The Nuclear Proliferation Hypocrisy Of The U.S.

Certainly any move by the radical extremist government of Iran towards developing nuclear arms must be stopped. Given the extremist statements from this radical government makes it wholly unacceptable that this nation develop any nuclear arms. But the U.S. case has been dramaticly weakened by a hypocritical attitude towards nuclear proliferation in India.

During the Clinton Administration some sanctions were declared against India when they developed and conducted some tests of nuclear weapons components. But the Bush Administration has not only rolled back any sanctions, but has actively aided the Indian nuclear program. India may now possess as many as 100 nuclear devices and could develop twice that number or more, thanks to the help of the Bush Administration. And while this government represents a moderate democracy, the Bush Administration has also allowed Pakistan a relatively free hand in the development of their nuclear weapons, especially since Pakistan is seen as a key player against Al Qaeda.

But Canada is also a major player in the Pakistani nuclear program. Canada now needs more cooperation of Pakistan in help fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan as Canadian soldiers are suffering increasing deaths from Taliban forces in Afghanistan in combat as major NATO forces. Canada is expected to help bolster Pakistan's nuclear program in exchange for more cooperation combating the Taliban. Back as far as 1972, Canada supplied a Candu reactor for a nuclear plant near Karachi. This soon helped to lead to Pakistan's nuclear arms development as Dr. Abdul Khan established nuclear testing labs that were able to surpass the threshold point for being able to produce weapons grade uranium in 1985, and Pakistan was able to test nuclear weapons by 1987.

Today, Dr. Khan, who was formerly a national hero in Pakistan remains in house arrest after helping to profit by transferring nuclear technology to other states such as Iran. Iran's development of nuclear weapons not only threatens MidEast peace, but could lead to terrorists getting hold of nuclear weapons.

The world dangers from a rising tide of nuclear weapons only grows as new missiles with longer ranges and more nuclear weapons development takes place in the developing world. As more states, not all of them fully responsible ones acquire nuclear technology, the potential for great danger only increases. Western nations such as the U.S. and Canada are responsible for part of this problem while both also claim to be concerned about the problem. This nuclear proliferation hypocrisy must end if this problem is ever to stop from growing out of hand into a full blown crisis somewhere.