Putting the Genie Back into the Bottle: U.S. Controls Over Sensitive Nuclear Technology

The linkage between the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and weapons development is a complex one; therefore, this article presents both sensitive nuclear technology and the nature of nuclear proliferation in some detail before proceeding to a critique of the current American policy. Accordingly, Part II describes causes of proliferation, uranium enrichment and fuel reprocessing technology, and nuclear proliferation pathways. Part III examines the international safeguards regime, including the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Nuclear Suppliers’ Guidelines. Part IV summarizes the statutory basis for the current U.S. policy, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978, while Part V evaluates this policy with respect to sensitive nuclear technology. Finally, Part VI suggests a number of alternative approaches to reduce the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation.