamHouse: #Nuclear weapons are back on the agenda with N Korean belligerence, Iran talks, and crisis with Russia. @HeatherWilly http://cht.hm/1uoMkKy

Quick Hit:

--“MOX funding level hinges on appropriators,” by Derrek Asberry for the Aiken Standard, of Aiken South Carolina. http://bit.ly/1AjO8Jo

Events:

--"Did the Nuclear Negotiations Include Iran's Ballistic Missiles?" Featuring Michael Elleman. Friday December 12 from 2:00p.m.-3:00 p.m. Located at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, 2121 K St, NW, Washington DC. RSVP online. http://bit.ly/12AAjft

--“Commission to Review the Effectiveness of the National Energy Laboratories,” public meeting on December 15 at the Institute for Defense Analyses. Located at 4850 Mark Center Drive, Room 1301, Alexandria, VA. RSVP by 5:00 p.m. on Dec. 10 to Karen Gibson by email at crenel@hq.doe.gov.

--“Breaking the Stalemate in U.S.-South Korea Nuclear Cooperation Negotiations,” featuring Scott Snyder. From noon-1:30 p.m. on December 17 at the Global America Business Institute. Located at 1001 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 435, Washington. RSVP to Christina Sookyung Jung by email at csjung@thegabi.com.

Dessert:

POWs in Hiroshima - “Every weekend for more than 20 years, Shigeaki Mori sat in the hallway of his compact two-story home making calls to people in the United States, asking, ‘Do you have a family member who died as a prisoner of war in Japan?’”

--Himself an atomic bomb survivor, Mori “was searching for the families of 12 American POWs who died on Aug. 6, 1945, when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.” This story of compassion comes via Thin Lei Win of Reuters. http://reut.rs/1yDAFde