Harvard's Kennedy School of Government
Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government; former Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation at the Energy Department's National Nuclear Security Administration
PROFILE
William Tobey
Guest
FROM William Tobey
Which Way, L.A.?
Obama, Netanyahu and the Threat of a Nuclear Iran As President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu finished exchanging views about Iran's nuclear program, came a surprise announcement from Brussels today: Europe, China, Russia and the United States will accept Iran's invitation to renew talks that ended more than a year ago. The possibility of attacking Iran's nuclear program has been the principal topic of Netanyahu's visit to Washington. Have the prospects changed?
To the Point
The President, the Prime Minister and Possible War with Iran Just as President Obama 's agreed with Prime Minister Netanyahu that Israel has the right to attack Iran's nuclear program, there's a proposal for renewed diplomacy. Europe, Russia, China and the US have accepted Iran's invitation for renewal of talks that broke down more than a year ago. Are upcoming new sanctions already working, as the President hoped they would, or will this be just another effort to kick the can down the road? Has Netanyahu's visit to Washington altered the prospects for armed conflict in the Middle East?
To the Point
Breach in Reactor Suspected at Japanese Nuclear Plant Officials in Japan have increased the radius of evacuation from around the Fukushima nuclear power plant after workers' feet were burned by water with 10,000 times more radioactive contamination than normal. That could mean a breach in the containment vessel of Reactor Number 3 and a release of plutonium as well as uranium. William Tobey, former deputy administration of the National Nuclear Security Administration, is now at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
To the Point
Covert Iranian Nuclear Facility Revealed The US, France and Britain have presented what they call "detailed evidence" that Iran has been building a uranium enrichment facility in secret. In Pittsburgh for the G-20 meeting , President Obama accused Iran of intentionally hiding its nuclear facilities from the International Atomic Energy Agency . William Tobey is a former Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation at the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
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To the Point
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
To the Point
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
To the Point
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
To the Point
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?