Iran’s recent successful launch of a second satellite into orbit has drawn considerable attention around the world. As in the past, Iran’s announcement of the launch of its domestically built satellite into space received mixed reactions in the West. Some mainstream U.S. media treated the announcement with skepticism and ridicule. “Before you cancel that European vacation or start building a bomb shelter, it’s worth taking Iran’s boasts with a grain of salt,” one commentator wrotein Wired. “While Iran has cooked up some indigenous weaponry over the years, its desire to puff out its chest and pronounce immunity from the effects of international sanctions has led to some absurd exaggerations and outright lies.”
Other Obstacles to Disarmament Exist Besides States Holding on to Nukes
There are other obstacles to nuclear disarmament than how anal states are about the number of nuclear weapons they have.
Should the Arms Control Community Back Off Missile Defense?
It’s counterproductive to pose defense as more of a threat than offense.
Where Does the Administration Get Off Calling Missile Defense “Proven”?
Calling missile defense “proven” is not only a disingenuous move by the Obama administration, but a dangerous one.
The Death of Deterrence, Part 55
Maybe not as much fun to speculate about as the DYI garage shop cruise missile, but a potential game changer.
Averting Civil War in Thailand
As an individual concerned with events in Thailand, I am not sure if a plague-on-both-your-houses stance toward the Red Shirts (who support ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra) and the Yellow Shirts (who oppose him) is enough.
Russian Threats, American Missiles, and Bulgaria’s Choice
President Barack Obama decided to cancel the plans for missile defense based in the Czech Republic and Poland this past October. Washington has since worked on an alternative that Obama calls a “stronger, smarter and swifter defense” that “best responds to the threats we face.” The new system is built around sea-and-land-based SM-3 missile interceptors.
Postcard from…Kwajalein
A New Cold War?
Military alliances are always sold as things that produce security. In practice they tend to do the opposite.
Hunger Strikers Take on Radar Base
For a number of years, plans have been in the works to establish a U.S. radar base on the territory of the Czech Republic. Czech politicians knew about these plans, but kept them secret from the voters until after the 2006 parliamentary elections were over. The proposed base, along with related interceptor missiles to be placed in Poland, is part of a new U.S. missile defense system in Europe, and as such represents a major stage in the emergence of a new Cold War.