British American Security Information Council

A renewal of funding to the British American Security Information Council would allow the organization to continue its effort to reduce the strategic importance of nuclear weapons in NATO. The Council was encouraged by the U.S. and Norwegian governments to organize a NATO-Russia workshop to develop ideas for next steps on confidence-building and transparency measures for tactical nuclear weapons. This represents an unusual opportunity to propel innovative ideas forward in the policymaking process by vetting them in an informal setting.

A renewal of funding to the Arms Control Association (ACA) and the British American Security Information Council (BASIC) would allow the two organizations to continue their work to reduce the strategic importance of nuclear weapons in NATO. This is an especially important time to engage European leaders both because NATO is developing a Deterrence and Defense Posture Review that will be released in 2011 and because NATO’s stance on tactical nuclear weapons will inform the next round of arms control negotiations between the United States and Russia. BASIC and ACA will urge NATO states to include language in the review that will reduce dependence on tactical nuclear weapons, adopt assurances that NATO will not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against countries that have renounced them, support the phased removal of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons from Europe, and continue to adapt NATO’s nuclear posture as other nations reduce their reliance on nuclear weapons.

A renewal of funding to the Arms Control Association (ACA) and the British American Security Information Council (BASIC) would allow the two organizations to continue their work to reduce the strategic importance of nuclear weapons in NATO. BASIC and ACA plan to urge NATO states to reduce dependence on tactical nuclear weapons, adopt assurances that NATO will not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against countries that have renounced them, support the phased removal of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons from Europe, and continue to adapt NATO’s nuclear posture as other nations reduce their reliance on nuclear weapons.