Antinuclear

The success of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty

Since the treaty entered into force on March 5, 1970, more countries have given up nuclear weapons programs than have started them. The number of nuclear weapons in the world has declined from a peak of 65,000 in 1987 to roughly 22,000 today. And every nation in the world has joined the treaty save three: India, Pakistan and Israel.

The Most Successful Security Pact in History, THE HUFFINGTON POST, Joe Cirincione, 6 Mar 11, Despite the power and allure of nuclear weapons, only nine nations in the world today have nuclear arsenals. Why aren’t there more ?

The main reason: the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The NPT, which went into force 41 years ago today, has provided strong incentives for nations to give up their nuclear weapons programs — or not pursue them in the first place. Over 30 other nations have the technological ability to make nuclear weapons, but they chose not to do so.

Since the treaty entered into force on March 5, 1970, more countries have given up nuclear weapons programs than have started them. The number of nuclear weapons in the world has declined from a peak of 65,000 in 1987 to roughly 22,000 today. And every nation in the world has joined the treaty save three: India, Pakistan and Israel.

By all measures, the NPT has been remarkably successful at keeping states from getting the bomb — especially considering the alternative of life in a nuclear-armed crowd………… John F. Kennedy warned in 1960 that if we did not do something, 15, 20 or 25 countries would have nuclear weapons by the end of that decade. As president, Kennedy acted. He started negotiations for a treaty to stop the proliferation wave. He couldn’t finish the job, but Lyndon Johnson did and Richard Nixon signed the treaty. Democrats and Republicans worked together, side by side, with a bi-partisan consensus to eliminate these weapons and prevent their spread.

With American leadership, the states of the world agreed to a simple three-part bargain, enshrined in the NPT:

• All states that did not have nuclear weapons would promise never to get them;
• All states with weapons would work to reduce and eliminate them;
• Countries in good standing with the treaty could obtain nuclear technology for peaceful purposes (like power reactors) as long as they accepted inspections to make sure that the technologies were not being used to make bombs.The bargain worked. The overwhelming majority of states kept their end of the deal. Sixteen states with nuclear weapons programs that were under way abandoned their programs (Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Libya, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine and Yugoslavia).

  A few states never signed the treaty, and only a couple of states grossly violated the treaty (North Korea and Iran). But the majority of the world has respected the bargain of the NPT. As a result, only ten states have nuclear weapons or are believed to be seeking them today — a far cry from the 25 states forecasted decades ago. (States with nuclear weapons are, in order of the size of their arsenals: Russia, USA, France, China, UK, Israel, Pakistan, India, and North Korea, with Iran suspected of seeking nuclear weapons.)

  Reduce Arsenals, Prevent New Nuclear States

  The U.S. and other nuclear powers must uphold their end of the bargain by reducing their nuclear arsenals. If they do not, other states over time may begin to drop their commitment to not pursue nuclear weapons.

  Most analysts understand the essential link……

Joe Cirincione: The Most Successful Security Pact in History

March 7, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized