Nuclear Weapons

Obama vs. McCain: Seven Areas of Agreement, and Six of Disagreement, on Nuclear Weapons

In a campaign that features back and forth on issues large and small, where Barack Obama and John McCain disagree on everything from taxes to offshore drilling to Social Security to Iraq, it is amazing how much agreement there is on nuclear weapons issues. As Executive Director John Isaacs told the Los Angeles Times on July 13, "We'll have major progress on nuclear issues no matter who is elected." In this short analysis, Isaacs lists seven areas of agreement, and six of disagreement, between Obama and McCain on nuclear weapons issues.

In a Nutshell: McCain vs. Obama on National Security

Executive Director John Isaacs takes a look at the positions of McCain and Obama on Iraq, Iran, nuclear weapons, missile defense, and much more.

Obama vs. McCain: A Side-By-Side Comparison on Arms Control

View a side-by-side comparison of Barack Obama and John McCain on 15 key arms control issues.

McCain Speech on Nuclear Weapons

Read the prepared transcript of Sen. John McCain's May 27th remarks on nuclear weapons. Here, he pledges to reduce the U.S. nuclear arsenal and reconsider the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

Arms Control in 2009? An Early Look at the 111th Congress

Though 2008 Congressional races are often overshadowed by the Presidential election, the outcomes of races for House and Senate seats will have important implications as committee chairs and ranking members pass their batons to successors who may or may not have the same priorities, ability, or forcefulness when it comes to arms control. In this article, the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation's Jeff Lindemyer evaluates arms control prospects for the111th Congress.

Potential U.S. Ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) Fact Sheet

Ratification by the United States of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) requires 67 votes in favor in the Senate. On October 13, 1999, the Senate failed to ratify the CTBT in a vote of 51-48. This was the first security-related treaty in 80 years that the Senate did not ratify.

Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) Fact Sheet

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) bans all nuclear explosions. It was opened for signature on September 24, 1996, when it was signed by 71 States, including the five nuclear-weapon States. There are currently 178 Signatories.

An Early Look Ahead: What to Expect from Clinton, McCain, and Obama on National Security

Each of the three major presidential candidates left standing would make major changes to the national security and foreign policies carried out by the Bush administration over the last seven years. Not surprisingly, exactly what kind of changes will be made depends on who ends up on the steps of Capitol Hill taking the oath of office next January -- Sen. John McCain, Sen. Hillary Clinton, or Sen. Barack Obama. In this comprehensive analysis, Executive Director John Isaacs compares and contrasts the candidates' positions on Iraq, Iran, nuclear weapons, missile defense, and much more.

John Isaacs of CLW Awards Senator Byron Dorgan

Divine Strake

"Divine Strake" is the code name for the Department of Defense's Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)'s proposed test of a 700-ton ammonium nitrate-mixed bomb designed to study the impact of a bomb on underground targets. But many fear that the program is just another attempt to develop a nuclear bunker-buster.

Commercial Spent Fuel Reprocessing

Reversing a thirty-year practice of not separating nuclear bomb-grade material from nuclear waste due to cost and proliferation concerns, the Bush Administration's effort to reprocess nuclear waste weakens nuclear non-proliferation efforts to stop other countries from engaging in this practice and would make available material to terrorists seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.

Reliable Replacement Warhead Program

The Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) program is an initiative to demonstrate the feasibility of developing reliable replacement components for the existing warhead stockpile. However, the program poses several considerable risks for nuclear non-proliferation efforts due to its vague objectives and because it represents a program to build new nuclear weapons.