Friday's Links

Here come your Friday’s Links!

Johan Bergenäs at World Politics Review published a great article calling on the disarmament movement to do a better job of engaging youth to provide urgency to the campaign against nuclear weapons.

Check out Travis Sharp’s response to Bergenäs’ article in the Nukes of Hazard blog. He argues that the lack of funding for entry level careers in the arms control field hamstrings the disarmament movement’s ability to reach out to interested youth. Couldn’t agree more.

WFUNA, however, is offering an amazing opportunity to young people engaged in disarmament work. Design your own grassroots campaign to rid the world of nuclear weapons, submit your ideas to hub@wfuna.org and you could win a trip to Mexico to present your ideas at the DPI/NGO conference on Disarmament, Peace and Security. But, TODAY IS THE LAST DAY THAT WE ARE ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS! So if you haven’t submitted your campaign yet, don’t wait any longer! Check out the Global Disarmament Hub Website for more details. 

McCain and Lugar Contemplate CTBT Ratification

Influential Republican Senators John McCain (AZ) and Richard Lugar (IN) (pictured above with a Soviet Era Typhoon Nuclear Submarine in Russia) have hinted at supporting the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Both senators voted against the treaty in 1999, which failed along partisan lines. To get the needed 67 Senate votes for ratification, Obama will have to rely upon Lugar and McCain to drum up the support of fellow Republicans, no small task.

Check out the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ article about the strategy involved in passing the CTBT as well as these 3 reasons why the Senate should ratify the CTBT. 

Also, WFUNA's Students for a Nuclear Weapons Free World Campaign Contest is wrapping up. Submissions will only be accepted through July so make sure to check out the disarmament hub website for more details. Remember, the contest is for a planned campaign against nuclear weapons, you do not have to have implemented the campaign yet. 

Friday's Links

Here come your friday links:

Check out the text of President Obama’s speech at the New Economic School in Moscow. In it he states that:

"The notion that prestige comes from holding [nuclear] weapons, or that we can protect ourselves by picking and choosing which nations can have these weapons, is an illusion."

The NYTimes ran a fantastic obit on Robert McNamara. It was interesting to read about his stance on nuclear weapons:

"Nuclear weapons serve no military purposes whatsoever. They are totally useless — except only to deter one’s opponent from using them."

As far as McNamara's claim that nukes are useful for deterring a nuclear attack, I recall this Times op-ed arguing that McNamara's line of  reasoning " bears a disturbing resemblance to the argument used by a Brooklynite who, when asked why he called a purple powder that he sprinkled around his house ''elephant repellent,'' replied, ''Well, you don't see any elephants around here, do you?''

Also, be sure to check out Disarmament Hub's website for info on the Students for a Nuclear Weapons-free World Campaign Contest! We're only accepting submissions through July, so you have to move fast! 

ATT Talks to Begin at the UN Next Week

The open ended working group discussing the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) will meet from the 13th-17^th of July at the UN headquarters here in NYC. Proponents of the ATT hope that it will become the first comprehensive, binding international treaty focused on the trade in conventional weapons. 

Yesterday I had a chance to go to a brownbag luncheon sponsored by the NGO committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security  to hear representatives from Oxfam International,  IANSA  and Amnesty International explain the basics of the ATT.  Cesar Marin from IANSA explained the need for the ATT from the Latin American regional standpoint, and Mike Lewis of Amnesty International discussed the need for the ATT to cover arms production equipment and ammunition.

 I’ll be at the UN all next week for different ATT events, so check back frequently and I’ll be sure to keep you posted! Also, make sure to visit the disarmament hub website and participate in our Students for a Nuclear Weapons-free World Campaign Contest!
       

Tougher G-8 Sanctions against Iran Could Come in September

Reuters reported yesterday that the G-8 could approve tougher sanctions against Iran in September if Tehran does not submit to negotiations over its nuclear program.  Although Canadian spokesman, Dimitri Soudas, claimed that “All G8 Nations are united”, it appears that Russia pushed for the later September deadline instead of agreeing to immediate sanctions. 

Clearly Russia’s political will has to be questioned: since voting with the other permanent members on the Security Council in favor of resolution 1747 which called on states to exercise “vigilance and restraint in the supply” of arms to Tehran, Russia continued arms sales to Iran throughout 2007-2008 even discussing the sale of anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran in 2008. 

Does Russia’s foot dragging on further sanctions against Iran reflect more of the same or will Moscow take a tougher stance in September if Tehran cannot be brought to the negotiating table? 

"High Confidence" in US ABM Capability?

Last Thursday the commander of the U.S. Northern Command, Victor E. "Gene" Renuart, was quoted in the Washington Times stating that he had “high confidence” that US anti-ballistic missile defenses could “interdict [a North Korean ICBM] before it caused huge damage to any U.S. territory”.  

While it remains vague what “huge damage” to US territory would constitute, I find myself focusing more on the high level of confidence in US ABM capability.  Renuart mentioned that he would rely on Aegis (pictured above), Theater High-Altitude Area Defenses (THAAD) and Patriot missiles. The Aegis test record is by no means spotless, and I would be interested in seeing similar comprehensive records of the THAAD and Patriot defenses. Does anyone out there know a good place to get more info on these? 

Also, make sure to visit the disarmament hub website and participate in our Students for a Nuclear Weapons Free World Campaign Contest!

 

Friday's Links a day early!

I’m off later today for a long 4^th of July weekend, so you’ll get your Friday’s links a day early!

I just came from the DPI/NGO Town Hall meeting at the UN where they were discussing logistics for the conference on Disarmament, Peace and Security in Mexico City. Remember to check out the disarmament hub website to learn how you can start your own campaign for a nuclear weapons-free world and win a chance to present your ideas at a WFUNA workshop at the conference!

Last night I had the opportunity to see a screening of the Yann Arthus-Bertrand  film “Home”, hosted by Pamela Kraft, executive director of the Tribal Link Foundation (the image above of the B52 Stratofortress Bombers are from Yann's "Earth From Above" Series).  The film focuses on the severe impact that mankind has had on the environment; not exactly arms control focused, but as the film makes clear, everything is connected.  Resource scarcity and migration of “climate refugees” will continue to affect global peace, so we need to start thinking of climate change as a security issue.  Really a beautiful and stirring film, a must see. Watch it FREE online

Kazakhstan is making headlines! Check out totalwonkerr for an interesting post about Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev’s recent comments about the NPT, Iran and Kazakhstan’s nuclear history.

Global Zero has some cool interactive features on their website. Check out the map and timeline

Finally, Dr. Hans Blix will be speaking at a conference for the International Youth Dialogue for Disarmament held in Philadelphia in October. Learn more and register for the event!