Viewpoint by Tariq Rauf * HIROSHIMA (IDN) —August 6 and August 9 will mark the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. No sentient human being who has met or seen the hibakusha (survivors), or visited the hypocentres in the two cities, or seen the photographic evidence of the destruction of these […]
U.S. Abrogation of Iran Deal Leaves a Puzzling Legacy
By Bernhard Schell ISTANBUL (IDN) – Iran has been bashed for its January 5 announcement that it would no longer abide by certain “operational restrictions” on uranium enrichment in the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA. The declaration has also prompted doubts about the regime’s activities and intentions […]
Towards Nuclear Disarmament with Monitoring and Verification
By Radwan Jakeem NEW YORK (IDN) – With the international community persistently striving for a world free of nuclear weapons, verification systems and methods are crucial to understanding the complex challenges of accurately monitoring and verifying future nuclear disarmament activities which will likely subject countries to more intrusive verification than ever before.
Buddhist Leader Calls for Nuclear Weapons Free Security
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | TOKYO (IDN) – An eminent Buddhist philosopher and nuclear disarmament advocate has tabled four critical initiatives to “contribute to the creation of a sustainable global society where all can live with dignity and a sense of security”. The initiatives cover four major areas: building support for the Treaty on the […]
Climate and Nuclear Weapons Are the Focus of Buddhist Leader’s Peace Proposals
By Taro Ichikawa TOKYO (IDN) – Climate action and nuclear weapons abolition, with a focus on the individual lives and suffering often hidden behind macroeconomic indices, is the main theme of the 38th annual peace proposal by Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Buddhist network. Titled ‘Toward Our Shared Future: Constructing an […]
Russia Exhorts US to Extend New START Without Preconditions
By Kingston Reif and Shannon Bugos WASHINGTON, DC (IDN | Arms Control Association) – Russian officials repeated in late December and early January President Vladimir Putin’s call for extending the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) as soon as possible, though Washington continues to remain silent on the future of the accord, which is […]
Experts Plead for Foiling Collapse of the Iran Nuclear Deal
By Radwan Jakeem NEW YORK (IDN) – Since U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the JCPOA, also known as the “Iran nuclear deal”, in May 2018, a widespread view is that the regime in Tehran is yearning for an atomic bomb. Washington experts, however, maintain that while Iran’s violations of the JCPOA “are serious, they are […]
IPPNW and Pugwash Slam the Killing of Gen. Suleimani
By Jamshed Baruah GENEVA (IDN) – Two Nobel Peace laureates – IPPNW and Pugwash – have vehemently censured the killing of Gen. Qassem Suleimani on January 3. Suleimani was Iranian major general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and, from 1998 until his death, commander of its Quds Force, a division primarily responsible for extraterritorial […]
The Future of New START and NPT Hangs in the Balance
Viewpoint by Daryl G. Kimball The writer is Executive Director of the Arms Control Association. The following is the text of his article published in January/February 2020 issue of Arms Control Today. WASHINGTON, DC (IDN) – This year, the world will mark the 75th anniversary of the catastrophic atomic bombings of the cities of Hiroshima […]
The G20 Should Have Nuclear Disarmament on Their Agenda
Viewpoint by Herbert Wulf* BONN (IDN) – Right now, two critical developments are literally threatening the very existence of humankind: the climate crisis and the possibility of nuclear war. There is a broad consensus when it comes to the severity of climate change, even if there is still absolutely no sign of a solution despite […]