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Global Nuclear Proliferation
Overview:
Join Active Minds for an in-depth look at global nuclear proliferation. We will discuss Iran and North Korea, their current nuclear programs, and the international response. We will present the historical background that helps to understand how we got to where we are now, as well as take a look into the future at how events may continue to unfold.
Key Lecture Points:
• In 1945, the US successfully developed and deployed a nuclear weapon, in its effort to defeat its enemies in WWII. As the ensuing Cold War progressed, the USSR successfully tested a nuclear weapon in 1949, triggering a tit for tat nuclear escalation by the two global superpowers and their respective allies.
• At points, however, the US and USSR sought opportunities during the Cold War to address their mutual concerns over the proliferation and potential proliferation of nuclear weapons. Most notable among these efforts was the ratification of the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in 1968. Signed by all but a handful of countries worldwide, the NPT attempts to discourage the development of nuclear weapons by encouraging and subsidizing the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
• Critics of the NPT argue that, while it may have functioned well during the Cold War, the treaty creates a group of “haves” and “Have-nots”, with 5 countries permitted to possess nuclear arsenals, and the rest not permitted to do so. Additionally, they emphasize that the treaty has permitted non signatories (like India, Israel and Pakistan) to develop weapons, and that the North Korean situation points to the NPT’s inability to address post-Cold War nuclear issues.
• The United States and Russia recently signed the New START agreement. The US Senate is currently discussing ratification. Debate over ratification will hinge upon the extent to which the US should de-commission some of its arsenal. Proponents argue that, given that the US has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, New START shows a good faith effort by the US to encourage non-proliferation. Opponents will argue that the US will be showing weakness in the face of mounting threats.
Exploration Questions:
• What is the NPT and how is it preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons?
• What are the UN and US doing to contain the nuclear ambitions of countries like Iran and North Korea?
• Sanctions have been used against Iran and North Korea repeatedly. What do we do next?
Reflective Questions:
• Do you remember when the first A-bomb was dropped? What were your thoughts? Do you remember the nuclear war fears of the early Cold War? Did you have a bomb shelter?
• Have you ever visited Hiroshima? What were your impressions?
More to Explore:
• Arms Control Association: www.armscontrol.org
• IAEA website: www.iaea.org
• Nuclear Threat Initiative website: www.nti.org
Books For Further Reading:
• Rhodes, Richard. Arsenals of Folly. (paperback) Vintage. 2008. 423 pages. Historical account of the nuclear arms race and the Cold War. Also discusses the effect of the arms race on today’s global politics. Click here to order.
• Albright, David. Peddling Peril: How the Secret Nuclear Trade Arms America’s Enemies. Free Press. 2010. 295 pages. Describes how nuclear weapons traffickers, like Pakistan’s A.Q. Khan, continue to do business on the black market. The author ends with recommendations on fighting this illicit trade. Click here to order.
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