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South Asia

If a regional nuclear war were to break out anywhere, most experts think that it is most likely to happen in India and Pakistan. Such a conflict would have dire consequences in loss of life, food insecurity and direct deaths from the bombs themselves. Following is analysis and opinion from Ploughshares Fund staff, grantees and guests on the ongoing struggle to deal with nuclear weapons in South Asia.
Reclaiming PATA in Pakistan
Within Pakistan, extremism threatens the stability of the country and the security of their nuclear weapons. The Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) remain particularly volatile. Crisis Group, a Ploughshares Fund grantee, recently released a report, Pakistan: Countering Militancy in PATA, outlining a series of reforms national and provincial leaders can take to curb extremism and reclaim political space ceded to the military. Read more »
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Posted by Jessica Sleight on February 26, 2013
South Asia, Conflict Prevention, Pakistan
Syria’s Chemical Weapons – Foreshadowing a Nuclear Scenario?
With the real possibility of Syria’s use of chemical weapons and the security of their stockpiles in question, the comparison to a nuclear scenario is not hard to imagine. Read more »
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Posted by Jessica Sleight on December 18, 2012
South Asia, North Korea, chemical weapons, Nuclear Weapons, Nuclear Zero, Syria
The $640 Billion Question
On the radar: Cold War spending vs. 21st century realities; President sees window for diplomatic solution; What to expect from the IAEA report; French nuclear spending; Deterrence in S. Asia; and Talking past China. Read more »
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Posted on November 15, 2012
Under the Radar: Nuclear Expansion in South Asia
As the threat of a nuclear Iran dominates the nonproliferation arena, India and Pakistan are quietly, but significantly, expanding their nuclear weapons arsenals. A new report released this month on India’s nuclear forces by Hans M. Kristensen and Robert S. Norris in the Ploughshares-supported Bulletin of Atomic Scientists underscored the fast pace of India’s nuclear modernization. Read more »
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Posted by Leah Fae Cochran on August 13, 2012
South Asia, nonproliferation, Nuclear disarmament, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, India, Nuclear Forces, Pakistan
A billion people at risk?
The following is a guest post from Ashish Sinha, Program Manager at Physicians for Social Responsibility. In recent weeks, nuclear-capable missile tests by North Korea, India, and Pakistan have reminded all of us why national security experts continue to feel South Asia and the Korean Peninsula represent among the highest risks to international peace and stability. Read more »
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Posted by admin on May 8, 2012
South Asia, North Korea, Nuclear disarmament, Ashish Sinha, India, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Ira Helfand, Nuclear Famine, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Partners, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Report, Russia, Pakistan
Moving Forward in South Asia
Three weeks ago, deadly bombings in Mumbai took 24 lives. With anger and suspicion high, India vowed to find the terrorists responsible. Any chance for diplomacy with Pakistan, their historically unwelcome neighbor, seemed diminished. Yet not even a month later, the Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers found themselves face to face across a table. Read more »
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Posted by Megan Murphy on August 2, 2011
South Asia, Conflict Prevention, India,Pakistan & Afghanistan
Improving Nuclear Confidence Between India and Pakistan
The largely positive recent meeting between Pakistan and India’s foreign ministers marks an uptick in bilateral relations, but the two countries still have a long way to go. Read more »
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Posted by Rizwan Ladha on July 29, 2011
South Asia, Nuclear States, Conflict Prevention, India, Nuclear Weapons, Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Proliferation, Nuclear Materials, Pakistan, Conflict & Regional Security
Time For a New Conversation With Pakistan
Pakistan often makes rhetorical statements that are contradictory to its actions – which is not the way to make long-term, sustainable progress on the security issues of most concern to Pakistan, its neighbors and its partners. The problem is that the rest of us are not doing enough to put an end to that duplicity. It’s time to change course. Read more »
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Posted by Rizwan Ladha on July 12, 2011
South Asia, Conflict Prevention, Nuclear Weapons, U.S. Foreign Policy, Nuclear Terrorism, Conflict & Regional Security, United States
An Insecure and Reluctant Partner
The Obama administration is preparing to implement the first phase of its military drawdown in Afghanistan at a time when nuclear security inside Pakistan is at its most tenuous. That already delicate situation has only become more fragile in the weeks following the killing of Osama bin Laden in May of this year. Read more »
Posted by Rizwan Ladha on June 24, 2011
South Asia, India,Pakistan & Afghanistan, Nuclear Weapons, U.S. Foreign Policy, Nuclear Terrorism, Conflict & Regional Security, United States
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Understanding Pakistan
Whether you are concerned with success in Afghanistan, preventing nuclear terrorism, or any other host of global security issues, the link between the stability of Pakistan and the security of the world is very clear. To better understand this region of the world the Council on Foreign Relations recently released “Crisis Guide: Pakistan” -- an interactive, beautifully edited, and authoritative analysis of the current state of affairs in South Asia. Read more »
Posted by Reid Pauly on October 13, 2010
South Asia, Nuclear States, Conflict Prevention, Nuclear Weapons, Proliferation