Case Studies: Introduction

A comprehensive approach toward curbing WMD proliferation would first include strategies for preventing the use of existing WMD possessed by various countries. It would also include strategies for freezing and reducing existing WMD arsenals and for slowing the spread, or proliferation, of WMD to additional countries and terrorist organizations. In dealing with some existing WMD capabilities, moreover, a comprehensive approach must address not only the risk of deliberate use of WMD, but also the risk of accidental or unauthorized use of these weapons.

WMD 411 explores ways of curbing WMD proliferation through the following case studies:

• U.S.-Soviet/Russian agreements to reduce their nuclear arsenals under START and SORT;
• an examination of the issues involved in the formulation and implementation of two U.S. Nuclear Posture Reviews;
• the pros and cons of U.S. Ballistic Missile Defenses;
• an overview of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the U.S. failure to ratify the treaty;
• a discussion of efforts to add verification and enforcement provisions to the Biological Weapons Convention;
• a description of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 and efforts to prevent WMD proliferation to non-state actors; and
• a review of the key provisions and implementation challenges of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Each case study discusses types of policies and approaches that the international community has used or could employ in dealing with the threat posed by WMD proliferation.