Reviewing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty

Abstract

As currently interpreted, it is difficult to see why the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) warrants much support as a nonproliferation convention. Most foreign ministries, including that of Iran and the United States, insist that Article IV of the NPT recognizes all states' "inalienable right" to develop "peaceful nuclear energy."1 This includes money-losing activities, such as nuclear fuel reprocessing, which can bring countries to the very brink of acquiring nuclear weapons. If the NPT is intended to ensure that states share peaceful "benefits" of nuclear energy and prevent the spread of nuclear bomb making technologies, it is difficult to see how it can accomplish either if the interpretation above is correct.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 2010
Accession Number
ADA519597

Entities

People

  • Henry Sokolski

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Arms Control Treaties
  • Birds
  • Fissile Materials
  • Fusion Weapons
  • International Law
  • International Organizations
  • International Relations
  • Materials Processing
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Nuclear Bombs
  • Nuclear Energy
  • Nuclear Materials
  • Nuclear Warfare
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Treaties
  • War Colleges

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Critical Infrastructure Protection in CBRN and WMD Threats.
  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.