Front and Center An update on arms control, national security, and more from The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

Front and Center

An update on arms control, national security, and more from The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

What's News: President Obama visits Hiroshima The biggest news this week: President Obama became the first sitting U.S. President to visit Hiroshima and the peace memorial park dedicated to the victims of the atomic bombing. After he toured the memorial, the President gave a 20-minute address covering the perils of war and why nuclear weapons can never be used again. “The scientific revolution that led to the splitting of an atom requires a moral revolution as well,” the President said. “That is why we come to this place.”  Watch the full video of the speech and read the Miami Herald article quoting Executive Director John Tierney on the visit. Center National Advisory Board Member Frank von Hippel publishes landmark study on spent nuclear fuel Spent nuclear fuel, often called used nuclear fuel, is stored at nuclear reactors all around the country. What would happen if this fuel caught fire? Frank von Hippel, a Princeton professor and member of the Center’s National Advisory Board, wanted to find out – and the projections are alarming. A fire at just one densely packed spent fuel pool could dwarf the radioactive damages of Fukushima and other major nuclear disasters. Learn more about the study in Science Magazine. Policy Analyst Greg Terryn Cited in Politifact Even after the Iran Deal has gone into effect, confusion about the agreement remains. Politifact quotes Policy Analyst Greg Terryn explaining Iran’s “breakout time” and the merits of the deal for international security. Read what Greg had to say.

Read:  The Center’s latest factsheet: U.S. Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons Often overlooked, the U.S. still maintains a nonstrategic – or tactical – nuclear weapons arsenal in Europe. In fact, approximately 200 B61 gravity bombs are located at six NATO air bases in five countries.  Learn more about the U.S. tactical nuclear arsenal. The second coming of ICBMs with multiple warheads One of President Obama’s overlooked nuclear weapons milestones is altering the U.S. arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to carry only one warhead. But in other parts of the world, the trend is unfortunately moving in the opposite direction. Policy Intern Cassie Peterson examines the issue.