Publications

April 7, 2016

Crisis in the Levant: The Problem of Continued Use of Chemical Weapons

Date: Thursday, April 7, 2016 Time: 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Despite the successful destruction of Syria’s declared chemical weapons stockpile in 2014, the continued use of toxic chemicals as weapons of war in Syria and Iraq underscores the threat of persistent small-scale chemical warfare still facing the international community.

March 25, 2016

WMD Education Conference

The Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction will be holding a WMD Education Conference. The conference will be held on Wednesday, 30 March, from 0730-1600 at NDU, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC.

March 17, 2016

Spotlight Seminar: Assessing the New Joint Concept for Preventing the Use and Transfer of WMD

On March 24th, 2016 the Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction (CSWMD) held a spotlight seminar titled "Assessing the New Joint Concept for Preventing the Use and Transfer of WMD". The seminar covered the increasing uncertainty in the current and forecasted security environment that is likely to heighten WMD dangers in both scope and

March 16, 2016

Applying Jus in Bello to the Nuclear Deterrent

On December 7, 2015, the UN General Assembly passed A/RES/70/50, titled “Ethical imperatives for a nuclear-weapon-free-world,” by a vote of 132-36. Co-sponsored by Austria and several other states central to the “Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons” movement, the resolution charges that any use of nuclear weapons would inherently violate the

March 16, 2016

Countering Russia’s Strategy for Regional Coercion and War

On January 19-20, The Center for the Study ofWeapons of Mass Destruction (CSWMD) conducted a workshop on "CounteringRussia's Strategy for Regional Coercion and War" at National DefenseUniversity.  The workshop was jointly convened by CSWMD, a component ofNDU’s Institute for National Strategic Studies, and the Center for GlobalSecurity Research at

March 10, 2016

Making Russia Think Twice About Nuclear Threats

On September 11, 2013, Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, writing in The New York Times, issued “A Plea for Caution From Russia.” Putin sought to communicate directly with the American people, warning against U.S. and Western unilateral military action in Syria — in response to the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons against its own citizens —

March 9, 2016

Countering Russia’s Strategy for Regional Coercion and War

Much of the discussion since the 2014 Ukraine crisis began has focused on how Russia could exploit a local or regional political crisis (real or manufactured) tolaunch a military action that would result in a rapid fait accompli against one of the Baltic states (or elsewhere in eastern Europe), forcing NATO to weigh the costs and risks of a

Feb. 4, 2016

After the Iran Deal: The Future of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime

On February 4th, 2016 the Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction (CSWMD) hosted a Spotlight Seminar featuring Assistant Secretary of State Thomas M. Countryman. The seminar, "After the Iran Deal: The Future of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime," covered the nuclear agreement with Iran as principally a nonproliferation accord that, if

Jan. 20, 2016

Countering Russia's Strategy for Regional Coercion and War

On January 19-20, The Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction (CSWMD) conducted a workshop on "Countering Russia's Strategy for Regional Coercion and War" at National Defense University.  The workshop was jointly convened by CSWMD, a component of NDU’s Institute for National Strategic Studies, and the Center for Global Security Research

Nov. 22, 2015

Implications for US Extended Deterrence and Assurance in East Asia

North Korea’s burgeoning nuclear program is placing greater demands on US extended deterrence and also raising questions in Seoul and Tokyo about the robustness of US commitments. These challenges are likely to grow over the coming years, as North Korea appears poised to expand the quantity, quality and diversity of weapons systems in its arsenal