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WMD and Nuclear Proliferation

Weapons of mass destruction (WMD), including the dangers of nuclear and biological weapons proliferation, pose perhaps the gravest national security threat to the United States. CNAS continues to examine the threat of WMD posed by state actors – including Iran and North Korea – as well as non-state actors. CNAS also examines U.S. nonproliferation and arms control efforts, as well as other preventative and response plans for potential WMD attacks.

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  • colin kahl, center for a new american security, cnas, iran, wmd, israel
    The Iranian Nuclear Dilemma: Risk of an Iraq Sequel?
    February 21, 2012 - 10:45am - 12:00pm
    Rayburn House Office Building
    Washington, District of Columbia

    On February 21, CNAS Senior Fellow Colin Kahl participated in a panel discussion hosted by the National Iranian American Council on the status of the Iranian nuclear program. Dr. Kahl indicated that there are a number of differences between the current situation in Iran and the lead-up to the war in Iraq, and addressed the possibility of an Israeli airstrike on Iranian facilities.

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  • The Partnership
    The Partnership: Five Cold Warriors and Their Quest to Ban the Bomb
    January 4, 2012 - 5:30pm - 8:30pm
    The W Hotel
    Washington, District of Columbia

    The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) cordially invites you to the book launch for The Partnership: Five Cold Warriors and Their Quest to Ban the Bomb by award-winning New York Times journalist Philip Taubman. RSVP here or call (202) 457-9427.

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  • Counterstrike
    Counterstrike: The Untold Story Of America's Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda
    September 8, 2011 - 5:30pm - 8:00pm
    The Willard InterContinental Hotel's Grand Ball Room
    Washington, District of Columbia

    The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) cordially invites you to the inaugural book release party for COUNTERSTRIKE: The Untold Story of America’s Secret Campaign Against al Qaeda by acclaimed New York Times national security reporters and former CNAS Writers in Residence Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker.

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  • Secretary Panetta
    Challenges for the New U.S. Secretary of Defense
    August 4, 2011 - 7:45am - 9:15am
    The Willard InterContinental Hotel
    Washington, District of Columbia

    On August 4, CNAS President John A. Nagl, Senior Advisor and Senior Fellow LTG David Barno, USA (Ret.), and Deputy Director of Studies and Senior Fellow Dr. Nora Bensahel led a roundtable discussion over breakfast addressing the challenges faced by the new U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. 

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  • Aum Shinrikyo: Insights Into How Terrorists Develop Biological and Chemical Weapons
    July 28, 2011 - 10:30am - 12:00pm
    The Willard InterContinental Hotel's Grand Ball Room
    Washington, District of Columbia

    In 1995, the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo unleashed terror on the Tokyo subway system with a highly-publicized sarin gas attack. However, less is known about the group’s development of biological and chemical weapons and about their prior attacks using these weapons. 

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  • CNAS Fifth Annual Conference - June 2, 2011
    CNAS Fifth Annual Conference, "Risk and Reward: American Security in an Age of Uncertainty"
    June 2, 2011 - 9:00am - 7:30pm
    The Willard InterContinental Hotel
    Washington, District of Columbia

    The Center for a New American Security's (CNAS) fifth annual conference took place in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, June 2, 2011. Download the conference program, watch the videos and read the transcripts online.

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  • The Rise of China: A Discussion with Robert Kaplan
    February 17, 2011 - 12:00pm - 1:30pm
    Center for a New American Security
    Washington, District of Columbia

    On February 17, 2011, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) hosted a discussion with Senior Fellow Robert Kaplan that addressed security issues surrounding the economic and military rise of China.

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  • The ROK-U.S. Alliance: Planning for the Future
    The ROK-U.S. Alliance: Planning for the Future
    December 15, 2010 - 9:00am - 8:00pm
    Shilla Hotel
    Seoul, Republic of Korea,

    The Center for a New American Security and the East Asia Institute in Seoul, Republic of Korea, co-hosted a conference in Seoul on the future of the ROK-U.S. alliance with a keynote address from President of the Naval War College Rear Admiral Phil Wisecup, USN, and General Walter L. Sharp, Commander, UNC/CFC/USF.

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  • Command Post, World, Police, TIME, Center for a New American Security
    Command Post: "Should The U.S. Military Be the World's Cop?"
    Date: 07/29/2011
    Media: Video

    Following World War II, perhaps it was inevitable that the U.S. military would be consigned to walking beats around the world like a neighborhood cop -- from Europe to Asia -- especially as the Cold War heated up. But now that the Cold War has been over for a generation, does it still fall to the U.S. to patrol the world's hotspots -- especially when that means that other, just as wealthy nations, might be getting a free ride? Your Battleland trooper debates the topic with John Nagl of the Center for a New American Security, along with Nora Bensahel, a military strategist now at CNAS, and retired Army lieutenant general Dave Barno.

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  • Aum Shinrikyo, terrorism, chemical weapons, biological weapons
    Video: Aum Shinrikyo: Insights Into How Terrorists Develop Biological and Chemical Weapons, Part One
    Date: 07/28/2011
    Media: Video

    On July 28, 2011, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) released a major report, Aum Shinrikyo: Insights Into How Terrorists Develop Biological and Chemical Weapons, with never-before documented information on the group and its operations. Part One of the report release event features Nathaniel Fick, Richard Danzig and Marc Sageman discussing Aum Shinrikyo as an organization and its turn to violence.

