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Joe Cirincione's Blog Posts

Joseph Cirincione is President of Ploughshares Fund, a global security foundation. He is the author of Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons and Deadly Arsenals: Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Threats. He is a member of Secretary of State John Kerry's International Security Advisory Board and the Council on Foreign Relations.
A Senate Summer Reading List
After setting September 15 as the date for a Senate Foreign Relations Committee vote on the New START nuclear reductions agreement with Russia, Chairman John Kerry wrote in a letter to his colleagues. “The coming six weeks,” Kerry said, “will provide members ample opportunity to review the materials related to New START.” It’s not To Kill a Mockingbird, but here are the top five items that should be on each Senator’s reading list to prepare for a floor vote after August recess. Read more »
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Posted by Joe Cirincione on August 6, 2010
Partisan Obstructionism Threatens National Security
Partisan politics claimed a new victim yesterday when GOP lawmakers forced the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to delay a critical national security vote until September. Every day the Senate fails to ratify the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) is another day without U.S. inspections of Russia's nuclear arsenal. Read more »
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Posted by Joe Cirincione on August 3, 2010
Nuclear Stars Align for New START
Nine of the ten former and current commanders of America's nuclear forces have now told the Senate that it is time to approve a new arms pact with Russia. Will the Senators listen to our top military leaders? Read more »
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Posted by Joe Cirincione on July 29, 2010
New Consensus on American Security
In a hopeful sign of growing bipartisan support for nuclear reductions, former military commanders and national security officials announced their support today for quick approval of the New START treaty. Admiral William Owens, former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he is "totally convinced the provisions of New START are in the best interests of our country." He urged the Senate to "take the bipartisan approach, pass the treaty and show the world the leadership they expect from the United States." Read more »
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Posted by Joe Cirincione on July 19, 2010
Nuclear Weapons, United States
START Now
Right now, a crucial battle is being waged in the U.S. Capitol. Senators are considering the New START treaty, an agreement between America and Russia to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in our two countries. The Senate must act quickly to ratify this agreement, and you must act, too.  Read more »
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Posted by Joe Cirincione on July 16, 2010
Nuclear Weapons, United States
Romney's Worst Foreign Policy Mistake
Mitt Romney this week ignored our top military leaders, deepened the split in GOP ranks, made profound factual blunders rivaling Michael Steele's and turned his back on Ronald Reagan's legacy. So why don't you know about this? Read more »
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Posted by Joe Cirincione on July 12, 2010
U.S. Nuclear Policy, United States
How Iran Can Build a Bomb
By Joseph Cirincione and Elise Connor Today, U.S. President Barack Obama signs into law the next round of unilateral sanctions taking aim at Iran's energy sector. With this bill, Washington is seeking to stem what many view as Tehran's imminent nuclear future. But how imminent is that future, exactly? Read more »
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Posted by Joe Cirincione on July 2, 2010
Nuclear States, Nuclear Weapons, Intelligence, Nuclear Materials, Iran
A Strong Majority for New START
The New START treaty has passed its tipping point. The majority of living former secretaries of state, secretaries of defense, and national security advisors are now on record that New START strengthens U.S. national security. That is 13 out of 24. None has opposed the treaty. It is time for the Senate to approve this new security agreement. Read more »
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Posted by Joe Cirincione on June 29, 2010
The Nuclear Pivot: Change and Continuity in American Nuclear Policy
The current US government inherited a complex strategic landscape that included weak American commitment to arms control. Following a flurry of agreements and reviews, the Obama administration’s nuclear posture now pivots on its declared pledge to the permanent reduction and eventual elimination of nuclear weapons. Taking on critics of the new policy, Joseph Cirincione and Alexandra Bell argue that, though there is a long way to go, this is the moment nuclear disarmament has been waiting for. Read more »
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Posted by Joe Cirincione on June 23, 2010
Why I Think We Can Eliminate Nuclear Weapons
When I moved to Takoma Park with my wife, Priscilla, and daughter, Amy, 29 years ago, it was already a Nuclear-Free Zone.  I have been working on nuclear weapons issues ever since and for the first time in my professional career that local stand has a realistic chance of becoming national and global policy. Read more »
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Posted by Joe Cirincione on June 14, 2010
Nuclear Zero