Council: Front and Center July 15

Council for a Livable World: “Congress Must Uphold” the Iran Deal 

Commenting on the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Iran Deal, Executive Director John Tierney stated:”The facts tell a simple story: the deal is working.” Read the press release here.

U.S. Conference of Mayors Adopts Resolution on Nuclear Diplomacy and Disarmament

The United States Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution at its 84^th Annual Meeting in June, “…calling on the Next U.S. President to Pursue Diplomacy with Other Nuclear-Armed States; Participate in Negotiations for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons; Cut Nuclear Weapons Spending and Redirection Funds to Meet the Needs of Cities.” Learn more about the resolution and the threat of nuclear proliferation.

75 Experts Pen Letter to President on the Anniversary of the Iran Nuclear Deal

Timed with the one-year anniversary of the Iran Deal, 75 nuclear experts – including the Center’s National Advisory Board member Frank Von Hippel and the Council’s Gary Hart and Jim Walsh – released a letter urging President Obama to continue engaging and cooperating with Iran to ensure the success of the JCPOA. Read the expert letter. 

The Center’s Philip Coyle Quoted in LA Times

The Los Angeles Times reports that the Missile Defense Agency inaccurately claimed a successful test of the national missile defense program. Phil Coyle, the Center’s Senior Science Fellow, is quoted in the article explaining why the test failure is a major setback for an already troubled program. Read the article and Phil’s quote to learn more about the national missile defense program.

Center joins Amazon Smile

Do you shop online? The Amazon Smile program allows you to buy your everyday products at Amazon.com with the added bonus of donating to the Center – at no extra cost to you! See how you can benefit nuclear non-proliferation while shopping online.

Executive Director John Tierney Publishes Op-Ed on Iran Deal Success in Huffington Post

John Adams, explaining why even British soldiers accused of the Boston massacre deserved a fair trial, famously stated: “Facts are stubborn things.” It’s as true today as it was in 1770. But critics almost immediately ignored the facts after President Obama announced that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, also known as the Iran Deal) was signed in Vienna. Check out the rest of the piece to learn more about the enduring success of the agreement.

Iranian Negotiations: Worth the Risk?

After years of negotiations, Iran and the P5+1 (the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany) agreed to a deal providing sanctions relief in return for international monitoring and severe restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) established unprecedented access to Iran’s nuclear facilities and created dialogue between nations that had previously eschewed diplomatic engagement. Policy Intern Erin Connolly explains how the Iran Deal strengthens U.S. national security.

10-Year GICNT Anniversary: A Critical Time for Nuclear Security

The Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) is an international
nuclear security partnership established in 2006. Co-chaired by Russia and the United States, the organization began with 13 states and has grown
significantly to 86 partner states as of 2016. This expansion has proven to be a critical asset in improving nuclear security best practices. We explain how the initiative has enhanced nuclear security over the past decade.

Re-Examining the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on June 20, Lassina Zerbo, the head of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) Preparatory Commission, reported that Israeli ratification of the treaty is a matter of “when, rather than if.” While Israeli ratification would constitute a significant step towards the treaty’s entry into force, the United States should demonstrate the same leadership as it did 1996 when it became the
first nation to sign the treaty. The prospect of Israeli ratification is an
opportunity for Congress to reconsider its own failure to ratify the CTBT. Policy Intern Abigail Stowe-Thurston explains what you need to know about the CTBT in today’s security context.

Center’s Senior Science Fellow Publishes Op-Ed on Missile Defense in BreakingDefense

Some members of Congress are rightfully calling for reform to the U.S. national missile defense program, but the change they suggest – removing the word “limited” from current U.S. policy – will carelessly expand the program and waste billions of dollars. If we’re serious about improving national missile defense, Congress must reform the objectives of the Missile Defense Agency to promote innovation and require a strict policy of “fly before you buy.” Read the entire piece here.

Senior Fellow John Isaacs Publishes Op-Ed on Military Readiness in Medium

Recently the Pentagon announced a 14-stop summer tour touting the troubled F-35 aircraft, designed to show its wares and convince the public that the program is worth the price — $1.5 trillion over its lifetime and already $160 billion over budget. John explains the Pentagon’s “Trillion Dollar Sales Job.”

Ask an Expert: Robert Einhorn on the 1-Year Anniversary of the Iran Nuclear Deal

To mark the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Iran Deal, we asked nuclear policy expert Robert Einhorn to give his thoughts on the agreement’s
implementation and the future. Check out what Einhorn had to say.

Under The Big Top: Congress And The Iran Nuclear Agreement

Could Congress still kill the Iran Deal? Center Board Chairman Ed Levine, a former professional staff member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, weighs in with his essay as part of a series from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Read Ed’s essay here.

Board Members Alice and Lincoln Day Produce New Short Films

What is the connection between war and the environment? Center
Board Member Lincoln Day and Council Board Member Alice Day recently produced five short films examining the environmental consequences of war. Click here to watch and share the films.