Glance at Nuclear Weapons Countries
Posted on: Tuesday, 11 April 2006, 21:00 CDT
By The Associated Press
The announcement by Iran's hard-line president that the country "has joined the club of nuclear countries" is likely to increase tensions among those in what is traditionally thought of as the "nuclear club" - nuclear weapons states.
Iran maintains that its nuclear program is designed solely to produce nuclear energy for electricity and that it is within its rights and the regulations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Under the treaty, nations without nuclear weapons pledge not to pursue them in exchange for a commitment by five nuclear-weapons states - the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China - to negotiate nuclear disarmament. The treaty guarantees countries that renounce nuclear weapons access to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
North Korea withdrew from the treaty in 2003. Three countries have refused to join - India and Pakistan, which conducted rival nuclear tests in 1998, and Israel, which is widely believed to possess weapons.
The Bush administration is seeking to share nuclear technology with India. The plan - which angered Iran because it views the deal as a reward for producing nuclear weapons outside the NPT - has not been approved by Congress.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, a total of 31 countries have nuclear power plants either in operation or under construction.
Source: Associated Press/AP Online
Related Articles
- U.S. Proposes New Nuclear Weapons Treaty
- Bush to Iran: Abandon nuclear weapons aim
- Bush to Iran: Abandon nuclear weapon aims
- Russian Official Says Iran Has No Nuclear Weapons Technology
- Iranian Radio Says US, Israel Oppose Nuclear-Weapons-Free Middle East
- Minister Says Nuclear Weapons "Play No Part" in Iran's Defence Policy
- China's Stand on Nuclear Weapons Unchanged: Official
- Putin: Iran Has No Nuclear Weapons Plans
- Bush Warns Iran Against Nuclear Weapons
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds