UN to Vote on Nuclear Weapons Ban

Nuclear-armed states resist ban - “For all the divisions among world powers, one concern unites Russia and the U.S., India and Pakistan, North Korea and Israel at the United Nations: Keeping their nuclear weapons,” writes Kambiz Foroohar for Bloomberg. “Those nuclear-armed states and the three others -- China, France and the U.K. -- are working to head off a resolution calling for a global conference to establish a binding ‘legal process’ to ban the manufacture, possession, stockpiling and use of the weapons.”

--“After international efforts to ban the use of biological and chemical weapons, land mines and cluster bombs, arms control advocates say it’s time to deal with nuclear bombs as the remaining weapons of mass destruction that aren’t prohibited...The U.S. plans to vote ‘no’ on the resolution and would refuse to participate in the negotiations over a nuclear ban if it passes, Robert Wood, the U.S. special representative to the UN’s Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament, said.” Full article here. http://bloom.bg/2eySuuY

The ban in context - “Today is going to be another historic vote,” said Ploughshares Fund President Joe Cirincione of the UN resolution on the nuclear weapons ban. “All indications are the United Nations for the first time in its seventy-one year history is going to vote to start negotiations on a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. Not just encourage reductions. Not just a non-proliferation treaty which has been its major contribution so far, a very effective treaty. But to actually ban nuclear weapons, just the way we banned chemical weapons and banned biological weapons.”

--For the full breakdown of the ban resolution process and UN debate, check out Joe’s interview on The Bill Press Show. http://bit.ly/2ef1e6j

Cut nukes, save billions - The Obama administration’s plan to spend $1 trillion maintaining and building new nuclear weapons “will impose an increasing burden on the defense budget, making it difficult to maintain our conventional military superiority – the real guarantee of U.S. security,” writes Barry Blechman in the New York Times.

--“The next president should cut back nuclear modernization plans and use those funds to ensure that our more important conventional forces maintain their technological and quantitative superiority over all potential foes.” Blechman’s recommendations for smart nuclear budget cuts include reducing the number of new nuclear subs from twelve to ten, reducing the force of land-based missiles and delaying the ICBM replacement, canceling the new nuclear cruise missile, and removing U.S. tactical nuclear bombs from Europe. Full piece here. http://nyti.ms/2eRzBQO

See also - “We Should Be Strategic About How the Nuclear Arsenal Is Modernized,” by Rachel Bronson for The New York Times. http://nyti.ms/2eVKrVR

2017 Strategy for Russia - “Arms control can make a significant contribution to U.S. national security and is more important when relations are adversarial than when they are working well,” writes Steven Pifer for Brookings. “The next administration should prepare a position in case Moscow decides to reengage. It should seek a negotiation on further nuclear arms reductions that would include all U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons while also indicating that it is prepared to address the related issues raised by the Russians.”

--“Even if the Russian government was not, at least not immediately, prepared to engage, a stated U.S. readiness to pursue a negotiation aimed at a 50 percent reduction in total U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons could serve as a powerful sign of American commitment to reduce the nuclear danger. That may prove useful if, or as, international pressure for more progress on nuclear disarmament builds.” Full piece here. http://brook.gs/2eVnToo

Tweet - @plough_shares: Nuclear security game #EpicOrphan is on its 7th day on Kickstarter! Join the quest against #NuclearWeapons today! http://bit.ly/EpicOrphan

Mixed messages from North Korea - “North Korea appears unwilling to hold formal talks with the U.S. on its nuclear program anytime soon, said a former American official who met senior Pyongyang diplomats [for unofficial talks] in Malaysia last week,” writes Sam Kim for Bloomberg.

--“Getting them to denuclearize would be difficult, given where they are with their nuclear weapons,” the former official added, “But their seeming concern about their security and sanctions that are biting might motivate them to revisit the September 2005 Joint Statement.” Full story here. http://bloom.bg/2eUaIFs

Clapper on North Korea - “Getting North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program has long been the holy grail of multilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang. So, now that the U.S. intelligence director [James Clapper] has publicly stated that he thinks it’s probably a ‘lost cause,’ how are North Korea’s neighbors responding?” writes Eric Talmadge for The Associated Press. For further insight on South Korea, Japan, and China’s reactions to North Korean nuclear program, read the full story here. http://wapo.st/2fjboab

Defense budget update - The Ohio Replacement SSBN submarine “will come to almost a screeching halt” if Congress extends current spending levels rather than passing a new budget bill, according to Vice Admiral Joseph Mulloy, the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations. The current defense bill expires on December 9.

--One solution to the Navy’s budget crisis, budget analysts note, would be to buy fewer nuclear-armed submarines, saving billions of dollars. Full article here. http://bit.ly/2eK5H4o

Tweet - @Livableworld: The U.S. could spend money on all of this instead of #TrillionDollarNukes via @FLIxrisk. http://bit.ly/2d6mX2l

Quick Hits:

--“Checks and Balances: Thermal Imagery Analysis of Yongbyon,” by Andy Dinville and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. for 38 North. http://bit.ly/2eQf6pd

--“Obama’s Nobel-winning vision of ‘world without nuclear weapons’ is still distant,” by Makoto Takahashi for The Conversation. http://bit.ly/2ezkdLW

--“Elections, Fear of the Bomb, and the Great Unraveling,” by Michael Krepon for Arms Control Wonk. http://bit.ly/2eQiYXu

--“In the nuclear order, what role for China?” by Hua Han and Rajesh Rajagopalan for Bulletin for the Atomic Scientists. http://bit.ly/2eVwBmu

--“UK nukes: Why the world is asking Britain to disarm,” by Kjolv Egeland for New Internationalist. http://bit.ly/2e0Ag4V

Events:

--“Report Release: New Data on the Iran Nuclear Deal” with a panel discussion on October 27 at 1:30pm. Event hosted by Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans at National Press Club, 13th Floor, Murrow Room, Washington, DC. 200045. RSVP to morad@paaia.org. https://goo.gl/Z4iGwa

--“A Peninsula Divided: North Korea And Security In East Asia” a discussion featuring The Honorable Jane Harman, Dr. David Kang, and Dr. James Person, co-hosted by the Pacific Council and the Wilson Center on October 28 at 8:30am at The California Club, Los Angeles, CA. http://bit.ly/2eKeEuL