Archive for the ‘nonproliferation’ Category

Nuclear Weapons Budget in 2011

February 5th, 2010 by cbautista

The Fiscal Year 2011 budget has a 10% increase for nuclear weapons programs, bringing total funding to about $7 billion. I wanted to share with you a roundup of some excellent analysis of the budget by groups in the disarmament community, as well as two announcements about activities around the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference and the Kansas City Plant.

Analysis of the Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Request

Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

“Proposed DoE funding also includes large increases for a facility that will expand plutonium production in Los Alamos, New Mexico and for a new highly enriched uranium production facility near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, each estimated to cost about $3 billion. The Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement Project (CMRR) plutonium facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory increased from $97 million in FY 2010 to $225 million in FY 2011. Y-12’s Uranium Processing Facility (UPF) also increased to $115 million from $94 million in FY 2010.”

The Biggest Year for Nuclear Disarmament

January 14th, 2010 by Cara Bautista from Groundswell Blog, from Peace Action West » Nuclear Weapons

Titan II nuclear missile in its Cold War silo.

This year is one of the biggest opportunities we’ve had since the end of the Cold War to make significant progress toward a nuclear weapons free world. Maintaining the status quo of more than 23,000 nuclear weapons worldwide is just too dangerous; so many weapons around the world increase the risk of an accidental launch with deadly consequences for hundreds of thousands of people. A quick look at the calendar confirms that 2010 will be a pivotal year:

  • New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) announced and Senate debate over US ratification (January estimate)
  • Fiscal Year 2011 Budget released (February)
  • Nuclear Posture Review released (March 1 estimate)

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What is the difference between Israel and Iran???

September 30th, 2009 by Leonard Eiger from The Nuclear Abolitionist

Friends,

I would hazard a guess that if one polled the people of the United States about what to do about the dreaded Iranian nuke threat, thanks in large part to the corporate media hype, a large percentage of people would recommend sanctions and direct military action and God knows what else. I have not heard one peep in the corporate press questioning the legitimacy of any of the claims made by the U.S. government, even the highly questionable hoopla over the planned enrichment facility near Qom, which the Iranian government announced to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) a few days ago, or Monday’s missile tests.


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UN Resolution 1887: A Step Forward

September 24th, 2009 by Nathan Stalnaker from Groundswell Blog, from Peace Action West » Nuclear Weapons

The US-drafted UN Resolution 1887 on non-proliferation and disarmament passed unanimously today at the Security Council meeting chaired by President Obama. In attendance were the heads-of-state for fourteen nations, the UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and a high level diplomat from Libya as well as some celebrity observers.  The passage of this resolution demonstrates great political will to address the dangers of nuclear weapons proliferation, a new era of American engagement, and a belief in multilateral institutions such as the UN to get things done.  This meeting also demonstrates a follow through by President Obama and his administration about his vision in Prague this spring of a nuclear weapons free world.


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Day 1 at the U.N. – Obama wants progress on nuclear weapons

September 23rd, 2009 by Cara Bautista from Groundswell Blog, from Peace Action West » Nuclear Weapons

I’m looking forward to major speeches and lots of news on nuclear weapons this week with both President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton at the U.N. Check out the schedule:

  • 9/23: President Obama addresses the U.N. General Assembly
  • 9/24: President Obama will chair a head of state-level meeting of the U.N. Security Council focusing on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament. The U.S. plans to introduce a U.N. Security Council resolution on nonproliferation and disarmament.
  • 9/24-9/25: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will represent the U.S. and deliver a statement at the Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) being held at the U.N.

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