In The News

Japan's Nuclear Accident Should Prompt Review

July 21, 2007
A 6.8-magnitude earthquake damaged a Japanese nuclear power plant, and reports of leaks could slow the rush to develop nuclear-power sources around the world. Many governments plan some nuclear capability as a substitute for declining oil supplies. “Accidents of the kind that occurred in Japan are all too likely to take place in Iran, which has seen seven major earthquakes in as many years and is...

Sting Reveals Security Gap at Nuclear Agency

Kathleen Day July 21, 2007
Protecting nuclear materials is a challenging task even for the most security-conscious of nations. Investigators from the US Government Accountability Office managed to avoid scrutiny by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and purchase moisture-density gauges that contain radioactive materials. Counterfeit licenses allowed investigators to purchase unlimited amounts of radioactive material...

The Middle East’s Five Crises

Joris Voorhoeve July 16, 2007
The unrest in the Middle East may seem overwhelming, but the key to stability rests in five areas, according to Joris Voorhoeve, former defense minister for the Netherlands – the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and the overall conflict between extremists and the government. Practical solutions are possible for each area: With Iraq troubled by...

Nuclear Friends in Need

Teresita C. Schaffer July 12, 2007
India and the US continue to struggle over how to implement a landmark nuclear pact. Agreed to by leaders in 2006, the deal would allow the US to sell nuclear fuel and technology to India for its civilian program and end India’s status as a “nuclear outlaw,” explains Teresita Schaffer, director of the South Asia Program with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. But some tricky...

Jumping on the US Bandwagon for a “War on Terror”

Susan Moeller June 21, 2007
Since the 9/11 attacks, a US priority has been to eliminate global terror. The US has spent and accrued billions in debt, invading Afghanistan and Iraq and enhancing security procedures in travel and everyday routine. A study of newspaper coverage of Pakistan, following the 9/11 attacks, suggests that journalists, either willingly or unwittingly, contributed to overall public confusion regarding...

Exit From Iraq Should Be Through Iran

William E. Odom May 29, 2007
The US Congress and the White House have been at odds over the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq for months, but brief historical reflection suggests that the only option left for Washington is to link forces with Iran. Starting in the mid-1950s, the US maintained stability in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf by establishing bilateral relationships with Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and...

Pakistan: Nuclear Power with Feet of Clay?

Husain Haqqani May 22, 2007
A nuclear-armed Pakistan may have the military capability worthy of an emerging global power, but its external power is belied by an increasingly precarious domestic situation. While the spread of anti-American and pro-Islamist sentiments in the past six years has empowered armed extremists and other non-state actors across the country, the educated middle class is increasingly disenchanted with...