“Our soldiers in another area were attacked chemically. Our soldiers - they went to the hospital as casualties because of chemical weapons, but in the area where they said the government used chemical weapons, we only had video and we only have pictures and allegations. We're not there ; our forces, our police, our institutions don't exist there. How can you talk about what happened if you don't have evidence ?” IfsSaidGovernmentUsedForceHappenedWeaponsEvidenceAreasPoliceInstitutionsSoldierVideoHospitalsChemicalsThey SaidCasualtiesChemical WeaponsAllegations Author:Bashar al-Assad
“Actually, he gave false evidence [of chemical weapons]. In this case,[John] Kerry didn't even present any evidence. He talked "we have evidence" and he didn't present anything. Not yet, nothing so far ; not a single shred of evidence.” CasesWeaponsEvidenceChemicalsJohn KerryChemical Weapons Author:Bashar al-Assad
“We're not sure that if there's chemical weapon used and who used it. We can't talk about virtual things, we have to talk about facts.” IfsFactsUsedWeaponsNot SureChemicalsChemical Weapons Author:Bashar al-Assad
“Even if you want to take the American story, they say we used chemical weapons the same day the team or the investigation team came to Syria ; is it logical ? It's not logical. Even if a country or army wanted to use such weapon, they should have waited a few days till the investigation finished its work. It's not logical, the whole story doesn't even hold together.” IfsWantShouldCountryWholeStoriesUseWantedTogetherUsedTeamWeaponsShould HaveArmyFinishedLogicalWorking ItChemicalsInvestigationSyriaChemical Weapons Author:Bashar al-Assad
“There's a video on YouTube where the terrorists clearly make trials [of chemical weapons] on a rabbit and kill the rabbit and said "this is how we're going to kill the Syrian people."” PeopleSaidWeaponsTerroristTrialsVideoChemicalsRabbitsYoutubeChemical Weapons Author:Bashar al-Assad
“There's a video about one of those women who they consider as rebel or fighter who worked with those terrorists and she said "they didn't tell us how to use the chemical weapons" and one of those weapons exploded in one of the tunnels and killed twelve. That's what she said.” SaidUseWeaponsTerroristVideoFighterChemicalsRebelTwelveTunnelsChemical Weapons Author:Bashar al-Assad
“The United States accused Syria, and because you accused you have to bring evidence [of chemical weapons], this first of all. We have to find evidences when we are there.” FirstsStatesUnitedUnited StatesWeaponsEvidenceChemicalsSyriaAccusedChemical Weapons Author:Bashar al-Assad
“In Aleppo we had the missile itself, and the material, and the sample from the sand, from the soil, and samples from the blood [of chemical weapons].” BloodMaterialsWeaponsSoilSandChemicalsMissilesSampleChemical Weapons Author:Bashar al-Assad
“Anyone who's not military knows this fact. Why do you use chemical weapons while you're advancing ?” KnowsFactsUseMilitaryWeaponsChemicalsAdvancingChemical Weapons Author:Bashar al-Assad
“Let's presume that a country or army has this weapon ; this kind of armaments cannot be used by infantry for example or by anyone. This kind of armament should be used by specialized units, so it cannot be in the hand of anyone.” ShouldKindCountryHandsUsedExampleWeaponsArmyUnitsArmamentInfantry Author:Bashar al-Assad
“This is where we can discuss the evidence [of the chemical weapons ], but he doesn't have it. He didn't present it because he doesn't have it, Kerry doesn't have it. No one in your administration has it. If they had it, they would have presented it to you as media from the first day.” IfsFirstsMediaWeaponsEvidenceAdministrationChemicalsChemical Weapons Author:Bashar al-Assad
“That the rebels or the terrorists used the chemical weapons in northern Aleppo five months ago [in 2013].” UsedFiveMonthsWeaponsTerroristChemicalsRebelChemical Weapons Author:Bashar al-Assad
“Are we not concerned, for example, by the growing danger related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and missile technology? All of this poses a clear threat to the world, to the region. However, we have obvious points of convergence that are related to our interests.” WorldInterestTechnologyClearGrowingDangerExampleWeaponsMassConcernedDestructionThreatObviousRelatedRegionsMissilesWeapons Of Mass DestructionMass DestructionProliferationConvergence Author:Vladimir Putin
“In the area of international security, taking into account that the United States and Russia are the largest nuclear powers: We are ready to jointly work to strengthen the non-proliferation regime for weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. We are ready to work together, and much closer than before, on the problem of fighting terrorism, international terrorism, and here we certainly have vast opportunities.” MeanStatesProblemTogetherFightingOpportunityUnitedUnited StatesSecurityReadyWeaponsMassAreasDestructionAccountsInternationalTerrorismNuclearRussiaWorking TogetherRegimesNational SecurityWeapons Of Mass DestructionMass DestructionDeliveryNuclear PowerProliferationFighting TerrorismInternational Terrorism Author:Vladimir Putin
“At any rate, those problems [ non-proliferation regime for weapons of mass destruction ] would not be so acute, with numerous terror attacks and victims of those attacks in many areas of the world - in Europe and in the United States. We also never would have had such an urgent problem with refugees, I have no doubt about it.” WorldStatesProblemUnitedUnited StatesDoubtWeaponsMassEuropeAreasDestructionVictimRateTerrorNo DoubtRegimesRefugeeUrgentWeapons Of Mass DestructionMass DestructionProliferationTerror Attacks Author:Vladimir Putin
“We have to find ways in which, collectively, we agree there's some things that government needs to do to help protect us, that in this age of non-state actors who can amass great power, I want my government - and I think the German people should want their government - to be able to find out if a terrorist organization has access to a weapon of mass destruction that might go off in the middle of Berlin.” PeopleIfsThinkingWayWantNeedsShouldStatesHelpingGovernmentMightAgeAbleActorsMiddleProtectWeaponsMassDestructionOrganizationAgreeAccessTerroristBerlinWeapons Of Mass DestructionMass DestructionGreat Power Author:Barack Obama
“Vienna is cold, and dark, and sad. It is laid out as though for a royal parade; the streets are wide and they're flanked by monumental buildings, decorated with the faces of angry gods. And on the roof are statues of national heroes, wielding weapons of destruction.” FacesDarkStreetsBuildingColdHeroWeaponsDestructionAngryWideRoofRoyalStatuesParadesVienna Author:Quentin Crisp
“My family has been deeply affected by the split of Korea, which divided it in half, basically, before I was born. There's no way to connect with my family now who are in North Korea because it's so isolated. We don't even know who is still there and who is alive, and if they are, what they are doing. Comedy is the only weapon I have to battle this totalitarianism.” IfsKnowsWayHas BeensStillsBornHalfComedyAliveBattleWeaponsMy FamilyAffectedDividedIsolatedSplitsKoreaTotalitarianismNorth Korea Author:Margaret Cho
“There are nine countries in the world that have nuclear weapons. There are about 27,000 nuclear weapons total on the planet. The countries that have nuclear weapons deploy them ready for use and have doctrines saying that they would use them in certain circumstances.” WorldCountryUseCertainPlanetsReadyCircumstancesWeaponsNuclearNineDoctrineNuclear Weapons Author:John Burroughs
“So the idea about how detonation of a nuclear weapon might happen vary, you know - some people are especially concerned about terrorists getting their hands on nuclear weapons and using them. Some people are worried that there might be a nuclear war between India and Pakistan. Some think the Middle East, were Israel already has nuclear weapons and where other countries may be interested at some point and acquiring them, might be a flash point.” PeopleThinkingKnowsMayIdeasWarCountryHandsMightHappensMiddleWeaponsConcernedIndiaIsraelEastNuclearTerroristWorriedMiddle EastNuclear WeaponsFlashOther CountriesPakistanVaryNuclear WarIndia And Pakistan Author:John Burroughs
“There tends to be this comfortable assumption that nuclear weapons won't be used, but I don't think that's warranted, and I think we should seize the opportunity of this time of stability and cooperation and move towards global elimination of nuclear weapons as indeed people like Henry Kissinger, and William Perry, former Secretary of Defense under Clinton, and Sam Nunn, former Senator, and George Schultz, former Undersecretary of State for Ronald Reagan. All of them recently called for achievement of a nuclear weapon-free world.” PeopleThinkingWorldShouldStatesMovingUsedOpportunityAchievementComfortableWeaponsClintonDefenseNuclearFormerAssumptionCooperationStabilityNuclear WeaponsSecretarySenatorsEliminationFree WorldSeize The OpportunityKissingerHenry Kissinger Author:John Burroughs
