Tuesday, May 6, 2003
Nukes should be confined with five superpowers: US
Press Trust of India Washington, May 6
Even though India and Pakistan have proven capabilities of manufacturing nuclear weapons, the United States holds the view that only the five powers -- US, Britain, France, Russia and China -- should possess them. The United States continues to support the goal of "universal NPT adherence," which means that no country other than the five Permanent Members of the Security Council should be allowed nuclear weapons, deputy assistant secretary of state Andrew Semmel told the second session of the preparatory committee for the 2005 Nuclear Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in Geneva.
India, Israel and Pakistan, have not joined the NPT.
"Israel supported the NPT at the United Nations in 1968 but due to regional security factors has declined to be a party," he said.
"Pakistan has said in the past that it would join the NPT if India did. India has rejected the NPT on grounds that it differentiates between nuclear weapon states and non-nuclear weapon states," Semmel said.
"India and Pakistan severely undercut nuclear nonproliferation objectives in 1998 by conducting nuclear weapon tests," he added.
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