In The News

Pakistan, Taliban and Global Security – Part II

Robert D. Blackwill May 12, 2009
It is a welcome development that the US and President Obama personally are engaged in dealing with the worsening situation in Pakistan brought about by the Taliban insurgency. But such engagement does not go far enough, according to former US Ambassador to India Robert D. Blackwill. To be sure, the US needs to help secure Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe...

Pakistan, Taliban and Global Security – Part I

Leonard S. Spector May 8, 2009
With the Pakistani army battling Islamist insurgents barely 100 miles from the capital, the world’s wary eyes are turned increasingly on the safety of the country's nuclear arsenal. In the first of our two part series on Pakistan and global security, non-proliferation expert Leonard Spector outlines the danger that the Taliban poses to Pakistan's nuclear assets. Spector shows that the...

The Koreas: A Tale of Two Triangles

Han Sung-Joo April 10, 2009
Underneath friendly competition between the US and China lurks the potential for instability and conflict. Yet, this scenario presents countries like South Korea not only with the chance to mediate between the two powers and play a larger role on the world stage, but also with the challenge of maintaining neutrality. According to South Korea’s former Foreign Minister Han Sung-Joo, such...

Obama Hones Iran Strategy

Leonard S. Spector March 16, 2009
Under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, signatory Iran has the right to pursue civilian applications of nuclear technology. But the Bush administration regarded Iran's nuclear research involving highly enriched uranium as a step to building a nuclear weapon and thus a threat to world peace. Policies now being developed by the Obama administration echo the goals of the...

Is a Nuclear Deal with North Korea Feasible?

Peter M. Beck February 27, 2009
North Korea is getting ready to launch a satellite again, using a long-range rocket that could reach Alaska. Analysts wonder if this is an attention getter for the new US administration or an attempt by a fading leader to prepare the population for succession while warning foreign enemies. The leader of the struggling nation, Kim Jong Il, could be testing out an old trick on a new administration...

Obama’s Worst Pakistan Nightmare

David E. Sanger January 13, 2009
Pakistani security personnel adamantly insist that their nuclear arsenal is safe, but US security officials do not agree. Senior officials in the Bush administration worry that radical Islamist groups could gain access to the weapons by either seizing them or by infiltrating the labs as scientists. Security officials also worry that extremists could use regional violence to manipulate Pakistan...

Save Pakistan to Save Us All

Gautam Adhikari January 12, 2009
Pakistan has been an epicenter for hatching terrorist plans, from the 9/11 attacks to the series of bombings in Mumbai, as well as the proliferation of nuclear know-how. After a long list of schemes originating in Pakistan, Gautam Adhikari argues that the international community can’t afford to regard the problem as regional or blame the people: “An unstable and economically desperate Pakistan...