Nuclear Proliferation

In a letter published in yesterday's Times, Mikhail Gorbachev attacks Labour's "rush to deploy nuclear missiles" until 2050. Writing in his role as the chairman of Green Cross International, he goes on to say that the most responsible course of action would be to postpone the decision on the future of the UK's nuclear arsenal until at least after the next review of the Nonproliferation Treaty in 2010.

There will be a debate on the Trident system in the House of Commons on the 14th March. The British American Security Information Council has information on the debate, as well as details of the Defence Committee justification for procuring a replacement for Trident, all contained in their latest update.

In addition, the British American Security Information Council has a report by Dr Steven Schofield. This report puts the case for diverting resources away from nuclear submarine manufacture to a 'national needs' programme of civil R&D and manufacture.

Finally, there are a few interesting articles on the website of the Union of Concerned Scientists, looking at nuclear weapons and the weaponisation of space.