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BASIC Publications

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• BASIC Email Updates
• Research Reports
• BASIC Notes
• BASIC Reports
• Joint Publications

BASIC Papers

BASIC Papers provide analysis and policy recommendations on particular issues.

• NATO and the Afghan Insurgency: Looking Ahead to Bucharest (PDF), by Andrew Imbrie, BASIC Paper, 25 March 2008.
  
  
• From the Frying Pan into the Fire: U.S. Arms Sales and Military Assistance to the Persian Gulf and Middle East by David Isenberg, BASIC Paper No.55, September 2007. Also available as a pdf file at: http://www.basicint.org/pubs/Papers/BP55.pdf
  
  
• Present at the Creation: U.S. Perspectives on the Origins and Future Direction of the Proliferation Security Initiative by By Ian Davis, David Isenberg and Katherine Miller BASIC Paper No. 54, February 2007. Also available as a pdf file at: http://www.basicint.org/pubs/Papers/BP54.pdf
  
  
• The Proliferation Security Initiative: Targeting Iran and North Korea? by Richard Bond, BASIC Paper No. 53, January 2007. Also available as a pdf file at: http://www.basicint.org/pubs/Papers/BP53.pdf
  
  
• The Transatlantic Dimension to the Conflict in Lebanon: Whatever Happened to the Responsibility to Protect? by Ian Davis, BASIC Paper No. 52, August 2006. Also available as a pdf file at: http://www.basicint.org/pubs/Papers/BP52.pdf
  
  
• US 'Prompt Global Strike' Capability: A New Destabilising Sub-State Deterrent in the Making?, by Ian Davis and Robin Dodd, BASIC Paper No. 51, June 2006. 19 June 2006. The US Navy seeking to convert Trident II D-5 SLBMs to carry conventional warheads. BASIC recommends that Congress eliminate the $127 million earmarked in the fiscal year 2007 budget for this purpose and that NATO allies voice opposition to it. Also available as a pdf file at: http://www.basicint.org/pubs/Papers/BP51.pdf.
  
  
• The UK Defence Industrial Strategy and Alternative Approaches, by Dr Steven Schofield, BASIC Paper No. 50, March 2006. The Defence Industrial Strategy is a lost opportunity of historic proportions. Rather than address a broader global security context the Ministry of Defence follows an all-too predictable path, defining security in exclusively military terms. Also available as a pdf file at: http://www.basicint.org/pubs/Papers/BP50.pdf.
  
  
• Security Without Borders: The UN High Level Panel and the Challenge of UN Security Reform, Ian Davis and Trudy Fraser, BASIC Paper No.48, March 2005.
  
  
• Managing the Dirty Bomb Threat, John Gleeson,BASIC Paper No.47, February 2005.
  
  
• After the Butler Report: Time to Take on the Group Think in Washington and London, BASIC Paper 46, July 2004
  
  
• The IAEA and Iran's nuclear programme Entirely legitimate or clandestine intent? BASIC Paper 45, October  2003
  
  
• US Chemical 'NonLethal' Weapons in Iraq: A Violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention?, BASIC Paper 44, March  2003
  
  
• The Bush Nuclear Posture Review's First Budget In Congress, BASIC Paper 43, February 2003.
  
  
• European Governments’ Official Positions on Missile Defence, BASIC Paper 42, February 2003.
  
  
• September 11th 2001 One Year On:  A New Era in World Politics? BASIC Paper #41, September 2002
  
  
• Military Intervention in Afghanistan:  Implications for British Foreign and Defence Policy BASIC Paper #40, September 2002
  
  
• "Planning to be Surprised": The U.S. Nuclear Posture Review and its Implications for Arms Control BASIC Paper #39, April 2002
  
  
• One Step Forward or Two Steps Back?  Upcoming Cuts in the US Nuclear Arsenal BASIC Paper #38, September 2001
  
  
• The EU Rapid Reaction Force:  Europe Takes on a New Security Challenge BASIC Paper #37, August 2001
  
  
• European Missile Defence:  New Emphasis, New Roles
  BASIC Paper #36, May 2001
  
  
• The US Nuclear Debate:  Issues of Concern  
  BASIC Paper # 35, February 2001
  
  
• Keeping Tabs On Big Brother:  UK debates on US plans for Ballistic Missile Defences  BASIC Paper # 34, September 2000
  
  
• European Accord Threatens to Lower Export Controls
  BASIC Paper # 33, August 2000
  
  
• NMD Allied Fears in Focus:  NATO Takes First Look at US Missile Defense  BASIC Paper # 32, May 2000
  
  
• Anarchy in Action:  Western Policy on Weapons of Mass Destruction  BASIC Paper #31, April 2000
  
  
• 1999 PrepCom:  Keys to Success 
  Examines the issues, especially lack of political will, surrounding the failed progress on the agenda for the 2000 conference to review the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and offers recommendations on what states must accomplish at the 1999 Preparatory Committee meeting.  BASIC Paper #30, April 1999
  
  
• Controlling the Gun-Runners:  Proposals for EU Action to Regulate Arms Brokering and Shipping Agents  
  Highlights the lack of oversight and regulation of arms brokering and shipping arranged by EU residents. Recommendations for closing the systemic loopholes include establishing EU-wide agreement on which activities to control, monitoring agents and their activities, and striving to internationalize any EU control system.  BASIC/Saferworld Briefing Paper, February 1999
  
  
• Diplomacy and Arms:  West Sends Mixed Messages to Aegean Adversaries  Focuses on escalating tensions between Greece and Turkey and recommends risk reduction strategies. BASIC Paper #29, August 1998
  
  
• NATO Resists Pressures to Militarise Central Europe
  This examination of classified NATO documents challenges defense industry-fed media speculation about Central and Eastern European plans to purchase large amounts of military equipment.  BASIC Paper #28, July 1998
  
  
• Senator Helms Drags NATO Back Toward its Cold War Mission 
  This paper reviews the NATO expansion ratification debate in the Senate; assesses the likely impact of the key conditions, authored principally by Senator Jesse Helms; and recommends that other NATO member states, especially those that have not yet ratified NATO enlargement, should carefully consider the negative implications of the Senate's Resolutions of Ratification. 
  BASIC Paper # 27, May 1998
  
  
• Eastern Europe's Arsenal on the Loose:  Managing Light Weapons Flows to Conflict Zones  While the Eastern European security environment has changed dramatically since the end of the Cold War, transfers of light weapons continue unabated.This paper recommends that NATO and the OSCE develop appropriate transparency, oversight and control programmes in this region to heighten overall security in Europe. 
  BASIC Paper # 26, May 1998
  
  
• The Struggle Continues:  Light Weapons Destruction in Mozambique  This paper evaluates the reasons for the failure of the United Nations Operation in Mozambique and its post-conflict mandate, as well as the country's own attempts to control weapons flows.  BASIC Paper # 25, April 1998
  
  
• Breaking the Cycle of Violence:  Light Weapons Destruction in Central America   This paper examines four examples of post-conflict disarmament in Central America. It documents the collection of light weapons and analyzes how these weapons were stored or destroyed. Finally, the paper recommends a policy of destruction in order to take the weapons out of circulation. BASIC Paper # 24, December 1997
  
  
• Africa:  The Challenge of Light Weapons Destruction During Peacekeeping Operations  Demilitarization components of peacekeeping operations in five African states are examined in this paper. It strongly argues for the prioritization of the destruction of light weapons as a vital component of future peacekeeping mandates on the continent. BASIC Paper # 23, December 1997
  
  
• Military Buildup in Central and Eastern Europe: NATO Membership for Sale  This paper asserts potential NATO newcomers are purchasing top Western military equipment in the hopes of improving their chances for entry into NATO.  BASIC Paper #22, July 1997
  
  
• Anarchy in Albania:  Collapse of European Collective Security?  This paper challenges the notion of NATO's ability to bring stability to Europe. BASIC Paper #21, June 1997
  
  
• A New Strategic Concept for NATO
  This paper urges NATO officials to revisit NATO's Strategic Concept in light of the changes in Europe security and offers suggestions for the Madrid NATO ministerial meeting in July.  BASIC Paper #20, 20 May 1997
  
  
• 1997 NPT PrepCom:  Principles and Objectives on the Agenda  
  This paper urges those chairing the PrepComs to take steps ensuring effective PrepComs which will aid in the implementation of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.  BASIC Paper #19, 6 March 1997
  
  
• New Text for a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
  Analysis of the draft CTBT text prepared by chair of the CTBT negotiations, Ambassador Jaap Ramaker.  BASIC Paper #18, 30 May 1996
  
  
• Future of the CFE Treaty  Written by Jonathan Dean, Senior Advisor to the Union of Concerned Scientists, this paper analyzes different options for the Review Conference on the CFE Treaty to revise the treaty without utilizing the alliance-to-alliance format used at the end of the Cold War.  BASIC Paper #17, 6 May 1996
  
  
• NATO Enlargement and Ukraine  This paper examines the risks involved in expanding NATO by either including or excluding Ukraine and its effects on both Ukraine's foreign policy and regional security in Central Eastern Europe.  BASIC Paper #16, 11 April 1996
  
  
• Implementing Dayton:  Arms Control and Intelligence in Former Yugoslavia  This paper analyzes both the provisions in the Dayton Accords meant to reduce military tensions and US and NATO intelligence operations in the former Yugoslavia. BASIC Paper #15, 11 March 1996
  
  
• Review of the Dayton Accords  This paper analyses the "fine print" of the Dayton Accords and warns that unless the civilian components of the agreement are fully implemented and greater weapons reductions are carried out, the NATO Implementation Force may simply provide a pause in the fighting.  BASIC Paper #14, 11 December 1995
  
  
• Chronicling an Absence of Restraint:  The 1995 UN Arms Register    This paper utilizes the 1995 UN Arms Register, SIPRI Yearbook 1995, and Monterey Institute of International Studies' evaluation of the UN Arms Register to analyze the discrepancies between importer and exporter submissions to the UN Arms Register and suggests ways to strengthen the register.  BASIC Paper #13, 3 November 1995 
  
  
• Arming Central and Eastern Europe  This paper proposes Western weapons transfers to selected Partnership for Peace countries, highlighting the potential consequences for regional stability.
  BASIC Paper #12, 27 September 1995
  
  
• Partnerships for Peace:  Drifting into Secrecy
  The lack of transparency surrounding the PfP agreements and the PfP's emphasis on self-determination may undermine regional cooperation and confidence-building in central and eastern Europe are examined. The paper also surveys the possibility of western weapons transfers to CEE in the context of promoting interoperability of defense between NATO and PfP countries.  BASIC Paper #11, 7 June 1995
  
  
• US Policy Leading into the NPT Conference
  This paper describes U.S. policy before the 1995 NPT Conference, explaining both the rationale for U.S. confidence that its goal of indefinite extension would be achieved and possible reasons why the U.S. might fail. Internal debates in the Clinton Administration are also described.  BASIC Paper #10, 24 March 1995
  
  
• A Nuclear Weapons Convention  BASIC Paper #9, 16 March 1995
• Arming NATO's Partners   BASIC Paper #6, December 1994