Read the full text.)
Information Circular 153 (INFCIRC/153): An International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) document entitled "The Structure and Content
of Agreements Between the Agency and States Required in Connection with the
Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)."
Established by the IAEA in April 1970 after the NPT
entered into force. The document created the full scope safeguards
system whereby any non-nuclear weapon state party to the
NPT agrees to establish and maintain a system of accounting and control of
all nuclear material under its jurisdiction. Accordingly, non-nuclear weapon
states who are party to or who have signed but not ratified the NPT must conclude
a safeguards agreement with the IAEA.
Information Circular 540 (INFCIRC/540): A document
approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
in May 1997, called the "Model Protocol Additional to the Agreement(s) between
State(s) and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the Application of
Safeguards," which supplements the INFCIRC/153. The Model
Protocol grants IAEA inspectors additional physical access to sites of IAEA
member states where nuclear material is or could be present, expands the use
of unannounced inspections, and allows for collection of environmental samples.
The provisions in this protocol are also known as the "Program 93+2".
Intelligence: Information and data collected by
a government to learn about other states' capabilities and intentions.
Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM): Ballistic
missiles with ranges greater than 5,500 kilometers (3,400 miles).
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty:
This treaty between the United States and the former Soviet Union, signed
on December 8, 1987, entered into force on June 1, 1988. It aimed to eliminate
and ban all ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of
300-3,400 miles (500-5,500 kilometers). The treaty required the United States
and the Soviet Union to conduct inspections at each other's sites during the
elimination of treaty-limited items (TLI). By May 1991, all intermediate-range
and shorter-range missiles, launchers, related support equipment, and support
structures were eliminated.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): Founded
in 1957 and based in Vienna, Austria, the IAEA
is an autonomous international organization under the United Nations with
132 member states, as of August 2001. The IAEA is charged both with the control
of nuclear technology to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation and the development
of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Article III of the nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) requires non-nuclear weapon states party
to the NPT to accept safeguards administered by the IAEA.
International Science and Technology Center (ISTC):
Established in 1992 by the European Community (now the EU), Japan, the Russian
Federation, and the United States, the Moscow-based ISTC
serves as a clearinghouse for developing, approving, financing, and monitoring
projects aimed at engaging weapon scientists and engineers from the NIS in
peaceful civilian science and technology activities. Through their projects,
the ISTC contributes to ongoing efforts to stem the proliferation of weapons
of mass destruction. Their larger goals include reinforcing the NIS countries'
transition to a market-based economy responsive to civilian needs.
back to top
Kiloton: The energy of a nuclear explosion that
is equivalent to the explosion of 1,000 tons of trinitrotoluene (TNT) explosive.
Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO):
KEDO was established in
early 1995 to implement the 1994 Agreed Framework between
the DPRK and United States. Its primary responsibilities are finance and supply
of the light-water reactor (LWR) project, to provide heavy oil to the DPRK
to meet its interim heating and electricity-generation needs, and to provide
for the implementation of other measures required under the terms of the Agreed
Framework. Thirteen states are members: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile,
the Czech Republic, the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC), Finland,
Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, the Republic of Korea and the United
States.
back to top
Land-based missile systems: Missile systems located
on land in hardened bunkers and underground silos or on mobile launchers,
which are more vulnerable to first-strike attacks. The mobile land-based missile
systems are less vulnerable to first-strike because the positions of the missiles
can be changed.
Latin American Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone: See
Treaty of Tlatelolco below.
Layered BMD system: A ballistic
missile defense system that consists of several sets of defensive interceptors that operate against incoming
ballistic missiles at different phases in the missile's trajectory.
Thus, there could be a first layer (e.g., boost phase)
of defense with remaining targets passed on to succeeding layers (e.g., midcourse
and terminal). The Bush Administration uses
the terms "BMD" or "layered BMD" in lieu of
the "TMD" and "NMD"
phrases that were
preferred by the Clinton Administration.
Light-water reactor (LWR): A term used to describe
reactors using ordinary water as coolant, including boiling water reactors
(BWRs) and pressurized water reactors (PWRs), the most common types used in
the United States.
