Anyssa Neustel April 9, 2015 Dr. Hink Nuclear Proliferation: The New War Machine

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1 Anyssa Neustel April 9, 2015 Dr. Hink Nuclear Proliferation: The New War Machine The threat of nuclear war has become increasingly present since the Manhattan Project began the first expedition to create an atomic weapon, so powerful, it would change the tides of war in the Pacific theater during World War II (Bee, 4). The atomic bomb allowed for the introduction of a new category of war. The desolation of two Japanese cities, created fear throughout the world, a new weapon of mass destruction had been unleashed. This fear has developed over seventy years, and has little chance of dissipating any time soon. This new threat of a nuclear war will always exist, and the only certain solution to prevent such a scenario is complete disarmament (UNODA). Nuclear weapons pose the greatest threat out of all weaponry produced in the world today. When a nuclear weapon is detonated there are three parts to the explosion. The nuclear weapon s energy can be described as such, within the first part of detonation there is what is called the blast or ground zero, this portion of the explosion consists of 50% of the distributed energy (Nuclear Weapons Effects). The blast produces high winds obliterating any objects within its path it. It then turn[s] humans or objects into missiles (Nuclear Files). Once the bomb has been detonated thermal radiation is released, consisting of 35% of the bombs energy (Nuclear Weapon Effects). Thermal radiation produces a light similar to the flash of a camera. This reaction can produce blindness on people miles away, burn shadows into concrete, and ignite flammable materials at a long distance (Nuclear Files). Following the blast the column of debris known as the air burst or more commonly known as the mushroom cloud, carries the debris and radiation into the atmosphere, as it reenters into the ground level it is known as

2 fallout (Trinity Atomic Web Site). This last effect distributes radioactive debris over the area in which the wind carries it. These disastrous immediate effects are not the only appalling productions of the detonation of a nuclear warhead. After the blast, thermal radiation, and fallout have occurred, the environment of the affected area is contaminated for many years postdetonation (Nuclear Files). The discharging of such a weapon as the atomic bomb, leads to many health concerns after (Nuclear Files). After Hiroshima, many who had survived the blast, but had been exposed to 100 rads or more of radiation experienced a heightened chance of obtaining leukemia later in life (Nuclear Files). The environmental factors of the detonation of a nuclear weapon are alarming and destructive. While the blast kills many instantaneously, for those who were not killed by the blast but exposed to the radioactivity, it will take years for many of them to die of cancer (The Cost of U.S. Nuclear Weapons/ Nuclear Files). In merely participating in the creation of a nuclear warhead many participants have suffered from illness, or have died (The Cost of U.S. Nuclear Weapons). Congress has allowed for compensation entitled the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to those who have been effected by participating in the mining or participation of creating a nuclear warhead for the United States (The Cost of U.S. Nuclear Weapons). While this is an aid to many of those whose health has been in a decline due to their association with the hazardous materials, and toxins, many may have died prior to the enforcement of the Act in 1998 (The Cost of U.S. Nuclear Weapons). This prolonged death and response to it, can be traced back to the origins of the first nuclear program.

3 In order to comprehend the present threat of nuclear proliferation one must understand how it has developed throughout the years. The nuclear world and arms began after Einstein had sent his letter to President Franklin Roosevelt. Roosevelt responded to the letter with beginning the Manhattan Project (Bee, 29). The Manhattan project opened the doors to new and more advanced science and technology in the future dealing with nuclear weaponry (Bee, 31, 34). After the development of nuclear weapons had begun, the sudden fear of proliferation was upon the global community. Stalin immediately ordered that an atomic weapon be developed so that they would not face the same kind of destruction Hiroshima had, thus beginning the Cold War (Bee, 32-33). Today, the threat of nuclear proliferation has been taken seriously by the global community however, the menace it is proposing will not subside any time soon, nor will the consequences if one is detonated upon opposing nations (The Case Against Nuclear Disarmament). While many are at a consensus that the proliferation of nuclear warheads must come to an end, there is not one specific rationale provided by those who oppose, as to what the most effective way to disarmament or the control of such weapons is. Many would argue that disarmament is a dangerous chimera (The case against total nuclear disarmament). This strong opposition to the Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT), founded by the United Nations (U.N.) in 1968, has been an influential voice in the global community (The Nuclear Non-Proliferation). However those who are in opposition to the NPT or the proposal to disarm all nations give exceedingly important rationale as to the consequences of what may ensue if disarmament occurs and the NPT is successful. Disarmament poses several threats to the daily lives of Americans, which may bring about a far shoddier disaster than that of continuing to maintain the nuclear

