While the US is taking steps to prevent North Korea and Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, it has proposed a Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) to search planes, ships, trains and motor transport carrying suspect cargo related to nuclear weapons or missiles. Britain, France, Germany, five other European countries as well as Japan and Australia, have agreed to join the US. India is also being approached.

The Currency of Power

            The PSI is of relevance and India would do well to join this effort. However, a system that divides the world into a few Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) and the rest being prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons is not going to work. Although the world accepts that nuclear weapons are not weapons of war since the famous Gorbachev-Reagan declaration of 1985 that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought, these weapons continue to be the currency of power. In the nuclear environment that prevails in the world, non nuclear weapon states (NNWS) loose their independence of action in the field of foreign affairs. The difference in the attitude and the stance taken by Iran and North Korea in their present confrontation with the USA on the proliferation issue proves the point. Iran has established a fuel cycle but does not have fissile material. North Korea, on the other hand appears to have made a bomb or two. Iran is likely to accept the conditions of additional protocol. On 21 October, it announced in its discussions with envoys from Britain, France and Germany that it would suspend its nuclear enrichment programme and accept inspections. North Korea, on the other hand, is insisting on a ‘Non Aggression Pact.’

            In the prevailing circumstances, it makes strategic sense to pursue a nuclear weapons programme. Israel, India and Pakistan have done so. North Korea and Iran have been doing the same. Nuclear powers have selectively assisted this pursuit in transgression of Article I of the NPT. USA and France assisted Israel. China has assisted Pakistan and North Korea. It has been reported on 22 October 2003 that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have concluded a secret deal on nuclear collaboration. As long as nuclear weapons exist, one nation or the other will pursue the course of acquiring them and the danger of proliferation will continue.

The Basis of Military Power

            Technical advances have brought about tremendous changes in conventional weapon systems; in their accuracy-precision and volume/quantum of fire power. The USA’s armed forces are equipped with the most advanced and effective systems and were able to overwhelm Iraq in matter of mere three weeks. Obviously, it cannot give up its nuclear weapons by itself. However, if universal nuclear disarmament were to be implemented as indeed it is visualized in Article VI of the NPT, it would not find itself diminished in any way in its effective, employable, military power. It does not need nuclear weapons to establish its military superiority. It does so with its armed forces equipped with modern conventional weapons systems.

Non-Proliferation

            Proliferation of nuclear weapons is indeed a matter of grave concern. These weapons have such demoniac cal power that their existence is unacceptable. The only way to prevent quest for them is to ban them universally by total nuclear disarmament.