“Unfortunately, nuclear weapons have become identified with state power.” StatesWeaponsNuclearNuclear Weapons Author:John Burroughs
“Certainly in the United States, you have a constituency in the form of the weapons laboratories, and you also have the branches of the armed services that are involved with nuclear weapons deployment, especially the naval submarine operations and also the air force's land-based ICBM operations. So they have a big lobby in Washington.” StatesBigsFormForceUnitedUnited StatesAirLandInvolvedWeaponsNuclearOperationsBranchesNuclear WeaponsLaboratoryAir ForceNavalDeploymentSubmarinesArmed Services Author:John Burroughs
“It doesn't seem to be that huge a commitment that would create, you know, some kind of really powerful constituency. But the history has been for the United States and Russia especially that nuclear weapons have kind of become part of the identity of the countries.” KnowsKindHas BeensCountryStatesSeemsUnitedPowerfulUnited StatesIdentityHugeWeaponsCommitmentNuclearRussiaNuclear WeaponsReally Powerful Author:John Burroughs
“Somewhat by historical happenstance the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - United States, Britain, France, Russia, and China - also were the original five countries to have nuclear weapons.” CountryStatesUnitedUnited StatesFiveSecurityMembersWeaponsOriginalsHistoricalChinaNuclearRussiaFrancePermanentBritainNuclear WeaponsCouncilSecurity CouncilHappenstance Author:John Burroughs
“Especially in the case of India and Pakistan, it's very clear that significant parts of the elites in both countries view having nuclear weapons as a ticket to prestige.” CountryViewsCasesClearWeaponsIndiaNuclearSignificantElitesNuclear WeaponsTicketsPakistanPrestigeIndia And Pakistan Author:John Burroughs
“Maybe that will happen with other countries as well. And so, that's why one of the things that groups like mine that work for the elimination of nuclear weapons and work for their marginalization in the meantime, we say you have to diminish the political value that's attached to nuclear weapons in order to give them less (kind of) desirability in the eyes of governments that do not now have them, and thus to help stop their spread.” GivingWellsKindCountryHelpingGovernmentHappensEyePoliticalValuesOrderGroupsMinesWeaponsSpreadNuclearNuclear WeaponsOther CountriesDiminishEliminationMarginalizationDesirability Author:John Burroughs
“Almost all of the governments have agreed that they will not acquire nuclear weapons and that they will allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to monitor their commercial and research nuclear power operations to ensure that nuclear materials - highly enriched uranium and plutonium - are not diverted to use in weapons.” UseGovernmentEnergyMaterialsWeaponsResearchInternationalNuclearOperationsAgencyAcquireNuclear WeaponsNuclear PowerUraniumAtomic EnergyPlutonium Author:John Burroughs
“The five original nuclear weapon states I mentioned - U.S., Britain, France, China, and Russia - under the NPT have committed to the achievement of the elimination of their nuclear arsenals through good faith negotiations of nuclear disarmament - that's Article Six of the treaty.” StatesFiveAchievementSixWeaponsOriginalsCommittedChinaNuclearRussiaFranceBritainArticlesNuclear WeaponsNegotiationTreatiesDisarmamentArsenalEliminationGood FaithNuclear Disarmament Author:John Burroughs
“My group, the Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy, was one of the principle organizers. So, there was this campaign to support the United Nations General Assembly in asking the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on the legality of threat or use of nuclear weapons.” UseNationsJusticeUnitedOpinionPrinciplesSupportGroupsPolicyWeaponsAskingCourtThreatInternationalLawyerNuclearCampaignsNuclear WeaponsCommitteesUnited NationsAssemblyOrganizerLegalityGeneral AssemblyAdvisory Author:John Burroughs
“You cannot use [nuclear weapons] to target civilians; you cannot use them against military targets if they have indiscriminate effects on civilians in addition to the attack on the military target.” IfsUseEffectsMilitaryWeaponsNuclearTargetNuclear WeaponsCivilians Author:John Burroughs
