Ramping up Arms

A recent Congressional Research Service report found no evidence that Iran and North Korea are exchanging nuclear weapons, but there is “significant and meaningful” cooperation between the two countries on ballistic missile technology. Both countries also have provided Syria with ballistic missiles and related technology, according to the report. “For decades, most in Congress have viewed these countries with unease because these programs, coupled with the governments’ strong anti-US positions and their antagonism toward US regional friends and allies, pose what are widely regarded as threats to US national security interests,” states the report, released last week. It also notes that Congress has held “numerous hearings and passed laws designed to slow and deter” these countries from “developing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.” However, the number of unclassified Congressional reports on issues related to weapons of mass destruction have “decreased considerably in recent years,” states the report. “Congress may wish to consider requiring additional reporting from the executive branch on WMD proliferation.”