A Special Panel Discussion on Ballistic Missile Defense

Dean Wilkening

Senior research scientist at Center for International Security & Cooperation

Theodore Postol

Professor of Science, Technology and International Security at
MIT

Michael Nacht

Professor of Public Policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy

The Administration of George W. Bush withdrew unilaterally from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in the interest of national security, then deployed partially tested anti-ballistic missiles in Alaska in anticipation of a nuclear threat from North Korea, then proposed a "third site" for missile defense based in Europe in anticipation of an Iranian threat, which antagonized Russia. The Administration of Barack Obama has made changes in anti-missile policy, but in certain ways has continued on a similar path.

The leading issues confronting these policies will be discussed by Michael Nacht of the University of California (Berkeley), Dean Wilkening of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Theodore Postol of MIT. Among the pressing questions are:

• What is the Obama BMD approach and how does it differ from the Bush policy?
• Is the current US BMD strategy based on sound technology fundamentals?
• What are the likely international ramifications of the Obama Administration’s approach to missile defense, particularly in Europe?

Lieutenant General Ellen M. Pawlikowski, U.S. Air Force

Commander, Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Space Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.

"The Next Use of Nuclear Weapons: Pakistan, Terrorists, and the United States"

Professor Scott Sagan

Co-Director of CISAC and Caroline S.G. Munro Professor of Political Science; FSI Senior Fellow, Stanford University

Nuclear weapons have not been used since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. But can this condition continue into the future given the spread of nuclear weapons, the emergence of global terrorism, and the continued reliance on nuclear weapons by the great powers?
Scott Sagan will discuss the three related scenarios that he believes are the most likely dangers for nuclear weapons use, and what the U.S. and the world community can do to reduce these dangers.

"The Role of Space as Seen by the DOD"

General William L. Shelton, U.S. Air Force

Commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.

"DoD Efforts to Counter WMD"

Andrew C. Weber, U.S. Dept. of Defense

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs

"Nuclear Power without Nuclear Proliferation?"

Scott Sagan, Stanford University

The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) gives all member countries the "inalienable right" to nuclear power for peaceful purposes. With the spread of nuclear power, however, comes the spread of sensitive nuclear technology and material that can be applied to the development of nuclear weapons or be exploited for nuclear terrorism. In a time when alternative energy sources like nuclear power are becoming increasingly attractive, how can we best promote nuclear nonproliferation and prevent nuclear terrorism? 

Sponsored by the Institute of Governmental Studies and the Institute of International Studies

"Moving American Foreign Policy from Military to Civilian Leadership"

Dr. Richard Solomon

Richard Solomon, President of the congressionally established and funded United States Institute of Peace, will propose that American institutions responsible for foreign relations and national security, particularly the Department of State, are struggling to adapt to the multi-faceted challenges of today's post-Cold War and post-9/11 world.

It is not enough to send in troops and expect the military to build democratic nations where there is political turbulence driven by long-standing ethnic and religious hatreds and political rivalries. New approaches to managing conflict, including cross-cultural modes of negotiation, are required for effective international diplomacy. If Secretary of Defense Robert Gates' call for civilian leadership of US foreign relations is to be realized, our diplomats need training in new skills; and our institutions of diplomacy and their congressional funding need to be restructured. These are some of the issues that the Institute of Peace, under Dr. Solomon's leadership, is trying to change in the management of international conflict. The work of the Institute is gaining significant recognition and support, as evident in its construction of a dramatic headquarters facility at the Northwest corner of the National Mall – in the shadow of the Department of State.

About Dr. Richard Solomon

After a distinguished academic career at the University of Michigan and at RAND, Richard H. Solomon was the foremost expert on China in the Nixon Administration that led, under Henry Kissinger, to the normalizing of relations with China. He has since served as the Director of the Policy Planning Staff, as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia, and as Ambassador to the Philippines in the Reagan and Bush Administrations. In 1993, he became the President of the US Institute of Peace and has brought a new way of thinking to the Institute and to international diplomacy.

"Cyber Security: What Policies Can Make A Difference?"

Michael Nacht

The security of the .mil, .gov and .com networks requires a variety of technological, economic, organizational, legal and diplomatic responses.

Any solutions must deal with:

• The complexity of the challenge
• The infringement of civil liberties
• The perception that the threat is exaggerated for financial gain

This presentation will explore policy initiatives at the national level that hold the promise of making a positive impact on the security of the nation's cyber networks.

"Nuclear Tipping Point"

Former Secretary of Defense William Perry will be present to talk about and screen the film "Nuclear Tipping Point." He will also be taking questions from the audience.

The film features a conversation with four men intimately involved in American diplomacy and national security over the last four decades: former Secretary of State George Shultz, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of Defense William Perry, and former Senator Sam Nunn.

William J. Perry was the 19th United States secretary of defense, serving from February 1994 to January 1997.

For more details, see the "Nuclear Tipping Point" website.