Institute for Science and International Security

ISIS's board consists of the following members:{{cite web|url=http://isis-online.org/about/board/ |title=Institute for Science and International Security: ISIS Board |publisher=Isis-online.org |access-date=November 30, 2011}}

• David Albright - Chairman/President
• Michael Rietz - Treasurer, Lawyer, private practice
• Houston Wood - University of Virginia

ISIS has been funded by:{{cite web|url=http://isis-online.org/about/funders/ |title=Institute for Science and International Security " About " ISIS Funders |publisher=Isis-online.org |access-date=2011-09-21}} Ploughshares Fund, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Colombe Foundation, New-Land Foundation, The Prospect Hill Foundation, United States Institute of Peace, The International Atomic Energy Agency, Ford Foundation, The Scherman Foundation, Smith Richardson Foundation, Compton Foundation, The Stanley Foundation, The John Merck Fund, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Rockefeller Brothers Fund, W. Alton Jones Foundation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, United States Department of Energy

ISIS's staff consists of the following people:{{cite web|url=http://isis-online.org/about/staff/ |title=Institute for Science and International Security: ISIS Principal Staff |publisher=Isis-online.org |access-date=April 9, 2020}}

• David Albright, President and Founder of ISIS
• Sarah Burkhard, Research Associate
• Spencer Faragasso, Research Fellow
• Houston Wood, Technical Consultant
• Frank V. Pabian, Consultant
• Ulrike Weinrich, Financial Director

The institute regularly publishes technical analyses of nuclear proliferation programs by examining technical data and satellite imagery. ISIS is cited in non-proliferation circles and in international media regarding its analysis. The majority of the current material produced by ISIS is focused on the analysis and monitoring of the nuclear programs of North Korea, Iran, Pakistan, Syria, and cases of worldwide illicit nuclear trade.{{cite web|url=http://www.isis-online.org |title=ISIS Website |publisher=Isis-online.org |access-date=November 30, 2011}}

In August 1991, David Albright and Mark Hibbs, writing for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists wrote that there were many technological challenges unsolved with Iraq's nuclear program. Albright and Hibbs wrote that Iraq's nuclear program "was so primitive that the international sanctions put in place after the August 2 invasion may have had more substantive effect than the tons of bombs dropped by U.S. and allied planes five months later".{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rwwAAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA16 |title=Iraq and the bomb: Were they even close?|first=David|last=Albright|author2=Mark Hibbs|date=March 1991|pages=16–25|volume=47|issue=2|journal=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists|doi=10.1080/00963402.1991.11459944|bibcode=1991BuAtS..47b..16A|access-date=2009-08-04|url-access=subscription}}

In an October 2002 posting ISIS published a report which said "One of the most significant accomplishments of the intrusive inspections mandated by UN Security Council in 1991 is that Iraq is not believed to have nuclear weapons now. This single accomplishment demonstrates both the power and value of intrusive nuclear inspections in Iraq." The report further argued that "the nuclear inspection process provided a powerful deterrent against Iraq reconstituting its nuclear weapons program until inspectors left in late 1998."{{cite web|url=http://isis-online.org/isis-reports/detail/intrusive-inspections-in-the-1990s-means-iraq-lacks-a-nuclear-arsenal-now/9 |title=Institute for Science and International Security: Intrusive Inspections in the 1990s Means Iraq Lacks a Nuclear Arsenal Now |publisher=Isis-online.org |date=October 7, 2002 |access-date=November 30, 2011}}

ISIS has been following since the 1990s the circumstances surrounding the Iranian nuclear program and has created a website dedicated to informing readers about the history of Iran's nuclear program and facilities, providing IAEA reports, providing information about diplomatic efforts, and providing ISIS technical assessments.{{cite web|url=http://www.isisnucleariran.org |title=Institute for Science and International Security |publisher=ISISNuclearIran |access-date=November 30, 2011}}{{Promotion inline|date=December 2013}}

A June 2009 posting on ISIS argued that "we do know that a lasting, military solution to Iran’s nuclear program is not realistic. This leaves diplomacy as the best route to bring about a suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment program, regardless of who holds Iran’s presidency."{{cite web |url=http://www.isisnucleariran.org/news/detail/beware-the-neocon-agenda-for-iran/ |title=Institute for Science and International Security: Beware the neocon agenda for Iran |publisher=Isisnucleariran.org |access-date=November 30, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120803160012/http://www.isisnucleariran.org/news/detail/beware-the-neocon-agenda-for-iran/ |archive-date=August 3, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}

