Currently, the Obama administration is conducting a Nuclear Posture Review (NPR). It will serve to “to establish U.S. nuclear deterrence policy, strategy, and posture for the next five to 10 years and to provide a basis for the negotiation of a follow-on agreement to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). ” The new review is a major opportunity to put an end to outdated Cold War thinking, roll back the disastrous policies put in place by the Bush administration, and institutionalize the steps forward from President Obama’s Prague speech, where he stated “America’s commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.”

Today, Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) had her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for her new position as Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. It is expected that she will be confirmed relatively easily. Senator Kerry reflected on the importance of leadership on nuclear weapons issues in his opening statement:

America must pursue the long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons, and I applaud the President for  affirming our commitment in his April speech in Prague.  This is not a dreamy vision built on naïve optimism—it is a cool calculation based on the national security interests of the United States, endorsed by steely-eyed Cold Warriors like Henry Kissinger and George Shultz.  They recognize a fundamental truth: we face a fork in the road, and if we don’t dramatically transform our policies to aim in the direction of a world free of nuclear weapons, we will face a world in which more diverse actors wield ever more dangerous weapons – and the chances of nuclear weapons being used will steadily grow….

President Obama’s highly anticipated speech in Cairo today aimed to help ameliorate the United States’ image in the Muslim world and begin to heal relationships with Muslim countries that were seriously damaged under the Bush administration. Obama spent some time conveying his respect for Islam and the contributions of Muslims both currently in the United States and throughout history. He then directly addressed concerns about US policy in the Middle East.  Regarding the war in Iraq, he said:

It’s not the first time Senator John McCain has endorsed a nuclear weapons free world, but his floor speech today is still significant. The bipartisan consensus that a nuclear weapons free world is necessary is strong and growing. While McCain didn’t come out in favor of all the steps necessary to reach that goal, he did touch on the importance of nonproliferation efforts and beginning nuclear weapons reductions, while remaining vague about how deep of a reduction he would support in the near term.

Here are some highlights:

On May 25, the North Korean government announced it had conducted its second nuclear test. On May 26, it test fired two short range missiles, and on Friday, it launched a third.  A host of analysts, politicians and military experts have weighed in on these actions, rushing to shed light on their underlying cause. Some have suggested that the tests are aimed at both North Korea’s domestic community and the international audience, in an attempt to reassert ailing Kim Jong-il’s power preceding the expected accession of his third son. Others maintain that North Korea is using nuclear weapons as the primary bargaining chip in a strategy that seeks to garner both attention and concessions from the United States. While many theories abound, one misconception seems particularly disconcerting: namely, the notion  that North Korea’s tests are evidence that both diplomacy and arms control are the wrong courses for the future. Nothing could be further from the truth. Instead, the United States should strengthen its efforts in these areas for two key reasons.