Global Threats Hinder Obama’s Nuclear Disarmament Goal
Ayako Mie | Japan Times
U.S. President Barack Obama’s historic Hiroshima visit Friday signifies a step forward in his stated 2009 dream of a “world without nuclear weapons.” Tokyo and Washington say Obama’s trip offers a chance to recognize the tremendous suffering of innocent citizens caused by the U.S. nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But Obama’s trip also casts light on key questions, including why Japan has welcomed his visit without a formal apology, and how much Obama has accomplished toward his goal of nuclear disarmament amid increasing — and menacing — military buildups in China, North Korea and elsewhere.
What’s the Future of CBMs in South Asia?
Toby Dalton
One of India’s eminent strategists, the late K. Subrahmanyam, once observed, “There is not much, if at all any, literature on the game of deterrence among the second- and third-rung nuclear nations under such conditions of uncertainty. So we have to think for ourselves.” The same must also be true of nuclear confidence-building measures (CBMs) among these states. As we mark the 18th anniversary of the subcontinent’s 1998 nuclear tests, it has become clear that the India-Pakistan nuclear nexus can be informed only to a limited extent by prior models, and thus, new ideas and initiatives are needed. In this regard, it is welcome that scholars and practitioners from the region are thinking about the evolution of deterrence between the two states and how CBMs can contribute to stability.
China to Send Nuclear-Armed Submarines Into Pacific Amid Tensions With U.S.
Julian Borger | Guardian
The Chinese military is poised to send submarines armed with nuclear missiles into the Pacific Ocean for the first time, arguing that new US weapons systems have so undermined Beijing’s existing deterrent force that it has been left with no alternative. Chinese military officials are not commenting on the timing of a maiden patrol, but insist the move is inevitable. They point to plans unveiled in March to station the US Thaad anti-ballistic system in South Korea, and the development of hypersonic glide missiles potentially capable of hitting China less than an hour after launch, as huge threats to the effectiveness of its land-based deterrent force.
The Pentagon’s Huge Atomic Floppies
Mark Thompson | TIME
When you hear the phrase “floppy disk,” your mind (assuming you’re of a certain age) flashes back to those ubiquitous 3.5-inch versions that were AOL’s Johnny Appleseed in the mid-1990s, spreading “You’ve Got Mail!” across the land. Only the aged among us can recollect what came before: the behemoth 5.25-inch models that owned the (tiny computer universe of the) 1980s.
U.S. Developing Seismic Detectors to Measure North Korea Nuclear Tests
Elizabeth Shim | UPI
The United States Air Force is to continue developing seismic wave detectors to better measure prospective North Korean nuclear tests. According to a statement from Congress, the Senate Armed Services Committee supports funding for the development of the air force's seismic detection program, Yonhap reported Tuesday. North Korea has so far conducted four nuclear tests: in 2006, 2009, 2013, and most recently in January.
India Joining NSG Will Escalate Nuclear Race in South Asia: U.S Senator
Anwar Iqbal | Dawn
A key U.S. Senator, Ed Markey, has warned that enabling India to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) would cause a “never-ending” nuclear race in South Asia. The NSG is a multinational body, which seeks to reduce nuclear proliferation by monitoring the export, re-transfer and protection of sensitive materials. “What you are doing is creating an action-reaction that is leading to a never-ending escalation cycle that ultimately leads to development of nuclear weapons including battlefield nuclear weapons,” Senator Markey warned US Assistant Secretary for South Asia Nisha Biswal.