On October 2, 2009 ISIS posted a subject to revision working document by IAEA safeguards experts which it described as an "Internal IAEA Document on Alleged Iranian Nuclear Weaponization".{{cite web|url=http://isis-online.org/uploads/isis-reports/documents/IAEA_info_3October2009.pdf |title=Institute for Science and International Security: Excerpts from Internal IAEA Document on Alleged Iranian Nuclear Weaponization |access-date=November 30, 2011}} The document led media to report that Iran has tested a two-point implosion design.{{cite news|author=Julian Borger|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/nov/05/iran-tested-nuclear-warhead-design |title=The Guardian: Iran tested advanced nuclear warhead design – secret report |work=The Guardian |location=UK |access-date=November 30, 2011 |date=November 5, 2009}} Gordon Oehler, who ran the CIA’s nonproliferation center and served as deputy director of the presidential commission on weapons of mass destruction, wrote “if someone has a good idea for a missile program, and he has really good connections, he’ll get that program through.. But that doesn’t mean there is a master plan for a nuclear weapon.”{{cite web|url=http://www.armscontrolwonk.com/858/sanger-hypes-the-laptop |title=Iran Dope Arms Control Wonk: Concerns RV Not Warhead |publisher=Armscontrolwonk.com |access-date=November 30, 2011}} Outside experts noted that the parts of the report made public lack many dates associated with Iran's alleged activities.{{Cite web|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/1017/p19s01-usfp.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091020022648/http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/1017/p19s01-usfp.html|url-status=dead|title=Iran's nuclear disclosures: why they matter|archivedate=October 20, 2009|via=Christian Science Monitor}} The Washington Post reported that "nowhere are there construction orders, payment invoices, or more than a handful of names and locations possibly connected to the projects."{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/07/AR2006020702126_3.html |title=Washington Post: Strong Leads and Dead Ends in Nuclear Case Against Iran |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=November 30, 2011 |first=Dafna |last=Linzer |date=February 8, 2006}} Former IAEA Director Mohamed ElBaradei said the Agency didn't have any information that nuclear material has been used and didn't have any information that any components of nuclear weapons had been manufactured.{{Cite web|url=http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Transcripts/2009/transcript051009.pdf|title=International Atomic Energy Agency: Transcript of the IAEA Director General's Remarks at the Joint Press Conference with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, October 4, 2009}} Iran asserted that the documents were a fabrication, while the IAEA urged Iran to be more cooperative and Member States to provide more information about the allegations to be shared with Iran.{{cite web|url=http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Documents/Board/2009/gov2009-55.pdf |title=Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement and relevant provisions of Security Council resolutions 1737 (2006), 1747 (2007), 1803 (2008), and 1835 (2008) in the Islamic Republic of Iran |access-date=November 30, 2011}}

In December 2009, the conservative-leaning{{cite news|author=Special to the New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/18/world/around-the-world-new-editor-takes-over-at-times-of-london.html |title=The New York Times: New Editor Takes Over At Times of London |location=Great Britain; London (Eng) |work=The New York Times |date=March 18, 1982 |access-date=November 30, 2011}}{{cite web |url=http://www.ipsospublicaffairs.co.uk/researchpublications/researcharchive/poll.aspx?oItemId=755 |title=Voting Intention by Newspaper Readership |publisher=Ipsos Public Affairs |access-date=November 30, 2011 }}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The Times, working with ISIS analysis, claimed that a document from an unnamed Asian intelligence agency described the use of a neutron source which has no use other than in a nuclear weapon, and claimed the document appeared to be from an office in Iran's Defense Ministry and may have been from around 2007.{{cite news|author=Roland Watson and Sam Fleming |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6955351.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106030348/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6955351.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 6, 2010 |title=Secret document exposes Iran's nuclear trigger |work=The Times |location=UK |date=June 25, 2009 |access-date=November 30, 2011}}{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121538870 |title=Document Sparks New Concerns About a Nuclear Iran |publisher=National Public Radio |date=December 17, 2009 |access-date=November 30, 2011}} The Institute for Science and International Security, said that it “urges caution and further assessment” of the document and noted that "the document does not mention nuclear weapons .. and we have seen no evidence of an Iranian decision to build them.”{{cite news|last=Broad |first=William J. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/16/world/middleeast/16nuke.html?_r=1&hp |title=Spy Agencies Are Puzzled by Nuclear Memo in Persian |location=Iran |work=The New York Times |date=December 15, 2009 |access-date=November 30, 2011}} Western intelligence agencies did not give any authentication to the document, while Russia noted that though the IAEA is in possession of these documents, the IAEA's findings "do not contain any conclusions about the presence of undeclared nuclear activities in Iran."{{cite web|url=http://en.trend.az/news/politics/foreign/1607980.html |title=Secret documents on Iran must be verified: Russia's representative to IAEA | Politics | Trend |publisher=En.trend.az |date=December 25, 2009 |access-date=2011-09-21}} In response to allegations that the document was forged from Iran and some within the United States,{{cite web |url=http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49833 |title=U.S. Intelligence Found Iran Nuke Document Was Forged |publisher=Inter Press Service |access-date=November 30, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111228221334/http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49833 |archive-date=December 28, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/WN/diane-sawyer-interviews-irans-president-mahmoud-ahmadinejad/story?id=9401194 |title=Diane Sawyer Interviews Iranian President Ahmadinejad |publisher=ABC News |date=December 22, 2009 |access-date=November 30, 2011}} Albright said ISIS felt "that this document does need to be authenticated, and we welcome a debate and actually a collecting [of] information from people, people who've done linguistic analysis, inside information".{{cite web|url=http://www.rferl.org/content/Nuclear_Iran_Kazakh_Uranium_Civil_Purposes/1918446.html |title=Interview: Nuclear Expert Believes Iran Likely Wants Kazakh Uranium For Civil Purposes |publisher=Radio Free Europe |access-date=November 30, 2011}}

