Weapons of Mass Destruction: Assessing U.S. Policy Tools for Combating Proliferation

摘要

This report discusses the efforts of the United States and the international community to stem the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their related technologies. The attacks of September 11, 2001, and recent anthrax exposures have heightened long-standing concerns about the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The United States and the international community have initiated a number of successive efforts over the years to secure these weapons and prevent their spread. There is renewed need to maintain strong international controls over such weapons and related technologies, as well as the need to reevaluate the effectiveness of the controls. Descriptions and observations are given based on work conducted over the past several years on each of the mechanisms the United States has historically used to reduce proliferation risks.