Limited Test Ban Treaty: Another name for the Partial
Test Ban Treaty.
Lisbon Protocol: The protocol was opened for
signature in 1992 by Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine, it made these
states parties to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty
as successors to the former U.S.SR. Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine also committed
themselves in that protocol to adhere to the nuclear Nonproliferation
Treaty (NPT) as non-nuclear weapon states.
Low enriched uranium (LEU): Uranium in which the
naturally occurring U235 isotope is increased, to less than 20 percent and
usually between two and four percent. LEU is used in nuclear fuel for reactors
using natural (light) water as a moderator and coolant.
back to top
Material protection, control, and accountability (MPC&A):
An integrated system of physical protection, material accounting, and material
control measures designed to deter, prevent, detect, and respond to unauthorized
possession, use, or sabotage of nuclear materials. The U.S. Department of Energy's
MPC&A program is implemented in cooperation with the Russian Atomic Energy
Ministry and other agencies to install and upgrade physical protection systems
at the nuclear energy and weapons production facilities in the successor states
of the former Soviet Union.
Megaton (MT): The energy equivalent released
by 1,000 kilotons (1,000,000 tons) of trinitrotoluene (TNT) explosive. Typically
used as the unit of measurement to express the amount of energy released by
a nuclear bomb.
Mid-phase (or midcourse phase): That part of
the ballistic missile's flight when the re-entry vehicle
and warhead travel freely through space outside the atmosphere. For an ICBM,
this stage lasts about 20 minutes.
Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR): An informal
arrangement established in April 1987 by an association of states concerned
about the proliferation of missile equipment and technology relevant to missiles
that are capable of carrying a payload over 500 kilograms over a 300-kilometer
range. Though originally intended to restrict the proliferation of nuclear-capable
missiles, the regime has been expanded to cover unmanned delivery systems
capable of carrying all types of WMD. As of January 2008, the membership included
34 states. Four others have agreed to comply with the MTCR Guidelines.
Multilateral: Negotiations, agreements or treaties
that effect or are between three or more parties, countries, etc.
Multiple independent reentry vehicles (MIRV): An
offensive ballistic missile system with multiple warheads, each of which can
strike a separate target and can be launched by a single booster rocket.
Mutual deterrence: Deterrence
between two adversaries.
back to top
National missile defense (NMD): A ground-based anti-ballistic
missile system designed to protect a country against ballistic
missile threats. The proposed U.S. system consists of four elements: ground-based
interceptors (GBI); a ground-based radar (GBR); a battle management command,
control, and communications (BM/C 3) system; and a constellation of Space
and Missile Tracking System (SMTS) satellites. The term was used by the Clinton
Administration to differentiate systems able to intercept long-range missiles
from systems able to intercept only short-range, or
"theater"-range missiles. The Bush Administration integrated TMD
and NMD
into a layered BMD system.
National technical means (NTMs): Satellites, aircraft,
and electronic and seismic monitoring devices used to survey the activities
of other states, including military movements and treaty compliance.
Negative security assurances: A pledge by a
nuclear weapon state that it will not use nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear
weapon state. Some states have policies that allow for the use of nuclear
weapons if attacked with other WMD by a non-nuclear weapon state.
New Agenda Coalition (NAC): In June 1998, the foreign
ministers from Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovenia, South
Africa, and Sweden issued a statement calling for a new nuclear disarmament
agenda. (Slovenia later withdrew from the NAC.) The NAC calls for the five
nuclear weapons states and the three nuclear-capable states
to make an unequivocal commitment to nuclear disarmament and to begin multilateral
negotiations that would lead to the elimination of nuclear weapons through
a Nuclear Weapons Convention.
Nodong: Name for a series of theater ballistic
missiles being developed by North Korea.
No First Use: A pledge on the part of a nuclear weapons
state not to be the first party to use nuclear weapons in a conflict or crises.
No-first-use guarantees may be made in unilateral statements, bilateral or
multilateral agreements, or as part of a treaty creating a nuclear-weapons-free
zone.
