Weapons of Mass Destruction and Nonproliferation
Weapons of mass destruction are weapons that can kill very large numbers of people, including nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. Nonproliferation is the effort to stop them from spreading to more countries or to groups such as terrorist networks. Treaties, inspections, export rules, sanctions, and intelligence work all serve this goal, and the president, Congress, and international agencies share responsibility.
People usually ask how the government tracks and responds to threats, how treaties are enforced, how countries are pressured not to build such weapons, and how this differs from ordinary arms control.
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All Articles on Weapons of Mass Destruction and Nonproliferation
How America Tracks Nuclear Threats
Nuclear threat evaluation isn't a single task handled by one agency. It's a massive, ongoing operation that involves dozens of government departments, national laboratories,…
How America Responds to Nuclear Threats
America's nuclear response system operates around the clock, combining policy, technology, alliances, and public preparedness to prevent nuclear conflict. The system's primary goal is…
How America Plans for Nuclear War
The United States maintains one of the world's most complex nuclear planning systems. It spans everything from high-level strategy documents to detailed emergency instructions…
U.S.-Iran Relations: From Allies to Enemies
For over a century, America and Iran maintained friendly ties. The United States helped modernize Iran and defended its sovereignty against imperial powers. Then…
Arms Control Treaties and Department of Defense Compliance
Arms control treaties are international agreements that identify, verify, inspect, limit, control, reduce, or eliminate armed forces and armaments across the spectrum. These treaties…