New Nuclear Strategy Needed in Asia

Nuclear challenges in Asia - “Asia is home to four of the world’s nine nuclear-armed states, each of which is increasing the size and technological sophistication of its own nuclear arsenal. While much of the world’s attention is focused on efforts to halt the nuclear and missile tests of North Korea, the nuclear arsenals and ambitions of India, Pakistan, and China also pose significant dangers and deserve more attention,” write Greg Thielmann and David Logan in a brief for the Arms Control Association.

--“While Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal is designed to counter India’s conventional and nuclear forces, New Delhi measures its own nuclear weapons program against that of China. Beijing, in turn, judges the adequacy of its nuclear arsenal against the threat it perceives from the United States’ strategic offensive and defensive capabilities. And in its efforts to mitigate the ballistic missile threat from North Korea, the United States and its allies in the region are expanding their strategic and theater missile defense capabilities.” Full brief here. http://bit.ly/2azGlW7

Candidates should clarify Iran Deal plans - “Over the course of the presidential campaign, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have taken starkly different positions on the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between six world powers and Iran -‑ an agreement that verifiably blocked Tehran’s path to nuclear weapons for well over a decade and eliminated a major international security threat to the United States and our allies in the region ― but neither has explained how they would work with our allies to strengthen the agreement over the course of their term in office,” writes Kelsey Davenport for the Huffington Post.

--“Both presidential candidates have a responsibility to spell out how they plan to oversee the implementation of the nuclear agreement with Iran and strengthen it during their term in office. The latter could include extending key restrictions on Iran beyond the initial timeframe of the key nuclear restrictions mandated by the agreement.” Full article here. http://huff.to/2a65ciT

See also - “The myth of no foreign investment in post-sanctions Iran,” by Maysam Bizær for Al Monitor. http://bit.ly/2ag8U5C

Video - Watch 38 North co-founder Joel Wit discuss “Freezing North Korea’s Nuclear Program” at the Institute for Corean-American Studies Spring Symposium. http://bit.ly/2ag7BDO

Tweet - @NTI_WMD: Kudos @mikeallen for asking abt nuclear weapons & @JerryBrownGov for passionately outlining threat -@ 58:30 mark https://t.co/4SYTDWX8RV

The Heart of the U.S. nuclear arsenal - “The ad… reads: ‘20 miles west of Seattle is the largest concentration of deployed nuclear weapons in the U.S.’ Behind this text is a map, depicting the proximity of Seattle to Naval Base Kitsap, located on the eastern shore of Hood Canal. An estimated 1,344 nuclear warheads are contained in this complex, according to Hans Kristensen, Director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists. This is arguably the biggest single concentration of nuclear warheads not only in the U.S., but in the world,” writes Martha Baskin for Crosscut.

--“The economics of Naval Base Kitsap’s nuclear armory may be changing, as the U.S. Navy is currently proposing a new fleet of ballistic missile submarines… Representative Adam Smith, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, has questioned the nuclear spending currently being proposed. Smith joined 159 other members of the House of Representatives to support an amendment to the House Defense Appropriations bill, which would have slashed funding for a nuclear cruise missile.” Full piece here.http://bit.ly/2a20ofp

Tweet - @DarylGKimball: Updated @ArmsControlNow "Nuclear Weapons: Who Has What at a Glance" Fact Sheet http://bit.ly/2a74XR9

Quick Hits:

--“Panetta: Trump would be ‘an erratic finger on our nuclear weapons,’” by Susan Ferrechio for the Washington Examiner. http://washex.am/2acksch

--“The peace boat Golden Rule sails into a new era of nuclear activism,” by Dawn Stover for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. http://bit.ly/2adv2iq

--“Warning Bells Around Tactical Nuclear Weapons in Europe,” by Steve Andreasen, Simon Lunn and Isabelle Williams for the Nuclear Threat Initiative. http://bit.ly/29OIBbi

--“Wild Turkey with H-Bombs: Failed Coup Raise Calls for Denuclearization,” by John LaForge for Counterpunch. http://bit.ly/2axbs3u

--“Hiroshima Unhappy Atomic-Bomb Park Is 'Pokemon Go' Site,” by the AP. http://nyti.ms/2aMS1Bv

Events:

--“The Missile Defense Agency and the Color of Money,” with Lt. Gen. Trey Obering, former Missile Defense Agency director; Todd Harrison, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); and Thomas Karako, CSIS. July 29 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at CSIS, 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW, Washington. RSVP online. http://bit.ly/29SGdNj

--“Vincent Intondi, Montgomery College, book presentation on African Americans Against the Bomb. Aug. 2 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Potters House, 1658 Columbia Road NW, Washington. RSVP online. http://bit.ly/2a8DT4t

--"Bike Around the Bomb," by Global Zero. August 6 at 10:00 a.m. at Lafayette Square, Washington. http://bit.ly/29nDRaF

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