United States and Nuclear Weapons Proliferation

r sure, the US has developed apprehension following the September 11 attacks in which many lives and properties were lost. The US has had to battle with nations suspected to be developing nuclear weapons and on one occasion labeled those states “Evil states” These “Evil States” include but not limited to Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Afghanistan, Libya etc. This is no longer news anyway.

The world is increasingly facing the proliferation of nuclear facilities, which the Unites States and other major developed nations of the world believe is fast threatening the existence of man and indeed living creatures from the surface of the earth. The United States as the sole Super Power of the world following the collapse of the former USSR in 1991 has been in the forefront of the anti-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction war which she believes will be utilized in bringing about disastrous effects on mankind

However, following the recent agreement entered into by Libya with the US to compensate the families of the victims of the Lockerbie disaster which the country is believed to have masterminded and similar agreement earlier signed between the two countries to forbid nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, the USA have reportedly removed the name of Libya from the list of terrorist countries.

The USA is yet to find diplomatic resolution over Iran’s interest in creating what the country has referred to as nuclear facilities, a situation that has continued to defy every available solution with Iran maintaining that the nuclear facilities are for purposes other than military. This claim of Iran is viewed as an insincere one by the US because the country has strongly made moves forbidding the USA and anti nuclear Agencies from inspecting her suspected sites.

Again, the US has reasons to express fears over Iran creating of what she has stated are nuclear facilities because for once, the attitude of the newly elected President of Iran expresses hostility towards the US and Israel in particular. It has been alleged that the President of Iran once commented that the object of Iran is to remove Israel, the US’s greatest Allies from the map of the world. It is believed that if allowed to develop the weapons it will therefore be used to cause the US and Israel untold harm and it might slip into the hands of terrorists within and outside the country. Discouraging Iran from the development of the weapons of mass destruction there is the major aim of the US. Russia and Germany are believed to be backing Iran in the face of further threats of sanctions by the US and Allies.

The US with assistance from Britain and Canada designed and built the first Atomic Bombs in what was known as Manhattan Project, a project that was directed by Robert Oppenheimer, an American, this became the very first time the world would see the Atomic Bombs. Following the testing of the Bombs at Trinity site on July 16, 1945, “Little Boy” was used on Hiroshima in August 6 1945, and the “fat Man” on Nagasaki in August 9, 1945. The US thus became the first and the only nation to use the atomic bomb on a nation during the WWII. Since then the development of nuclear weapons has acted more as deterrence which International Relations experts argue has helped to prevent another major wars.

The US has also expressed fears on the ability of the Nigerian government to effectively put the nuclear facilties to good use and security of same in view of militant activities in the Niger Delta at present ravaging the country with endless attacks and another frequent Islamic fundamentalism with which the northern region of Nigeria is known for. The US, following the official visit delegation of Iranians to the Nigerian government with a promise to help the country develop nuclear facilities for the peaceful purpose of generating power supply, clearly warned Nigeria to desist from nurturing such an ambition. She also admonished Nigeria that striking friendship with Iran would launch the country (Nigeria) as the enemy of the US. The way forward for Nigeria in this regard considering the strong threat from US is what the world awaits.  

As it were now, the US is faced with the task of ridding the world of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction which is capable of inflicting injuries on a number of people and destroying the entire world completely. What was witnessed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are minor compared with the sophistication of nuclear might within the possession of these countries. The US appears to be the most concerned nation among the comity of nations wishing that proliferation of weapons of mass destruction becomes a thing of the past because the September 11 attacks on the USA showed that the US can be attacked after all.

How the US hopes to deal with this development is what the entire world awaits and it is very critical if it will bring about that much desired peace that the world deserves. The US may have to resort to the imposition of sanctions; if negotiation fails and what follows will definitely be the use of force. Certain difficulties may be encountered by the US in trying to achieve this successfully.

Some of which maybe the largeness of Iran being several times larger that the Iraq the US is currently battling. The US may not find this an easy task to accomplish. Iran expectedly has larger population which the US may be finding very difficult dealing with, prosecuting such a war will involve larger sum of finance considering that the US is just recovering from a war in which she has spent billions of dollars to prosecute.

The US may also find it difficult convincing the UN and its Allied Forces on the genuine cause for the war because the world appears tired of wars at this moment and the UN and almost every nation having troops helping the UN and other regional organizations to maintain peace worldwide may become reluctant listening to the USA because of monetary expenses. Britain for the first time has not sounded like she wants to enter into coalition with the USA in prosecuting the war against the so-called “Axis of Evil” but only time will tell as we await the USA to decide on the next course of action.

How the US will convince the Arab nations that this time she is fighting a genuine course to save the world from one of their own is also an arduous task. And if Nigeria as a sovereign nation finally decides to stability electricity supply in the country using nuclear facilities with assistances of the Iranians, will the USA find it quite easy to add another enemy to the long list of her enemies? If Iran carry on with her nuclear plans, will the US peacefully accept same or go to war? We all await the US responses and only time will tell.

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About the Author:

Emeka Esogbue hails from Ibusa, Delta State, Nigeria. He is a Historian and International Relations, and Public Affairs commentator with lots of published and unpublished works.


emekaesogbue@yahoo.com