Non-nuclear weapon state (NNWS): Under the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty, states that had not detonated a nuclear device
prior to January 1, 1967 (that is, all states other than the United States,
Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China).
Non-party: A state or entity that is not participating
in an agreement, convention, or treaty.
Nonproliferation: Prevention of the spread of
weapons of mass destruction.
Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT): Signed in 1968, the
Treaty
on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) provides that signatory
nations without nuclear weapons will not seek to build them and will accept
safeguards to prevent diversion of nuclear material and technology from peaceful
uses to weapons program. States possessing nuclear weapons at the signing
of the NPT agreed not to help non-nuclear states gain access to nuclear weapons,
but to offer them access to peaceful nuclear technology. All states agree
to work towards the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons.
As of January 2008, there were 188 Parties
to the NPT. The NPT also provides for review conferences at five-year intervals.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): The
North Atlantic Treaty is a collective security agreement meant to deter Soviet
aggression. It was signed in Washington on April 4, 1949. The treaty created
an alliance of 10 European and two North American independent nations committed
to each other's defense. Today NATO
has 19 members. The member countries have committed to maintaining and developing
their defense capabilities, to consulting on issues of mutual security concern,
and to the principle of collective self-defense. NATO's members are Belgium,
Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, the
United Kingdom and the United States.
Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG): A group of states
that cooperate to ensure that nuclear exports are made only under appropriate
safeguards, physical protection, nonproliferation conditions, and other appropriate
constraints. It first met in 1975 in London. As of January 2008, the NSG had
45 members.
Nuclear umbrella: Also known as extended deterrence,
the term describes security derived through military protection from a nuclear
power. A country protected from potential enemies by the nuclear weapons of
an ally is said to be under a nuclear umbrella. By coming under a nuclear
umbrella, countries allied with a nuclear weapon state hope to deter nuclear
attack or threat from other countries.
Nuclear use doctrine: The fundamental principles
by which military forces or political leaders guide their decisions regarding
the use of nuclear weapons.
Nuclear weapon: A device that releases nuclear
energy in an explosive manner as the result of nuclear chain reactions involving
the fission or fusion or both, of atomic nuclei.
Nuclear weapon-capable states: Those states not
party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty but which
have the ability to build nuclear weapons (India, Israel, and Pakistan).
Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (NWFZ): A geographical
area in which nuclear weapons are not allowed to be built, possessed, transferred,
deployed, or tested.
Nuclear weapon states (NWS): As defined by Article
IX, paragraph 3 of the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the five states that
detonated a nuclear device prior to January 1, 1967 (China, France, the Soviet
Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States).
back to top
Offensive (research, weapon): Meant for use
in instigating an attack, as opposed to defending against an attack.
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
(OPCW): Based in the Hague, The Netherlands, the OPCW
is responsible for implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention
(CWC). All countries ratifying the CWC become states parties to the CWC
and make up the membership of the OPCW. It meets annually and in special sessions
when necessary.
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE): Created in 1975 as the Conference on Security and Cooperation
in Europe (CSCE) as part of the Helsinki negotiations between the United States
and the Soviet Union. The OSCE is composed of most NATO
and former Warsaw Pact nations, including the United
States, Canada, and Russia. Its purpose is to guarantee European security
and human rights. As of January 2008, 55 states were participating.
Outer Space Treaty: The "Treaty
on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and use
of Outer Space, Including the Moon and other Celestial Bodies" prohibits
the placement of WMD in orbit around the earth, on the moon or any other
celestial body, or otherwise in outer space. The treaty also stipulates that
the exploration and use of outer space be carried out for the benefit and in
the interest of all countries, and that the moon and other celestial bodies
are to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes. It was opened for
signature on January 27, 1967, and entered into force on October 10, 1967.
As of January 2008, there were 131 states parties.
back to top
P-5: The five permanent members of the United Nations
Security Council (which are also the five NWS under the
NPT): China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom,
and the United States.
Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT): Also known as the
Limited Test Ban Treaty (LTBT) or the Moscow Treaty, the
"Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and
Under Water" prohibits nuclear weapons tests "or any other nuclear explosion"
in the atmosphere, in outer space, and under water. While not banning tests
underground, the treaty does prohibit nuclear explosions in this environment
if they cause "radioactive debris to be present outside the territorial limits
of the State under whose jurisdiction or control" the explosions were conducted.
The treaty entered into force on October 10, 1963. The treaty is of unlimited
duration, and as of August 2001, there were 131 parties to the treaty.
Party: A person, group, or state, that agrees
to abide by the requirements of an agreement or a treaty.
Passive defenses: Passive defenses are measures
that reduce the impact of a WMD attack once it has occurred. Two well-known
examples of passive defenses are the use of protective clothing to reduce
the impact of chemical weapons and the use of inoculations to reduce the impact
of biological weapons.
Peaceful nuclear explosion (PNE): Nuclear explosions
carried out for non-military purposes, such as the construction of harbors
or canals. PNEs are technically indistinguishable from nuclear explosions
of a military nature. Although Article V of the NPT allows
for PNEs, no significant peaceful benefits have been discovered. In the Final
Document of the 2000 NPT Review Conference, the States party agreed that Article
V of the NPT is to be interpreted in light of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty,
which will ban all nuclear explosions, including PNEs, once it enters into
force.
Peaceful Nuclear Explosion Treaty (PNET): "The
Treaty Between the United States and the U.S.SR on Underground Nuclear Explosions
for Peaceful Purposes," was signed in May 1976. The treaty governs all nuclear
explosions conducted outside of nuclear test sites specifically named in the
Threshold Test Ban Treaty. The PNET entered into force
in December 1990. Many of its provisions were superseded by the Comprehensive
Test Ban Treaty, which bans all nuclear explosions.
Plutonium (Pu): A transuranic element produced when
uranium is irradiated in a reactor. It is used primarily in nuclear weapons
and, along with uranium, in mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel. Plutonium-239 is the most
suitable isotope for use in nuclear weapons.
Positive security assurances: Guarantees by nuclear
weapon states that they will assist any non-nuclear weapon state that
is the target of nuclear aggression or is threatened by such aggression.
Precursor chemical: A chemical
that can be chemically combined with another substance to form a chemical
warfare agent. Most precursors controlled through nonproliferation initiatives
also have commercial uses.
Preemptive strike: Attack launched to destroy
a country's weapons in order to eliminate the threat of those weapons being
used in an attack against an enemy. Orders to launch a preemptive strike would
be given after intelligence data has been received and analyzed. If the data
indicate that an adversary is preparing for a nuclear attack, a preemptive
strike could be undertaken to stop (or 'blunt') the nuclear attack.
Proliferation (of WMD): The spread of WMD. Horizontal
proliferation refers to the spread of WMD to states that have not previously
possessed them. Vertical proliferation refers to an increase in the amount
or devastating capacity of any currently existing WMD arsenals within a state.
Protocol: A negotiated document often meant
as a supplement to a treaty or agreement, stipulating specific action that
should be taken to fulfill the terms of the agreement or modifying the agreement.
back to top
Radiological weapons: Devices that release radiation
with the intent of inflicting severe injury or financial and psychological
costs. The radiological isotopes used to produce radiological dispersal devices
are found in waste from medical facilities, industrial plants, and nuclear
power plants.
Ratification: The implementation of the formal
process established by a country to legally bind its government to a treaty,
such as approval by parliament. In the United States, treaty ratifications
require approval by the president after he has received the advice and consent
of two-thirds of the Senate. The country then submits the required legal instrument
of ratification to the treaty's depositary governments.
Re-activation: The reversal of measures to deactivate
or de-alert missiles or the return of former military
facilities or equipment to military use. In the case of missile re-activation,
warheads are removed from storage facilities and redeployed on missiles in
response to a perceived threat escalation.
Reentry phase: That portion of the trajectory
of a ballistic missile or space vehicle when the vehicle
reenters the earth's atmosphere.
Regime: An institution in which rules or practices
(sometimes memorialized in a treaty or convention) are generally accepted
by a group of states to help them work together in an otherwise anarchic world.
