Wilson Center Experts
Joseph F Pilat
Education
Ph.D. in History (European and Russian), August 1982, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.; M.A. in Government, May 1975; B.A. in Philosophy, June 1973
Experience
- Senior Advisor, National Security Office, Office of the Director, Los Alamos National Laboratory, 2006-present. Providing policy support to Laboratory Director, senior leadership and division programs, administering and conducting analyses for the Laboratory, DOE/NNSA, and other U.S. government agencies, particularly in the areas of arms control, nonproliferation, counterproliferation and counterterrorism.
- Member, Steering Committee, University of California's Institute on Conflict and Cooperation, 2007-present.
- Member, Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection (PR&PP) Working Group, Gen IV International Forum, 2006-present.
Expertise
Nuclear weapons; nonproliferation; arms control and disarmament; terrorism; counterterrorism; international security
Project Summary
At a time of growing concern about the nuclear proliferation threat, there is much we do not understand about the history of nonproliferation efforts. The historical accounts of the regime have focused more on developing international norms, legal issues and institution building. We have histories of the Baruch plan, of the Atoms for Peace proposal, of the NPT and the IAEA, as well as of other elements of the regime, but the influence of these plans, pacts and treaties on proliferation programs is not known although it is sometimes assumed. As a consequence, today we know little about the real drivers of proliferation and of the role of the regime in tamping them down. This project will attempt to address this critical shortcoming in the literature.
Major Publications
- "Causes of Terrorism" in Proceedings of a CICA/STR International Conference, Miraflores de la Sierra, Spain, September 27 – 30, 2007, 2008.
- "Nuclear Safeguards and the Security of Nuclear Materials," in Nuclear Safeguards, Security And Nonproliferation: Achieving Security with Technology and Policy, Elsevier, 2008. (Co-author.)
- "Evaluating International Safeguards Systems," in Nuclear Safeguards, Security And Nonproliferation: Achieving Security with Technology and Policy, Elselvier, 2008. (Co-author.)
- Atoms for Peace: A Future after 50 Years? (Woodrow Wilson Center and The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007)
- NATO and the NPT (NATO Defense College, 2007)
- "The End of the NPT Regime?" International Affairs (2007)