The Barack Obama administration's declaration in its Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) that it is reserving the right to use nuclear weapons against Iran represents a new element in a strategy of persuading Tehran that an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites is a...
Israel Trapped in Nuclear Isolation
JERUSALEM -- As the world grapples with controlling the spread of nuclear weapons, it's a time of complex choices in a Middle East edging between possible confrontation with Iran and possible movement towards Israeli-Palestinian peace. It's also a time of troubled...
Obama’s Nuclear Achievements: Less Than Meets the Eye
Despite all the hoopla about President Barack Obama's summit on nuclear security and a new arms control deal, the eventual results of his laudable efforts will probably be modest and will likely be dwarfed by the damage to nuclear security done by George W. Bush's...
America’s Loose Nukes in Israel
UN Chief Doubts Mideast Nuke-Free Zone
UNITED NATIONS - Against the backdrop of a major summit meeting of world leaders on nuclear non-proliferation hosted by the United States, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed strong doubts about the long-standing proposal to create a nuclear-free zone in the...
Obama’s Nuclear-Weapons Conference Fatally Flawed Before It Began
The meeting on nuclear security convoked by Barack Obama this week was meant to prevent nuclear proliferation. This is a worthy cause, but – while I am writing before the meeting closes – I would assume that it will at best produce empty promises, as the...
All Options, Still, on the Table
During the press conference at the Pentagon on Tuesday, April 6th, announcing the Obama Administration's new "Nuclear Posture Review" (NPR), Secretary of Defense Robert Gates momentarily brandished America's sharp nuclear teeth. In doing so, he caused the...
Mixed Reviews for Obama’s Nuclear Strategy
U.S. President Barack Obama Tuesday unveiled a new Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) that will significantly limit the circumstances under which Washington would use nuclear weapons as part of a strategy to bolster the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and other...
Hold Me Back!
"Hold me back!" is a part of Israeli folklore. It reminds us of our childhood. When a boy has a scuffle with a bigger and stronger boy, he pretends that he is going to attack him any moment and shouts to the spectators: "Hold me back, or I am going to...
More Sanctions Against Iran Are Not the Answer
Because President Barack Obama's attempt to entice Iran to give up its nuclear program has ended in unsurprising failure, he is now trying to ratchet up the pressure on the regime by leading the drive to increase international economic sanctions. However, even if he...