In The News

How to Keep the Nuclear Genie in the Bottle

Richard Weitz January 19, 2011
Following a series of agreements with the US, Russia and former Soviet states, the global stockpile of nuclear warheads has dropped from 70,000 to 22,000 since 1987, reports the World Nuclear Association. The Association says, “Highly-enriched uranium in US and Russian weapons and other military stockpiles amounts to about 2000 tonnes, equivalent to about twelve times annual world mine production...

Dealing With Nuclear North Korea

Bennett Ramberg January 10, 2011
North Korea’s newly revealed uranium-enrichment program continues to advance. No amount of sticks or carrots – negotiations, incentives, sanctions, waiting for the regime to fall – has slowed the North’s determination in building its nuclear arsenal, writes author and nuclear expert Bennett Ramberg. Dealing with a state that’s otherwise undeveloped, isolated and paranoid remains a leading source...

The Post-WikiLeaks World – Part I

Jamsheed K. Choksy December 15, 2010
Behind closed doors, government officials often relay sentiments that differ from public proclamations, and the public takes this for granted. But release of classified US State Department cables via WikiLeaks has exposed hundreds of specific examples, shocking in their rawness. The release underlines the promises and perils of fast global communications. It is a world where an individual can...

Farewell to the Age of the Treaty

James P. Rubin November 29, 2010
US ratification of international treaties requires 67 of 100 votes in the Senate, a near impossible feat in a nation deeply divided over its future direction. Any individual senator can upend negotiations by demanding special treatment or funding. Such is the case with the new Start treaty between Russia and the US, with one senator demanding a nuclear-weapons modernization program that defies...

North Korea’s Succession Poses New Challenges – Part II

Scott Snyder October 4, 2010
Impoverished and hermitic, North Korea’s nuclear weapons and erratic behavior have long been a headache for the region. This YaleGlobal series examines the challenges that North Korea poses for the international community in the wake of its succession drama. In the second article, Korea policy analyst Scott Snyder points out that, from all appearances, China has replaced the US as a foreign-...

North Korea’s Succession Poses New Challenges – Part I

Byong-Chul Lee October 1, 2010
After years of suspense and speculation about the changing of the guard in North Korea, the new leader’s identity has been revealed. But the nuclear-armed nation remains a regional source of anxiety. This YaleGlobal series analyzes the regime’s long-term goals and the challenges they pose to China and the United States. In the first article of the two-part series, North Korea expert Byong-Chul...

Iran’s Global Ambitions – Part III

Bruce Stokes September 17, 2010
The UN Security Council has imposed a series of sanctions on Iran for failing to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran insists it complies with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In the third and final article of this YaleGlobal series on Iran’s ambitions, Bruce Stokes reports on a survey in 22 nations by the German Marshall Fund, including questions on Iran. Majorities...