| ID | 087443 |
| Title Proper | Strategic Approach to Nuclear Proliferation |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Gartzke, Erik ; Kroenig, Matthew |
| Publication | 2009. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Nuclear weapons have occupied a central role in international politics ever since
their introduction onto the world stage in 1945. The use of nuclear weapons by
the United States on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is widely believed to have compelled
Japanese surrender and brought World War II to a close. The vast nuclear arsenals of
the United States and the Soviet Union were fundamental to the bipolar, strategic
relationship that structured international politics for more than fifty years during the
Cold War. And while many analysts had hoped that the collapse of the Soviet Union
would lead to a reduction in the influence of nuclear weapons in international affairs,
it was not to be so. The threat of nuclear proliferation resurfaced as India, Pakistan,
and more recently, North Korea have conducted nuclear tests. Other regional powers,
including Iran, Iraq, and Libya, are pursuing or have pursued nuclear capabilities.
The terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, demonstrated
that if terrorists, intent on carrying out mass-casualty attacks, acquired nuclear
weapons, the results could be catastrophic. The ease with which states or terrorists
could potentially acquire sensitive nuclear materials was exemplified by the black
market nuclear proliferation ring operated by Pakistani scientist A. Q. Khan. Indeed,
in his 2007 annual report to Congress on the projected threats to the national security
of the United States of America, Director of National Intelligence J. Michael
McConnell concluded that nuclear proliferation poses one of the greatest threats to
U.S. national security.1 |
| `In' analytical Note | Journal of Conflict Resolution Vol. 53, No.2; Apr 2009: p151-160 |
| Journal Source | Journal of Conflict Resolution Vol. 53, No.2; Apr 2009: p151-160 |
| Key Words | Nuclear weapons ; Nuclear Proliferation ; Conflict ; Deterrence ; Nuclear Assistance |