US discriminatory nuclear policy

Asif Haroon Raja

The US has a history of supporting military dictators, monarchy or sham democracy and has never favored real democracy and a popular leader loved by his people. Morals, ethics and values are of no concern to US when it comes to serving its self interests. It breaks international laws, defies international institutions and never hesitates from using brute force or secret wars to protect or achieve its interests and objectives.  It patronizes its two strategic partners Israel and India having similar traits. 

The US is the only country that has used nuclear bombs in 1945 to force Japanese forces to surrender. It suffers from no remorse or guilt for the devastation it inflicted upon the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Israel and India acquired weapon-grade nuclear capability clandestinely but their nukes or gross human rights violations doesn’t ruffle the feathers of US leaders who otherwise raise a storm on minutest slip by any other third world nation particularly Muslim nation. The US has helped UK, France, Israel and India to further develop their weaponised nuclear capabilities.

USA, Israel and India are the only nuclear countries who threaten to employ nuclear bombs against other countries. The US while framing its new nuclear policy has put Iran, Syria and North Korea on its hit list. Israel has several times threatened to use low yield tactical nuclear weapons (TNWs) against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Likewise, India has threatened to start a limited war with nuclear overhang against Pakistan. TNWs are part of its Cold Start doctrine, authorizing operational commanders in the field to use them if required. Both Israel and India can launch TNWs using ballistic or missiles, or submarines. Iran, Pakistan and North Korea have only verbally responded to the threats asserting that if attacked they have the right to retaliate in self defence. Under the circumstances the real nuclear threat is posed by strategically aligned USA, Israel and India having offensive and ambitious designs and a blood-spattered history.

The nuclear threat posed by the three expansionist powers will become more menacing once the US installs nuclear defence shield and take its two strategic partners under its cover. America and Russia possess over 90% of world nuclear stockpiles. It has taken the two powers two decades to finally arrive at a decision to reduce respective nuclear stocks and will take many more years to implement SALT. Rather than deciding to get rid of self-destructive nukes altogether, the two big powers have contended to reduce the size. Having thousands of nukes and diverse delivery means at its disposal which can destroy the world several times, cutting down its arsenal slightly will be cosmetic.

Instead of vowing not to ever use nukes against any other country, the US brazenly announced its intentions of targeting the so-called axis of evil thereby provoking smaller states to take appropriate safety measures. Rather than addressing their security concerns, the three states are being coerced, provoked and denied the right to defend. Taking a cue from Obama’s speech in which use of nukes against specified countries has been declared as a policy option, it can be said that the US qualifies to be an irresponsible and reckless state and not a responsible state. In the face of nuclear threat posed by the trio, to say that dirty bombs in possession of terrorists pose biggest threat to world security sounds farcical and devoid of truth.

India and Israel are defying UN resolutions on Kashmir and Palestine respectively since 1948 but no action has been taken by the UNSC or world powers against the two errant states. Non-resolution of the two disputes and continued ruthless persecution and injustices of Israel and India against the Palestinians and Kashmiris, duly patronized by USA and western world has bred extremism and terrorism. In case of Iran and North Korea, USA has threatened to use nukes on the plea that they have defied UN resolutions on nuclear program. Iran is signatory to NPT and has repeatedly said that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. India is not a signatory to NPT or CTBT and also harbors hegemonic designs; yet the US has given it unlimited access to civil nuclear technology and is also building its conventional capability. Pakistan has suffered the most in fighting US war on terror but has been denied this capability, while its modest nuclear program meant to deter Indian nefarious designs remains under intense pressure.     

In the recently concluded nuclear summit in Washington attended by representatives from 47 countries, Obama has vowed to cleanse the world of nuclear weapon producing fissile material within next four years to make the world safe from nuclear terrorism. If the world leaders are genuinely interested in saving the world from nuclear threat, the preliminary step would be to totally cleanse the world of nuclear weapons and fissile material. The five leading nuclear states should take the lead in this regard to set an example for smaller nuclear states. India had once agreed to get rid of its nukes provided recognized nuclear club did the same.

In addition to making the world nuclear free, the world powers suffering from megalomania should bring a change in their attitudes towards the Muslim world and work towards building inter-faith harmony. They must realize that extremists are not confined to Muslim world only but extremism and intolerance are common to all religions. Going by the tenets of history, Islamic rulers have been much more benevolent towards other faiths than others. It is high time non-Muslim world imbued with superiority complex and xenophobia should tone down its arrogance and hatred and start treating the Muslim extremists as human beings rather than continuing to kill them like partridges. Rulers of first world should collectively try to redress the genuine grievances of the aggrieved residing in third world and try to balm their wounds and make place in their hearts to avert nuclear terrorism in the future.              

Failure to do so would be catastrophic. The hunted Islamists are going through virtual hell for 11 years. Taking into account their rising strength and pent up anger against USA indulging in unending brutalities and injustices, that day is not far when the terrorists will either steal or acquire know-how to construct dirty bombs and carry them in suitcases or strapped to their bodies for detonation at chosen targets. Having been shunned and deprived of everything, they are in a vengeful mood to blow up the materialistic world. No matter how much security is tightened and safety measures taken, they will keep creeping forward like phantoms in total disregard to threat to their lives. This is evident from the never ending phenomenon of suicide and terrorist attacks by the faceless enemy despite the power of the whole world pitched against them. Worst affected countries will be where war on terror is being fought on behalf of USA. As per Robert Galluci, “Risk of a militant group getting hold of nuclear material and building a bomb with it is possible, plausible, and probable”. 

The problem however is likely to get more complex in the light of rising number of extremists within the western world and sharp rise in conversion to Islam in western countries including USA where the conversion rate is the highest. The US had sent its forces to Asia to fight al-Qaeda to make its homeland secure from Islamist threat. It is now faced with a bigger threat from within since al-Qaeda has recruited large number of westerners to fight the chief Satan. John Brenner, Obama’s counter terrorism adviser said that al-Qaeda appears to have been trying to get nuclear bomb material and that there have been numerous reports over the past nine years on this. Galluci advised world nuclear powers to stop producing weapon-grade plutonium to uranium; the raw material for nuclear bombs since growing stockpiles of fissile material increases the risk of falling in wrong hands.   

The writer is a freelance defence and security analyst whose write ups are widely commented upon.