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Articles & Testimony

The Challenges of U.S. Preventive Military Action

Excerpted from Checking Iran's Nuclear Ambitions, ed. Patrick Clawson and Henry Sokolski (Carlisle, PA: Strategic Studies Institute, 2004), pp. 113–128. For some U.S. policymakers and military planners, Israel's 1981 raid on Iraq's Osiraq nuclear reactor may serve as an object lesson regarding the potential benefits of preventive military action against

Michael Eisenstadt

Tracking Libya's Nuclear Activities

Besides dismantling a dangerous program, the IAEA's efforts in Libya may also expose the international network of nuclear cooperation that enabled this infrastructure to develop as far as it has.

Articles & Testimony

Nuclear Spinning:

The Iran-Pakistan Link

Forget, for the moment, Saddam's weapons of mass destruction -- or lack thereof. Consider instead the other WMD conundrum: Iran. Events in Pakistan, where two nuclear scientists were arrested last week, suggest the whole issue is about to blow. (Figuratively, that is.) Last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Simon Henderson

Iranian-European Nuclear Deal:

An Achievement with a Potential Poison Pill

The October 21 deal between Iran and the European trio of Britain, France, and Germany has the potential to significantly reduce the risk of Iran producing a nuclear weapon from highly enriched uranium (HEU)—assuming the accord is implemented strictly and on a tight timetable. Yet, HEU is only one of

Patrick Clawson

Toward a Saudi Nuclear Option:

The Saudi-Pakistani Summit

On October 18, Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia will begin two days of talks in Pakistan. One of the subjects that may be discussed is the potential transfer of Pakistani nuclear missiles to Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has long been suspected of funding Pakistan's nuclear program; given recent revelations

Simon Henderson

In-Depth Reports

The Iranian Nuclear Threat and U.S. Policy (Part II)

Discussing U.S.-Iranian relations in the aftermath of the Iraq war and in light of recent international pressure to rein in Iran's nuclear ambitions is not an easy task. There are contending players and policy options that both countries may pursue -- depending on their respective political dynamics at home. The

In-Depth Reports

The Iranian Nuclear Threat and U.S. Policy (Part I)

I have been asked to address Iran's nuclear program from a technical point of view. One of the roles the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) has played is to push for more effective nuclear inspections worldwide. That often means more intrusive ones, and Iran has attracted a lot

In-Depth Reports

The Iranian Nuclear Threat and U.S. Policy (Part IV)

To begin, I would like to make three points. First, it has become clear in recent months that Iran has a clandestine nuclear program, parts of which were recently revealed and parts of which may remain hidden. Second, Iran may be just two to four years from getting the bomb

Michael Eisenstadt

In-Depth Reports

The Iranian Nuclear Threat and U.S. Policy (Part III)

There were traditionally two Israeli schools of thought on Iranian proliferation. One viewed Iran as a major problem because of the nature of the regime that took power in the 1979 revolution, the line that the regime took in Lebanon opposing any negotiations with Israel, and its heavy involvement in

Articles & Testimony

Evaluating the Options Regarding the Iranian Nuclear Threat

Testimony before the U.S.-Israel Joint Parliamentary Committee The United States has for years judged Iran to be the world's foremost state-sponsor of terrorism. While the most direct way to sever the link between Tehran and its main terror arm -- Hizbollah -- is via Damascus, Washington is vigilant about Iran's

Patrick Clawson

Gaining Support for Action on Iran's Nuclear Program

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), whose report about Iran leaked out yesterday, will soon have to decide whether to declare Iran noncompliant with its obligations under the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). What the world does about Iran's nuclear program will largely determine the future of

Patrick Clawson

Iran's Nuclear Program—Countdown?

DAVID ALBRIGHT The IAEA's February 2003 visit to Iran revealed that Tehran's nuclear program was much more advanced that previously thought, raising questions about Iranian compliance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). This issue will be a major topic at the upcoming meeting of the IAEA

Michael Eisenstadt

Iranian Nuclear Weapons (Part III):

How Might Iran Retaliate?

A U.S. or "coalition" strike against Iran's nuclear program would be an exercise in high-stakes compellence. Although the physical results of such a strike (e.g., amount of damage inflicted; number of years by which the Iranian nuclear program would be set back) are uncertain, the consequences for U.S.-Iranian relations are

Jeffrey White

Iranian Nuclear Weapons (Part II):

Operational Challenges

Counterproliferation strikes on nuclear sites are uncommon but by no means unprecedented. Germany's embryonic nuclear program was attacked during World War II, Iraq's Osiraq nuclear plant was bombed by Iran in 1980 and by Israel in 1981, and Iran's Bushehr reactor site was attacked by Iraq throughout 1984-1988. During the

Michael Knights

Iranian Nuclear Weapons (Part I):

The Challenges of U.S. Preventive Action

Having just fought a war to rid Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, and alarmed by fresh signs of dramatic progress by Tehran in the nuclear arena, the United States is pressing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to declare Iran in violation of its commitments under the Treaty on

Michael Eisenstadt

In-Depth Reports

Winning the Peace in the Middle East:

A Bipartisan Blueprint for Postwar U.S. Policy

In the aftermath of war, the United States must balance recognition of the historic opportunity to advance U.S. interests in the Middle East with a realistic view of what is possible and what is not. America's first priority must be to win the peace by stabilizing Iraq and helping the

Iraq's Nascent Nuclear Doctrine:

Insights from a Captured Document

During Operation Desert Storm, U.S. forces captured several million Iraqi military documents. Among these was one titled "The Operational Use of Weapons of Mass Destruction; Volume 2; Part 2; Foundations for the Use of Nuclear Weapons in War." The manual was published in July 1988 by the Ministry of Defense

Iraq's al-Samoud:

A Missile with Great Possibilities

A dispute is rapidly growing between UN inspectors and Baghdad concerning Iraq's stockpile of al-Samoud missiles. The UN is expected to order the destruction of these missiles today. According to Hans Blix, executive chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission, the fact that these missiles are capable of

Iran's Nuclear Program:

Gathering Dust or Gaining Steam?

As the United States looks to disarm Iraq and to defuse or defer a nuclear crisis with North Korea, another nuclear crisis -- with Iran -- looms on the horizon. U.S. policymakers could face critical decisions this year regarding Iran's nuclear program as the Bushehr reactor approaches completion, as Iran's

Michael Eisenstadt

In-Depth Reports

Classifying Evil:

Bush Administration Rhetoric and Policy toward Rogue Regimes

Language matters in international policymaking, and terms such as "rogue," "outlaw," and "hostile" can help mobilize democratic publics against states that actively attempt to acquire weapons of mass destruction (WMD), proliferate long-range missiles, and sponsor international terrorism. For President George W. Bush, the attacks of September 11, 2001, reinforced the

Raymond Tanter

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Featured experts

Patrick Clawson

Patrick Clawson

Patrick Clawson is the Morningstar Senior Fellow and Research Counselor at The Washington Institute.

Michael Singh

Michael Singh is the Managing Director and Lane-Swig Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute.

Simon Henderson

Simon Henderson

Simon Henderson is the Baker Senior Fellow and director of the Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy at The Washington Institute, specializing in energy matters and the conservative Arab states of the Persian Gulf.

Henry Rome

Henry Rome was a Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, specializing in Iran sanctions, economic, and nuclear issues.

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