Poli 360

It has been suggested recently that although regular war is becoming less likely to occur, irregular wars involving militias and other non-state actors are becoming more common. Although nuclear nonproliferation is ongoing because of the developing Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) that has recently put a ban on all nuclear weapons explosions, the amount of nuclear weapons present in the world is hardly close to zero. What are we ultimately to do however, if one of the present nuclear weapons gets in the hands of an extremist groups, or militia? While nuclear weapons provide a great war deterrent because of the fear or threat of using them against one another, ultimately, they should not exist in today’s society. I think it is important to be educated on the current situation in regards to how many nuclear weapons are left in the world, and why states still have them.

A brief overview about one of the only nuclear weapon nonproliferation programs in the world is needed to introduce the topic of getting rid of the world’s nuclear weapons. The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty became a reality in 1996, when it banned nuclear explosions by everyone, everywhere, on any part of the earth or it’s atmosphere. When nuclear weapons were first developed in 1945, no risks as to one’s health or environment were known, other than it would ultimately cause death if used. Although the organization works on developing ways to stop nuclear testing as well as the creation of these weapons by means of the International Monitoring System (IMS) and other such usages of deterrence in forms of sanctions, it cannot go into full force until all countries that possess nuclear power reactors sign onto it. As of February 2012, China, North Korea, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, and the United States of America have yet to sign and ratify the CTBT.

History is able to tell us the dangers that nuclear weapons present to society. Those that do not die from the bomb explosion itself, suffer horrendous consequences from the nuclear fallout in the forms of cancer, growth defects, and burns. Other than the health consequences from the radioactive material that nuclear weapons create, the structural, and economic damages are also factors that are targeted when one decides that dropping a nuclear bomb is necessary. Many have studied the impacts that nuclear weapons have had on the world, specifically Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and it doesn’t take a genius to realize that the consequences of using nuclear weapons extend far past the day the bomb is detonated.

Although organizes such as the CTBTo and current international pressure encourages countries to rid themselves of their weapons, many countries simply decrease their supply. The US seems to think that having over 4000 of them is a small number to keep. However, nuclear weapons are not treated with the care that they should be treated with. In 1961, an incident in the US occurred in which a plane broke apart whilst flying over North Carolina, and accidentally dropped two nuclear bombs over Goldsboro. The effects of this could have been more disastrous than Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but fortunately a series of mishaps occurred that ultimately facilitated the bombs landing on the ground fully intact. And in the time span from 1950-1968, there have been 21 declassified incidents of aircraft related nuclear weapon incidents in countries all around the world including the countries of U.S, Greenland, Spain, Morocco, England, in the middle of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. Especially today’s time, if a country is not willing to get rid of these weapons, it is crucial to keep these weapons classified and have certain precautions in place to make sure mishaps like these don’t happen, and that these weapons do not enter the hands of the wrong people, while it be mistake or not.

Currently ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) is heading the media headlines as the latest violent extremist group to take rise, and the world has never been more at risk for a nuclear weapon to be taken advantage of. Already having seized billions of dollars worth in assets from energy power, to oilfields, to millions of weapons, if left unchecked, ISIS could easily secure a weapon of mass destruction. If ISIS is wanting to make an unprecedented terrorist movement in a major world hub such as London or New York, one of their only resources left to vie for that they don’t already hold, is a nuclear weapon. Obama recently struck a deal with Syrian President Bashar Assad that has led to the destruction of the 1,300 tons of chemical bombs that existed within Syria. If these chemical weapons were still in existence, ISIS would most likely already have claimed them along with their $2 billion seizures of assets they’ve already made away with. I am absolutely astounded with the close measures that ISIS have come in contact with almost obtaining a chemical weapon, and I’m sure the world would be equally as shocked if they do in time obtain a nuclear weapon. With neighbouring countries such as Russia and Pakistan that contain nuclear weapons, ISIS is just one corrupt official away from gaining a world-detonating bomb.

Another topic of contention is Iran, in which Western strategists have long debated the risk of Iran showing the power to hold nuclear weapons all of a sudden. The idea of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons is a worrying subject for world governments. What is also worrying to analysts is the fact that they believe Iran can now make enough highly enriched Uranium to build one bomb in only a few months time. Two enrichment plants were uncovered in 2002, and 2009 respectively, sparking concern about Iran’s intentions over building a nuclear weapon in the first place. Iran has taken a non-transparent stance in regards to its nuclear motives. I find it particularly interesting that Iran isn’t a huge world power, yet it seems to be quite interested in gaining a nuclear weapon, but for what reason? Why are nuclear weapons so enticing to hold?

History is able to show us how certain extremist groups can react when they want to send a message or make an impact in society. We have seen examples in the 2004 Madrid train bombings, the 2005 London Underground bombings, the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings, as well as various car bombings that have occurred in countries such as Iraq, Hotan (China), India, and Egypt. As extremist groups become more dangerous and more at large as minority groups join them,  the consequences of them getting their hands on a nuclear weapon are unprecedented. Countries need to look at the bigger picture and realize that having nuclear weapons are strictly used as a war deterrent in today’s time, and that getting to the point of actually using one on an enemy country is unthinkable, and unjust. The horrors of the past should not be repeated, and any sane mind should see that there is no justifiable way to explain using a nuclear weapon on any type of population.

To further my opinion and conclude, all countries should sign on the CTBTO and ratify their agreement to ban nuclear weapons and their testing. With the ultimate goal of getting rid of nuclear weapons which would in turn reduce the amount of tension present in between the world’s governments, as well as decrease the threat of killing civilians in times of war, and terrorist attacks. With ISIS beginning to become a real threat to society, I think this is a good time for world powers to evaluate how safe their nuclear weapons are in the world, and what the real purpose for their existence is.