CSR Receives Major Grant to Address the Rising Risks of Nuclear Conflict

Part of the impetus to launch the Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) was our concern that catastrophic risks were rising. The global security environment is experiencing monumental strains, including from the weakening of long-held norms, clear violations of the rules-based…

The Deeply Dangerous Spread of Russian Disinformation on Biological Weapons

On Friday, March 11, the U.N. Security Council met at the request of Russia to discuss unsubstantiated and spurious claims that the United States is supporting biological and chemical weapons laboratories in Ukraine—the latest action in a long-running Russian disinformation…

BRIEFER: Key U.S. Initiatives for Addressing Biological Threats – Part 2

By Chris Fall, Yong-Bee Lim, and Christine Parthemore The COVID-19 crisis has forcefully demonstrated both the seriousness of the threat posed by natural and anthropogenic biological risks and the incredible strides gained in modern biotechnology to address these risks, such…

BRIEFER: Weapons of Mass Agility: A New Threat Framework for Mass Effects in the 21st Century

By Natasha E. Bajema The threat posed by weapons of mass destruction (WMD) continues to serve as a key concept for shaping U.S. national security strategy. For many decades, policymakers and experts alike have assumed that malicious actors will seek…

11 Questions the U.S. Senate Should Ask the Nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense

U.S. Marine Corps chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) defense specialists with Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron suit up in level B hazardous material suits during a training exercise at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, Calif., April 30, 2013.…

8 Questions the U.S. Senate Should Ask Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins On Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Threats

Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins speaks on the plenary session of the Halifax International Security Forum, “Nukes: The Fire and the Fury”, November 18, 2017 By Yong-Bee Lim and Bill Beaver U.S. President Joe Biden has nominated a number of veteran diplomats…

6 Key Takeaways from the Biden Administration’s Budget Request & Interim National Security Strategic Guidance

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris pose with the full Cabinet for an official group photo in the Grand Foyer of the White House, April 1, 2021. By Yong-Bee Lim and Bill Beaver It is now clear that…

BRIEFER – Definitions Matter: The Role of WMD in Shaping U.S. National Security Strategy

By Natasha E. Bajema To develop its national security strategy, the U.S. government typically formulates a set of agreed definitions and concepts about the current threat environment to help delineate top priorities. Once established, these impose clarity on mission spaces,…