Despite the two decades since the end of the Cold War, nuclear weapons still pose a serious threat to the security of the American people and the world. Even though a nuclear exchange between the United States and Russia seems a distant possibility, large stockpiles of weapons in both countries still threaten each population. New proliferation challenges have emerged in South Asia, North Korea, and Iran and could spark a new nuclear arms race. And the greatest threat is the prospect that nuclear weapons will fall into the hands of terrorist organizations.
In a recent flurry of activity in response to this persistent danger, and in what many are calling the "New Prague Spring," the Obama administration has embarked on an ambitious nuclear security agenda. It has signed a New START treaty with Russia to reduce the number of nuclear weapons aimed at our countries. It unveiled a new Nuclear Posture Review that maintains a viable deterrent, yet it reduces the importance of nuclear weapons in U.S. security strategy. It hosted a Nuclear Security Summit that obtained firm commitments from countries to lock down loose nuclear material to prevent nuclear terrorism. And it is preparing for the upcoming Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference in May.
To discuss the implications of this new nuclear security agenda for the United States, the Center for American Progress is honored to host Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-PA) and The Honorable Ellen O. Tauscher, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security . Sen. Casey has taken a leading role in the Senate in addressing nuclear threat and he will deliver remarks on the New START treaty and its importance for U.S. national security. Following his remarks there will be a discussion with former Ambassador to the Ukraine Steven Pifer and Lawrence J. Korb, CAP Senior Fellow and former assistant secretary of defense under President Ronald Reagan. This discussion will be followed by remarks from Secretary Tauscher on U.S. objectives for the upcoming NPT Review Conference.
Featuring:
Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-PA)
The Honorable Ellen O. Tauscher, Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. New START
Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-PA)
Introduction by:
John D. Podesta, President and CEO, Center for American Progress
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Discussion on the Nuclear Security Agenda
Ambassador Steven Pifer, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution, former Ambassador to Ukraine
Lawrence J. Korb, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress and former Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Reagan administration
Moderated by:
Rudy deLeon, Senior Vice President for National Security, Center for American Progress and former Deputy Secretary of Defense in the Clinton administration
11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. U.S. Objectives for the NPT Review Conference
The Honorable Ellen O. Tauscher, Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security
For a full transcript click here.