U.S.-Pakistani Nuclear Relations: A Strategic Survey
Abstract
Since the creation of the independent states of India and Pakistan, South Asia has endured repeated wars and military crises, conflict in Kashmir, and mounting religious extremism. U.S. policy, meanwhile, has struggled to keep pace with the region s volatile and shifting dynamics. From the Cold War to the late 1990s, the United States championed nonproliferation in South Asia in order to limit potential flashpoints for nuclear war. The region had become a hotbed for conventional conflict in the decades since partition, with three Indo-Pakistani wars (1947, 1965, and 1971) and one Sino-Indian war (1962). The introduction of nuclear weapons into this milieu was viewed as dangerous. With India and Pakistan refusing to sign or accede to the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), the United States imposed sanctions and helped establish international export control regimes to prevent the subcontinent from obtaining the bomb.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA612800
Entities
People
- Feroz H. Khan
- Ryan W. French
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School