Atomic Weapons as a Paradigm of Global Power

Nuclear DETERRENCE AND APPREHENSION 1 Running Head: NUCLEAR DETERRENCE AND APPREHENSION NUCLEAR DETERRENCE AND APPREHENSION Name of University: Author Note: Since the end of the Second World War atomic weapon became a symbol of the paradigm of global power. In this regards, the idea of nuclear deterrence is primarily based on the first user principle that highlights the right to use nuclear weapons as a self-defence strategy against an armed attack

Running Head: NUCLEAR DETERRENCE AND APPREHENSION
NUCLEAR DETERRENCE AND APPREHENSION
Name of the Student:
Name of University:
Author Note:

1NUCLEAR DETERRENCE AND APPREHENSION
Since the end of the Second World War atomic weapon became a symbol of the paradigm of
global power. US military deliberately used it in Hiroshima and Nagasaki as an act of
aggression. As a result of that the new power structure after the end of the war was shaped by the
destructiveness of atomic weapon. This practice is still prevalent in the recent global scenario
where the number of countries empowered by nuclear weapon escalates in a rapid pace. In due
course, it also transforms the art of modern warfare as well as destroys the very idea of global
power in the name of US and Russia. In the 1990s and mid-2000s many newly independent and
got the taste of power by flashing their nuclear arsenal (Fuhrmann, Matthew and Sechser). Iran is
considered to be the potential competitor in this list. However, the global concern about
maintaining peace and prosperity is developing simultaneously but it seems not so pleasant for
the US and her allies. Hence, the purpose of this report is to get a glance of the nuclear
deterrence policies and figure out the possibilities of curbing down the global tension of nuclear
warfare. In addition to this, the report is also going to discuss the different monitoring agencies
and nuclear watchdogs and their impact on the diplomatic relations internationally.
Deterrence is a strategic concept that opines the purpose to prevent war. In this regards,
the idea of nuclear deterrence is primarily based on the first user principle that highlights the
right to use nuclear weapons as a self-defence strategy against an armed attack on the
sovereignty of the state (Gartzke, Erik and Lindsay). Therefore, in a retrospective manner it can
be argued that the nuclear weapon or the Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD) is utilised as a
bargaining tool in the international diplomacy. For an instance, the former UK Prime Minister
Clement Attlee initiated the UK nuclear weapons program as a deterrence strategy to safeguard
the sovereignty of the nation (Payne). In this regards, there are some approaches that facilitate
the idea of deterrence strategy.

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In general, deterrence is supposed to be identified as a self defence strategy. Having a
nuclear arsenal the sovereign countries are willing to keep their security intact. As a result of that
in recent times every country is going to initiate a nuclear program that can usher fear on
attacking countries in order to think twice before unleashing their aggrandizement (Fuhrmann,
Matthew and Sechser). As a counterbalance defensive measures the entire world is going to
witness a growing trend of furnishing its arsenal with weapons of mass destruction. However,
there are some drawbacks that the extended deterrence strategy has been faced. Firstly, it acts
against the protocol of Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT). According to the NPT, the use
of nuclear energy as a weapon of mass destruction is perturbing the peaceful coexistence of the
world, henceforth it should be disarmed (Bendiek, Annegret and Metzger). Secondly, the vast
expenditure in procuring a nuclear program will be catastrophic for the developing countries if
the project is failed. Hence, it can be stated that the deterrence theory offers a persuasive
explanation for many countries like Iran to carry out the nuclear deployments.
In addition to this, the non-proliferation approach attributes the intention of the foreign
nuclear deployments to prevent the host countries to from building their own nuclear weapons.
In other words, the foreign countries do not want to get the host countries to be empowered with
nuclear facilities (Snyder). Therefore, they try to convince them to depend on the power of the
foreign country. In this regards, the nuclear non-proliferation helps them to keep the host
countries away from any kind of WMD manufacturing set up. For example, in 1970s US tried to
incur an approach to prevent South Korea to take further steps towards initiating nuclear
programs (Wilner).
On the onset of multi-polar power structure, the individual government was started to
build up their nuclear facilities in a pursuit of flaunting their power in the international

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diplomacy. Nuclear weapons play an important role in the defence strategies of major powers
that possess them. In addition to this, forward deployment can help nuclear powers solve this
problem. In fact, stationing nuclear powers abroad could provide states with the capacity to strike
targets in distant lands, a capability that otherwise lack. For an instance, in case of the United
States its nuclear base in Morocco in 1954 was established due to keep the power of USSR in
checks and balance (Wilner).
Despite the fear or the deterrence policy taken by individual countries or the significant
countries in order to formulate their nuclear program strategy, there are some international
organisations that solely responsible for check the power of the nuclear empowered countries
and designated to maintain peace and prosperity by curb down the practice of manufacturing
weapon of mass destruction (Stent).
In this context, international organisation like IAEA is identified as one of the important
actor. The ongoing global tension on flaunting the mayhem of nuclear power IAEA is playing
the role of a protagonist to curb down the tension and establishing a peaceful environment across
the globe. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was created in the year 1957 with a
purpose to explore the diverse uses of nuclear technology. President Eisenhower was the
founding father of the organisation with the agenda of establishing “Atom for peace” (Katzman,
Kenneth, and Kerr).
As the growing nature of state sponsored nuclear terrorism has prevailed in the globe the
International Atomic Energy Agency is stepping forward to embolden the nuclear security. It
also incorporates the Treaty of Non-Proliferations of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) that is lingered
with the nuclear disarmament. The major purposes of the IAEA are resembled with the safety