4 stockpile of many countries. Ulgen explains that this threat comes with the vague consequences of what people expect, if nations disarm themselves, there will be no protection from one that may have not disarmed itself (The Case Against Total Nuclear Disarmament). While this has not presented itself as a problem yet, the consequences of such actions and sanctions must be considered thoroughly. Many who seek to eliminate the threat of a nuclear war or the consequences thereof, the most essential and primary reason is the protection of the environment, which includes, but is not limited to the plants, animals, and humans therein. When a nuclear warhead is detonated the immediate blast may be temporary, but it has long effects. If a nuclear war was to break out between countries, the result would be an ice age like period, in which many people would starve to death if not killed by the blast, thermal radiation, or cancer first (Effects of Nuclear Weapons). The ability to grow crops would be little to none, and the population of the entire globe would face frosts that would kill many people every day for up to three years (Effects of Nuclear Weapons). The United States has been working closely with the United Nations on the issue of proliferation since the NPT was configured in 1968 (UNODA). However, one of the first actions by the United States and two other countries was dealt with in 1945, after the atomic bombs had been dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Department of State, 1-3). This Joint Declaration, called for a new office within the United Nations to provide and help with the new concern of proliferation to countries that may gain the scientific means in which to produce a potential nuclear arsenal to destroy another country (Department of State, 1-3).The three countries involved therefore, have continued to work with one

5 another to prevent the proliferation of knowledge, uranium, plutonium, and the technology in which to produce such weapons. By 1956, Eisenhower together with the United Nations reaffirmed what had been previously stated in 1945 (Department of State, ). Eisenhower and the U.N. worked to establish four new components to their plans to stop the proliferation threat of nuclear weapons (Department of State, 603). The U.N. agreed to limit and reduce the number of armaments each country had, provide The Control Organ with more power to regulate and work with other countries to restrict proliferation, create zones in which armaments are limited and must be inspected, and that they would make certain that these armaments would stay out of selected territories (Department of State, ). While some scientists believed the bomb would keep the U.S.S.R. more manageable, it would consequently lead to the Cold War (Alger, 501, 502). The Cold War and arms race led to the fear of an inevitable nuclear war (Alger, 504). The activity of controlling weapons has continued even to today. The modern media has recently begun to pay more and more attention to the proliferation of weapons in both North Korea and Iran. These two countries have caused concern throughout the global community. North Korea has presented itself as an upcoming nuclear state, and a threat to the global community. North Korea has been known to threaten the United States with a nuclear weapon, but has yet to fulfill this warning. Since North Korea left the NPT in 2003, no progress has been made as to whether or not there should be transportation of nuclear materials through areas in which nuclear weapons and materials are prohibited (Shapiro, 68). Within the past month China has warned that the community should be

6 wary of North Korea, as they suspect the country has developed more weapons than what had originally been suspected by the U.S. (China Reportedly Issues New Warning). Iran has also become an important part of the NPT and the U.S. s focus upon the disarmament of nuclear weapons. Iran has become an important part of the media and national news, since President Bush began to work with the Iranian government to work toward the United States and Bush administration s nonproliferation agenda (Bee, 62). The Russian government however, has been working against the United States, as they have been dealing with the Iranian government to further their nuclear energy. Putin has continued to trade with the Iranians by giving them the uranium and plutonium to develop weapons of mass destruction, or for the use of nuclear energy (Bee, 66). This predicament has been passed to the current President. President Obama has recently been developing a plan that would make it so that the Iranian people will give up their nuclear potential for the sake of safety and world peace (A Message From President Obama). If President Obama succeeds in his goals to negotiate with the Iranian government, the United States will have achieved several goals. Iran will be unable to access the materials and locations in which to produce nuclear weapons or power, ultimately protecting those around it from any potential threat Iran would have pursued (A Message From President Obama). The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was formed by the United Nations in 1968, and went into effect in 1970 (UNODA). According to the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, the NPT was extended indefinitely in The U.N. meets every five years to discuss the NPT (UNODA). The NPT seeks to contain nuclear warheads and materials from nations which may use them wrongfully, and irresponsibly. While they do

