Deterrence and Arms Control: An Interview with Robert Gallucci

Abstract

Ambassador Robert Gallucci is Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, where he earlier served as the Dean. He led the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as president from 2009 to 2014. His career in the US Department of State spanned 21 years and included serving as Special Envoy to deal with the threat posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction, Deputy Executive Chairman of the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) overseeing the disarmament of Iraq and Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs. He led the US negotiation of the Agreed Framework with North Korea in 1994. In this interview, he shares his critical views on the connections between nuclear deterrence, arms control, and missile defenses and suggests ways in which new technical capabilities might alter deterrence calculations. The interview took place on 5 November 2021 and was edited for clarity for the Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament (J-PAND).

Keywords

• deterrence
• arms control
• ballistic missile defense
• arms race stability
• crisis stability