Author: Editorial
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: January 6, 2004
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/archive_full_story.php?content_id=38619
Introduction: To deal with nuclear
proliferation, the world needs to go beyond ad hoc responses
Evidence has been mounting of the
mushrooming of nuclear proliferation to North Korea, Iran, Iraq earlier,
and now Libya since the eighties, with some intelligence reports indicating
its continuation even now. Then there were the suspicions of Saudi Arabia's
acquisition of long-range nuclear-capable ballistic missiles from China
in 1987, and the recent hobnobbing of the Saudi leadership with nuclear
establishment in Pakistan. The nuclear proliferation road to each and all
these countries seems to originate in Islamabad/ Kahuta. Muammar Gaddafi's
son, who negotiated Libya's renunciation of its clandestine nuclear weapons
programme, has left the world in no doubt that Libya acquired its bomb
technology and material from Pakistan.
Given its role in promoting jihadi
terrorism and nuclear proliferation, it may be easy to conclude that nothing
better could be expected from Pakistan. But the rationale for Pakistan
to indulge in such proliferation goes beyond mere financial benefit or
religion-driven motivations, although they certainly played a role. Two
questions would need to be addressed for the future. First, what should,
or can be, done about Pakistan? There are sufficient indications that the
US and the international community would not be willing or able to apply
any pressure for it to change its grand strategy in any meaningful way.
Second, how should the world address the larger question of non-proliferation
dangers?
The non-proliferation philosophy
has been constructed so far on the principle of denial and ad hoc measures.
These have their utility in delaying proliferation, but as the current
mushrooming shows, they have proved inadequate in stopping the phenomenon.
The denial regimes would work even less as the developing countries move
up the technology development ladder. This is why the International Atomic
Energy Agency head says that the existing system has ruptured. What is
urgently needed is to work out a durable regime that goes beyond the current
denial philosophy to a durable balance between non- proliferation and disarmament.
This is particularly important if the peaceful uses of nuclear technology
are to be harnessed for development in developing countries.