Nonproliferation

NSN Signs Letter Urging Funding for the IAEA December 17, 2015 Nuclear Watchdog Organization needs Funding to Effectively Monitor Iran Dear Members of Congress, We write to you regarding the crucial need to fully fund the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the watchdog organization responsible for overseeing the implementation of the nuclear agreement between the United States, its negotiating partners, and Iran. The IAEA is responsible for verifying Iran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which restricts Iran’s nuclear activity in exchange for economic sanctions relief related to its nuclear program. Through an unprecedented system of intrusive inspections and safeguards, the IAEA will monitor Iran’s nuclear program and ensure it serves strictly peaceful purposes. The Director General of the IAEA has estimated… Read More ›

NSN Advisory Board Member Daniel Benjamin on Sen. Schumer, Iran Deal Daniel Benjamin: Schumer’s unconvicing argument August 12, 2015 | NY Daily News Sen. Chuck Schumer owes us more. Although in the statement explaining his opposition to the nuclear deal with Iran, he adopts a Solomonic pose and recounts that he has engaged in “deep study, careful thought and considerable soul-searching,” Schumer’s reasoning is seriously flawed on key issues. He avoids issues that need to be faced squarely, and he delivers judgments that do not hold up under scrutiny. To continue reading, click here. Is Iran About to Unleash a Wave of Terrorism Against the United States? August 13, 2015 | Foreign Policy Yes, some of the potential $150 billion windfall coming to Tehran will help support Assad.… Read More ›

Iran deal makes region safer: Berger August 12, 2015 | CNBC Sandy Berger, NSN Advisory Board Chairman, discusses how the deal makes the region safer. To watch the original interview posting, click here.   Read More ›

A “No” to Iran Means No Forever By Samuel Berger August 2015 | POLITICO There is a notion cultivated by opponents of the Iran nuclear agreement, attractive to members of Congress under intense pressure to vote no, that congressional rejection of the agreement will enable U.S. negotiators to reach a better deal. The expectation is, that with a further turn of the screws, we can pressure the Iranians to give more and/or we give less. But it can’t happen. The agreement needs to be judged on its merits and the consequences of rejecting it need to be confronted without the illusion that there will be another, easier chance. Opponents cannot escape through a trapped door marked “later.” There is no later, this is the end of… Read More ›

Sen. Schumer’s partial endorsement of the Iran deal By John Bradshaw, Executive Director of NSN August 7, 2015 Chuck Schumer’s announcement that he will vote to disapprove the Iran deal was not unexpected, but his detailed explanation of his decision contains some surprisingly positive analysis of the agreement.  After citing a number of weaknesses he sees in the first ten years of the deal, Schumer admits that: “Those who argue for the agreement say it is better to have an imperfect deal than to have nothing; that without the agreement, there would be no inspections, no snapback. When you consider only this portion of the deal — nuclear restrictions for the first ten years — that line of thinking is plausible”. Not a ringing endorsement, to be sure, but… Read More ›

Without A Bomb, What Is Iran’s Military Capable Of Doing? By Michael Lane Smith July 31, 2015 | Task & Purpose Keeping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon has been an international priority. Without a nuke, how does the Iranian military shape up?… J. Dana Stuster, a policy analyst at the National Security Network think tank, recently went so far to say the rhetoric supports “an alarmist mischaracterization of Iran’s role in the geopolitics of the Middle East.” The conflicting arguments illustrate the schism in perspective regarding Iran’s ability to cause the United States and its allies harm. Stuster cites political motives for some of the postering from American congressional leaders hoping to discredit the recent nuclear deal with Iran, and Ilan Goldenberg, senior fellow and director… Read More ›

Living with the Consequences: The Effects of Voting Down the Iran Nuclear Agreement Policy Brief by J. Dana Stuster July 28, 2015 Should Congress vote down the nuclear agreement with Iran, it will inhibit the ability of the United States to implement an effective foreign policy for the foreseeable future. Rejecting the deal will alienate U.S. allies and diminish U.S. standing in future negotiations. It will isolate the United States both diplomatically and economically, as the sanctions regime collapses and rivals set up a new financial infrastructure that will undermine the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions. It will empower the hardliners in Iran that drive the worst elements of Iran’s regional policies, escalating conflict in Iraq and Syria, and encourage them to rush for the nuclear weapon… Read More ›

How India Could Benefit From the Iran Nuclear Deal By Brian Katulis, Chairman of the NSN Board of Directors July 24, 2015 | WSJ The Obama administration took an important step to advance America’s security in completing the comprehensive joint plan of action, or CJPoA. The deal negotiated in Vienna represents the best of the available options for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program. It avoids both the hazards and uncertainties of military action, and provides a strong international framework for stopping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. If the Iran nuclear deal moves forward without major hitches, India could be one of the few countries to have deepening relations with countries strongly at odds with one another. The evolving geopolitics of the broader Middle East… Read More ›

A framework for stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons By Brian Katulis, Chairman of the NSN Board of Directors July 19, 2015 | Providence Journal The Obama administration took an important step to advance America’s security in completing the comprehensive joint plan of action, or CJPoA. The deal negotiated in Vienna represents the best of the available options for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program. It avoids both the hazards and uncertainties of military action, and provides a strong international framework for stopping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. One interesting aspect of the debate sparked last week by the Iran deal is that most critics are unclear about what they would propose as an alternative to the current deal – it is not clear that… Read More ›

Iran Is Hardly On The March By John Bradshaw and J. Dana Stuster July 15, 2015 | Defense One The reality is that Iran is fighting to maintain a diminishing sphere of influence. And Washington mischaracterizes Iran’s actual position in the Middle East. Yes, Tehran covets a role as regional hegemon with power reaching beyond Shiite-controlled areas to become the hub of an anti-Israel axis that includes Sunni territories. But Iran is unable to move this strategy forward. What some of President Barack Obama’s critics portray as a newly aggressive Iranian policy instead reflects Iranian efforts to counter challenges it has not faced in decades. Facts on the ground simply do not support fears in Congress that a nuclear agreement will somehow empower an Iranian… Read More ›