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Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass DestructionHome (Press Enter). Toggle navigation Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction National Defense University WMD Center Search Search the WMD Center site: Search Search the WMD Center site: Search Home About Director’s Message Employment Opportunities Faculty and Staff What are WMD? 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Recent Publications 2024 Annual Symposium The National Defense University’s Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction (CSWMD) invites you to join us on 20-21 June 2024 for the virtual Annual CSWMD Symposium "Lenses and Mirrors: Reflecting on 30 Years of the WMD Spectrum." Designating North Korean Nuclear Weapons as Proliferation Risks: A Proposal for Forestalling Major Power Conflicts in the Event of North Korea’s Internal Collapse A potential North Korean internal collapse would pose enormous challenges to South Korea, to include the risk of catalyzing a major U.S.-China crisis. Creative diplomacy by Seoul, however, could lay the groundwork for all three states to designate North Korea’s nuclear weapons as "proliferation risks" within a notional future crisis, providing common ground for Washington and Beijingwho have worked together on key nonproliferation initiatives in the pastto tacitly cooperate on (or at least de-conflict) efforts to address the security threats posed by Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal within a dynamic internal conflict environment. Private-sector research could pose a pandemic risk. Here’s what to do about it Despite the increasing amounts of privately funded life science research, there is very little government regulation over private sector activities that might generate enhanced potential pandemic pathogens – germs that might not only trigger a pandemic, but that have been engineered to make them more virulent or more transmissible. This article discusses mechanisms, both legally binding and voluntary, that can broaden the reach of these oversight policies to cover all relevant work, not just the government-funded part of it. Turkey’s Future in NATO: Asset or Liability? Recent disputes with other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), engagement with Russia, and domestic democratic-backsliding call into question the value Turkey brings to the NATO alliance. In this article, Mr. Paul J. David-Justus examines the history of Turkey’s membership in NATO, the challenges Turkish domestic and foreign policy pose to the alliance’s objectives, the advantages and liabilities it brings to the alliance, and the options regarding the future of Turkey’s role in NATO. Through a Glass, A Little Less Darkly: North Korean Nuclear Command and Control in Light of Recent Developments North Korea’s new nuclear policy law points to the dilemma Kim Jong Un faces as he tries to reconcile competing strategic objectives: maximizing the deterrence value and operational utility of his growing nuclear capability while preserving his absolute political authority. This article discusses North Korea’s approach to nuclear command and control in the context of its unique governing system and political culture. North Korean Nuclear Command and Control: Alternatives and Implications This study examines alternative approaches North Korea could take for command and control of its nuclear forces (NC2) as it makes critical choices on the type of nuclear strategy and posture it wishes to adopt. The report helps fill an important analytical gap in current assessments of North Korea, examines implications of North Korea’s choices for U.S. and South Korean deterrence strategies and defense planning, and helps shed light on the most recent announcements made by North Korea concerning its nuclear forces. 1,818 Tweets by WMDCenter DoD Link Disclaimer DoD Annual Performance Plans NDU FOIA Requests DoD Privacy Policy DoD Plain Writing NDU System of Records Notice DoD Open Government DoD Information Quality NDU Privacy and Security Notice DoD Privacy Program DoD Section 508 NDU.edu Site Map DoD No FEAR Act USA.gov NDU COVID Guidance Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction Abraham Lincoln Hall, Suite 2400 260 Fifth Avenue, Building 64 Fort Lesley J. McNair Washington, DC 20319-5066 WMDWebmaster@ndu.edu Hosted by Defense Media Activity -...