Iraq and the Future of Nuclear Nonproliferation: The Roles of Inspections and Treaties

Abstract

In the aftermath of the GulfWar, revelations about Iraq's extensive program to develop nuclear weapons challenge the future of the international nuclear nonproliferation regime. Until inspections sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council began, Iraq's violations of its obligations under the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons and its related safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency went undetected. The ultimate impact of Iraq's behavior on the regime cannot yet be determined, but there is now an opportunity to improve safeguards and other aspects of the regime, including strengthening export controls and proliferation intelligence collection and sharing and the development of appropriate response capabilities.