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the
ear
Almost
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by
Ronald S. Toth
W
ORLD
attention has
focused on the nu–
clear capacity of
the U nited S tates
and Soviet Union.
Comparatively few look to the
potential nuclear capacity of
other, smaller powers. The
United Kingdom, France, the
People's Republic of China and,
to a lesser extent, India, al! be–
long to the nuclear "club."
But gane are the days when only
these six powers will possess nu–
clear capability.
Why
Proliferation?
Basic nuclear bomb theory is wide–
spread. More than information,
however, is needed to build a
bomb. Educated nuclear scientists
are required and enriched uranium
to make fissionable material.
Western nations willingly sup–
plied the reactors and provided the
schools to educate scientists in non–
nuclear nations.
The United States, France and
West Germany generally climbed
over one another to sell the nuclear
technology- for peaceful pur–
poses-to almost any country.
If
the United States wouldn' t sell to
Brazil, for example, West Ger–
many would.
Untíl the Carter administration,
Western nuclear technology didn't
have ample safeguards to ensure
that no fissionable material was di–
verted to the secret construction of
weapons.
In contrast, the cautious Soviet
Union has had stringent controls
for years. No nation dealing with
the Soviets can divert fissionable
material to the manufacture of
weapons. That's why a nation turns
to the West when it wants to have
access to matériel that it could use
to make clandestine weapons.
So today we face the specter of
smaller nations, not directly in–
volved in the East-West struggle,
clase to obtaining nuclear capacity.
Pakistan is now closing upon the
nuclear threshold.
Argentina and Brazil-tradi–
tional rivals for regional preemi–
nence-are engaged in a quasi-nu–
clear race.
Israel and South Africa, it is ru–
mored, may have unassembled nu–
clear weapons at their disposal.
Experts worry about the future
of South Korea and T aiwan. Both
might seek nuclear weapon tech–
nology to support defense needs.
Iraq went to great lengths to ac–
quire nuclear capacity. After being
rebuffed by the Soviets, Iraq
turned to the West. France sold
them the knowledge, equipment,
and enriched uranium to make a
" peaceful " nuclear power plant.
The fue! and capacity for the reac–
tor were way out of proportion to
Iraq's needs. The design of the re–
actor was well suited for nuclear
weapons manufacture.
A growing consensus among ex–
perts agreed that if the reactor
went on line, Iraq would have had
the means to build the bomb. Iraq
claimed the reactor was for peace–
ful purposes.
However, Israel settled the mat–
ter. In June 1981 Israelí U.S.-built
F-
J
6 figh ter boro bers swooped
down, performing a surgical strike,
destroying the reactor and thwart–
ing Iraq's nuclear plans. France has
agreed in principie to help rebuild,
but the matter remains under pro–
tracted negotiation.
Leaders privately sighed with re–
lief after the raid, although pub–
licly condemning it.
Libya has tried just about every–
thing to acquire nuclear capacity.
They have tried to buy a nuclear
weapon from China and have helped
bankroll Pakistan's nuclear program
in hopes they could get a bomb from
Pakistan. They have their own small
nuclear facility built under a pact
with the Soviet Union. But the Sovi–
ets keep it under tight control, pre–
venting any diversion of fissionable
material to weapons manufacture.
So far Libya has been thwarted.
More chilling is the specter of a
The PLAIN TRUTH