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and security of the non-nuclear-weapon states. Moreover, putting more stress on the utilisation of
nuclear energy in non-combating dimension further heightens the role of IAEA in a widen
aspect. This leads to the activity of International Atomic Energy Agency in verifying clandestine
nuclear programs in countries like Iraq, Iran, Libya and North Korea (Kroenig). In this context,
the IAEA had conducted an investigation on the Iranian nuclear facilities to find out any
suspected manufacturing of weapon of mass destruction in the form of nuclear weapons.
However, the organisation has come with an optimistic conclusion by claiming that Iran did not
continue its previous nuclear weapon program (Iaea.Org). In fact, the IAEA reports are
considered to be authentic among the rest of the world. Moreover, having the provision to
inspect ‘any time, any place’ is referred as a very advantageous measure for the organisation.
CTBT is an acronym that defines the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty. It can be
argued more elaborately that the treaty bans nuclear explosions by everyone and anywhere on the
surface, atmosphere, underwater and underground on the earth. For monitoring and establishing
a clear analysis the organisation is categorised in three different pillars in the name of
International Monitoring System (IMS), On-site Inspections and the International Data Centre
(Narang).
The IMS has 337 facilities around the world to monitor any kind of nuclear explosions in
earth. In fact, almost 90% of the facilities are already active and running in order to check and
get a clear picture of the ongoing nuclear program espoused by individual countries. Besides this,
there is the On-Site Inspections that is dealing with the suspicious nuclear explosion. The
CTBTO inspectors will collect evidences on the ground in specified countries like in Kazakhstan
in 2008 and in Jordan in 2014. Moreover, the International Data Centre collects and stores data
that are processed and generated by the member states of CTBTO. For an instance in case of the

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North Korea the organisation continuously monitored and investigated the nuclear activities in
that region (Katzman et al.).
In the UN convention of International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
on September 2017 the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres claimed that it is a global
response to shape the world free of any nuclear weapons. In this regards, he also stated that it is
the duty of the big powers to take initiatives in the form of reducing nuclear weapons. However,
on the contrary the nuclear deal between Russia and United States in the form of Strategic Arms
Reduction Treaty (START) is primarily focused on modernising the nuclear weapons
(Friedman). As a result of that the process affects the possible opportunity to maintain peace
across the world. Furthermore, the President of the General Assembly Miroslav Lajcak has
expressed his deep concern about the growing atrocities around the world regarding the elevating
tension of nuclear weapon program. In his words this growing tension had been identified as a
reckless rhetoric that brings the humanity to the verge of extinction (Katzman).
According to the International Committee of Red Cross, nuclear weapons project a threat
to the humanitarian existence. It is in fact very surprising not to have any international law to
prohibit the practice of weapon of mass destruction. Due to the lack of global perception about
the fatal impact of the nuclear weapon, countries like North Korea are continued to fire ballistic
missiles and heightened the global tension about another war. The Red Cross organisation is
going to organise a series of movements for instance the Red Crescent Movement (Nuclear
Weapons). The purpose of this outcry from different corners of the world is significant in the
name of creating a global platform to deliver the adverse impact of nuclear weapons and
ventilates the agenda of curbing down the production of weapon of mass destruction.

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Euro centrism and the pressure from Pentagon have a strong impact on the strategies and
policies taken by the international organisations. Diplomatic measures also play a pivotal part in
this regards. For an instance, the nuclear program developed by Iran has under the radar of
Washington. The recent development in this regards is encircled with the supposedly suspicious
nuclear weapon program in Iran. The Israeli secret service Mossad had alleged that the Iranian
government was trying to allege that there were some nuclear facilities still intact in the region
that was developing nuclear weapons. In addition to this, the clandestine service agency of Israel
also provided some evidences in this regards. Meanwhile, America instantly supported the
claims of Israel and linked it with their pan-Islamic agitation. Through the diplomatic channels
and international framework Washington had tried to establish a solid propaganda against the
nuclear program of Iran. US president Donald Trump had expressed his prolong hostility against
Iran (Sonne).
However, despite of all the measures and interventions facilitated by US and Israel, the
investigative reports of IAEA did not corroborate with the claims of Israel and US. In fact, the
organisation argued that Iran did not possess any kind of illegitimate nuclear program and hence
there was no question of impose a ban on the ongoing programs of Iran. In fact the rest of the
world expressed their grievance for the deliberate propaganda of the US against Iran.
Furthermore, countries like Germany and UK had questioned the role of US that could impede
the independent nature of the nuclear monitoring organisations (Narang).
It can also be argued that the role of US in maintaining peace across the world by
reducing nuclear weapon practices is also not adequate. In fact, the deterrence strategy of US on
the question of nuclear weapon program is based on a vague and irrational principle that is
designed to make US the only nuclear power in the world. In fact, USA does not sign the CTBT

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and does not follow the regulations of the IAEA. Nevertheless, the erstwhile government had
tried to implement a humanitarian approach in this regards that is going into vague during the
term of Trump (Kroenig).
The international organisation should be independent and bereft of any kind of pressure
given by the big powers or the non-state actors. In addition to this, there should be a proper
channel for the developing or deprived countries to ventilate their apprehensions. Moreover, to
curb down the practice of nuclear weapon as a tool of mass destruction, the international
communities should take necessary steps. Moreover, enforcing strict international laws that have
to be abided by all the nations irrespective of their size and power should be a prime concern of
the international forum.
It can be concluded that due to the intense pressure in the international diplomacy, the
stability and peace is getting perturbed. In this regards, the tension regarding developing weapon
of mass destruction further heightens the tension in the global scenario. The apprehensions and
the inadequate policies taken by international organisation became futile and irrelevant because
of the reluctance on behalf the super powers. It has to be the responsibility of the big powers to
take the initiatives to curb down the tensions of nuclear war and going to establish peace and
prosperity across the globe.

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