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Nuclear test ban commission hopes to persuade waverers
Vienna (AFP) Oct 9, 2008 The success of an exercise to verify nuclear weapons testing may persuade hold-out countries including the United States to join the world test ban treaty, the organisers said Thursday. Tibor Toth, head of the CTBTO Preparatory Commission, which is working to implement the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), also said he hoped Washington would change its stance after the departure of President George W. Bush. "The period ahead of us is determining," Toth said. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama "has said he is supportive" and his Republican rival John McCain "has expressed his readiness to come back to the issue of verification," Toth said. The "unprecedented" inspection mission took place at the former Soviet nuclear test site of Semiapalatinsk, in northern Kazakhstan from September 1-25. Some 40 inspectors with 50 tonnes of sophisticated equipment combed the 1,000 square kilometre (400 square-mile) site to detect and analyse traces of nuclear testing. "Such inspections can provide additional hard evidence" to verify whether unauthorised tests have taken place, Toth said. "We hope we can convince those who might still have questions about how to make the treaty verifiable." The CTBT was drafted in 1996 to ban all nuclear explosions worldwide. It has been signed by 178 nations and ratified by 144 of them. The Preparatory Commission is the precursor to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), which will be set up once the treaty has been ratified by the 44 key states that possess nuclear power or research reactors. Nuclear powers Britain, France and Russia are among those that have ratified the treaty. But nine have yet to do so, including nuclear powers China, India, Pakistan and the United States, as well as Israel, which has never officially confirmed it has the bomb. North Korea, which has tested a nuclear bomb, and Iran, which is suspected of seeking to acquire one, are also yet to ratify. The other two countries holding out are Egypt and Indonesia. The CTBTO preparatory commission has some 340 facilities around the world as part of its verification regime to monitor any signs of nuclear explosions. Related Links Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com All about missiles at SpaceWar.com Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Bush signs US-India nuclear law
Washington (AFP) Oct 8, 2008US President George W. Bush on Wednesday signed legislation to enact a landmark US-India civilian nuclear agreement, celebrating "the growing ties between the world's two largest democracies." |
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