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 | SPLITTING THE ATOM Nuclear Bombs, Non-Proliferation and Test Bans November 18, 1996 |
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The Nuclear Weapons
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Other Forum Topics
Recent efforts to pass a nuclear test ban
What are the benefits of the nuclear test ban treaty to the U.S.?
How are countries making it difficult to obtain nuclear material?
What is the situation in the former Soviet Union?
What type of control of nuclear weapons is there in other countries?
Can the world's nuclear arsenal really be dismantled?
A question from Andrew Tompkins of Albuquerque, NM
What was the benifit of the recent Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty to the USA? We are unlikely to be attacked by the UK, France, Russia, or Israel. We are likely to have problems with China, India, Pakistan, and various middle east countries who still see nuclear weapons as a quick way to gain the respect of their neighbors and the world. Those who still seek to acquire nuclear weapons do not appear to be persuaded that this is a useless goal. Without buy in from all nuclear powers and incipient nuclear powers, what was the point?
Kenneth Luongo of the Department of Energy responds:
The most direct benefit to the United States of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) is that it effectively ends the nuclear arms race and the ability to develop advanced, new types of nuclear weapons. Since the CTBT was opened for signature on September 24, 1996, over 130 nations have become signatories making the treaty nearly world wide in scope. The five declared nuclear weapon states -- the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China -- have signed as well as other states such as Iran and Israel. While the U.S. continues to encourage both India and Pakistan to sign, the treaty itself will be a strong deterrent to nuclear weapon testing in the future by any country because it creates an international norm against nuclear testing.
Leonard Spector of the Carnegie Endowment responds:
The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which was opened for signature on September 24, 1996, serves U.S. national interests in two ways. First, when all five nuclear powers (U.S., Russia, France, United Kingdom, and China) ratify the treaty, they will not committed not to conduct the nuclear tests necessary to develop new nuclear weapons. This will be a restraint on all these states, including China, which currently has the least advanced nuclear arsenal in the group.
Second, the CTBT will make the proliferation of nuclear weapons to additional countries more difficult since the treaty creates an international monitoring system which can detect even small nuclear explosions anywhere in the world. The treaty also allows for international inspections, if a test is suspected to have occurred. Although India and Pakistan have said they will not sign the CTBT, the treaty creates an international norm against testing, which these states will find increasingly difficult to break as more countries join the treaty. The CTBT is not targeted at any one country but is universal in its coverage. Although some states hostile to the U.S., such as Iraq and Iran, would like to acquire nuclear weapons, this treaty will increase the ability of the United States and international community to prevent nuclear proliferation.
As for providing for U.S. security, the treaty does not require us to give up our nuclear weapons and will permit us to maintain their reliability through means other than nuclear detonations. The United States has the world's most advanced nuclear arsenal, which will continue to deter nuclear threats against us indefinitely.
Regarding the interest of other countries in acquiring nuclear arms, 180 states have formally renounced such weapons by joining the Non-Proliferation Treaty or similar treaties. The CTBT will reinforce their decision to remain non-nuclear by constraining the capabilities of those states that continue to seek such arms.
Don Gross of the ACDA responds:
First, be sure to see the answer to Ms Kotz's question above. Then consider the already considerable political effect of the CTBT. All five declared nuclear weapon states stopped testing in anticipation of the Treaty and under the spotlight of the negotiations. Most recently that included China.
As President Clinton said in his address to the United Nations General Assembly after he signed the CTBT. The signature of the world's declared nuclear powers -- the United States, China, France, Russia and the United Kingdom -- along with those of the vast majority of its nations, will immediately create an international norm against nuclear testing, even before the treaty formally enters into force.
For the first time in history, all five of the declared nuclear weapon states accepted not only the principle of a test ban, but every clause of a completed text. At the last minute in Geneva, India was joined only by Iran in blocking consensus -- but then Iran voted for the Treaty in New York, so 60 out of 61 CD members came to be in favor.
Next, through an initiative by Australia, an overwhelming margin of U.N. members -- 158 to 3 -- voted in New York to approve the Treaty and open it for signature. On that vote India was joined only by Bhutan and Libya.
The countries of the world have erected a political barrier against nuclear testing. They have declared unmistakably that henceforth the world community will view it as out of bounds for any state. In all likelihood that, alone, will be enough to preclude further nuclear explosions.
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