The Proliferation Security Initiative: As an International Anti-Proliferaton Force
Nuclear Proliferation is one of the greatest challenges to international security. The Bush administration in 2003 launched the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), a US-led international anti-proliferation coalition formed to control the spread of nuclear weapons through interdiction. This study examines the creation of the Proliferation Security Initiative as an international antiproliferation force. It attempts to ascertain if the PSI as an international antiproliferation coalition will prove to be an effective means for managing the spread of nuclear weapons. This thesis discusses the background of the PSI, highlighting the steps taken in establishing such an international antiproliferation effort and giving it the kind of power it requires to function properly and achieve the desired result. It reviews the benefits and successes of the initiative since its creation, identifying the challenges facing the PSI while offering recommendations to overcome these challenges. A close examination of the PSI reveals that it is a positive move in the battle against weapons of mass destruction. The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 is useful in providing the legal backing the initiative needs to be effective. The PSI has recorded success in conducting actual interdictions as well as deterring the delivery of nuclear materials by sea. However it faces many legal and operational challenges which can hinder the ability of the initiative to achieve its ultimate goals. If these challenges are met with adequate improvements, the PSI will be very efficient in dealing with the threat posed by WMD. This project is a part of a growing body of research on anti proliferation measures and is intended to contribute positively to previously unsuccessful attempts in dealing with the menace of nuclear proliferation. Document Type Thesis Degree Name M.S. in International Studies Department International Studies First Supervisor David McGregor Second Supervisor Zachary Shirkey Third Supervisor David Baronov This thesis is available at Fisher Digital Publications: http://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/intlstudies_masters/3 St. John Fisher College The Proliferation Security Initiative: As an International AntiProliferation Force A Master’s Thesis Submitted to The Faculty of the Master of Science in International
The spread of nuclear weapons : a debate renewed : with new sections on India and Pakistan, terrorism, and missile defense
In this text, two leading scholars of international politics debate the pros and cons of nuclear weaponry. This text serves as a concise introduction to an issue that encapsulates some of the most basic themes in international relations: are states rational? Are states sovereign? Does international organization work? New to this second edition is a case study of the precarious relations between India and Pakistan, exploring specific problems and consequences of nuclear competition.
Analysis: The Agenda 2007 Proposals: Evolution or Revolution?
On 10 February 2004 the Commission published its proposal for the financial perspective 2007-2013. A week later it adopted the third report on economic and social cohesion. These two documents form the basis of the so-called ‘Agenda 2007 reforms’. They will be the greatest challenge for the enlarged EU after the intergovernmental conference, since they will determine the financial basis for EU policy-making until the middle of the next decade. The Agenda 2007 proposals certainly hint at courageous reforms, because they place a previously unheard-of emphasis on performance and quality. Under the proposals, structural operations should generate value for money, and the funds should focus on projects which generate added value at a European level. Overall the Commission’s proposals point in the right direction, because they balance, on the one hand, solidarity for the new Member States and weak regions in the old Member States with, on the other hand, investments in future tasks. Moreover, they constitute a paradigm shift. For the first time, the Common Agricultural Policy will not be the dominant expenditure category. Now it is up to the Member States to examine the proposals politically and find a compromise between sometimes very divergent interests. It is to be hoped that, during the debate over expenditure limits and division of funds, national interests do not outweigh European interests.