Nuclear security

No-first-use: One step toward peace

To be sure, countries such as North Korea, Israel, and Pakistan have refused to join (or have withdrawn from) some of the most important treaties. But what if Washington, Beijing, and Moscow withdrew from their international nuclear commitments on the grounds that these few nations remain unbound by the NPT? Should Washington, Beijing, and Moscow wait for universality before they place any limits on their nuclear activities—and if they did, what would the consequences be? In reality, these powers have played major roles in pushing for nonproliferation and limits on nuclear arsenals. If they had merely taken a wait-and-see attitude, there would be no major nuclear agreements at all.

So why must Washington wait for other nuclear weapon states to declare no-first-use policies in order to do so itself? A no-first-use declaration by a superpower such as the United States would only increase US prestige and would set a good example for other nuclear weapon states. Arguing in favor of US nuclear ambiguity only means accepting a chicken-or-the-egg status quo.