"It would be a mistake of radioactive proportions to resume nuclear testing. None of the three major nuclear powers-the United States, Russia, and China-has conducted a nuclear test since 1996, when the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty was approved. The CTBT bans all nuclear tests worldwide and has been signed by 187 nations. The only country that has conducted nuclear tests this century is North Korea, which is universally regarded as a rogue state-not exactly the kind of company we should be keeping."
"By resuming nuclear testing, the United States would give a major gift to its chief nuclear rivals. China, which has been expanding its nuclear test sites, would welcome the opportunity to conduct tests to develop more sophisticated weapons. Russia would too; President Vladimir Putin announced in November that his country would return to nuclear testing if Washington does. Instead of deterring foreign nations, renewed testing would be like setting off,"
Resuming nuclear testing would violate the global norm established by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which has not seen tests by the United States, Russia, or China since 1996 and has been signed by 187 nations. North Korea remains the only country to test this century. Renewed US testing would encourage China and Russia to conduct their own tests and could provoke wider international proliferation. The United States has conducted over 1,000 tests and spends $25 billion annually to maintain warheads through the Stockpile Stewardship Program, using nonexplosive tools like supercomputers, advanced X-ray systems, and large-scale lasers. Trump's advisers assert current weapons reliability.
Read at The Nation
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