Ploughshares Blog: Ctbt & Nuclear Testing

"It's not an exaggeration to say that much of the nuclear weapons policy for the planet will be decided right here in this state," David Culp, a non-proliferation lobbyist at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, told a Utah audience.  That's because ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) will probably need Senators Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett in order to pass; both opposed the treaty 1999. If the U.S. Read more »

“The second Senate debate on the test ban treaty pits an old way of thinking about nuclear war against today’s totally different threat,” writes Jessica Mathews of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Mathews argues that scientists have developed the technology needed to ensure reliability of nuclear weapons without testing.  She added that North Korea’s underground test in 2006 was detected instantly with available technology. “Giving u Read more »

"I think we can fundamentally change U.S. nuclear policy and in doing so, change the world. But it won’t be easy,” Ploughshares Fund's Joe Cirincione told the Washington Diplomat. “The next 12 months are absolutely crucial. Read more »

The world is in the midst of an unprecedented wave of negotiations aimed at saving global agreements to keep nuclear weapons in check. The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, currently gaining momentum worldwide, would be a serious step towards disarmament: no tests effectively means no new weapons. However, opponents fear that the treaty's verification network would not catch small nuclear tests. Last month, that network proved itself by spotting a test in North Korea. Partly as a result, "I think the U.S. Read more »