President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin have done what reasonable people can do about nuclear weapons. They have eased the threat slightly.
In today’s world, however, the two major nuclear powers’ efforts are just a small part of what is needed. In South Asia, the face-off between India and Pakistan threatens a nuclear war.
With diplomatic efforts under way, it is easy to hope that the tensions between India and Pakistan will ease quickly. But the reality remains unnerving at the moment.
American military officials are looking at plans for the possibility of evacuating U.S. and allied nationals from both countries, according to MSNBC. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute called the standoff over the disputed area of Kashmir "the worst nuclear threat since the 1961 Cuba crisis."
Reasonable leaders in India and Pakistan should pull back from the brink rather than edging ever closer. It may take international help, like that now being offered by Britain, to allow good sense to prevail. Any settlement will likely be limited in nature, preventing further escalation but not eliminating the threat of conflict. Neither India nor Pakistan is going to agree to any overall nuclear disarmament in the near future.
For the United States and Russia, last week’s decision to reduce strategic arsenals by two-thirds came after decades of arms-control efforts. The agreement still would leave up to 2,200 nuclear missiles in the hands of both countries. As critics have complained, the pact doesn’t even address the smaller tactical nuclear weapons meant for battlefield deployment. If not guarded carefully, those devices could fall into terrorists’ possession. Still, the Treaty of Moscow agreement between Bush and Putin is an important step toward sanity.
It is only 15 years since President Ronald Reagan achieved a critical agreement with the former Soviet Union to ban an entire class of nuclear weaponry, intermediate range missiles. That set the stage for steps toward actual reductions begun in the first Bush administration. The vision of a nuclear-free world — offered by both Reagan and some of his sharpest critics — continues to deserve a place in the hearts of people everywhere.
Leaders of any nation can only operate from the confines of their current realities, however. They can make changes, but they usually cannot reverse long-term trends with one grand gesture. Together, Bush and Putin have taken a step toward more responsible nuclear policies. It’s an example of what is needed in South Asia today and in other parts of the world tomorrow.
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