NGO Documents: Nuclear Weapons and Materials

This section of the Source Documents Library highlights major research reports and web-based publications related to nuclear weapons, fissile material, nuclear energy and power plants. NTI and the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies update this section weekly. (To access documents published by governmental organizations, see the Governmental Documents section.) For links to nongovernmental organizations that regularly publish journal articles, see the NTI links page and the Periodicals section.

updated April 4, 2008

Back from the Margins: The Centrality of Nuclear Disarmament

John Burroughs, Middle Powers Initiative, March 2008 View report This is a briefing paper for the Fifth Meeting of the Article VI Forum in Dublin, Ireland. The Article VI Forum aims to enfold the steps into what was formerly called the unequivocal undertaking to eliminate nuclear arsenals. This briefing paper discusses the reduction of nuclear forces and de-alerting. It further examines the issues of missile defense and space security and programs for the abolition.

A World Free of Nuclear Weapons

An interview with NTI Co-Chairman Sam Nunn, Arms Control Association, March 2008 View report Former US Senator Sam Nunn warns that the world is headed toward a ‘nuclear nightmare.’ In order to curb the spread of nuclear technologies and capabilities, nuclear-armed powers, U.S. and Russia in particular, need to collaborate and develop the universal policies and rules.

A Global Effort to Achieve a World Free of Nuclear Weapons

Jonas Gahr Store, 2008 International Conference on Nuclear Disarmament View report On February 26-27, the Government of Norway hosted an International Conference on Nuclear Disarmament. The aims of the conference were to identify and formulate disarmament, nonproliferation and nuclear risk reduction proposals, as well as to discuss long-term objectives and how progress can be made toward achieving them. Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Store summarizes the proceedings and makes preliminary recommendations.

Against the Tide: Securing Pakistan’s Nuclear Assets

Henry Sokolski, NPEC, February 20, 2008 View report NPEC’s executive director, Henry Sokolski presents his comments and thoughts on Tom Donnelly’s presentation before the Council on Foreign Relations’ roundtable ‘How Secure Are Pakistan’s Nukes?’ Sokolski focuses his discussion on the operational and tactical requirements US forces would face in any attempt to secure nuclear assets at Pakistan’s missile and nuclear enrichment complex located at Kahuta.

U.S. Cuts Tactical Nuclear Weapons in Europe

Oliver Meier, Arms Control Association, September 2007 View report The United States may have quietly removed all 130 nuclear weapons from its air force base in Ramstein, Germany. Before the withdrawal, Ramstein had been the biggest U.S. nuclear base in Europe. If true, the withdrawal means that there are probably about 350 U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe, down from thousands at the height of the cold war.

U.K. Trident Debate Energizes Opposition to Nuclear Weapons

Eric Hundman, Center for Defense Information, March 21, 2007 View report Submarine-launched Trident ballistic missiles are currently the United Kingdom's only nuclear delivery system, and the submarines that carry them are nearing the end of their operational lifetimes. A serious debate has arisen in Britain over whether new submarines should be developed -- and, by extension, whether the country should renew its independent nuclear deterrent.

New Nuclear Designs, New Questions

Wade Boese, Arms Control Association, January/February 2007 View report Recent scientific studies have concluded that a core element of most U.S. nuclear warheads will last decades longer than previously predicted. Still, government officials and a recent Pentagon task force say the U.S. nuclear stockpile and production complex are outdated and must be revamped.

Shoring Up a Crucial Bridge: South Africa’s Pressing Nuclear Choices

Jack Boureston and Jennifer Lacey, Arms Control Association, January/February 2007 View report Taking advantage of an unusual nuclear history; an innovative, domestic nuclear power industry; and strong ties with other strategic countries, South Africa is emerging as a crucial bridge between developed and developing countries on nuclear issues. South Africa’s outspoken support for “all” country’s rights to develop nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes and its renewed interest in developing its own nuclear fuel cycle puts it at center stage in nonproliferation debates.

The Great Guessing Game: Russia and the Iranian Nuclear Issue

Vladimir A. Orlov and Alexander Vinnikov, The Washington Quarterly, November 2006 View report The dynamic in the Iranian nuclear issue has begun to shift. As Moscow moves from behind-the-scenes dialogue with Tehran on nonproliferation toward a more visible and active role, the question that remains is: what is Russia likely to do now?

NEWS ANALYSIS: The Growing Nuclear Fuel-Cycle Debate

Oliver Meier, Arms Control Association, November 2006 View report The nations of the world confront serious and immediate threats from the global presence of some 27,000 nuclear weapons. They also face the possibility that some nation or group still has or soon could have biological or chemical weapons. A wide variety of delivery mechanisms for these weapons exists, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft, artillery, ships, trucks, and envelopes. There is also now the added danger that terrorist organizations could kill thousands with these weapons or destroy or sabotage critical urban and industrial infrastructures.

Nuclear Proliferation Status, 2006

Joseph Cirincione, The American Physical Society, July 2006 View report The nations of the world confront serious and immediate threats from the global presence of some 27,000 nuclear weapons. They also face the possibility that some nation or group still has or soon could have biological or chemical weapons. A wide variety of delivery mechanisms for these weapons exists, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft, artillery, ships, trucks, and envelopes. There is also now the added danger that terrorist organizations could kill thousands with these weapons or destroy or sabotage critical urban and industrial infrastructures.

Recognizing Iran as a Strategic Threat: An Intelligence Challenge for the United States

GlobalSecurity, Staff Report of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Subcommittee on Intelligence Policy August 23, 2006 View report Threats against the United States and Israel by Iranian President Ahmadinejad – coupled with advances in the Iranian nuclear weapons program, support for terror, and resistance to international negotiations on its nuclear program – demonstrate that Iran is a security threat to our nation that requires high caliber intelligence support. The seriousness of the Iranian threat has been amplified by the recent rocket attacks against Israel by the Iranian-backed Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah, which, according to press accounts, has received as many as 10,000 rockets from Iran.

Bush, Putin to Seek Nuclear Cooperation Pact

Miles A. Pomper, Arms Control Association, September 2006 View report President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed July 15 to open negotiations on an agreement that would permit full nuclear cooperation between their countries. They vowed, as well, to encourage other states to renounce some civil nuclear technologies that can also be used to produce nuclear weapons.

The Global Threat Reduction Initiative's First Two Years

Center for Defense Information, September 6, 2006 View report On May 26, 2004, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), a collaborative program aimed at securing vast stocks of dangerous nuclear material scattered around the globe. The program, run by a semi-autonomous agency within the DOE known as the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), has two central elements: repatriating or otherwise securing nuclear fuel; and converting reactors to use new, more proliferation-resistant technology. The program has seen some success and has even received more funding than expected, but so far progress has been slower than initially hoped.

Uranium Enrichment and Nuclear Weapon Proliferation

Allan S. Krass, Peter Boskma, Boelie Elzen and Wim A. Smit, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, January 2006 View report This book originally published in 1983 now available electronically  presents the technical and political information necessary to evaluate the emerging threat to world security posed by then recent advances in uranium enrichment technology.

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This material is produced independently for NTI by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2003 by MIIS.

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