ABSTRACT
The nuclear nonproliferation regime has slowed the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology. The regime—whose primary components are treaties, export controls, and diplomatic activities by individual nations— has always faced obstacles such as nonparticipation by key countries and noncompliance by a few regime participants. The vulnerability of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) to cheating has been demonstrated by Iraq and North Korea. North Korea has announced withdrawal from the NPT and, if it follows through, will shake member-parties’ confidence that the treaty is a meaningful barrier to proliferation. Even if military action is used and results in setting back a country’s nuclear program, the setback may be only temporary, as it was in the case of Iraq. Use of force is unlikely to change a country’s motivations to acquire nuclear weapons, and in fact may stiffen that resolve.
