RELEASE OF NAS CTBT STUDY SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 30

A National Academy of Sciences panel formed three years ago will finally release its long-awaited report on technical issues facing the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty during a March 30 event at the National Academies’ Keck Building in Washington, D.C. When the Obama Administration asked the NAS to update its 2002 study on the CTBT, it was largely viewed as an effort to help bolster the Administration’s case for the treaty, though the Administration’s drive for the treaty waned as it focused its efforts on wrapping up the New START Treaty with Russia and other portions of President Obama’s nuclear security agenda. A classified version of the study was completed more than a year ago. In a statement yesterday, the NAS said that the report “addresses the ability of the United States to maintain the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile; the capability to detect, locate, and identify nuclear explosions; commitments necessary to sustain the U.S. stockpile and the U.S. and international monitoring systems; and potential technical advances countries could achieve through evasive testing will be discussed, among other issues.”