“You cannot cause disproportionate damage to the environment; you cannot harm neutral states. The court said that the threat or use of nuclear weapons is generally contrary to the international law of armed conflict.” SaidStatesUseLawCausesEnvironmentConflictWeaponsCourtThreatInternationalHarmContraryNuclearDamageNuclear WeaponsInternational LawArmed Conflict Author:John Burroughs
“The court was unable to rule on all circumstances in which nuclear weapons might be used, and it said in view of the problems, the risks posed by nuclear weapons, and in view of the lack of certainty of the law in all circumstances, the best course is fulfilling the obligation of good faith negotiations of nuclear disarmament contained in the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.” SaidProblemMightLawUsedCoursesViewsRiskCircumstancesWeaponsCourtNuclearObligationCertaintyNuclear WeaponsFulfillingNegotiationTreatiesDisarmamentProliferationGood FaithNuclear DisarmamentProliferation Treaty Author:John Burroughs
“The overall quantity of nuclear weapons in the world continues to decline slowly.” WorldWeaponsNuclearQuantityDeclineNuclear Weapons Author:John Burroughs
“[Nuclear weapons] now I think I mentioned around 27,000 and during the Cold War the total global arsenal was on the order of 70,000.” ThinkingWarOrderColdWeaponsNuclearNuclear WeaponsCold WarArsenal Author:John Burroughs
“The United States says "We're complying. We're following the disarmament obligation. Look at the quantitative reductions that are taking place." But, since '96, there really hasn't been progress on specific commitments that have been made. Perhaps most disturbing is this: that the United States and France in particular, since 1996, have expanded the range of circumstances under which they might use - they say they might use - nuclear weapons.” LooksHas BeensMadeStatesUseMightUnitedUnited StatesProgressParticularCircumstancesWeaponsCommitmentFollowingNuclearObligationFranceRangeNuclear WeaponsDisturbingReductionDisarmamentMight UseComplying Author:John Burroughs
“Basically [United States and France] said "We will use nuclear weapons whenever it suits our purposes to do so." So this expansion of doctrines regarding possible use of nuclear weapons makes them more, you know, sort of, salient and important and so it's increasing the perceived political value of nuclear weapons and therefore causing or contributing to possible proliferation.” KnowsSaidImportantStatesUsePoliticalPurposeValuesUnitedUnited StatesWeaponsNuclearDoctrineSuitsFranceNuclear WeaponsExpansionContributingProliferation Author:John Burroughs
“In 2002 the [George] Bush administration effectively put an end to negotiations of an agreement which would have established inspection procedures to ensure or to monitor compliance with the existing legal ban on biological weapons.” EndsWeaponsAdministrationAgreementNegotiationProceduresBansComplianceInspectionBiological Weapons Author:John Burroughs
“I told [a big investor in The New Yorker] - I was complaining the way writers complain.I said`[Bill Shawn] pays very well, but a lot of my pieces don't get in,' and that was true of most of the writers there.But he pays you for them, that was very nice of him. This guy didn't think it was very nice. He figured, `Oh, my God, that's more of my investment gone,' and paying money to writers for not printing them. That became, apparently, one of his weapons against Shawn when he - in the corporate skirmishes that went on. It was a bad mistake on my part.” ThinkingWayWellsSaidBigsGuyPayMistakeGonePiecesNiceWeaponsBillsInvestmentComplainingCorporateInvestorsThis GuyVery NiceNew YorkersPrintingBad Mistake Author:Nat Hentoff
“Before I even came into office, I said that preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon was a priority.” SaidOfficeWeaponsNuclearPrioritiesIranNuclear WeaponsPreventing Author:Barack Obama
“I would consider the principal threats to start with Russia, and it would certainly include any nations that are looking to intimidate nations around their periphery, regional nations nearby them, whether it be with weapons of mass destruction or, I would call it, unusual, unorthodox means of intimidating them, that sort of thing.” MeanNationsWeaponsMassDestructionThreatRussiaUnusualPrincipalIntimidatingWeapons Of Mass DestructionMass DestructionPeripheryUnorthodox Author:James Mattis