"Rogue" states: Countries regarded as hostile
to the United States and its allies and suspected of developing or deploying
WMD. Though the U.S. State Department discourages use of this term, it is still
used by some U.S. officials in reference to North Korea and Iran. States of concern has replaced the term "rogue"
states.
back to top
Safeguards: Monitoring of nuclear material to ensure
it is not used for military purposes, as implemented by the International
Atomic Energy Agency (See full-scope safeguards).
Sanctions: Economic or military penalties or
measures enacted against a state in response to that state's violation of
international rules or "norms" or treaty obligations.
Sarin: A nerve agent used in chemical weapons.
Code named GB in the West (NATO), sarin is a highly toxic organophosphate
compound, similar to an insecticide, first developed by German scientists
in the 1930s. Like other agents in this category, it binds with the body's
enzymes and causes chemical imbalances within the body's nervous system. Most
binary chemical munitions have been built to deliver sarin on the battlefield.
Science and Technology Center Ukraine (STCU): Established
in 1993 by the European Union, the United States, Canada, and Ukraine, the
STCU supports research and development activities that engage weapons scientists
and engineers from Ukraine, Georgia, and Uzbekistan in peaceful civilian science
and technology activities.
Scud: Name for a series of short-range ballistic
missiles developed by the Soviet Union in the 1950s and transferred to many
other countries. Most theater ballistic missiles developed
and deployed in countries of concern are based on the Scud design.
Seabed Treaty: The "Treaty on the Prohibition
of the Emplacement of Nuclear Weapons and other Weapons Of Mass Destruction
on the Seabed and the Ocean Floor and in the Subsoil Thereof" prohibits the
placement of nuclear weapons or any other weapons of mass destruction on the
seabed, the ocean floor, and in the subsoil of the ocean floor beyond a signatory's
12-mile coastal zone. A conference to review the treaty is held every five
years. Opened for signature on February 11, 1971, it entered
into force on May 18, 1972. As of January 2008, there were 95 parties to
the treaty; in addition, 21 states have signed but not ratified
the treaty.
Shahab: Name for a series of theater ballistic
missiles under development in Iran. Also spelled Shehab.
Short-range missiles: Also referred to as theater
missiles. Short-range missiles have a range of less than 1,000 kilometers.
Signature: The signing of a treaty by a senior
representative of a country (such as the president or secretary of state)
which indicates that the country accepts the treaty and commits, until the
country completes its ratification process, not to take any actions that would
undermine its purposes, according to the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
Silo: Hardened underground facility for housing
and launching a ballistic missile and designed to provide pre-launch protection
against nuclear attack.
Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone: See
Treaty of Bangkok below.
South Pacific Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone: See Treaty
of Rarotonga below.
States of Concern: The term used to denote states
hostile to the United States and its allies and which are developing or possess
WMD. (See Rogue States).
Strategic Arms Limitations Talks (SALT I & II):
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks between the Soviet Union and the United States
were aimed at limiting missile systems and other strategic armaments. The
first round of talks (SALT I) was held from 1969-1972, and the second from
1972-1979. SALT I concluded on May 20, 1971, when the ABM Treaty
and the Interim Agreement limiting strategic offensive arms were signed. The
SALT II Treaty was signed on June 18, 1979, but was not ratified by either
country.
Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START I & II):
This term refers to the negotiations between the United States and the Soviet
Union/Russian Federation held from 1982 to 1993 to limit and reduce the numbers
of strategic offensive nuclear weapons in each country's nuclear arsenal.
The talks resulted in the 1991 START I Treaty, which entered into force in
December 1994, and the 1993 START II Treaty. Each treaty is officially named
the "Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms." START
I was originally negotiated between the United States and the Soviet Union,
and now applies to the United States, Russian Federation, Belarus, Kazakhstan
and Ukraine. Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine have all renounced their possession
of nuclear weapons under the 1992 Lisbon Protocol to
START I. START II, which calls for further reductions in the United States
and Russia has been ratified by the two countries, but
has not yet entered into force.
