FAS News Update 11/17

From the Blogs Pentagon Review to Fix Nuclear Problems- Again: Less than a decade after the Pentagon conducted a major review to fix problems in the nuclear management of U.S. nuclear forces, the Pentagon today announced the results of yet another review. The new review identifies more than 100 fixes that are needed to correct management and personnel issues at the cost of billions of dollars. The Pentagon is already planning to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on modernizing submarines, bombers, missiles, warheads, and production facilities over the next decade.  Hans Kristensen writes that throwing more money after the problems may fix some technical and management issues, but it is unlikely to resolve the dissolution that must come from sitting in a silo hole in the Midwest with missiles on high alert to respond to a nuclear attack that is unlikely to ever come. Wanted: Director of the Federal Register (Top Secret): The National Archives is seeking a new Director of the Federal Register program, a position that requires a Top Secret security clearance. The Federal Register is sometimes described as the “daily newspaper” of the executive branch. In addition to overseeing the Federal Register itself, the Director of the Federal Register program is responsible for administering the Code of Federal Regulations, the United States Government Manual, the Public Papers of the Presidents, and other foundational U.S. government documents. So why does the Director need a Top Secret clearance? One reason is that he or she would play a role in continuity of government under conditions of national emergency, and would be responsible in particular for production of the so-called Emergency Federal Register. Executive Discretion in Immigration and More from CRS: Secrecy News has obtained recently released CRS reports on topics such as FEMA's disaster declaration process, executive discretion in regards to immigration and authorization for use of force against the Islamic state.

Israeli Nuclear Weapons, 2014 Since the late 1960s, the Israeli government has practiced a policy of not confirming or denying that it possesses nuclear weapons. However, it is generally accepted that Israel is a nuclear- armed state. In the latest Nuclear Notebook, Hans Kristensen, Director of the Nuclear Information Project, and Robert Norris, Senior Fellow for Nuclear Policy, examine Israel's nuclear arsenal and conclude that many of the public claims about the size of the arsenal are exaggerated. Kristensen and Norris estimate that Israel has a stockpile of 80 nuclear warheads for delivery by two dozen missiles, a small number of sea-launched cruise missiles and aircraft. Read the Notebook here.

FAS in the News Nov 14: Christian Science Monitor, "Chuck Hagel Orders Fixes To 'Systemic Problems' In US Nuclear Arsenal"  Nov 14: Washington Times, "Chuck Hagel: $10 Billion Needed For Nuclear Force Overhaul" Nov 13: Associated Press, "Hagel To Order Nuke Force Overhaul To Fix Failures"  Nov 13: International Business Times, "Chuck Hagel To Order Shake-Up Of US Nuclear Forces, Following Series Of Scandals"   Nov 13: Omaha World-Herald, "World-Herald Editorial: Nuclear-Free Proves Difficult"  Nov 11: Business Insider, "Israel's Nuclear Arsenal Might Be Smaller And More Strategic Than Everyone Thinks"  Nov 10: Los Angeles Times, "As U.S. Nuclear Arsenal Ages, Other Nations Have Modernized" Nov 10: Mother Jones, "Death Wears Bunny Slippers"