Paper
George Perkovich
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Source: Getty
In The Media
Are Nuclear Weapons Becoming More or Less Important to Deterrence in the Emerging International Security Environment?
The way that the United States behaves regarding nuclear deterrence is vital to sustaining morale in the U.S. army and winning public support in the United States and among allied states.
Published on Aug 9, 2012
Source: US Stratcom
Discussing the importance of nuclear weapons to deterrence in the emerging international security environment at Stratcom's 2012 Deterrence Symposium, Carnegie's George Perkovich explained that the idea of unilateral nuclear disarmament is misleading.
The nuclear deterrence challenge faced by the United States is in relation to other nuclear armed states, explained Perkovich, adding that behaving justly is vital to sustaining morale in the U.S. army and winning public support in the United States and among allied states. "Ultimately U.S. power depends on this, which in turn affects the credibility of our deterrence," Perkovich said.
Perkovich also brought up the case of the disputed islands in the South China Sea, where U.S. and Chinese nuclear deterrence are central to potential conflict scenarios. "Is it conceivable that the United States would use nuclear weapons first in a campaign to prevent or remove Chinese forces that had already occupied these islands?" Perkovich asked.
About the Author
George Perkovich
Japan Chair for a World Without Nuclear Weapons, Senior Fellow
George Perkovich is the Japan Chair for a World Without Nuclear Weapons and a senior fellow in the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Nuclear Policy Program. He works primarily on nuclear deterrence, nonproliferation, and disarmament issues, and is leading a study on nuclear signaling in the 21st century.
- How to Assess Nuclear ‘Threats’ in the Twenty-First Century
- “A House of Dynamite” Shows Why No Leader Should Have a Nuclear TriggerCommentary
George Perkovich
Recent Work
Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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