In a stunning trans-Atlantic announcement on December 19, 2003, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Bush said Libya had agreed, after nine months of secret talks, to publicly disclose and dismantle all nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs; to limit its missiles to a range of less than 300 km; and to open the country immediately to comprehensive inspections to verify its compliance. Read more »
As a free Egypt transforms itself, analysts are nervously watching for signs of new nuclear ambitions. Concern revolves around three issues: Read more »
Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) garnered the highest number of votes in an online poll to determine the "2009 Arms Control Person of the Year." Lugar was nominated for "his long-running support for U.S. Read more »
Arms Control Today, published by the Ploughshares-funded Arms Control Association, inaugurates its new digital edition, with full-color graphics and photos, available for free until the end of 2009. Click here to read Tom Z. Read more »
Amid all of the concern about North Korea's nuclear program, experts at the Ploughshares-funded International Crisis Group warn that Korea’s stockpile of chemical weapons poses another serious threat. In a recent report, Crisis Group estimated that the North is believed to have between 2,500 and 5,000 tons of chemical weapons, including mustard gas, blood agents and sarin. They can be delivered with ballistic missiles and long-range artillery. Crisis Group called on the U.S. Read more »
A new facility to destroy Russian chemical weapons will officially open on May 29, 2009. The joint U.S.-Russian project to eradicate the chemical weapons site in the Siberian city of Shchuchye, first proposed in 1996, has been repeatedly delayed. Paul F. Walker of the Ploughshares-funded Global Green USA commented, “This is one of the most historic steps forward ever in nonproliferation. One of the most dangerous chemical weapons arsenals in the world is finally getting demilitarized. Read more »
The U.S. Defense Department is seeking $550.4 million in 2010 to prepare sites in Kentucky and Colorado for chemical weapons disposal operations. The Pentagon had earlier indicated it would request $300.4 million but the agency reportedly plans to expedite demilitarization operations by increasing funding by $1.2 billion through 2015. Read more »
Interviewed in Politico, former Vice President Cheney warned of a “high probability” of an attempted nuclear or biological attack as a consequence of closing Guantanamo and reversing other Bush-era policies. Joe Cirincione argued instead that “Bush-Cheney policies increased this threat, while efforts to prevent [terrorists] from getting nuclear weapons withered from lack of funding.” Brian Finlay of the Stimson Center agreed, noting that under Bush, U.S. Read more »
"I admire the leading role Ploughshares Fund plays in catalyzing initiatives to prevent nuclear terrorism [and] stop the development of new nuclear weapons."
- Michael Douglas
"Ploughshares became a leader in its field by building a smart staff, establishing a distinguished board of advisors, and consulting widely and wisely.” - Paul Brest and Hal Harvey
"This is the moment when we have to move forward and all of us come together to reduce the number of nuclear weapons and eliminate them from the face of the earth."
- General Colin Powell
There are currently 17,300 nuclear weapons in the world across nine countries. Ploughshares Fund is working to reduce and eliminate these stockpiles.
"If you're looking to get a lot of efficacy for your dollar, I think Ploughshares Fund is a very effective way of making the world a safer place." - Brooks Walker, III
