Moonage Political Webdream

One of my faves, Scrappleface, did this parody of the United Nations Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty:

Delegates from 190 nations gather today at United Nations headquarters to review the effectiveness of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty (NTP), and to consider cleaner, more environmentally-friendly weapons of mass destruction.

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, slated to give the opening address at the month-long conference, will call for an amendment to the treaty which would mandate a 50 percent reduction in radioactive emmissions from nuclear missile detonations by 2015, and 10 percent annual reduction after that.

"We need to look at alternative sources of human destruction that protect our sensitive biosphere, wetlands and endangered species," said Mr. Annan in a preview of his speech. "Just as bicycle riding can reduce deadly greenhouse gases, the world’s nuclear superpowers need to consider more natural sources of human extermination."

The Secretary-General said he is "greatly encouraged by some of the recent work done in this field by researchers in Rwanda and the Sudan, where simple hand tools have been used to eliminate the populations of entire villages in rather short order."

"The political and religious disputes were settled definitively, at least locally," Mr. Annan said, "and yet the pristine beauty of the evolving habitat was preserved. These Africans are pacesetters in the field of what bioethicists call green genocide."

The thing about it is that even though this is a parody of the NTP, the realities of the NTP are that Scrappleface isn’t too far off of how useless this thing has been.

Since the NTP was signed in 1968:

1. Algeria developed the potential for nuclear weapons in 1995.
2. Argentina has developed the potential for nuclear weapons.
3. Brazil has developed the potential for nuclear weapons.
4. Egypt entered an agreement with Argentina in 1992 that could give them the potential for developing nuclear weapons.
5. Israel unofficially possibly has nuclear weapons or access to them.
6. India has developed nuclear weapons.
7. Iraq was thought to be developing nuclear weapons.  At this time the possibility has been eliminated due to the invasion of the US at the UN’s opposition.
8. Iran is aggressively developing a nuclear program.
9. North Korea has possibly tested a nuclear device.
10. Libya gave the US a nuclear scare in 1982 when the USSR assisted them in developing a nuclear facility.  In 2003 ( immediately following the US invasion of Iraq. ) Libya started cooperating with the US in regards to WMD’s and the War on Terror.  At this time, Libya appears to have no plans in developing nuclear weapons.
11. Pakistan tested nuclear weapons in the mid 1970’s and now has a fully functional nuclear weapons program.
12. South Korea refused to sign the NTP for seven years following its inception due to the fact Japan was refusing.  At this time South Korea has a fairly advanced peaceful nuclear program but not evidence has ever arisen that they are pursuing WMD’s.
13. South Africa initiated a nuclear weapon program in 1974.  They decided to disarm and destroy their weapons and facilities in 1991.  At this time is thought South Africa has no military nuclear program.
14. Japan chose to be a non-nuclear developing country.  But, they do not disallow the US having nuclear weapons in their country.
15. Romania decided to develop nuclear weapons in 1985.  They have been a member of of the NTP since 1970.  In 1991 they chose to fully cooperate with the NTP and allow full inspections of all their facilities.  It is pretty well documented they are using all their nuclear capabilities for peaceful purposes.

Europe has been dealing with the emerging Iranian nuclear threat.  China has primarily been dealing with the North Korean nuclear threat.  What has been noticeably absent is the UN putting any serious pressure on either.  There have been no sanctions, no boycotts, no military intervention, nothing.  The NTP itself is outdated and obsolete.  It does not specify the triggers that would get a country in trouble.  It basically just separates the world into two neat categories, weapons states and non-weapons states.  It gives all countries an out to develop nuclear capabilities under the "peaceful" label and then worries about them having "any" capabilities after the fact.  This creates the grey area that allowed Iran and North Korea to fully develop their nuclear programs and then freak the world out when they decided to put those peaceful intentions on a warhead.

As usual with the UN, the NTP is crippled by administrative policy wonking and a fear of committing itself to the actions that it must take to make itself effective.  There is nothing wrong with encouraging countries to develop nuclear energy.  The problem is with rogue countries such as Iran and North Korea trying to use nuclear energy to intimidate the rest of the world.  It’s the aim of the NTP to prevent that from happening.  Being as the aim of the NTP has failed almost annually since its inception, they have to look closer at it and why it has failed.  Military intervention has prevented three countries from advancing their development of WMD’s.  That seems to be working better.  The NTP needs triggers built into it that assures military action will enforce the terms of the NTP if negotiation has failed to prevent a country from reaching certain criteria.  My suggestion would be something to the effect of: "If a non-member or member state detonates an nuclear device, the NTP member states will neutralize any further development of the affected country’s nuclear capabilities until such time peaceful use can be assured."

That might slow things down a little.

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Tags: International Politics

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