North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons, and More from CRS
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service obtained by Secrecy News that have not been made readily available to the public include the following.
North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons: Technical Issues, February 12, 2013
Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation and Security Issues, February 13, 2013
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments, February 12, 2013
Filling U.S. Senate Vacancies: Perspectives and Contemporary Developments, February 13, 2013
Child Well-Being and Noncustodial Fathers, February 12, 2013
Abortion and Family Planning-Related Provisions in U.S. Foreign Assistance Law and Policy, February 12, 2013
Latin America and the Caribbean: Key Issues for the 113th Congress, February 8, 2013
U.S. Manufacturing in International Perspective, February 11, 2013
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.