CPOL 567 Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation
Countering the threat of weapons of mass destruction from hostile state and non-state actors is a preeminent national security priority and a key element of President Obama's national security strategy. This course explores the complex dangers of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and the array of nonproliferation and arms control tools for addressing them. The future of nuclear weapons policies of the United States, Russia, and other nuclear weapons states, and their role in international security affairs, will be examined. The nuclear arms control experience will also be studied, comparing theory and practice, and assessing current arms control agreements and new initiatives from the Obama administration will also be explored. The course will also address core questions such as: What incentives drive WMD proliferation and what global and United States strategies are in place to reduce these incentives? How has the WMD threat changed our thinking about deterrence and can terrorist groups such as al Qaeda be deterred? What are the challenges in building relationships with WMD-armed opponents? The course will also explore efforts to tackle new challenges presented by Iran, North Korea, India and Pakistan, and the AQ Khan proliferation network.