United States

The United States invented nuclear weapons, operates the second largest nuclear force in the world and holds the dubious distinction of being the only country to use these weapons in combat. As a result, the U.S. has a special responsibility to lead the way in reducing its own nuclear weapons stockpile and calling for other nuclear armed nations to follow suite. Following is analysis and opinion from Ploughshares Fund staff, grantees and guests on the ongoing struggle to deal with nuclear weapons in the United States.

  • Joe Cirincione on Al Jazeera

    Joe Cirincione appeared on Al Jazeera to discuss Iran and prospects for U.S. negotiations.

    May 21, 2009 - By Ploughshares Fund

  • U.S.-Russian Team Deems Missile Shield in Europe Ineffective

    The Washington Post reports today that a planned U.S.

    May 19, 2009 - By Deborah Bain

  • Nuclear cleanup awards questioned

    The Energy Department is releasing more than $6 billion in stimulus money for contractors, including many that have been cited for serious safety violations and costly mistakes, to clean up nuclear sites.  The cleanup program, long plagued by cost overrun

    May 18, 2009 - By Sarah Brown

  • Russia-U.S. START talks underway

    Russia and the U.S. are due to begin talks on a new treaty to reduce the number of nuclear weapons. The Strategic Arms Reductions Treaty, or START 1, is due to expire in December.

    May 18, 2009 - By Sarah Brown

  • Pakistan rapidly building nuclear arms, U.S. says

    Members of Congress were told in confidential briefings that Pakistan is rapidly adding to its nuclear arsenal even while wracked by insurgency, raising questions on Capitol Hill about whether billions of dollars in proposed military aid might be diverted to Pakistan’s nuclear program.&nbsp

    May 17, 2009 - By Sarah Brown

  • Obama's word breaks ice in Geneva arms talks

    President Obama's use of the word “verifiable” in his April 5 Prague speech injected new hope into disarmament talks, putting the 65-nation Conference on Disarmam

    May 16, 2009 - By Sarah Brown

  • No nuclear weapons. Why not?

    Letters to the editor by several Ploughshares grantees appeared in the New York Times rebutting Philip Taubman’s recent piece that questioned the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons. Bill Hartung of the New America Foundation commented, “Nuclear weapons serve no military purpose, and the use of even one — whether intentionally or by accident — would cause unparalleled destruction. That is why their elimination is being demanded not only by a growing roster of former diplomats, but by former secretaries of defense and retired generals as well.”

    May 16, 2009 - By Sarah Brown

  • Developing nations seek assurances on nuclear weapons

    U.N.

    May 16, 2009 - By Sarah Brown

  • New Realism About U.S.-Russia Relations

    Though conservative foreign policy experts have repudiated the notion that the U.S.

    May 15, 2009 - By Sarah Brown

  • Paul Carroll discusses implications of North Korea launch

    In Voice of America's continuing analysis of North Korea’s April 5 launch, experts discuss what threat North Korea’s nuclear program poses to the U.S. While technically the launch was a failure, it did accomplish something, according to Paul Carroll, Ploughshares Fund program director: "From a political point of view, it was a success in terms of getting the world's attention, getting the U.S.'s attention. It certainly was a provocative and a sort of 'hey look at me' kind of exercise." Analysts believe North Korea has a long way to go before it perfects the Taepodong-2 rocket to carry either a satellite or a nuclear warhead.

    May 14, 2009 - By Sarah Brown