James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS)
CNS News & Views:
July 2017
Application of New Analytical and Verification Tools

Jeffrey Lewis and Dave Schmerler joined NPR's "This American Life" on July 14 to discuss the evolution of the North Korean nuclear and missile programs and the open-source analysis of the Kim regime's propaganda.

In "Why Does North Korea Keep Photoshopping Kim Jong-un's Ears?," published in Vice, Lewis and Schmerler showcased exciting new analytical tools being used to glean information from imagery of North Korea, including state propaganda.

In a new paper titled "Hyperspectral analysis set to expand in coming decade," Melissa Hanham highlights the growth of commercial hyperspectral imagery and its potential military and intelligence applications, particularly with respect to North Korea. A preview of the article can be read here and the full work is available for download from IHS Jane's Intelligence Review

CNS experts continue to provide interviews and commentary on North Korea's missile and nuclear developments, and they have been widely cited following the DPRK's recent ICBM test. Keep up with the prolific publications of CNS staff in Monterey, Washington, and Vienna by following us on Twitter and Facebook.


Daniel Salisbury Explores Illicit Trade Networks

Daniel Salisbury, a post-doctoral fellow at CNS, has recently published several pieces relating to illicit trade networks and the effectiveness of sanctions against countries such as North Korea. "Sanctions Against North Korea Consistently Fail. Why?," published by Newsweek, addresses the limits of technology-based sanctions.  " What Drives the Middlemen? Exploring Involvement in WMD-related Illicit Trade ," for Defense In Depth, examines illicit trade at the transactional level.  " How North Korea Evades Sanctions in Southeast Asia: The Malaysia Case ," written with Summer 2017 Davis UWC Fellow Endi Mato and published by The Diplomat, explores the relationship between Malaysia and the Kim regime.

New Paper Highlights Geo4Nonpro Project


The most recent CNS Occasional Paper highlights Geo4Nonpro, a web-based crowd-sourcing program for satellite imagery analysis. Curated groups of experts were invited to annotate and comment on imagery from seven sites. The project examined t he Punggye-ri nuclear test site and  Sinpo South naval shipyard   in North Korea, Directorate of Defense Industries (DDI) facilities in Myanmar, Novaya Zemlya nuclear test site  and Kaliningrad missile deployments   in Russia, Shahrud missile test facility in Iran, and Korla missile test complex in China.

The paper addresses areas of success and also areas for further growth, including improving the user interface and exploring whether user-generated data could be useful in machine-learning training algorithms.



CIF Students Join Science and Technology Conference

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) invited three Critical Issues Forum (CIF) students to its sixth Science and Technology Conference at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria, during the last week of June. At the conference, these students joined other young professionals and students as part of the CTBTO Youth Group.  During the conference, CTBTO Youth Group members, including two of the CIF students, presented projects that promote the CTBT and nuclear disarmament. A t the CTBTO Youth Group mentoring session,  CIF Project Manager Masako Toki of CNS discussed ways the Youth Group and CIF project can collaborate and expand their reach. 

The opening session of the conference included remarks by Dr. Lassina Zerbo and Princess Sumaya bint Hassan of Jordan. Many CNS staff members also presented or moderated panels throughout the event, including William Potter, Laura Rockwood, Sitara Noor, George Moore, Ferenc Dalnoki-Veress, and CNS-affiliated members of the CTBTO Youth Group. 

CNS Remembers Congressman Ralph Regula

CNS mourns the passing of Representative Ralph Regula. Congressman Regula served as the representative for Ohio's 16th district for eighteen consecutive terms, from 1973 to his retirement in 2009. Congressman Regula took a great interest in the work of CNS and did much to assist its growth and sustainability. We welcome those who would like to share memories of Ralph Regula here . 


Doreen and Jim McElvany Nonproliferation Challenge Accepts Submissions

CNS and its journal, the Nonproliferation Review, aim to spur new thinking about nonproliferation and disarmament. To this end, the Doreen and Jim McElvany Nonproliferation Challenge will recognize the most outstanding new ideas and policy proposals published in Volume 25 (2018) of the Nonproliferation Review. The Challenge will award a grand prize of $5,000, a $3,000 runner's-up prize, and a $1,000 honorable-mention prize.

Submissions must adhere to the Nonproliferation Review style guide, including citation style and maximum word count (10,000 words). All authors and co-authors of articles, viewpoints, and reports published in Volume 25 of the Review are eligible for the Challenge except current employees of CNS.  Submissions must be sent to Managing Editor Rhianna Tyson Kreger by  11:59 pm (EST), July 6, 2018. Decisions on the winners of the scholarly award will be announced early next year.