A Middle East Nuclear Free Zone Remains Grounded
By Thalif Deen*
UNITED NATIONS | 12 November 2023 (IDN) — A longstanding proposal for a nuclear-weapons-free zone (NWFZs) in the politically and militarily volatile Middle East has been kicked around the corridors and committee rooms of the United Nations since 1995.
Over the last 28 years, the proposal has failed to get off the ground—and remains suspended in mid-air.
Jayantha Dhanapala: A Leader for Nuclear Disarmament
By Randy Rydell
Remembering Mr. Jayantha Dhanapala, at the UN First Committee’s Side Event hosted on 7 November by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) at the United Nations.
UNITED NATIONS | 9 November 2023 (IDN) — I am very pleased to have this opportunity to speak today and to meet once again with several of my former colleagues in the then-Department for Disarmament Affairs.
Nuclear Tensions Loom Over War Zones
By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS | 9 November 2023 (IDN) — The two ongoing military conflicts in Europe and the Middle East are pitting two nuclear powers—Russia and Israel—against a non-nuclear state (Ukraine) and a non-nuclear militant armed force (Hamas).
The military might is overwhelmingly in favor of both Russia and Israel in the two devastating battles, which may ultimately end with no winners.
Don’t Even Think About Starting a Nuclear War
By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS | 3 November 2023 (IDN) — In New York City, where streets in mid-town Manhattan are routinely congested and the traffic flow incredibly overwhelming, there is a warning sign outside some buildings that says it all: DON’T EVEN THINK OF PARKING HERE.
If you do, either your vehicle will be towed away or you will be subject to a heavy fine.
Russia’s Decision to Revoke Ratification of CTBT Comes Under Fire
By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS | 1 November 2023 (IDN) — A decision by the Russian parliament to pass a bill on 18 October to revoke its ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) has come under heavy fire.
Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he was “dismayed” by the Duma’s decision to revoke ratification of the CTBT. (P21) ITALIAN | JAPANESE
The U.S. Is Building a New Nuclear 'Gravity Bomb', Pentagon Announces
The B61-13 is the latest in a long line of B61 variants
WASHINGTON, D.C. 31 October 2023 (IDN | TNW) — The Pentagon has announced it is making a new nuclear “gravity bomb.” If approved by Congress, the B61-13 will replace the 1980s era B61-7, according to the announcement on 27 October.
A Milestone in the History of Nuclear Diplomacy
70th Anniversary of President Eisenhower’s Speech on “Atoms for Peace”
By Leonam dos Santos Guimarâes
*The writer is a Nuclear and naval engineer (PhD) member of the Brazilian National Academy of Engineering. CEO of Eletronuclear S.A. Coordinator, Brazilian Navy Nuclear Propulsion Program.
RIO DE JANEIRO | 23 October 2023 (IDN) — On 8 December 1953, the President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, delivered a speech before the United Nations General Assembly that would echo through the pages of history. (P 20) JAPANESE | SWEDISH
Holy See Urges Renewed Efforts to Advance Nuclear Disarmament
By Lisa Zengarini | VATICAN NEWS
NEW YORK. 18 OCTOBER 2023 (IDN | TNW) — The Holy See has decried the current “downward spiral of arms control and disarmament policies”, urging for “renewed efforts to advance progress on nuclear disarmament at a time when the risk of nuclear war becomes again a reality.”
Continued Buildup of Massive US Nuclear Arsenal Dangerous
By Daryl G. Kimball
The writer is the Executive Director of the Arms Control Association (ACA). Following is the preliminary Assessment of the Report of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States, ACA issued on 12 October.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 15 October 2023 (IDN) — Following more than a decade of deteriorating relations and uncertainty on disarmament diplomacy, the three states with the largest nuclear arsenals—Russia, the United States, and China—are on the precipice of an unconstrained era of dangerous nuclear competition.
Is Russia Planning to Revoke its Ratification of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty?
By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS | 10 October 2023 (IDN) — The Russian Federation, which made several implicit threats to use nuclear weapons in its ongoing military conflict in Ukraine, is reportedly toying with the idea of withdrawing its ratification of the landmark Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