7 not force nations to take down weapons, they seek to educate others about the threats of nuclear war and power, as well as how to use these powers responsibly (UNODA). While they discourage other nations from partaking in nuclear programs, it is hard to control such nations as North Korea, who are not frequently involved with the rest of the global community. Some argue that the NPT has not accomplished anything that it was designed to do, in fact some argue the U.N. has used the NPT as arms control as the pursuit of military advantage by diplomatic means (Acheson, 81). This can easily be defined by the fact that it gives those with the nuclear weapons the upper hand, and the ability to militarize, legally, through the NPT and United Nations for the sake of spreading the ideal world that is safe from nuclear weapons, but is done so with them (Acheson, 81). The contradictions tend to continue when analyzing the NPT and its goals. The NPT states that the organization will prohibit the transfer of nuclear weapons to non-nuclear states (Cockburn, 9). The United States in 2005 provided Germany (A non-nuclear state) and several others with nuclear bombs for their own usage (Cockburn, 9). In all, it is doubtful that the threat of nuclear weapons will cease within the near future, one country can never be certain that another will completely disarm itself. The risk of a nuclear attack upon the United States, or any country, far outweighs the cost. While the cost of dealing with old chemicals and leftover wastes stands at approximately twenty billion dollars, the U.S. has spent a total of 5.8 trillion dollars on its nuclear program (The Costs of U.S. Nuclear Weapons). There would be much more money spent in clean up if the United States was attacked.

8 The 115,000 total deaths of Hiroshima, 78,000 instantaneously from the fires of radiation at ground zero, and the rest who simply disappeared seems unforgivable, and a warning to future generations of the extreme danger that nuclear weapons are associated with (Bee, 30). While these acts by the United States have occurred in the past, it does not mean it will not occur again in the future. The threat of nuclear war will continue to be a potential threat to the global citizens, until there is a far more dangerous weapon produced. In order for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons to triumph, every nation of the world will have to disarm (Shapiro, 68). The countries must then decide to never again produce such weapons. Lastly, they must never build them. While the NPT is slowly attempting this, there is no certainty that this will come to fruition, and non proliferation is still a distant dream of peace. The reaction held by Stalin after Hiroshima, is not only normal, but at this point in history, every countries safest wager (Bee, 32). This seems contradictory, but until every nation can be assured that all will dismantle their weapons there will be no other source of protection from such an catastrophic threat.

9 Bibliography: Acheson, Ray. "Beyond The 2010 NPT Review Conference: What S Next For Nuclear Disarmament?." Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists 66.6 (2010): 77. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 21 Apr Alger, Chadwick F. "Did Hiroshima Signal The Beginning Or The End? The World Nuclear Disarmament Movement's Efforts.." Diplomatic History 19.3 (1995): 499. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Apr Bee, Ronald J. Nuclear Proliferation: The Post-cold-war Challenge. New York, N.Y.: Foreign Policy Association, Print. Bee, Ronald J. Seven Minutes to Midnight: Nuclear Weapons after 9/11. New York: Foreign Policy Association, Print. Cockburn, Alexander. "Nuclear Disarmament: A Major Defeat." Nation (2010): 9. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 20 Apr China Reportedly Issues New Warning over North Korean Nuclear Production. Fox News. FOX News Network, 23 Apr Web. 23 Apr Department of State. Documents on Disarmament, ed. Vol. I. Washington, D.C.: Dept. of State :, Print. "Effects of Nuclear Weapons." Effect of Nuclear Weapons. Nuclear Darkness. Web. 30 Apr Hudson, David. "A Message from President Obama: Preventing Iran from Acquiring a Nuclear Weapon." The White House. The White House, 2 Apr Web. 22 Apr Nuclear Files.org. Key Issues: Nuclear Weapons: The Basics: Weapons Basics. Key Issues: Nuclear Weapons: The Basics: Weapons Basics. NuclearFiles.org. Web. 20 Apr Pike, John. "Nuclear Weapon Effects." Nuclear Weapon Effects. Federation of American Scientists, 21 Oct Web. 22 Apr Shapiro, Adam. "A Step Towards Nuclear Disarmament?." UN Chronicle 41.3 (2004): 66. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 21 Apr Schwartz, Stephen I. "The Costs of U.S. Nuclear Weapons NTI." NTI: Nuclear Threat Initiative. 1 Oct Web. 22 Apr

10 "The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Milestones - Office of the Historian." The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Milestones - Office of the Historian. Web. 10 Apr "Trinity Atomic Web Site." The Effects of Nuclear Weapons, 1977: Descriptions of Nuclear Explosions. Trinity Atomic Website. Web. 18 Apr Ulgen, Sinan. "The Case against Total Nuclear Disarmament." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 25 Aug Web. 11 Apr "UNODA - Nuclear Weapons Home." UN News Center. UN. Web. 10 Apr