Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
The proliferation of nuclear armed powers has proceeded to a point where the international system of treaties and institutions to prevent proliferation is seriously eroded, if not facing collapse Besides the original five nuclear countries that are also Permanent Members the UN Security Council, nuclear weapon state status has now been acquired by India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel (though non-declared). Iran is clearly engaged in a program that points in that direction.
Thus, of our list of big powers the original Five and India possess nuclear weapons whereas Germany and Japan are strongly committed against such a step. South Africa once possessed nuclear weapons and destroyed them. Brazil, though committed to a non-nuclear status, is engaged in an enrichment program.
Several developments accentuate the relevance of effective non-proliferation while simultaneously undermining its sustainability. First, the combination of nuclear weapons (and nuclear materials) and terrorism creates what has rightly been called "the ultimate preventable catastrophe"5 when suicidal and undeterrable terrorists who have no clear address are in a position to create horrendous damage formerly only available to governments. All big powers are threatened by such attacks, though the open Western systems more than the countries with stricter state control. Nevertheless this challenge has engendered some solidarity beyond all rivalries and differences and produced some cooperation among them to fight this common threat.
The ongoing erosion of the non-proliferation system is the second force of change, though the 182 adherents of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), with the exception of Iran, for the time being accept their non-weapon state status. The rejection by the Bush Administration of the commitments which the US made when the NPT was indefinitely extended, now openly attacking central elements of the international regime, undermined the very system which the US once helped to create as one its main protagonists. The failure to induce North Korea to reliably renounce its nuclear armament, partially caused by Washington’s short-sighted policy, as well as America's acceptance of India’s nuclear status, topped by a treaty of strategic partnership, completes the picture.
Iran' quest for nuclear weapons represents the third force that undermines the non-proliferation system. Its acquistion of nuclear weapons in itself would create a huge problem for all neighbors and countries within range of its missiles, since some doubt is justified as to whether the rationality of mutual deterrence and destruction that once prevented war between East and West will work in the case of a religiously driven policy, More important, Iran may tip the scales and unleash a profoundly destabilizing nuclear arms race in the region thus giving the coup de grace to the NPT. A US led new alliance system with nuclear guarantees to Iran’s neighbors may conceivably neutralize the negative impact of Iran’s nuclear weapons to some extent, but it remains doubtful whether the US and the states in the region are ready for such a turnaround.
The question then arises whether other big powers are likely to acquire nuclear weapons. It so happens that the Permanent Five of the UN Security Council are also nuclear powers (Britain just decided to stay in the nuclear club). Was it not French President Charles de Gaulle who stressed that nuclear weapons were essential to preserve independence and secure international influence? Germany and Japan proved during the post war period that countries can become big powers without nuclear weapons. Indeed, their permanent membership in a reformed Security Council would therefore be an important signal which reinforces non-proliferation. Whereas there is no plausible scenario under which Germany could be induced to abandon its non-nuclear status, the case of Japan is different. If North Korea proceeds to acquire nuclear weapons – and the recent agreement within the Six Party Talks is no guarantee against it – Japan will be under considerable pressure to go nuclear, and whether the US nuclear guarantee – lately reiterated – or the negative impact on Asia will stop it from doing so, remains open.
Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
The proliferation of nuclear armed powers has proceeded to a point where the international system of treaties and institutions to prevent proliferation is seriously eroded, if not facing collapse Besides the original five nuclear countries that are also Permanent Members the UN Security Council, nuclear weapon state status has now been acquired by India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel (though non-declared). Iran is clearly engaged in a program that points in that direction.
Thus, of our list of big powers the original Five and India possess nuclear weapons whereas Germany and Japan are strongly committed against such a step. South Africa once possessed nuclear weapons and destroyed them. Brazil, though committed to a non-nuclear status, is engaged in an enrichment program.
Several developments accentuate the relevance of effective non-proliferation while simultaneously undermining its sustainability. First, the combination of nuclear weapons (and nuclear materials) and terrorism creates what has rightly been called "the ultimate preventable catastrophe"5 when suicidal and undeterrable terrorists who have no clear address are in a position to create horrendous damage formerly only available to governments. All big powers are threatened by such attacks, though the open Western systems more than the countries with stricter state control. Nevertheless this challenge has engendered some solidarity beyond all rivalries and differences and produced some cooperation among them to fight this common threat.
The ongoing erosion of the non-proliferation system is the second force of change, though the 182 adherents of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), with the exception of Iran, for the time being accept their non-weapon state status. The rejection by the Bush Administration of the commitments which the US made when the NPT was indefinitely extended, now openly attacking central elements of the international regime, undermined the very system which the US once helped to create as one its main protagonists. The failure to induce North Korea to reliably renounce its nuclear armament, partially caused by Washington’s short-sighted policy, as well as America's acceptance of India’s nuclear status, topped by a treaty of strategic partnership, completes the picture.
Iran' quest for nuclear weapons represents the third force that undermines the non-proliferation system. Its acquistion of nuclear weapons in itself would create a huge problem for all neighbors and countries within range of its missiles, since some doubt is justified as to whether the rationality of mutual deterrence and destruction that once prevented war between East and West will work in the case of a religiously driven policy, More important, Iran may tip the scales and unleash a profoundly destabilizing nuclear arms race in the region thus giving the coup de grace to the NPT. A US led new alliance system with nuclear guarantees to Iran’s neighbors may conceivably neutralize the negative impact of Iran’s nuclear weapons to some extent, but it remains doubtful whether the US and the states in the region are ready for such a turnaround.
The question then arises whether other big powers are likely to acquire nuclear weapons. It so happens that the Permanent Five of the UN Security Council are also nuclear powers (Britain just decided to stay in the nuclear club). Was it not French President Charles de Gaulle who stressed that nuclear weapons were essential to preserve independence and secure international influence? Germany and Japan proved during the post war period that countries can become big powers without nuclear weapons. Indeed, their permanent membership in a reformed Security Council would therefore be an important signal which reinforces non-proliferation. Whereas there is no plausible scenario under which Germany could be induced to abandon its non-nuclear status, the case of Japan is different. If North Korea proceeds to acquire nuclear weapons – and the recent agreement within the Six Party Talks is no guarantee against it – Japan will be under considerable pressure to go nuclear, and whether the US nuclear guarantee – lately reiterated – or the negative impact on Asia will stop it from doing so, remains open.
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