As @John_Hudson @PaulSonne report we have profound concerns abt talk abt resuming nuclear testing. As I said in the story: “It would be an invitation for other nuclear-armed countries to follow suit ... the starting gun to an unprecedented arms race." 1/ https://twitter.com/John_Hudson/status/1264011943951638529
Some Trump officials are under the illusion that nuclear threats, including demo nuclear tests, can coerce adversaries. History shows they are wrong. It is a naive and dangerous ploy. See “Trump's Madman Gambit” by Jeffrey Kimball https://www.usnews.com/opinion/world-report/articles/2016-12-30/donald-trumps-nuclear-madman-gambit-will-fail?src=usn_tw (Yes, we’re related.) 2/
A resumption of nuclear testing by any state would violate the taboo est. by the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty #CTBT. Only N. Korea has conducted n-tests in this century. Even Kim Jong-un is currently observing a voluntary n-test moratorium. See: https://www.armscontrol.org/policy-white-papers/2018-04/revitalizing-diplomatic-efforts-advance-ctbt-entry-into-force 3/
The most effective way to resolve concerns about very low-yield nuclear explosions is for the U.S. and China to ratify the treaty and help bring it into force. When it does, states have the option to demand intrusive, short-notice on-site inspections. https://www.armscontrol.org/blogs/projectforthectbt 4/
Unfortunately, the U.S., China, and Russia all continue to engage in activities at their former nuclear test sites. Only France has closed its site. Such activities may raise concerns, but they do not by themselves indicate that low-yield nuclear weapons testing is going on. 5/
Even before CTBT entry into force, fmr testing states can and should agree on mutual confidence-building measures such as notification and exchange of information about experiments, the installation of sensory devices & other measures. See this proposal https://physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/PT.3.4463 6/
Sadly (but not surprisingly) Trump's gaggle of advisors only seem to be interested in making allegations rather than pursuing effective solutions to ensure compliance with the global taboo against nuclear testing established by the #CTBT, a treaty they neglect to support. 7/
For more analysis, see our Aug. 2019 white paper: “U.S. Claims of Illegal Russian Nuclear Testing: Myths, Realities, and Next Steps” https://www.armscontrol.org/policy-white-papers/2019-08/us-claims-illegal-russian-nuclear-testing-myths-realities-next-steps#.XskDKK67SDc.twitter 8/
Team Trump also doesn’t seem to understand that the U.S. has relied on the Open Skies Treaty, which it plans to exit, to overfly Russia’s fmr test site at Novaya Zemlya to collect images we cannot obtain thru U.S. satellite-based capabilities. 9/
The bottom line is that after more than 2,000 nuclear test explosions over the 75-year history of the nuclear age, enough is enough. Only rogue nations and reckless leaders would consider resuming nuclear weapons testing. 10/
You can follow @DarylGKimball.
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