APLN Policy Brief 62

The following is a summary. Click on the adjacent link to download the full brief.

The United States, Russia and other nuclear weapons possessors have embarked on a very dangerous and costly arms race that is seriously increasing the risk of nuclear war. Creative new approaches are needed to put the brakes on this arms race, and restore movement in the direction of enhanced strategic stability, decreased reliance on nuclear weapons, and nuclear arms control and disarmament. Just as we must defuse this new Cold War, we must think beyond tired Cold War arms control frameworks while still drawing on the positive lessons learned from them. Eliminating all nuclear-armed cruise missiles of any range would be an extremely important step for relaunching global nuclear arms control efforts.

About the Author

Andrew C. Weber has dedicated his professional life to countering nuclear, chemical and biological threats and to strengthening global health security. His thirty years of US government service included five-and-a-half years as President Barack Obama’s Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs. Prior to joining the Pentagon as Advisor for the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Policy in December 1996, he was posted abroad as a US Foreign Service Officer in Saudi Arabia, Germany, Kazakhstan and Hong Kong. Follow him @andyweberncb.

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