Blundering Toward Nuclear Chaos
American Nuclear Policy Initiative | Global Zero
Three years after entering office, the Trump administration lacks a coherent set of goals, a strategy to achieve them, or the personnel or effective policy process to address the most complex set of nuclear risks in U.S. history. Put simply, the current U.S. administration is blundering toward nuclear chaos with potentially disastrous consequences. In May 2020, the American Nuclear Policy Initiative (ANPI), a task force of former government and non-governmental experts, released an objective analysis of U.S. nuclear policy under Donald Trump. “Blundering Toward Nuclear Chaos: The Trump Administration after Three Years” finds that all of the nuclear challenges facing the United States – some inherited by the president and others of his own creation – have worsened over the last three years, putting national and global security at greater risk of nuclear use.
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un's Return Affirms Status Quo in Talks
Timothy Martin and Andrew Jeong | Wall Street Journal
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s appearance in state media, after a near three-week absence set off rumors about his health, reaffirms a status quo that is unlikely to shake up stalled denuclearization talks with the U.S. or change the regime’s pattern of weapons testing. Mr. Kim’s attendance at an event on Friday, seemingly healthy and in charge, ended speculation of a leadership shake-up that could reorient Pyongyang’s approach to nuclear talks or provocation. With Kim still leading the country, close North Korea watchers anticipate an uneventful year for denuclearization talks ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November.
US Should Keep Congress Informed About Nuclear Talks With Saudis: GAO
Timothy Gardner | Reuters
The U.S. Departments of State and Energy should commit to regular briefings to relevant committees in Congress on talks about nuclear power cooperation with Saudi Arabia, a congressional watchdog said in a report on Monday. Lawmakers concerned about nonproliferation issues associated with nuclear power development had complained they were being kept in the dark about Trump administration talks with Saudi Arabia, many of which were led by former Energy Secretary Rick Perry. The State Department is required by the AEA to keep Congress “fully and currently informed” about the talks. But the GAO found it was “unclear” whether the department did so.
China's Long-Range Xian H-20 Stealth Bomber Could Make Its Debut This Year
Minnie Chan | South China Morning Post
China’s new generation strategic bomber is likely to be ready for delivery this year, but Beijing is said to be weighing the impact of its unveiling at a complex time in regional relations due to the coronavirus pandemic. Military sources said the Xian H-20 supersonic stealth bomber – expected to double the country’s strike range – could make its first public appearance at this year’s Zhuhai Airshow in November, if the pandemic was sufficiently under control. But the appearance of the bomber at this year’s air show could heighten tensions by directly threatening countries within its strike range, especially Australia, Japan and the Korean peninsula.
A Nuclear Waste Site Where the Biggest Fear Isn't Radiation, But Coronavirus
Hallie Golden | Guardian
For more than a month, coronavirus has brought cleanup of a 586-square-mile decommissioned nuclear production complex in south-eastern Washington state to a near standstill. Most of the more than 11,000 employees at the Hanford site were sent home in late March, with only essential workers remaining to make sure the “most toxic place in America” stays safe and secure. Now with signs that Washington has turned a corner with the virus and the state’s governor slowly starting to relax some safety measures, Hanford workers are looking at the very real possibility of returning to work. But after facing those initial few weeks of Washington’s coronavirus crisis on-site at Hanford, workers say they received little information and even fewer safety measures from leadership, and some employees are terrified by the prospect.
India, Pakistan Nuclear Procurement Networks Larger Than Previously Thought, Study Shows
Alasdir Pal | Reuters
Hundreds of foreign companies are actively procuring components for India and Pakistan’s nuclear programmes, taking advantage of gaps in the global regulation of the industry, according to a report by a U.S.-based research group. Using open-source data, the nonprofit Centre For Advance Defense Studies (C4ADS) report provides one of the most comprehensive overviews of networks supplying the rivals, in a region regarded as one of the world’s most dangerous nuclear flashpoints. “India and Pakistan are taking advantage of gaps in global non-proliferation regimes and export controls to get what they need,” said Jack Margolin, a C4ADS analyst and co-author of the report.