No nukes allowed

Four retired American politicians – Henry Kissinger, George Schultz, William Perry and Sam Nunn – have urged the United States to lead in the creation of a “world without nuclear weapons”. While this is commendable, the big question is whether the U.S. government is willing to do that. The chance is close to zero.

Initiating nuclear disarmament is an obligation for all nuclear weapons states which have signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). The treaty was signed in 1968 and came into force in 1970. Israel, Pakistan and India never acceded to the treaty, North Korea left it and Iran is accused of violating it. But the Big Five nuclear weapons states – U.S., Russia, China, U.K. and France – have never started to destroy their nuclear weapons and are therefore breaching the NPT. The U.S. and Russia should indeed take the lead because they have the largest arsenals. They are doing nothing of the sort.

In fact, the U.S. is going ahead with the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) program to build a new generation of atom bombs. A plea by old crocodiles such as Kissinger is very unlikely to change that. Still, America's 10,000 atom bombs cannot help it win victory in Iraq and won't prevent another 9/11.

The sign “No drugs and nuclear weapons allowed” is displayed above the entrance to the Hard Rock Cafe in Beijing. Now that the Seminole Indians of Florida have taken over the Hard Rock Cafe chain, the nuclear cowboys of Texas will certainly not be allowed to bring their nuclear weapons along.

They will leave them at home, but will not destroy them.