Suchergebnisse

Following a description of the CBU-24 cluster bomb, some attempts to ban weapons that cause unnecessary suffering or do not discriminate between soldiers & civilians, are sketched. A discussion of trends in antipersonnel weapons since WWII is followed by an examination of 4 specific weapons techniques: (1) fragmentation (natural & controlled), (2) clusters, (3) canisters, & (4) small caliber weapons (eg, rifles). Difficulties facing moves to ban the use of inhumane weapons are: (A) whether they should take place in the context of disarmament or humanitarian law, (B) disagreements on the technical bases for bans, & (C) whether to prohibit specific weapons or certain uses for them. The discussions, whether or not they result in a ban, have the effect of "making governments look more closely at the legality of their own weapons before they decide to procure them." Some encouraging signs in the UN General Assembly are noted. J. N. Mayer.

Review of proposals, including various draft treaties, to ban chemical weapons, 1969 to the present.

The future of nuclear weapons and nuclear nonproliferation measures are considered, particularly in light of President Obama's pledge to rid the world of atomic bombs. The author questions the threat that nuclear weapons pose, whether an atomic bomb would cripple the American economy, whether terrorists are likely to acquire Russian warheads, and how they fit into Al Qaeda's current strategy. Adapted from the source document.

Any chance of success in stemming the nuclear weapons proliferation threat from Iran will require international consensus on a firm strategy to change Tehran's calculations of the costs & benefits. Meanwhile, having failed to stop North Korea's nuclear proliferation, United States policy there emphasises containment. More broadly, the world is moving too slowly to take the measures required to address non-state proliferation & to secure the nuclear materials in Russia, which contributes to the threat of nuclear terrorism. For biological weapons, the best option is managing the consequences of an attack. Adapted from the source document.