CNS Distinguished Fellow
Washington DC Office
[email protected]
Washington DC
202.601.2377
Background
Prior to joining CNS, from 1997 to 2001, Mr. Leonard Spector served as Assistant Deputy Administrator for Arms Control and Nonproliferation at the US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
His principal responsibilities at the NNSA included development and implementation of:
- Arms control and nonproliferation policy with respect to international treaties
- US domestic and multilateral export controls
- Inspection and technical cooperation activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency
- Civilian nuclear activities in the United States and abroad
- Initiatives in regions of proliferation concern, including the canning of plutonium-bearing spent nuclear fuel in North Korea and Kazakhstan
- Transparency provisions of bilateral agreements with Russia covering the purchase of weapons-grade uranium and the cessation of plutonium production
Prior to his service at the NNSA, Mr. Spector directed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he established the Program on Post-Soviet Nuclear Affairs at the Carnegie Moscow Center and organized one of the leading annual international conferences on non-proliferation issues. Earlier in his career, Mr. Spector served as Chief Counsel to the Senate Energy and Nonproliferation Subcommittee and as a Special Counsel at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Mr. Spector is the author or co-author of six books and numerous articles on nonproliferation and comments frequently on this subject in the media. His current research focuses on the elimination of chemical weapons in Syria, mechanisms for restraining Iran’s nuclear program, and tools to prevent nuclear commodity smuggling.
While with CNS from late 2005 to April 2008, Mr. Spector served as Editor-in-Chief of the monthly web journal WMD Insights and later led the Center’s Project on Nonproliferation Policy and Law. His most recent works include an in-depth study, co-authored with Egle Murauskaite, “Combatting Nuclear Commodity Smuggling: A System of Systems,” CNS Occasional Paper 20, November 2014, and co-editing with William Potter, Matthew Bunn, and Martin Malin, Preventing Black-Market Trade in Nuclear-Related Technologies (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming). He is currently completing a report on outlawing state-sponsored illicit nuclear procure networks and pursuing recovery of purloined nuclear goods.
CNS Work
- Spector Calls on UN Committee to Condemn Violations of WMD Controls
CNS deputy director recommends taking steps that could trigger sanctions for states that undermine the resolution. - A Proliferation Plateau May Offer Unique Opportunities
Has proliferation to new countries reached a plateau? That is how things appear in early 2016 on the basis of publicly available information. - The Future Impact of North Korea’s Emerging Nuclear Deterrent
The ripple effects of North Korea crossing the nuclear threshold may be more limited than they first appear. - Media Advisory: Understanding the Final Iran Agreement
Experts from CNS and VCDNP are available for comment on a range of aspects pertaining to the final Iran nuclear deal and its implications. - Countering Proliferation Finance: Understanding the Essentials
Webinar focusing on the nexus between nonproliferation and the financial sector. - OP#20: Countering Nuclear Commodity Smuggling: A System of Systems
Occasional Paper #20: This study recommends action to prevent nuclear smuggling to Iran, North Korea, and other countries seeking nuclear weapons. - The Future of Civilian Nuclear Cooperation
Congressional testimony highlights future of nuclear energy cooperation and risks of nuclear proliferation - Nonproliferation Course to be Convened for US Officials in Washington DC
DEADLINE MAY 9: US Government officials are invited to apply to attend May 19-23rd, 2014 course at the CNS Washington DC office. - Critical Questions: Urgent Decisions for the Second Obama Administration
CNS experts propose nonproliferation and disarmament priorities. - Minimizing Dangers Posed by Syria’s Military Assets
Testimony of Leonard S. Spector before the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, Committee on Foreign Affairs, US House of Representatives, July 19, 2012.
Bibliography
- Tracking Nuclear Proliferation 1995: A Guide in Maps and Charts (with Mark McDonough and Evan Medeiros, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1995)
- Nuclear Ambitions: The Spread of Nuclear Weapons, 1989-1990 (Westview Press, 1990)
- The Undeclared Bomb: The Spread of Nuclear Weapons, 1987-1988 (Harper Business 1990)
