ABSTRACT
This chapter offers a critical examination of the history of US policy on the question of nuclear nonproliferation efforts. The 1954 Atomic Energy Act set the stage for the United States to engage in the widespread dissemination of nuclear reactors and fuel to other countries, with certain safeguards to supposedly prevent them from being used to make nuclear weapons. The most obvious case of American protection of nuclear weapons development by its allies is in regard to Israel. Israel has long stated that it would not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons into the Middle East, a disingenuous commitment since US planes and warships have been bringing nuclear weapons into the region since the 1950s. For decades, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, US policy has been based on the premise that it is legitimate for the United States and its allies to maintain their regional nuclear monopoly through force.
