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Caution on Military Involvement in Iran or Syria
  On the radar: Not blundering into war; Limited capability, unbelievable expense; B61 boondoggle; Positioning on global strike; and the Ideology under the EMP tinfoil hat.   Read more »
EARLY WARNING for May 24, 2013
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5 Fun Finds in the Ploughshares Office
As we all wished a very happy birthday to the United States of America this week, at Ploughshares we were also busy with some spring – make that summer – cleaning. Books made their way onto new shelves, and pamphlets into files. Along the way we found some blasts-from-the-past and other items that left us scratching our heads: Read more »
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Posted by Nora Wilkinson on July 5, 2012
North Korea, atomic bomb, Hiroshima, Nuclear Security
Nuclear Weapons Spending Tops Five Major Cities
We see the same story play out in the news almost every day. Costs are rising, revenues are falling and programs and infrastructure that we use all the time are seeing their funding cut. But what’s happening to the things we don’t use and don’t need? The U.S. operates an outsized strategic nuclear force. How much is that costing taxpayers? Read more »
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Posted by Peter Fedewa on July 2, 2012
Atlanta, Chicago, infographic, Los Angeles, Nuclear Budget, San Francisco, Seattle, United States
Obamacare meets National Security?
Today's Supreme Court ruling upholding Obama's health care law is good news for the uninsured. But it's also good news for foriegn policy. How, you ask? Joe Cirincione gives a great answer today on Huffington Post.  Read more »
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Posted by Joe Cirincione on June 28, 2012
Huffington Post, Joe Cirincione, national security, Obamacare
Bombs Mean Big Business for Big Business
Lobbies claim that thousands of companies benefit from nuclear weapons spending. But according to a new report from the Center for International Policy, those claims are far from reality. In truth, only a handful of companies stand to gain significantly, with a network of subcontractors behind them. Read more »
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Posted by Nora Wilkinson on June 27, 2012
CMRR, MOX, Nuclear Budget, Nuclear Weapons
Not With a Whimper, But a Bang?
We aren't the only ones concerned about nuclear disasters. National Geographic’s “Doomsday Dashboard” uses Twitter feeds to see which "end-of-the-world scenario" has people the most worried. Read more »
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Posted by Nora Wilkinson on June 22, 2012
fukushima, Nuclear Weapons, radiation
Moscow Talks: Joe Cirincione on Fox News - Video
A third round of nuclear talks between the Iran and the P5+1 concluded today in Moscow, with no major breakthroughs – but perhaps more importantly, no major breakdowns. Read more »
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Posted by admin on June 19, 2012
Diplomacy with Iran, Iran sanctions, Joe Cirincione, Moscow Talks, Nuclear Weapons, Video, Iran
12 Books on Nuclear Weapons That We're "(Summer) Loving"
Summer’s here! Time to kick back and… brush up on nuclear policy? Whether you’re looking for a beach read, or are from San Francisco like us – where summer proved to be Mark Twain’s “coldest winter” – these summer months are a great time to dive into a good book. Did our New Year’s list leave you hungry for more? These 12 books - from Shute’s science-fiction to Alibek’s science-all-too-real – should do the trick: Read more »
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Posted by Nora Wilkinson on June 14, 2012
Barack Obama, Cold War, Colin Powell, David Corn, Entertainment, Nuclear Weapons, Rachel Maddow
To Test or Not to Test? The Latest on North Korea from Philip Yun - Video
Recently, we’ve heard a great deal about the possibility of a third nuclear test in North Korea. Though the initial speculation of an immediate test a few weeks ago was a false alarm, recent satellite imagery has shown that the infrastructure at the site is ready for a test at any time – all North Korea has to do is insert a nuclear explosive device in the underground tunnel and seal it. Read more »
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Posted by Megan Murphy on June 12, 2012
China, CTBT & Nuclear testing, North Korea, Missile Testing, Video
Continuing the Diplomatic Process: An Interview with Reza Marashi
To give us a better handle on the current situation with Iran, we spoke with Reza Marashi, Research Director for the National Iranian American Council (NIAC). Reza served in the U.S. Department of State for four years in the Office of Iranian Affairs, and his articles have appeared in publications including The New York Times, Foreign Policy, The Atlantic, and The National Interest. He is a contributor to CNN, NPR, and the BBC, among others. Here, he gives us his take on the latest developments in Iran and what they might mean for national security. Read more »
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Posted on June 8, 2012
Diplomacy, Diplomacy with Iran, Iran Negotiations, Iran Nuclear Program, Iran sanctions, Iran Talks, Moscow, national security, negotiations, Nuclear program of Iran, Nuclear Weapons
Progress toward New START
The State Department released the latest data on New START today, making public the count of warheads now deployed by both the U.S. and Russia and revealing the progress toward full compliance with the treaty. A little over a year after New START took effect, the U.S. and Russia are gradually forward to implement the treaty. Read more »
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Posted by admin on June 1, 2012
new start, Russia, United States