:

NUCLEAR, BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS

December 25, 2010: The IAEA (the UN International Atomic Energy Agency) has long been criticized as ineffective in halting the development of nuclear weapons. The IAEA is supposed to inspect nuclear energy programs it is assisting, to insure that these operations do not turn into weapons development programs. But this is not what happened in Pakistan, Iran and North Korea, where IAEA assistance helped the development of uranium mining and the refining of the uranium into nuclear fuel. However, it is a small step from enriching uranium for fuel, to making weapons grade stuff. IAEA technical assistance was also found to be key in other areas of nuclear weapons development.

When providing all this technical assistance, equipment and cash, the IAEA operated on the honor system. The country being helped promised to not built weapons. Some countries lied. Many nations did not lie, but those who did, and exploited the IAEA help, are the ones that get all the headlines, and may ultimately do the most damage.