Russia’s top military officer on Thursday voiced skepticism about deeper nuclear arms cuts, saying they should require parallel reductions in non-nuclear precision weapons.
The statement by chief of Russia’s military General Staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, appeared to signal the Kremlin’s reluctance to negotiate a new nuclear arms deal with Washington.
Russia’s top military officer skeptical about further nuclear arms cuts – The Washington Post
Tag Archives: Nuclear Weapons
Russia’s top military officer skeptical about further nuclear arms cuts – The Washington Post
How North Korea Could Cripple the U.S. | WSJ.Com
Miniaturizing a warhead to fit on a missile is not an overwhelming technical obstacle. Far greater technological challenges are building and testing nuclear weapons and developing a long-range missile that can send a satellite into orbit. Compared with these feats, warhead miniaturization is easy.
North Korea needs only one ICBM capable of delivering a single nuclear warhead in order to pose an existential threat to the U.S. The Congressional Electromagnetic Pulse Commission, the Congressional Strategic Posture Commission and several other U.S. government studies have established that detonating a nuclear weapon high above any part of the U.S. mainland would generate a catastrophic electromagnetic pulse.
An EMP attack would collapse the electric grid and other infrastructure that depends on it—communications, transportation, banking and finance, food and water—necessary to sustain modern civilization and the lives of 300 million Americans.
James Woolsey and Peter Pry: How North Korea Could Cripple the U.S. – WSJ.com
Will Riyadh Get the Bomb?: Saudi Arabia’s Atomic Ambitions :: Middle East Quarterly
As the impasse over Tehran’s nuclear program worsens, those most likely to be directly effected by an Iranian bomb are showing greater alarm. While the media fixates on Israel and its possible reaction, other regional players have no less at stake.
Despite Riyadh’s long-held advocacy of making the Middle East a zone free of weapons of mass destruction, there has been much speculation in the last two decades about the possibility of its acquiring or developing nuclear weapons should Tehran obtain the bomb.[1] In the words of King Abdullah: “If Iran developed nuclear weapons … everyone in the region would do the same,”[2] a sentiment echoed by Prince Turki al-Faisal, former head of Saudi Arabia’s General Intelligence Directorate.[3] Has Riyadh decided to go down the nuclear road, or is this bluster a desperate bid to stop Tehran’s nuclear program dead in its tracks?
Will Riyadh Get the Bomb?: Saudi Arabia’s Atomic Ambitions :: Middle East Quarterly
Pentagon Report: Iran Could Test an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile by 2015
A new Pentagon assessment of Iran’s military power maintains that in two years time, Iran could flight-test an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking the United States, given “sufficient foreign assistance”, is provided to Tehran. The new assessment reiterated a longstanding estimate of the U.S. intelligence community. Iran could test such a missile by 2015 with assistance from nations like North Korea, China or Russia. Pyongyang is already in the process of developing the KN-08, an extended range ballistic missile that can reach the US West Coast. The missile’s range could be extended to provide the missile an intercontinental strike capability. Pyongyang and Tehran have been collaborating and exchanging technologies regarding ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons for many years; both countries are seeking to match the two technologies to acquire nuclear weapons delivery capabilities. U.S. experts agree that North Korea and Iran could be capable of developing and testing few ICBM class missiles based on liquid propellants, but doubt they could acquire solid-propelled weapons in the near future. The lengthy pre-flight procedures required for fuelling liquid-propelled missiles means that such weapons cannot be mass-fired without warning, as the shorter range missiles could, therefore, providing the defender time to respond, employ missile defense or conduct preemptive attack.
Bolton: Situation With Iran ‘Very Perilous’
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Arutz Sheva, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, said that the situation with Iran “is very perilous” because the regime “is close to achieving its twenty year long objective of getting nuclear weapons.”
“I don’t think the economic sanctions have slowed the program down at all and I think that unless the United States or Israel takes military action that Iran will get nuclear weapons,” Bolton told Arutz Sheva.
“This is a very undesirable situation to be in and the choices are not good…,” he added.
Bolton: Situation With Iran ‘Very Perilous’ – Jewish World – News – Israel National News

