Verification matters when it comes to North Korea

As a former U.S. government nuclear testing specialist, I read William Lambers’ recent article “Start post summit effort with nuke test ban treaty” with great interest. I agree that the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty is a potential way forward with North Korea.

The first-ever meeting between U.S. and North Korean heads of state was groundbreaking. But President Trump and Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un haven’t spelled out how to move beyond the Singapore summit. Their joint statement didn’t specify a timeline or path for denuclearization.

Now that the flashing cameras are gone, it is imperative to create a plan of concrete actions toward disarmament. The mission is not yet accomplished; the hard work is just beginning.

The CTBT is a logical first step. U.S. negotiators should push North Korea to join as soon as possible. North Korea is the only country to have tested nuclear weapons in the 21st century. And the international legal ban on testing is a great litmus test of Kim’s credibility.

Kim also claimed to have dismantled his test site at Punggye-ri in the presence of foreign journalists. These observers, however, were not technical experts in verification. Commercial satellite imagery suggests that several facilities at the test site haven’t actually been destroyed.

By joining the CTBT, Kim would build ties with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization in Vienna, Austria. This organization has the expertise and impartiality needed to verify that the test site is truly inoperable.

Nuclear disarmament is a process that will take years. Right now it is critical to identify meaningful steps to gauge Kim’s intentions and build confidence between the United States and North Korea. Measures like test site closure verification are essential to ensure that President Trump’s diplomatic breakthrough doesn’t go to waste. Stephen Herzog

New Haven