In March 2024, based on the report of the Institute for Science and International Security, Foreign Policy considers breakout time at zero. Referring to this report, Foreign Policy spoke about the change in American and European policies towards Iran.

Citing examples of oil sales, economic growth, and Iran's military cooperation with other countries, Foreign Policy implicitly talks about the potential possibility of building nuclear weapons and Iran's nuclear deterrent power.{{cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/03/26/bidens-iran-policy-nuclear-deal-jcpoa/ |title=Whatever Happened to Biden's Iran Policy?|publisher=Foreign Policy |date=March 26, 2024 |access-date=}}

In a January 28, 2010 report, ISIS found: "There remain sound reasons to suspect that the military regime in Burma might be pursuing a long-term strategy to make nuclear weapons. Despite the public reports to the contrary, the military junta does not appear to be close to establishing a significant nuclear capability. Information suggesting the construction of major nuclear facilities appears unreliable or inconclusive."{{cite web|url=http://isis-online.org/isis-reports/detail/burma-a-nuclear-wanabee-suspicious-links-to-north-korea-high-tech-procureme/33 |title=Burma: A Nuclear Wannabe; Suspicious Links to North Korea; High-Tech Procurements and Enigmatic Facilities |publisher=Institute for Science and International Security |access-date=November 30, 2011}} During an ASEAN meeting in Thailand in July 2009, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton highlighted concerns of the North Korean link. "We know there are also growing concerns about military cooperation between North Korea and Burma which we take very seriously", Clinton said.[https://archive.today/20120716181427/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-08-02/rest-of-world/28184985_1_myanmar-junta-nuclear-reactor-burma "Myanmar building nuke reactor, says media report"]. The Times of India, August 2, 2009.

In a 2004 National Journal profile, Gregg Sangillo and Mark Kukis called Albright a "go-to guy for media people seeking independent analysis on Iraq’s [weapons of mass destruction] programs".{{cite news |author=Gregg Sangillo and Mark Kukis |url=http://www3.nationaljournal.com/members/news/2004/05/0521nj7.htm |title=The Experts: Weapons Threat Nuclear, and Other, Worries |work=National Journal |access-date=August 26, 2012 |date=May 25, 2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130129221314/http://www3.nationaljournal.com/members/news/2004/05/0521nj7.htm |archive-date=January 29, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}

In 2006, David Albright received the Joseph A. Burton Forum Award from the American Physical Society, a professional society of American physicists. He was cited for "his tireless and productive efforts to slow the transfer of nuclear weapons technology. He brings a unique combination of deep understanding, objectivity, and effectiveness to this vexed area."{{cite web|url=http://www.aps.org/programs/honors/prizes/prizerecipient.cfm?name=David%20Albright&year=2006 |title=2006 Joseph A. Burton Forum Award Recipient |publisher=American Physical Society |date=July 27, 2011 |access-date=November 30, 2011}}{{Promotion inline|date=December 2013}}

• Arms control
• Arms trafficking
• Conflict Armament Research – similar UK organisation

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

• [http://isis-online.org/ ISIS website]
• [http://isisnucleariran.org/ ISISNuclearIran]

Category:Arms control

Category:Arms trafficking

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.

Category:Nuclear proliferation

Category:Nuclear weapons policy

Category:Think tanks established in 1993

Category:Science and technology think tanks

Category:1993 establishments in Washington, D.C.