8/8/2019 Nuclear Weapons in a Changing World

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Nuclear weapons in a changing world

SAIDA FAZAL

The Japanese gather in Hiroshima on August 6 every year; and three days later, in Nagasaki to mark the

days the US dropped atomic bombs on the two cities, killing 220,000 civilians and destroying the lives of

hundreds of thousands others. This years commemorative event for the chilling mass murder at

Hiroshima included two unlikely participants: US Ambassador John Roos and a representative of US self-

described junior partner, British Deputy Ambassador David Fitton.

All these years, the US has remained unapologetic. In fact, the official line has been to justify the

ultimate act of state barbarism on the grounds that it helped shorten the war and save the lives of

American soldiers. Historical evidence though suggests the Japanese were on the verge of surrender

before the bombs were dropped. But the American military/industrial complex had spent a lot of time

and money on the Manhattan Project to make the toys that would wreak death and destruction on ascale no one could have ever imagined. They had to be used to satisfy American establishments

destructive impulse and to display its unrivalled ability to wipe out an entire city in one go.

For nearly four decades, the US led the world in the other direction, starting a nuclear arms race in

flagrant violation of the NPT and other international treaties to develop new tactical as well as strategic

nuclear weapons, undertaking even an abortive star wars programme aimed at deploying nuclear

weapons in space.

Obama now says he wants to see a nuclear-free world. He told the Prague summit, I state clearly and

with conviction Americas commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear

weapons. This goal will not be reached quickly perhaps not in my life time but now we too must

ignore the voices who tell us that the world cannot change.

The truth is the world has already changed a lot since the advent of the nuclear age, and needs the

nuclear scene to change towards a global zero. The Cold War that had led the two superpowers of the

years gone by to amass nuclear weapons to maintain what they called balance of terror has long since

ended. Between them the US and the erstwhile Soviet Union possessed nearly 70,000 warheads. The US

and the Soviet Unions successor state, the Russian Republic, still own 23000 warheads enough to

destroy the world many, many times over. But these are too expensive to maintain and of little practical

value. Russia is not interested in challenging Americas expansionist adventures except in its immediate

neighbourhood or what it regards its backyard.

There are even more compelling factors that seem to have pushed the US to think of working towards

the goal of global zero. One is the unstoppable spread of nuclear arms race.

Pakistan makes no secret of its nuclear programme being India-centric. India set out on that path

because it harboured regional hegemonic ambitions that have since grown to match its increasing

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potential to become a major world power. Its upgradation efforts have been eliciting a certain level of

response from Islamabad.

Secondly, historys mightiest military and economic power faces humiliating defeat in the two long wars

it has been waging against two small countries, Afghanistan and Iraq. Its formidable arsenal of nuclear

weapons has been of no use. If the US claims are to be believed, the unmanned Predator drone hasserved it well. Based on its experience, it would be interested in developing new non-nuclear weapons

systems after all, defence industry thrives on weapons, becoming obsolete and requiring replacement

with ever new technologies of causing death and destruction.

Thirdly, there is a real danger of nuclear technology falling into the hands of organisations/individuals,

who claim they have scores to settle with certain states. Acquisition of nuclear technology and fissile

materials may be difficult but not outside the realm of possibility. These, in fact, are available on the

black market. Our own Dr A Q Khan is said to have acquired nuclear technology from Western sources

through clandenstine means. The collapse of the Soviet Union set a lot of materials and scientists on the

loose.

An International Atomic Energy Agency report says there have been at least 25 cases where nuclear

explosive materials have either been lost or stolen. A former CIA officer, Valerie Plame Wilson, who

spent years trying to smash the nuclear black-market, argues that it is possible for terrorist to smuggle

undetected highly enriched uranium a hundred points of which could fit in a shoebox into a targeted

city and detonate it on site. This is a pretty scary scenario.

These are all good enough reasons for Obama to take the initiative towards a nuclear-free world, and

help explain also why it is not being resisted by the empires warriors.

The presence of American ambassador and his sidekick at this years commemorative ceremony for thevictims of American atomic bomb, therefore, it seems, was meant less as a gesture of remorse and more

to lend strength to the idea of a nuclear-free world. Whatever the motive, all civilised people cannot but

support the idea.