Tactical Nuclear Weapons and NATO.pdf - Program on Strategic ...

United States <strong>and</strong> Russian Federation. UNSCR 1540 is
the first obligation binding on all UN member states
under Chapter VII of the UN Charter to take <strong>and</strong> enforce
effective measures against the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction (WMD). One of its requirements
is that all states take <strong>and</strong> enforce effective
measures to control nuclear weapons <strong>and</strong> materials
in order to reduce the possibility of proliferation or
their acquisition by terrorist organizations. 31 Hence it
would seem to be a clear point of reference for Washington
<strong>and</strong> Moscow in determining policy.
A FINAL WORD
During the course of the CFE negotiations, a Western
arms control expert once remarked that he felt like
he was watching 300 years of European hostilities unfold.
Critics of this process frequently become so enmeshed
in the technical details of definitions, counting
rules, stabilizing measures, inspection regimes,
etc., that they overlook the connection between these
small points <strong>and</strong> the larger security issues. Still, while
the devil may well lie in the details, the CFE accord is
rooted in the collective attempt of over 30 sovereign
states to improve their respective security. National
fears <strong>and</strong> historical antagonisms may complicate the
flow of negotiations, but they also contribute to the
agreement’s enduring value. It is thus important to
keep such apparent untidiness in proper perspective
as Europe gropes its way to reducing the possibility of
conflict through a new architecture based on cooperative
security.
The search for a new arms control strategy that
addresses the question of non-strategic nuclear forces
must seek to both extend <strong>and</strong> become a part of exist-
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