Nuclear Proliferation: Phase II

In the several years since the treaty came into effect, there has been so little information in English concerning the public debates taking place in the so-called nuclear-threshold countries. One needs to keep abreast of the contemporary views and policies of the non-nuclear-weapon countries, particularly those that have a sophisticated expertise in peaceful nuclear activities and are facing the possibility of regional conflicts which might threaten their political-military security. Such convictions and concerns acted as the catalyst for the gathering of this collection of original essays. Authorities from six countries were invited to provide extensive statements on the policies of their governments. Specifically, each author was asked to explain why his government accepted or rejected the treaty and also to examine nuclear proliferation in a more general fashion but, of course, to focus on his individual locale. The six nations selected not only are some of the most likely candidates to go nuclear because of their advanced scientific and technological skills, but collectively they represent the principal reasons why additional states may develop nuclear weapons.