The Foreign Service Journal, February 2013

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | FEBRUARY 2013 35 nonproliferation treaty. Currently, American diplomacy must work with one hand tied behind its back, because the U.S. Sen- ate has not yet given its advice and consent to the ratification of the test ban treaty that still lies before it. The test ban treaty is an absolutely essential element in a network of barriers against proliferation. It is not a panacea in itself, but it is critical to the success of the whole project. The treaty would prevent advanced nuclear weapon states from making significant improvements in their weapons stockpiles, and it would prevent non-nuclear weapon states from develop- ing more sophisticated weapons useful for war-fighting. Some opponents of a comprehensive test ban argue that whether the United States tests or develops new weapons has no effect on what the other nations do. But expectations about the future are what motivate all governments. And explosive testing is perhaps the most visible of all nuclear weapons activi- ties. A nuclear explosion amounts to an announcement that nuclear weapons are here to stay. That is what testing tells the world. Making Dreams a Reality The United States has not conducted a nuclear test since 1992. The other four recognized nuclear weapons states—Brit- ain, France, Russia and China—have also recognized moratori- ums on testing. So why not just continue this informal arrange- ment? Well, the past several years have shown us how moratoriums work—and how they don’t. One lesson is that instabilities are inherent. Since there are no agreed standards, there are bound to be doubts about whether there is a level playing field among the countries. Nor is there agreement on how to remove doubts about other nations’ actions: no on-site inspections, no trans- parency at test sites. This is why we need a formal treaty that is verifiable and enforceable. Without U.S. leadership on a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty, a world free of nuclear weapons will not be perceived as realistic, and efforts to strengthen the nonproliferation system will falter. The United States has much to gain by outlawing nuclear tests, and the Senate should approve the Test Ban Treaty as soon as possible. Such an achievement would constitute a most fitting legacy, not only for Adlai Stevenson, but for Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan—and so many other leaders and diplomats who have worked to ensure that the world never faces another Cuban Missile Crisis. n