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The United States Rejected A Total Ban On The Nuclear Test-ban Treaty "

Posted on:2004-05-13Degree:DoctorType:Dissertation
Country:ChinaCandidate:Y L YuFull Text:PDF
GTID:1116360095962691Subject:International relations
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
The conception of Nuclear Test Ban was first proposed by the two nuclear superpowers during the Cold War for preventing radioactive fallout, controlling the development of weapons of mass destruction, as well as contending for military superiority. It is regarded as the most difficult issue of arms control in the long history of disarmament. In the course of negotiation for a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty., some important treaties, such as Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT), Threshold Test Ban Treaty (TTBT), and US-USSR Peaceful Nuclear Explosions Treaty (PNET), were proposed and signed. Since the end of the Cold War, the negotiation for the CTBT had been revitalized by the concerns for environment protection and nuclear proliferation. After a two-year negotiation, this milestone treaty was finally established on September 24, 1996.The United States had supported the CTBT all along and played a leading role in its negotiation. President Clinton was the first signatory of the CTBT in a UN ceremony. But when he submitted the treaty to the Senate for suggestions and ratification, the Senate voted it down. This has been the first time for the US Congress to reject a major international treaty since "the Treaty of Versailles" some 80 years ago. This unexpected move of the US Congress shocked the international community.The author of this dissertation argues that the chief reason for the US Senate to reject the treaty is because of the conservatism in US politics. The conservative strategists and their congressional allies oppose arms control and disarmament, regarding them as detrimental to national security. They strongly believe that the nuclear test is necessary for the reliability and safety of nuclear weapons, and it is also their view that treaty's verification system is unacceptable since it may allow some countries to conduce secret test to develop and update their nuclear arsenal. As long as nuclear deterrent remains to be an important security consideration or military option, the US shouldn't bind itself up by approving the CTBT.Partisan politics also played an important role in rejecting the treaty. Quite a few Republican Senators didn't like Clinton and his Administration, and they wanted to make things look bad for Clinton and the Democrats who supported the treaty to increase the chances for the Republican Party in the national election of 2000. The Clinton Administration, on the other hand, didn't work hard enough to convince those doubtful Republican Senators of the values of the treaty, and overcome theirreasonable suspicions regarding the defects of the treaty, by conducting a poorly organized campaign for a landmark treaty which definitely requires greater efforts.The rejection of the treaty by the US Senate has interrupted the process of worldwide arms control, and handed a heavy blow to the spirit of international cooperation and even world security. Now the CTBT faces an uncertain future.
Keywords/Search Tags:The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Conservatism, US Congress
PDF Full Text Request
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