Looking ahead to a New START

 Dead Hand, START and Strategy Stability - Arms Control Wonk [link]

• This a post on why the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) is important to US national security, but it is also in some sense an elegy to the dwindling number of moderate Republicans who played such an important role in setting US nuclear weapons and arms control policy.
• The Administration seeks a New START agreement for the same reason that a McCain Administration would have: because it is in our interest, for at least two reasons:

1. A new START is important to drive the Russians toward a more stabilizing strategic posture that does not depend heavily on MIRV’ed ICBMs, and

2. A new START is essential to our ability to monitor Russian nuclear weapons programs.

Albright: Iran's Nuclear Shift Shows Obama's Policy is Working - Christian Science Monitor [link]

• I think any progress has to be attributed to Obama's overall strategy. The speech he gave recently to the General Assembly at the UN established an important context. He called for global cooperation on a variety of issues – including Iran – and said if you don't like American unilateralism you have to help.
• Then, when he chaired the Security Council, he gathered a consensus on nonproliferation and for a push back against Iran.

Struggle Looms to Build on Iranian Nuclear Deals - Reuters [link]

• UN inspectors about to descend on a hitherto secret Iranian nuclear site may score a small victory for non-proliferation, but face a long, hard struggle to achieve full transparency in Tehran's atomic ambitions.
• "We hope Iran strikes a new, forthcoming posture. But we're prepared for it not to. Given Iran's years of foot-dragging, obfuscation and just plain deception, it would be naive to expect smooth sailing ahead," said a senior Western diplomat. "This will be a long, hard slog."

U.S. Envoy to Visit Asia to Discuss North Korea, Asia Security - AFP [link]

• Senior US diplomat Kurt Campbell will visit Tokyo and Beijing next week to discuss North Korea's nuclear weapons programs and other Asian security issues, State Department officials said Wednesday.
• "The main purpose (for Campbell's trip) is just to talk about regional security issues... Top of that will be North Korea," said a State Department official who asked not to be named.