International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards have been accepted by virtually every state for their nuclear imports. Many of these states, although not all, have gone farther and have opened all of their peaceful nuclear activities to IAEA inspection. That IAEA safeguards have limitations is freely acknowledged; the differences of opinion are over the significance of these limitations. On the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of Atoms for Peace, there is no denying the idea that the safeguards experience of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and perhaps its organization, could help with the verification of an arms control agreement. At the moment this idea remains distant on the horizon. While an alarm would meet the needs of the superpowers, the agency's experience to date would provide little assurance that effective international action would follow such an alarm. So the value of inspection and alarm might be mainly for the mutual confidence of the two superpowers.