The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Ahmadinejad on the NPT

By Reza Aslan
Daily Beast, May 3, 2010
 

Edited by Andy Ross
 

Iran President Ahmadinejad at the New York conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty:

"Nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation have not come true, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not been successful in discharging its mandate."

"The production, stockpiling, and qualitative improvement of nuclear armaments in a given country have served as the best justification for the others to develop their own arsenals, a trend that has sustained over the past forty years in violation of the commitments set forth in the NPT."

"No effective mechanism has been devised to address the actual threat of nuclear weapons, which must be in fact the most important mission of the IAEA."

Ahmadinejad called for the "immediate and unconditional implementation of the resolution adopted by 1995 Review Conference on the establishment of a nuclear free zone in the Middle East."
 

Status of World Nuclear Forces

Federation of American Scientists, May 3, 2010
 

Edited by Andy Ross
 

Country	Operational*	Total Inventory*
Russia**	4,650	12,000
United States***	2,468	9,600
France	300	300
China	180	240
United Kingdom	<160	185
Israel		80
Pakistan		70-90
India		60-80
North Korea		<10
Total*	7,700	22,500

* Numbers are rounded estimates.

** Russia's estimated total inventory of non-strategic warheads is 5,390.
An estimated 1,000 retired Russian warheads are dismantled per year.

*** An additional 2,500 U.S. warheads are non-operational spares in storage.
In addition to the declared 5,113 U.S. warheads, 4,500 await dismantling.
 

AR  President Ahmadinejad has an argument that deserves to be addressed.
President Obama has made a useful start by declaring exact numbers.
I hope Obama keeps working to make the NPT realistic and binding.