NATO condemns UN nuclear weapon ban treaty

NATO on Wednesday condemned a UN treaty banning nuclear arms as unrealistic and warned that it risked undermining the international response to North Korea's atomic weapons programme.

The United Nations adopted the treaty in July, though none of the nine countries that have nuclear weapons took part in shaping it or voting on it, and three of them -- NATO members Britain, France and the United States -- immediately said they had no intention of joining it.

NATO said the treaty "disregards the realities of the increasingly challenging international security environment" in the face of growing threats, particularly from Pyongyang, which recently carried out its sixth nuclear test and most powerful to date.

"At a time when the world needs to remain united in the face of growing threats, in particular the grave threat posed by North Korea's nuclear programme, the treaty fails to take into account these urgent security challenges," the 29-nation alliance said.

It added: "Seeking to ban nuclear weapons through a treaty that will not engage any state actually possessing nuclear weapons will not be effective, will not reduce nuclear arsenals, and will neither enhance any country's security, nor international peace and stability.

"Indeed it risks doing the opposite by creating divisions and divergences at a time when a unified approach to proliferation and security threats is required more than ever."

The intervention from the alliance comes a day after US President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly in New York he was ready to "totally destroy" North Korea, mocking its leader Kim Jong-Un as "Rocket Man... on a suicide mission".

Disarmament campaigners hailed the treaty as an important step but most NATO members boycotted the talks to prepare the text, as did Japan -- the only country to have suffered nuclear attacks, in 1945.

Nuclear powers argue their arsenals serve as a deterrent and say they remain committed to the gradual approach to disarmament outlined in the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

NATO said the ban treaty risked undermining the NPT, which seeks to prevent the spread of atomic weapons but also puts the onus on nuclear states to reduce their stockpiles.

'The man who saved the world' dies in Russia
Moscow (AFP) Sept 19, 2017
Stanislav Petrov, a Soviet military officer who is widely credited with helping prevent a nuclear war with the United States, has died aged 77, his son told AFP on Tuesday. Petrov, whose extraordinary story was told in a documentary titled "The Man Who Saved the World", received several international awards, was honoured at the United Nations and met Hollywood superstars such as Robert De N ... read more

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

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Oncecredit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthlypaypal only

Let's block ads! (Why?)

from Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense http://ift.tt/2wGNiuj
via space News