Containing Russia's Nuclear Firebirds

Download or read book Containing Russia's Nuclear Firebirds written by Glenn E. Schweitzer and published by University of Georgia Press. This book was released on 2013-01-01 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In the aftermath of the Soviet Union's breakup into fifteen independent states, the governments of the United States, the European Community, Japan, and Russia established the International Science and Technology Center in Moscow to address the dangers of nuclear scientists "on the loose." The purpose of the ISTC (also known as the Moscow Science Center) was to prevent the illicit flow of dangerous weapons expertise out of the former Soviet Union by helping its underemployed nuclear, biological, chemical, and aerospace weapons scientists redirect their skills to peaceful civilian endeavors. Since its creation in 1994, the ISTC has provided more than $1.3 billion to support 2,740 projects involving nearly 100,000 scientists from the former Soviet Union and international partners. Thirty-nine governments have become part of the ISTC family. Somewhat unexpectedly, in April 2010, the Russian government announced that it would withdraw from the agreement establishing the ISTC, contending that the Center had accomplished its mission. The Moscow Science Center will close its doors in 2015, effectively terminating ISTC activities based in Russia. Schweitzer examines the impact and effectiveness of the ISTC and emphasizes opportunites for the internal community to draw on its legacy"--