nuclear-news

Lengthy final debate on who should have or not have nuclear weapons

Nuclear ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ debate into final days of UN treaty conference, Washington Examiner, By: CHARLES J. HANLEYAssociated Press05/26/10 UNITED NATIONS — Nuclear-armed and non-nuclear nations entered the final days of a monthlong treaty conference Wednesday haggling over the trade-off between steps to disarm those with the weapons and steps to keep atomic arms from those without.The final three days of the twice-a-decade gathering to review the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty promised long hours of intense debate.

The conference president, Libran Cabactulan of the Philippines, assured delegates in a closed-door session Wednesday that “substantive consultations” were under way in a “dynamic” process to turn his 29-page draft proposal into a final declaration that would be acceptable by all 189 nations by Friday…….

The 40-year-old Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, or NPT, a cornerstone of arms control, is based on a global bargain: Nations without nuclear weapons committed not to acquire them; those with them committed to move toward their elimination; and all endorsed everyone’s right to develop peaceful nuclear energy.

Members include every nation but India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea — treaty outsiders that have or are suspected of having atomic arsenals. Nuclear ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ debate into final days of UN treaty conference | Washington Examiner

May 27, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear weapons