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

Nov. 4, 2015

Countering WMD: A Changing Landscape?

The symposium was held on 13-14 May 2015 at NDU, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. This year's symposium examined whether and how current assumptions about the WMD threat and response changed in light of recent experience, changes in the security environment, and the spread of technology. Participants and speakers explored developments such

Nov. 4, 2015

Biosecurity in Southeast Asia: Regional Perspectives and U.S. Policy

Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Time: 12:30 PM –2:00 PM

You are cordially invited to the National Defense University (NDU) Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction’s Spotlight Seminar at NDU’s Lincoln Hall, Room 1105.

Nov. 3, 2015

In Good Health? The Biological Weapons Convention and the “Medicalization” of Security

Since the 1990s, the group of stakeholders working to combat biological weapons (BW) proliferation has broadened to include new actors who have not traditionally focused on security issues, including organizations from the public health sector, researchers in the life sciences, and the biosafety community. This has had significant benefits for the