Call for U.S. Leadership on Arms Control: Scowcroft, Nye, Burns, & Talbott Weigh In.

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October 13, 2009

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Stories we're following today:

US, Russia Must Lead on Arms Control - Scowcroft, Nye, Burns, & Talbott in Politico [link]

  • The new strategic arms treaty, which is still a work in progress, and CTBT have already aroused expressions of skepticism or outright opposition from key legislators and opinion makers. Ratifying both will be to the international advantage of the United States.
  • Averting [a collapse of the nonproliferation regime] will require multiple, coordinated and sustained efforts for many years to come, but ratification of a new U.S.-Russia arms reduction treaty in 2010 and engagement in the Senate on CTBT will help.

Russia Resists U.S. Position on Sanctions for Iran - New York Times [link]

  • The minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, said after meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton here that diplomacy should be given a chance to work.
  • Though Mrs. Clinton stressed the importance of diplomacy, too, she reiterated the administration’s view that it must be backed up by a credible threat of sanctions to keep the Iranians from dragging their feet.

Will Japan Go Nuclear? - Joe Cirincione in the Huffington Post [link]

  • Japan again looms large in U.S. nuclear policy. Some officials--including some writing the Nuclear Posture Review--believe oft repeated stories of deep Japanese concern over U.S. reductions.
  • Japan must correct this record… If they do not, we may lose the chance we now have to put the United States and Russia firmly on the path to deep reductions and eventual elimination of nuclear weapons.

Pakistan: The Next Nuclear Nightmare? - Bruce Riedel in The Daily Beast [link]

  • If the Taliban can get into army headquarters, where else might it strike next?

U.S. Tack Remains After Missile Tests - Politico [link]

  • North Korea’s test-firing of five short-range missiles Monday won’t stop efforts by the U.S. and its allies to restrain the secretive Communist state’s nuclear program, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.

The Lighter Side

Large Insect Crashes Air Force Missile Truck - Gizmodo [link]

  • According to the USAF, the driver lost control of the truck because a "large insect" landed on the driver's back. The truck was hauling Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile parts from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota.