Barack Obama’s Final Attempt to Safeguard Nuclear Stockpiles
Economist
At the outset of his presidency, Barack Obama laid out a vision of a nuclear-free world in what became known as the Prague speech. Such was the mood of optimism that Mr Obama was prematurely awarded the Nobel peace prize. Mr Obama did manage to get a new strategic arms-control agreement with Russia soon after and last year saw what the president almost certainly regards as his greatest foreign-policy achievement: the nuclear deal with Iran. Those apart, there is not much to show for that early statement of intent other than a series of four Nuclear Security Summits, the last of which wrapped up in Washington on April 1st. The main aim of the summits has been to create a better system of global safeguards to ensure that nuclear material, specifically highly enriched uranium and plutonium, which could be used by terrorists to construct a so-called “dirty bomb”—or even a fission bomb—does not get into the wrong hands.
A Path Forward on Indian NSG Membership
Lauryn Williams | Diplomat
Momentum for India’s bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a 48-nation group that sets guidelines for global nuclear exports, seems to have stalled. In 2010, the Obama Administration announced its intention to support India’s “full membership” in the nuclear export control regimes, and Washington now claims that India is “ready” for NSG membership. Yet, critics continue to question Delhi’s commitment to nonproliferation.
Does Kazakhstan Get Nuclear Nonproliferation?
Akhilesh Pillalamarri | Diplomat
The president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, gave a speech at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC, on Thursday, mostly on his country’s efforts promoting nuclear non-proliferation. Nazarbayev was in Washington for the Nuclear Security Summit, a major initiative of President Barack Obama. The summit, however, was marred by several issues, including Russian non-attendance, violence between Turkish security and protesters, and the fact that Iran was excluded.
North Korea Is Able to Mount Nuclear Warhead on Missile, South Says
Choe Sang-Hun | New York Times
South Korea has determined that North Korea is capable of mounting a nuclear warhead on its medium-range Rodong ballistic missile, which could reach all of the South and most of Japan, a senior government official said on Tuesday. The government’s assessment, shared in a background briefing with representatives of foreign news media here, followed a recent claim by North Korea that it had “standardized” nuclear warheads small enough to be carried by ballistic missiles. Until Tuesday, South Korean government officials, like most of their American counterparts, had played down that claim.
Suspicious Activity at Yongbyon Radiochemical Laboratory; Progress Towards Completing the Experimental Light Water Reactor
38 North
Recent commercial satellite imagery indicates suspicious activity at the Yongbyon Radiochemical Laboratory complex used to produce plutonium for building nuclear weapons. Whether that activity—exhaust plumes from a steam plant used to heat the main plant—means reprocessing additional plutonium is underway or will be in the near future remains unclear. However, James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence recently stated that the North Koreans could be ready to do so in weeks or months.
China Restricts North Korea Trade Over Nuclear Tests
BBC
The commerce ministry is also banning the importation of so-called "rare earth metals" used in high-tech goods. The UN Security Council voted in March to increase the sanctions. The unanimous decision came after North Korea carried out a fourth nuclear test in January and launched a long-range rocket the following month. The BBC's Robin Brant in Shanghai says this is a step closer to fully implementing the UN sanctions which China backed. Some doubt Beijing has been fully adhering to them.