Originally posted by Boroda
Anyway, why can't a souverign nation develop it's own weapons? AFAIK there is a treaty about not spreading nuclear weapons, but nothing about development.
Sorry, I was distracted by yet another re-fight of the cold war. I'm not sure if this was addressed or not, so forgive me if I'm going over something already covered.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is indeed designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. However, towards this end, the treaty seperates the world into the "Haves" and the "Have Nots" The "haves" included the US, USSR, UK, France, and China. Everyone else was a "Have Not"
Pakistan and India have never signed the treaty because of Article II of the treaty which states that:
Each non-nuclear-weapon State Party to the Treaty undertakes not to receive the transfer from any transferor whatsoever of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices or of control over such weapons or explosive devices directly, or indirectly; not to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices; and not to seek or receive any assistance in the manufacture of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.
At the time (1968) neither country had tested a nuclear weapon, but both countries had active programs. North Korea entered into this agreement in the late 80s if I recall. You may remember that the 1993 "crisis" started when North Korea threatened to withdraw from the treaty. The US sent Jimmy Carter over there to hand out a truckload of "Dane Geld" so that the North Korean's would shelve their program, and maintain compliance with the treaty. It is my belief that this current noise we've been hearing is just another appeal for hush money. But that's just me.
BTW, the full text of the NPT can be found at
http://www.fas.org/nuke/control/npt/text/npt2.htm(sorry, the UN GA 1st page was assed up this morning).
-Sik
