Deterrence

As the number of missile-wielding states grows and as the nuclear club expands, the likelihood of a missile being unleashed against the American people or their allies—whether by mistake, miscalculation, or a madman—also grows. Missile defense doesn’t eliminate the danger, but it does give us a fighting chance to confront it.

The U.S. Defense Department contains an inventory of roughly 7,100 nuclear warheads. About 4,760 are active, while approximately 2,340 warheads are retired, but still intact. The retired warheads are in storage and await dismantlement. Here is what you should know about nuclear weapons:

North Korea’s nuclear-weapons tests, missile launches, and threats to attack American territory are hostile acts. What is debatable is how the United States and allies should respond.

North Korea has threatened to fire an ICBM into international waters near the U.S. territory of Guam. Donald Trump has threatened fire and fury. Here is what you should know about the ongoing North Korean missile crisis.

On July 6, 2017, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Conference of European Justice and Peace Commissions issued a joint declaration calling upon the international community to “map out a credible, verifiable, and enforceable strategy for the total elimination of nuclear weapons.”

After North Korea’s successful ICBM test on July 4, does the Trump administration have any realistic policy options to deter the Kim Jong-un regime?

How leaders in Riga and other front line NATO capitals conduct the delicate dance between asserting their national identities and managing relations with their Russian minorities could mean the difference between war and peace.

In his recent trip to Europe for the NATO summit, President Trump was supposed to reassure the NATO allies but then deleted reference to Article V from his remarks. Obama also sent troubling messages to our allies.

There are legitimate reasons to brace for the worst on the Korean Peninsula. The challenge in bracing for the worst is to not hasten the worst.