(London/Berlin/Washington, D.C./New York) — U.S. and European nuclear arms control and security experts reacted to the elements of a report from a group of senior advisors on reform of NATO\’s basic mission statement describing recommendations on Alliance nuclear policy as a missed opportunity to look forward and take the chance to mould the future of the Alliance.
The prospect of a shift in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s position on tactical nuclear weapons in Europe in 2010 was the subject of a BASIC event held at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.
Day 3: The nuclear weapons states have issued a pragmatic joint document reflecting the constructive spirit of the negotiations at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.
The statement was issued on Day 3 of the NPT Review Conference and presented during the general debate by Russia's chief arms negotiator Anatoly Antonov.
On Day Two of the NPT Review Conference, delegates were unanimous in urging the entry into force as soon as possible of a global ban on nuclear tests.
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.
“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)
In the run up to the NPT Review Conference (3-28 May), there have been a number of critical developments. Russia and the United States have signed the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the Obama Administration just released its Nuclear Posture Review, and Washington is about to host one of its largest summits ever, on nuclear security.