Nonproliferation Issues For Weapons of Mass Destruction

Offers an understanding of proliferation risks. This book introduces the factors that fuel weapons development, and defines the term WMD. It explains the characteristics of nuclear weapons, and reviews biological agents, their production and uses as weapons. It characterizes chemical weapons and their use by states and terrorist groups.
Nonproliferation Issues for Weapons of Mass Destruction provides an understanding of WMD proliferation risks by bridging complex technical and political issues. The text begins by defining the world conditions that foster proliferation, followed by an analysis of characteristics of various classes of WMDs, including nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. It then explores the effectiveness of arms control, discussing current nonproliferation problems, nonproliferation prior to the fall of the USSR, and weapons safeguards.

The book analyzes the future of these weapons, discussing delivery systems and potential use by states, terrorist groups, and individuals. The text concludes with a discussion of what can be done to limit the impact of WMDs. This volume enables a realistic understanding of the relative risks that WMDs present to our way of life.