
Links and Resources
Nonproliferation regime
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Nuclear fuel cycle
Raw uranium goes through a series of steps to become enriched uranium, used as fuel either in a nuclear power plant or in a bomb. Here is a step-by-step introduction to the "nuclear fuel cycle."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/sci_nat/05/nuclear_fuel/html/mining.stm -
Timeline
The International Atomic Energy Agency provides a detailed chronology of nonproliferation-related events, treaties and agreements.
http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Factsheets/English/npt_chrono.html -
International Atomic Energy Agency
A brief history of the IAEA, the multilateral agency charged with promoting the peaceful use of nuclear power. As the world's nuclear inspectorate, the IAEA safeguards civilian reactors to ensure they're not being used for military purposes.
http://www.iaea.org/About/history.html -
NPT
The Nonproliferation Treaty is the backbone of the global nonproliferation regime. Find the treaty text here:
http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/library/treaties/non-proliferation-treaty/trty_npt_1970-03-05.htm -
This tutorial provides an in-depth look at the treaty's history, provisions, pros and cons.
http://www.nti.org/h_learnmore/npttutorial/index.htmldu/multi/texts/BH526.txt -
For a quicker look at NPT basics, see this fact sheet.
http://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/nptfact.asp -
Zangger Committee
In 1971, an informal group of states formed the Zangger Committee to institute export controls to try to keep nuclear material out of the wrong hands.
http://www.zanggercommittee.org -
Nuclear Suppliers Group
After India, which was not party to the Nonproliferation Treaty, detonated a nuclear bomb during a 1974 test, several states joined the Zangger Committee to form the Nuclear Suppliers Group, which further regulates trade in dual-use technologies.
http://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/NSG.asp -
Passed in 2004, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 prohibited proliferation to "non-state actors" i.e. terrorist groups, and required all nations to develop infrastructure to prevent such proliferation, including export controls and physical protection of sensitive facilities.
http://www.nti.org/f_WMD411/f2n.html -
Export controls in the United States are administered and overseen by the departments of Commerce and Justice. Here are summaries of the most recent arrests and judgments in export-related cases.
http://www.bis.doc.gov/complianceandenforcement/majorcaselist.pdf -
Nuclear weapons free zones
Nuclear-weapons countries, such as the United States, agree not to use nuclear weapons against countries in these zones, which have committed not to build or acquire nuclear bombs.
http://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/nwfz.asp
The nuclear renaissance
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Statistics
The World Nuclear Association represents the global nuclear industry association and maintains an up-to-date list of nuclear reactors currently operating, under construction and in planning stages.
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/reactors.html -
It also offers a fact sheet on the nuclear renaissance.
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf104.html -
GNEP
Under President Bush, the Department of Energy runs the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, meant in part to stem proliferation concerns related to an international nuclear renaissance.
http://www.gnep.energy.gov -
Princeton professor Frank von Hippel is among the more vocal nonproliferation experts who criticize GNEP. Watch him argue his point here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpbJ1DSUg2Y -
Or read his paper here:
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/FvHReprocPanelCarnegie26June07Rev.pdf
Smuggling
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The IAEA Illicit Trafficking Data Base records "proliferation-significant events," those involving highly-enriched uranium or plutonium, that have been reported to the IAEA by state governments.
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2007/itdb.html -
The Nuclear Threat Initiative/Center for Nonproliferation Studies database compiles press reports related to smuggling of uranium, plutonium and other radioactive materials.
http://www.nti.org/e_research/e3_special_nuctrafficking.html
Publications
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Arms Control Today
http://www.armscontrol.org/act -
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
http://www.thebulletin.org -
International Security
http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/17966/ winter_200708_issue_of_international_security_is_now_available.html -
Global Security Newswire
http://www.nti.org/d_newswire -
The Nonproliferation Review
http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/npr -
International Export Control Observer
http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/observer -
Institute for Science and International Security
Issue Briefs
http://www.isis-online.org
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