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI): The national
defense program launched by U.S. President Ronald Reagan in March 1983, to study
the feasibility of researching and developing defensive measures against ballistic
missiles. President Reagan called for "a long-term research and development
program to begin to achieve our ultimate goal of eliminating the threat posed
by strategic nuclear missiles" that is consistent with U.S. obligations under
the ABM Treaty.
Strategic nuclear warheads: Warheads placed on
long-range delivery systems, on land-based intercontinental
ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs),
and long-range bombers.
Sub-critical tests: Tests that are used to gather
information about nuclear warhead design and performance. Although sub-critical
tests use some fissile materials, the tests do not produce a nuclear explosion
or lead to any release of radioactivity.
Submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM): A
ballistic missile that is carried aboard and launched
from a submarine.
Supreme national interests: Essential requirements
that influence and guide a state in the creation of its foreign policy. Supreme
national interests include territorial integrity, self preservation, independence,
military security, and economic well-being.
back to top
Tactical nuclear weapons: Short-range nuclear
weapons, such as artillery shells, bombs, and short-range missiles, deployed
for use in battlefield operations.
Taepodong: Name for a series of theater ballistic
missiles under development in North Korea. The most advanced versions
of this series may have sufficient range to strike parts of Alaska and Hawaii.
Targeting: Use of computer code to determine
the location where a missile will strike. Computer code cannot be observed
by the adversary and, therefore, it is difficult to verify whether de-targeting
pledges have been implemented.
Terminal-phase: The final phase of a warhead's
trajectory when it re-enters the earth's atmosphere and strikes the target.
Theater high altitude air defense (THAAD): The
U.S. Army's air defense program designed to provide extended defense and to
engage an incoming missile at ranges of up to several hundred kilometers.
THAAD will deploy a hit-to-kill interceptor equipped with an infrared seeker.
Unlike fragmentation warheads that explode near an object in order to destroy
it, the THADD interceptor is designed to collide with the target ballistic
missile. The interception is intended to occur outside the earth's atmosphere,
or high in the atmosphere.
Theater missile: Short-range delivery system
(missile) with a range of 1,000 kilometers or less.
Theater missile defense (TMD): Missile interceptors
designed to destroy shorter-range ballistic missiles
aimed at deployed troops or overseas facilities. Because the ABM Treaty prohibited NMD,
but permitted defenses against shorter-range missiles, the Clinton
Administration sought to separate TMD and NMD. The Bush Administration,
anticipating that the United States would withdraw from the ABM Treaty,
eliminated the distinction between NMD and TMD and incorporated both programs into a
layered BMD system.
Thermonuclear weapon: A nuclear weapon in which
fusion of light nuclei, such as deuterium and tritium, contributes the main
explosive energy. The high temperatures required for such fusion reactions
are obtained by means of an initial fission explosion. It is also referred
to as a hydrogen bomb.
Thirteen Practical Steps: The Thirteen
Practical Steps toward nuclear disarmament were adopted as part of the
Final Document at the 2000 NPT Review Conference. The steps
outline ways in which Article VI, the nuclear disarmament provision of the
NPT, can be implemented. Most noteworthy was the "unequivocal undertaking"
given by the nuclear-weapon states (NWS) to accomplish
the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals leading to nuclear disarmament.
Furthermore, the NWS agreed to steps leading to nuclear disarmament in a way
that promotes international stability.
Threshold Test Ban Treaty (TTBT): Officially called
the "Treaty on the Limitation of Underground Nuclear Weapon Tests." This treaty
between the United States and the former Soviet Union prohibits underground
nuclear weapon tests having a yield exceeding 150 kilotons. The treaty was
signed on July 3, 1974, and entered into force on December
11, 1990.
Toxin: A poison formed as a specific secretion
product in the metabolism of a vegetable or animal organism as distinguished
from inorganic poisons. Such poisons can also be manufactured by synthetic
processes.
Transparency measures: The exchange of information,
access to facilities, and cooperative arrangements states undertake to provide
ready observation and verification of treaty or defense obligations, as well
as other activities.
Treaty of Bangkok (Treaty on the Southeast Asian
Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone): The treaty prohibits the development, manufacture,
acquisition, or testing of nuclear weapons anywhere within the region of the
parties. It also prohibits the transport of nuclear weapons through the region.
