Sen. Mitchell Praises Iran Diplomacy, Warns of Alternatives

Veteran negotiator’s perspective - Critics of an Iran deal are endangering the best chance to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, writes former U.S. Senator George J. Mitchell in The Boston Globe.

--“Although the president’s critics refuse to acknowledge it,” Sen. Mitchell writes, “the most likely outcomes of their approach are a nuclear-armed Iran or a war to prevent that result. Their alternative has the unintended effect of making the president’s approach look a lot better by comparison, especially if the final negotiations result in effective methods of verification.”

--“Having been involved in high-profile negotiations in Northern Ireland and the Middle East, I’m aware that they are difficult to manage… President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have struck the appropriate balance. Their achievement in the interim agreement was significant. They now need and should have our patience and encouragement as they try to obtain a final agreement that will be worthy of our continued support.” http://bit.ly/1AcBG3s

Trident whistleblower apprehended - William McNeilly, a Royal Navy sailor who published a scathing report on safety and security lapses aboard Britain’s Vanguard-class nuclear missile submarines to Wikileaks, is now in police custody. Tomas Hirst of Business Insider highlights some of his claims. http://read.bi/1dhvBIP

--According to McNeilly’s report, security procedures for access to the ballistic missile systems were unenforced and poor maintenance and improper training led to serious accidents. Full report available on Wikileaks: http://bit.ly/1Aa6Qs8

U.S. Bishops support NPT - As the NPT Review Conference enters its final stages, a coalition of American Catholic bishops are urging Secretary of State John Kerry to push for faster nuclear disarmament and to prevent nuclear proliferation.

--“In a multi-polar world where there are risks of nuclear proliferation and even nuclear terrorism, it is imperative that the world move systematically and relentlessly toward nuclear disarmament and the securing of nuclear materials, ” says the May 12 letter from Bishop Oscar Cantu to Secretary Kerry. Full letter here (pdf): http://bit.ly/1Fs9eea

Plutonium pit production - A new Congressional requirement mandates that plutonium pits--the core of thermonuclear weapons--be produced at an accelerated rate. Jonathan E. Medalia of the Congressional Research Service outlines how the National Nuclear Security Administration can meet that mandate safely and efficiently. Read the report here (pdf). http://bit.ly/1JwG5QA

Tweet - @KingstonAReif: HAC-D pours ice water on SSBN(X) fund: No $ "provided in this or any other Act may be transferred to the National Sea Based Deterrent Fund"

Nuclear umbrella - “By failing to adequately tackle small-scale challenges with or on behalf of Tokyo and Seoul, the United States has cast doubt about its nuclear umbrella for those two countries. This in turn reflects an unstated paradox: the strongest form of U.S. commitment doesn’t address the much weaker quotidian challenges actually facing its allies. Consequently, Seoul and Tokyo look to Washington and see its credibility eroding,” writes Van Jackson in Foreign Policy.

--“Rather than drawing greater attention to the U.S. nuclear deterrent, the United States should devise long-term policies that help South Korea and Japan deal with North Korean provocations and Chinese coercion respectively — small-scale but significant problems,” Jackson writes. http://atfp.co/1cN4KDs

Quick Hits:

--“The Forgotten India-Pakistan Nuclear Crisis: 25 Years Later,” by C. Uday Bhaskar for The Diplomat. http://bit.ly/1S3NASG

--“U.S. Reporter to Face Iran Spy Charges Next Week,” by Arthur MacMillan for Agence France Presse. http://yhoo.it/1JwLZRV