Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) - October 2014

India, Israel, N.Korea say no to NPT at UN October 31, 2014, 8:46 am India has voted against the provisions of draft resolutions that would have required it to accede to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), saying there is “no question” of it joining the treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state. The First Committee of the 193-member UN General Assembly that deals with disarmament and international security issues approved a draft resolution yesterday urging all member states that had not yet done so to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Prior to approval of that draft as a whole, votes were polled on provisions, by which the Assembly would call on all those countries that have not joined the NPT to accede to it as non-nuclear weapon states. India, along with North Korea and Israel, voted against the resolution. 164 nations voted in favour of the resolution. “India’s position on the NPT is well-known. There is no question of India joining the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon state. Nuclear weapons are an integral part of India’s national security and will remain so, pending non-discriminatory and global nuclear disarmament,” said an official Indian statement explaining the vote. By another provision in the resolution, the Assembly would stress the fundamental role of NPT in achieving nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and urge India, Israel and Pakistan to promptly accede to the Treaty as non-nuclear- weapon states and place all their nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards. The provision was also approved by a recorded vote of 163 in favour with India, Israel, the US and Pakistan voting against. In its explanation of vote, India said it remains committed to the goal of complete elimination of nuclear arms. “We are concerned about the threat to humanity posed by the continued existence of nuclear weapons and their possible use or threat of use. India also shares the view that nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation are mutually reinforcing. We continue to support a time-bound programme for global, verifiable and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament,” it said. Earlier last month, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott inked a civilian nuclear deal with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in New Delhi. India and Australia had begun talks on the nuclear cooperation agreement in 2012. [Labor Party = 2012] The Australian decision, although geared to fight the energy poverty in India, has been criticised for circumventing the NPT and severely weakening it. The US administration had imposed sanctions on Delhi after its 1998 nuclear bomb tests. The tests confirmed India as a nuclear power and led neighbouring Pakistan to follow its lead. Later in 2005, however, the US had overturned its decision and agreed to aid India’s civil nuclear programme. Meanwhile, Iran, which is a signatory to the NPT ratifying the global accord, had accused Western countries of double standards while dealing with India’s nuclear ambitions. Last month, a UN monitoring agency said Iran is yet to fully address all nuclear concerns, in a further setback to international agreement over its nuclear program. http://thebricspost.com/india-israel-n-korea-say-no-to-npt-at-un/ COMMENT The existence of nuclear power and nuclear weapons is disturbing.  Sooner or later, something's bound to go wrong. Over 2,000 nuclear explosions detonated worldwide between 1945 and 1996 http://www.un.org/en/events/againstnucleartestsday/history.shtml#a24 1955 = just over 3,000 nuclear weapons 1965 = United States 31,000 nuclear weapons / Soviet Union 6,000 nuclear weapons ORDER USA - 1945 (July) - Trinity test, New Mexico USA - Hiroshima & Negasaki - 1945 (August) Soviet Russia - 1949 (August) UK - 1952 (Oct) - Tests Australia / USA USA - 1952 (Nov) - Hydrogen bomb USA - 1954 (March ) - Castle Bravo (largest ever nuke detonated by US + disaster) France - 1960 (tests Algeria + South Pacific) China - 1964 (test Lop Nur in Xinjiang Province) Partial Test Ban Treaty 1963, banned testing: atmosphere, underwater & space (testing goes underground) Israel - 1966 (R & D phase complete) India - 1974 (test) South Africa 1982 South Africa 1991 - dismantles nuclear program France - 1990s - closed & dismantled all nuclear test sites Pakistan - 1998 - 2 tests Korea - 2006 The UN article is a really good one. Look who has went from testing a nuclear weapon to using one, in the blink of an eye. Look who's been driving the nuclear weapons race.