“We have the right of revolution. Revolution does not always have to be weapons and warfare; it's also about revolutionary ideas.” DoeIdeasRevolutionWeaponsRevolutionaryWarfareRevolutionary Ideas Author:Edward Snowden
“Now we're living in a nuclear age, and the science that was supposed to be automatically for human welfare has become a nuclear - a science that gives us nuclear weapons. This is the ironic character of human history, and of human existence, which I can only explain, if I say so, in Biblical terms. Now I don't mean by this reason that I will accept every interpretation of Christianity that's derived from the Bible as many people wouldn't accept my interpretation. But that's what it means for me.” PeopleIfsGivingHumansMeanI CanReasonCharacterAgeTermExistenceAcceptingChristianityWeaponsNuclearSupposed To BeWelfareInterpretationIronicNuclear WeaponsBiblicalHuman HistoryHuman Existence Author:Reinhold Niebuhr
“On both of my major trips to North Korea, the leaders of the country made it plain that they want to make progress towards doing away with nuclear weapons and towards ending the longstanding, official state of war which persists between North Korea and the United States and South Korea, a war which has continued since the ceasefire over fifty years ago. That sort of thing happens quite often when we meet with people who are kind of international outcasts with whom the government of the United States won't meet.” PeopleWantYearsKindMadeWarCountryStatesGovernmentHappensUnitedLeaderUnited StatesProgressMajorsWeaponsYears AgoSouthInternationalNuclearThings HappenMade ItOfficialsFiftyNuclear WeaponsPersistKoreaNorth KoreaOutcastSouth KoreaCeasefire Author:Jimmy Carter
“Donald Trump has a lot of supporters with a deep hatred of Hillary Clinton and access to incredibly powerful lethal weapons.” PowerfulTrumpWeaponsHatredClintonAccessSupporterLethal Weapon Author:Chris Murphy
“I accept that friends of ours have decided that the President's non-strike has somehow impacted perceptions of us. But I believe they are dead wrong and I think the critics are dead wrong, and here's why. The President [Barack Obama] made his decision to strike. He announced his decision to strike publicly. And the purpose of the strike was to get the chemical weapons out of Syria. That's the purpose.” ThinkingBelieveMadePurposeI BelievePresidentDecisionAcceptingPerceptionWeaponsDecidedCriticsStrikesBarackChemicalsSyriaPresident Barack ObamaChemical Weapons Author:John F. Kerry
“We achieved a deal with the Russians that didn't wind up in two days of strikes that would have sent a, quote, "message," but would not have removed the weapons. We struck a deal to get all of the declared weapons out of Syria. Never before in a conflict has that ever happened, that during the conflict weapons of mass destruction are taken out of the zone of conflict. And thank God we did that, because if we hadn't done that, today ISIL would have those chemical weapons in large parts of the country.” IfsTwoCountryDoneTodayDealsTakenHappenedWindConflictMessagesWeaponsMassDestructionStrikesZoneChemicalsThank GodSyriaWeapons Of Mass DestructionMass DestructionTwo DaysChemical WeaponsIsil Author:John F. Kerry
“Russia is modernizing its nuclear systems. They're moving toward more effective tactical nuclear systems. They're moving toward delivery systems designed to evade anti-ballistic missile defenses. The Russians are investing, by the way, in robotic weapons, including a potential robotic tank. Their investment in new technology, I suspect, outweighs all of the European defense research and development spending combined.” WayMovingTechnologyDevelopmentWeaponsResearchInvestmentIncludingInvestingSpendingDefenseNuclearRussiaSuspectsTanksMissilesDeliveryNew TechnologyRoboticsResearch And DevelopmentTacticalMissile Defense Author:Newt Gingrich
“I think Donald Trump is very, very cautious about nuclear weapons, and he's seriously concerned. And this might be one of the reasons he wants to deal with Putin carefully, because he's aware of how many nuclear weapons Putin has, and that Russian doctrine is much more open about using nuclear weapons than is American doctrine.” ThinkingWantReasonMightDealsTrumpWeaponsConcernedNuclearDoctrineNuclear WeaponsPutinCautious Author:Newt Gingrich