Nuclear non-proliferation: The prospects for the non-proliferation regime after the Gulf War

Abstract

Weapons of mass destruction provided a backdrop to the second Gulf War. They were invoked as one of the justifications for the war and affected its conduct. The war's aftermath revealed that Iraq, a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, had indeed been engaged in an ambitious clandestine programme to produce nuclear weapons. There are still disagreements about how close Iraq came to possessing a reliable nuclear device, but there is no doubt that this case has underlined the need for continued vigilance, and for the strengthening of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. This article assesses each of the basic components of a sound regime in the light of what has been learnt so far from the Iraqi experience. Reference is also made to the perceived new threats to international security which have emerged following the dissolution of the USSR.