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  • Aum Shinrikyo, terrorism, chemical weapons, biological weapons
    Video: Aum Shinrikyo: Insights Into How Terrorists Develop Biological and Chemical Weapons, Part Two
    Date: 07/28/2011
    Media: Video

    On July 28, 2011, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) released a major report, Aum Shinrikyo: Insights Into How Terrorists Develop Biological and Chemical Weapons, with never-before documented information on the group and its operations. Part Two of the report release event features Richard Danzig discussing Aum's chemical and biological weapons and applications to today's threats.

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  • Aum Shinrikyo, terrorism, chemical weapons, biological weapons
    Video: Aum Shinrikyo: Insights Into How Terrorists Develop Biological and Chemical Weapons, Part Three
    Date: 07/28/2011
    Media: Video

    On July 28, 2011, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) released a major report, Aum Shinrikyo: Insights Into How Terrorists Develop Biological and Chemical Weapons, with never-before documented information on the group and its operations. Part Three of the report release event features Richard Danzig, Marc Sageman, Lloyd Hough and Terrance Leighton answering questions from the audience.

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  • Aum Shinrikyo, terrorism, chemical weapons, biological weapons
    Audio: Aum Shinrikyo: Insights Into How Terrorists Develop Biological and Chemical Weapons
    Date: 07/28/2011
    Media: Audio

    On July 28, 2011, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) released a major report, Aum Shinrikyo: Insights Into How Terrorists Develop Biological and Chemical Weapons, with never-before documented information on the group and its operations. Listen to the audio from the report release event here.

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  • Command Post, Weapon, National Security TIME, Center for a New American Security
    Command Post: "Is U.S. National Security Gun-Heavy And Butter-Light?"
    Date: 07/27/2011
    Media: Video

    One of the intriguing things about recently-departed defense secretary Robert Gates -- pretty much a lifetime spy -- was his concern that the U.S. toolkit was out of whack when it comes to weapons v. diplomacy. He'd frequently mention how there were more sailors on an aircraft carrier, or musicians in the Pentagon's bands, as there are foreign service officers working for the State Department. Does he have a point? Debating the issue is your Battlander joined by John Nagl of the Center for a New American Security and Nora Bensahel and Dave Barno, two of John's colleagues at CNAS.

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  • Command Post, Budget, National Security TIME, Center for a New American Security
    Command Post: "How Tough Is Cutting $400 Billion?"
    Date: 07/25/2011
    Media: Video

    Just how tough is it going to be for the Pentagon and other national-security agencies to cut $400 billion from their spending between now and 2023? Those are the marching orders President Obama has given his tea, led by budget-cutting expert Leon Panetta, who has just moved from the CIA to the Pentagon. John Nagl of the Center for a New American Security and your Battlelander discuss the challenge with Dave Barno, retired Army lieutenant general, and Nora Bensahel, a military strategist formerly at the Rand Corp. and now at CNAS.

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  • Command Post, terrorism, TIME, Center for a New American Security
    Command Post Episode One: President Obama's evolving strategy for Afghanistan
    Date: 07/11/2011
    Media: Video

    The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is pleased to announce the launch of Command Post, a new video series from CNAS and TIME. The video series will take week-long looks at key national security issues, with a new angle explored each day in brief video conversations between co-hosts CNAS President John Nagl and TIME national-security correspondent Mark Thompson, and noted defense experts.  Command Post will appear on CNAS.org and TIME.com’s Battleland blog.

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  • Speech by Jake Sullivan, Director of Policy Planning
    Transcript: Speech by Jake Sullivan, Director of Policy Planning
    Date: 06/20/2011
    Media: Transcript

    CNAS hosted Jake Sullivan, Director of Policy Planning at the U.S. Department of State, for an address on "American Foreign Policy Priorities in an Age of Uncertainty," at the CNAS fifth annual conference on June 2, 2011. Read the transcript here.

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  • Cooperation and Competition: China and the Asia-Pacific
    Transcript: Cooperation and Competition: China and the Asia-Pacific
    Date: 06/20/2011
    Media: Transcript

    "Cooperation and Competition: China and the Asia-Pacific," a roundtable discussion hosted at the CNAS Fifth Annual Conference on June 2, 2011, featured: David E. Sanger, Chief Washington Correspondent of The New York Times; Dr. Bernard D. Cole, Professor of International History at the National War College; Dr. Patrick Cronin, CNAS Senior Advisor and Senior Fellow; Admiral Patrick M. Walsh, USN, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet; and Dr. Douglas Paal, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. You may read the transcript of the discussion here and watch the video online here.

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  • Robert Kaplan
    Robert Kaplan
    Non-Resident Senior Fellow

    Robert D. Kaplan has been a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security since March 2008, and has been a foreign correspondent for The Atlantic for over a quarter-century. He is currently Chief Geopolitical Analyst at Stratfor. He is the author of Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power, published by Random House in October, 2010, with the paperback to be released in September.

    | Read Full Bio |
  • Marc Lynch
    Dr. Marc Lynch
    Non-Resident Senior Fellow

    Dr. Marc Lynch is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security and Associate Professor of Political Science and the Director of the Institute for Middle East Studies at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. He received his B.A. in political science from Duke University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in government from Cornell University.

    | Read Full Bio |