War, Peace, and (In)Justice in the Nuclear Age
Ulrich Kühn | Turkish Policy Quarterly
For decades, U.S. and NATO officials have emphasized that nuclear weapons helped to sustain peace. Less than two years ago, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed that “in an uncertain world, [nuclear] weapons continue to play a vital role in preserving peace.” However, the Russian incursion into Ukraine, Vladimir Putin’s repeated nuclear threats, and growing concern about major war on the European continent between Russia and NATO have called this apparent certainty into question. Even more pressing questions have arisen concerning the injustice that comes with nuclear peace.
China Defense Minister Says Nuclear Buildup Is Justified
Keith Zhai and Alastair Gale | Wall Street Journal
China’s defense minister said the country is developing its nuclear arsenal—a move he said was appropriate given the state of international security—and warned that Beijing would fight to block Taiwanese independence. Gen. Wei Fenghe’s comments Sunday at a conference in Singapore hewed to China’s previously stated official lines. But the timing of the riposte was a direct pushback to Washington, which is seeking to bolster its own influence in Asia. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Saturday that China was taking a more aggressive approach to territorial claims and that its military was increasingly engaging in provocative behavior, including around Taiwan, where Chinese warplanes have been probing the island’s air defenses.
Iran Says Nuclear Talks Ongoing Through EU’s Top Envoy
Arsalan Shahla and Patrick Sykes | Bloomberg
Iran said it’s exchanging messages with the US via the European Union to break an impasse in nuclear talks, after UN inspectors warned the 2015 accord could be dead within a month. “We put forward a new political package and initiative” via the EU’s top foreign envoy Josep Borrell, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said at a press conference in Tehran, without giving details of the proposals. “Negotiations and diplomacy are the best way to reach agreement,” he said, adding that Tehran has also considered stopping talks.
Blinken Says US Is Prepared to Make Adjustments to Military Posture in Response to North Korea
Jennifer Hansler | CNN
The Biden administration is “prepared to make both short and longer-term adjustments to our military posture” to respond to provocations from North Korea, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday. Blinken’s comments, made alongside his South Korean counterpart at a news conference at the State Department, come as North Korea has conducted numerous missile launches and as the US worries about a potential nuclear test by Pyongyang. “We remain concerned about the prospects for what would be a seventh nuclear test over multiple administrations,” Blinken said. “We know that the North Koreans have done preparations for such a test. We are being extremely vigilant about that.”
Australia Pays Up to French Sub Maker for Cancelled Deal; Paris Reacts Positively
Christina Mackenzie | Breaking Defense
The surprise settlement announced June 11 between France and Australia over the latter’s 2021 unilateral cancellation of the $63.5bn Future Submarine Program could represent a big step towards restoring the strained relationship between the two countries. Australia will pay French shipbuilder Naval Group €555m ($584m) as compensation for killing the deal in favor of a US-made option, bringing the total cost of the scrapped program to $2.4bn. Newly elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said “this is a fair and equitable settlement that has been reached,” adding that “it follows (…) discussions that I’ve had with President [Emmanuel] Macron and I thank him for those discussions and the cordial way in which we are establishing a better relationship between Australia and France.”
A Secret City With a Secret African American History
Casey Quackenbush | New York Times
When a reported 7,000 African Americans from the Deep South were recruited to work on the Manhattan Project starting in 1942, they knew little except that the positions were well-paid. Drawn by newspaper ads, word of mouth and recruiters subcontracted by the military, the workers arrived by train or bus in a heavily patrolled town outside Knoxville, Tenn. Signage around the plants commanded: “See nothing. Hear nothing. Say nothing.” What exactly their blue-collar work was supporting, and the profound ways it would alter the course of history, would remain a secret until after the United States unleashed atomic bombs on Japan at the end of World War II, killing approximately 100,000 to 200,000 people.