Has Iran violated the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty? The answer is “unclear,” says the Congressional Research Service in a newly updated report. “The treaty does not contain a mechanism for determining that a state-party has violated its obligations. Moreover, there does not appear to be a formal procedure for determining such violations.”
The CRS report reviews the specific allegations that Iran’s nuclear activities are in violation of its obligations under the NPT, and examines the legal framework for evaluating such allegations. See Iran’s Nuclear Program: Tehran’s Compliance with International Obligations, September 18, 2012.
Some other new CRS reports that Congress has not made available to the public include the following.
Unauthorized Aliens’ Access to Federal Benefits: Policy and Issues, September 17, 2012
Unemployment Insurance: Programs and Benefits, September 19, 2012
Medical Loss Ratio Requirements Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA): Issues for Congress, September 18, 2012
Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) and Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC): Background and Issues for Congress, September 11, 2012
Satellite imagery of RAF Lakenheath reveals new construction of a security perimeter around ten protective aircraft shelters in the designated nuclear area, the latest measure in a series of upgrades as the base prepares for the ability to store U.S. nuclear weapons.
It will take consistent leadership and action to navigate the complex dangers in the region and to avoid what many analysts considered to be an increasingly possible outcome, a nuclear conflict in East Asia.
Getting into a shutdown is the easy part, getting out is much harder. Both sides will be looking to pin responsibility on each other, and the court of public opinion will have a major role to play as to who has the most leverage for getting us out.
How the United States responds to China’s nuclear buildup will shape the global nuclear balance for the rest of the century.