The Issue

There are two kinds of proliferation, vertical and horizontal. The former term refers to decisions by the nuclear "haves" to increase their nuclear arsenals either quantitatively or qualitatively. The latter term refers to acquisition of nuclear weapons by previously non-nuclear powers.

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), adopted in 1970, was intended to stop both vertical and horizontal proliferation. Non-nuclear states agreed not to acquire or produce nuclear weapons, and in return the five states then possessing nuclear weapons nuclear states (U.S., U.K., Russia, France and China) committed themselves to negotiate their own nuclear disarmament. Since it opened for signature, 187 nations have signed the NPT.

The non-nuclear powers kept their side of the bargain far better than the nuclear powers. Only three nations, none of which signed the NPT, acquired weapons--Israel, which has long had them though it has never openly tested one; India, which refrained until two years ago, when it finally lost patience with the hypocrisy of the nuclear "haves," and Pakistan, which tested in response to India's action.

Current Activities

The United Nations reviews the NPT every five years. At the most recent review, April 24 - May 19, 2000. the U.S. was criticized severely for its refusal to live up to its obligations under the article calling for rapid disarmament by the nuclear "haves." Secretary General Kofi Annan, in a rare public criticism of the U.S., said that we could hardly expect to be credible in our calls for restraint by either the nuclear have-nots or India and Pakistan, new members of the nuclear club. The five nations that were nuclear powers when the treaty was signed in 1970 promised in vague terms to move toward disarmament, but generally they acted as stumbling blocks on progress.

Campaigns

Local: Fellowship of Reconciliation, Pax Christi, Peace Action, and the War Resisters League advocate for complete and worldwide nuclear abolition. They all have Houston chapters, which are members of the Houston Peace and Justice Center. To contact any of them, see their entries under "Member Groups" (the War Resisters League Chapter is named Houston Non-Violent Action).

National: All the national disarmament organizations work for nuclear abolition. For an excellent list, with links, of nuclear disarmament working groups and campaigns, go to www.fas.org/pub/gen/peace_security.