Nuclear Threshold: Theory and Practice

Abstract: The Nuclear threshold status is an oft used concept yet one that has heretofore been poorly defined. Moreover, its unique attributes and ramifications have not been systematically considered, nor have generic insights into the phenomenon been consistently applied. In this presentation Ariel Levite will present work he is undertaking with Toby Dalton at the Carnegie Endowment to shed light on the theory and practice of nuclear threshold, underscore its contemporary importance, and illustrate its application in a few case studies. The talk will conclude by laying out several analytical and policy implications that flow from the analysis.

Bio: Toby Dalton is senior fellow and co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Before joining Carnegie, he served as senior policy advisor in the Office of Nonproliferation and International Security, National Nuclear Security Administration, and directed the Department of Energy Office at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. He was a professional staff member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a Luce Scholar in Seoul, Korea. He received a PhD in public policy from The George Washington University.

Bio: Ariel (Eli) Levite is a nonresident senior fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program and Technology and International Affairs Program at the Carnegie Endowment. Prior to joining the Carnegie Endowment in 2008, Levite was the principal deputy director general for policy at the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission from 2002 to 2007. He also served as the deputy national security adviser for defense policy and was head of the Bureau of International Security and Arms Control (an assistant secretary position) in the Israeli Ministry of Defense.