Signatories also undertake to enact International Atomic Energy
Agency safeguards and to refrain from dumping at sea,
discharging into the atmosphere, or burying on land any radioactive material
or waste. Opened for signature on December 15, 1995, the treaty entered into
force on March 27, 1997. As of August 2001, there were nine parties and one
state that has signed but not yet ratified the treaty.
This treaty has no protocols for nuclear weapon states.
Treaty of Moscow
(Strategic Offensive Reductions
Treaty): Russian President Vladimir
V. Putin and U.S. President George W. Bush signed this treaty on May 24, 2002.
The approximately 475-word treaty states that both the United States and
Russia will reduce their numbers of deployed nuclear warheads to between
1700-2200 within the next ten years. It establishes a Bilateral Implementation
Commission, scheduled to meet at least twice a year, which will establish
procedures to verify and assist reductions. The treaty will remain in force
until December 31, 2012, at which time the parties have the option of
extending or terminating the agreement. Either party can withdraw from the
treaty upon giving three months written notice to the other. The document does
not require the destruction of strategic delivery systems, specify what is to
be done with the warheads once they have been removed from launchers, or
constrain the development of ballistic missile defenses.
Treaty of Pelindaba (Treaty on the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free
Zone): The African nuclear-weapon-free zone treaty was opened for signature
in Cairo on April 11, 1996. This treaty prohibits the research, development,
manufacturing, stockpiling, acquisition, testing, possession, control, and
stationing of nuclear explosive devices in the members' territory. The treaty
also prohibits the deposit of radioactive waste originating from outside the
continent within the region. Under the treaty, signatories are required to
put all their nuclear programs under International Atomic
Energy Agency safeguards. The treaty also provides
for the establishment of the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE),
which will supervise treaty implementation and ensure compliance. As of August
2001, there were 15 parties to the treaty; in addition, 37 states have signed
but not ratified the treaty. All five nuclear
weapon states have signed the relevant protocols
to the treaty.
Treaty of Rarotonga (Treaty on the South Pacific Nuclear-Weapon-Free
Zone): This treaty prohibits the testing, manufacturing, acquiring, and
stationing of nuclear explosive devices in any member's territory. The treaty
prohibits dumping radioactive wastes into the sea. In addition, the treaty
requires all parties to apply International Atomic Energy
Agency safeguards to all their peaceful nuclear activities.
It was opened for signature on August 6, 1985, and entered into force on December
11, 1986. As of August 2001, there were 12 parties to the treaty. The treaty
has three Protocols that refer to provisions of territories
within the zone that belong to the United States, France, the United Kingdom,
Russia, and China. All five nuclear weapon states have signed the protocols.
Treaty of Tlatelolco (Treaty for the Prohibition
of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean): This treaty created
a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Treaty
of Tlatelolco was the first international agreement that aimed at excluding
nuclear weapons from an inhabited region of the globe. The member states
accept the application of International Atomic Energy Agency
safeguards for all their nuclear activities to assist
in verifying compliance with the treaty. The treaty also establishes a regional
organization, the Agency for
the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (OPANAL), to help
ensure compliance with its provisions. The treaty was opened for signature
on February 14, 1967. The treaty will enter into force when all states of
the region have signed and ratified. To date, of the 33 states of the
region, only Cuba has not yet ratified, although in
September 2002, it announced plans to ratify the treaty. China, France, Russian Federation, the United
Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands and Spain have signed the relevant
protocols to the treaty.
Triad: The strategic force structure, whereby
nuclear weapons are deployed on intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs),
submarines (SLBMs), and aircraft, such as heavy bombers.
