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BASIC expert comment on critical nuclear weapons conference in New York from next week

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in New York will be attended by 189 countries and last from 3 to 28 May 2010.

BASIC’s Washington Program Director, Anne Penketh, has provided the scorecard below on key things to look for from the Review Conference. BASIC also has a number of publications either published or forthcoming on key issues surrounding the NPT.

What to watch for at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference

Anne Penketh, BASIC Program Director

April 2010

This has been a whirlwind month of international events involving nuclear diplomacy, running up to next week’s Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in New York.

The threat of nuclear terrorism: a race between catastrophe and co-operation

“If there was an incident of nuclear terrorism, what happens thereafter? You can imagine if al Qa’eda attacked. You can see them saying, ‘Actually we’ve got more. We will blast more at a time that we choose.’ Even if it was not true there would be panicked emptying of cities globally. If an incident happened in an American city, the US would be under enormous pressure to use enormous military force to target whoever is connected in any way. You’d have widespread instability and conflict.”

BASIC Research Director Dr. Ian Kearns quoted in The National (Abu Dhabi)