United States Foreign Policy Towards Nuclear Proliferation
United States Foreign Policy towards Nuclear Proliferation
In a joint statement made by President George W. Bush, European Council President Konstandinos Simitis and European Commissioner President Romano Prodi regarding the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) stated: “Proliferation of WMDs and their delivery systems constitutes a major threat to international peace and security. The threat is compounded by the interest of terrorists in acquiring WMD. This would undermine the foundations of international order…Proliferation is a threat not only to our security, but also to the wider international system. We call for a halt to proliferation activities in a way that is demonstrable and verifiable. Non- proliferation is a global challenge which requires a multifaceted solution. We need to tackle it individually and collectively – working together and with other partners, including through relevant international institutions, in particular those of the United Nations system,” (OPS, 2003).
Those states most actively working to develop weapons of mass destruction is for the most part located in unstable regions of the world – the Middle East, South Asia, and the Korean Peninsula. The greatest threat posed by these states is to their neighbors and to regional stability. Proliferation poses dangers to all nations. It poses particular problems for the United States. The breakup of the Soviet Union presented immediate threats to the global non-proliferation regimes. Dr. Peter Clausen’s thesis is “that America has opposed the spread of nuclear weapons, not as a moral or humanitarian imperative but out of hard-headed calculations of interest,” (Clausen, 1993). While the United States and other countries want to stop the spread of nuclear proliferation, it will never become a reality and effective unless all the nations who have nuclear capabilities give up their programs themselves for a greater world order and peace without the threats of
In a joint statement made by President George W. Bush, European Council President Konstandinos Simitis and European Commissioner President Romano Prodi regarding the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) stated: “Proliferation of WMDs and their delivery systems constitutes a major threat to international peace and security. The threat is compounded by the interest of terrorists in acquiring WMD. This would undermine the foundations of international order…Proliferation is a threat not only to our security, but also to the wider international system. We call for a halt to proliferation activities in a way that is demonstrable and verifiable. Non- proliferation is a global challenge which requires a multifaceted solution. We need to tackle it individually and collectively – working together and with other partners, including through relevant international institutions, in particular those of the United Nations system,” (OPS, 2003).
Those states most actively working to develop weapons of mass destruction is for the most part located in unstable regions of the world – the Middle East, South Asia, and the Korean Peninsula. The greatest threat posed by these states is to their neighbors and to regional stability. Proliferation poses dangers to all nations. It poses particular problems for the United States. The breakup of the Soviet Union presented immediate threats to the global non-proliferation regimes. Dr. Peter Clausen’s thesis is “that America has opposed the spread of nuclear weapons, not as a moral or humanitarian imperative but out of hard-headed calculations of interest,” (Clausen, 1993). While the United States and other countries want to stop the spread of nuclear proliferation, it will never become a reality and effective unless all the nations who have nuclear capabilities give up their programs themselves for a greater world order and peace without the threats of