Trilateral Statement on the Non-Proliferation of
Weapons of Mass Destruction and the Means of Their Delivery: Signed by
U.S. President Bill Clinton, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, and Ukrainian
President Leonid Kravchuk in January 1994, the Trilateral Statement commits
Ukraine to rid itself of nuclear weapons and to transfer 200 SS-19 and SS-24
warheads to Russia over a ten-month period. The Trilateral Statement also
specifies that Ukraine is to deactivate its SS-24s within
the same ten-month period. The United States and Russia Agree to guarantee
Ukraine's borders and grant Ukraine security guarantees as long as Ukraine
joins the NPT as a non-nuclear weapons
state.
back to top
Unauthorized launch: The accidental or unintended
launch of nuclear missiles because of faulty intelligence, systematic or mechanical
failures, or mistaken action of military personnel.
United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission
(UNMOVIC): Successor to UNSCOM established by UN
Security Council Resolution 1284 (1999). The Commission is mandated to establish
a reinforced, ongoing monitoring and verification system to check Iraq's compliance
with its obligations not to reacquire WMD. Resolution 1284 provides for a
temporary lifting of sanctions against Iraq once it verifies that Iraq has
cooperated with the Commission for a period of 120 days.
United Nations Security Council: Under the United
Nations Charter, the Security Council has primary responsibility for maintaining
international peace and security. The Council consists of fifteen members,
five of which are permanent - China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and United
States. The other ten members are elected by the General Assembly for two-year
terms. The five permanent members have veto power.
United Nations Special Commission on Iraq (UNSCOM):
An inspection and weapons destruction program established pursuant to paragraph
9(b)(I) of UN Security Council Resolution 687 (1991) following the Gulf
War. Section C of this resolution called for the elimination, under international
supervision, of Iraq's WMD and ballistic missiles with a range greater than
150 kilometers, together with related items and production facilities. It
also called for measures to ensure that Iraq did not resume the acquisition
and production of prohibited items. UNSCOM was set up to implement the non-nuclear
provisions of the resolution and to assist the International
Atomic Energy Agency in the nuclear areas.
back to top
Verification: The process of using mechanisms
such as satellites, seismic monitoring, or on-site inspections, to collect
data that demonstrates a party's compliance with an agreement or treaty.
Vertical proliferation: An increase in the size, quality, or destructive
capacity of an existing weapon of mass destruction arsenal.
back to top
Warsaw Pact: Created in 1955 by the Soviet Union
and its six Central European satellites, this military and political security
alliance was the counterpart of NATO. It was formally
dissolved on April 1, 1991.
Wassenaar Arrangement: Representatives of 33 states
met in Vienna, Austria, in July 1996, and established this arrangement to contribute
to regional and international security by promoting transparency and greater
responsibility with regard to transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods
and technologies. Members also seek through national policies to ensure that
transfers of these items do not contribute to the development or enhancement
of military capabilities that undermine these goals, and are not diverted to
support such capabilities. This organization is the successor to COCOM.
Weapons-grade: Refers to nuclear material that
is most suitable for the manufacture of nuclear weapons- e.g., uranium (U)
enriched to 93 percent U-235 or plutonium (Pu) that is over 90 percent Pu-239.
Crude weapons can be fabricated from lower-grade material.
Weapons of mass destruction (WMD): Nuclear,
biological or chemical weapons.
Weapons-usable material: Nuclear material in
a form that can be readily fabricated into nuclear weapons, without need for
processes that alter the isotopic content. These materials are not as desirable
as weapons-grade material, such as highly
enriched uranium (HEU) or plutonium-239.
back to top
Yield: The amount of energy released by a nuclear
explosion, generally measured in equivalent tons of trinitrotoluene (TNT).
A kiloton is equivalent to 1,000 tons of TNT; a megaton is equivalent to one
million tons of TNT.
back to top
Zangger Committee: A group of 35 nuclear exporting
states established in 1971 under the chairmanship of Claude Zangger of Switzerland.
The purpose of the committee is to maintain a "trigger list" of (l) source
or special fissionable materials, and (2) equipment or materials especially
designed or prepared for the processing, use, or production of special fissionable
materials. Additionally, the committee has identified certain dual-use
technologies as requiring safeguarding when they are supplied to non-nuclear
weapon states to be used for nuclear purposes. These include explosives, centrifuge
components, and special materials. The Zangger Committee is an informal
arrangement and its decisions are not legally binding upon its members.
back to top
