The principal purpose of the NPT was to limit membership of the nuclear club. Several countries had already acquired nuclear devices, so nothing much could be done about that. The cat was out of the bag. If the USA had had its way, it would have been the ONLY country with nukes, and since it showed a willingness to use them, no doubt it would be using at least the threat of them to determine world policy today. We are spared the worst of Big Bully because several other countries got them too, and the centre of power was dispersed. On the down side we were (and are) left with the threat of nuclear annihilation ever since if triggerr fingers get itchy.

Israel didn't sign up to the NPT so it could developp its own weapons. It didn't need the NPT to get aid as it was (and is) already being bankrolled by the US to the tune of several billion dollars a year. Plus a number of US physicists used 'right of return' to head off to Israel and bring their tech know-how with them. Britian the USA and the rest signed the NPT to stop the spread of a coveted technology, but had no intention of scrapping their own weapons (except old redundant ones).

So the NPT is a load of old cobblers, in short. Mulitalteral nuclear disarmament is the only way to guarantee our future, but who's going to make the first move? No-one wants to be first and warmongerers like Bush etc., are simply upping the stakes with their aggression. Iran sees what happens when North Korea is presumed to have nukes - it's treated just like any other gentleman member of the club. As I've said before, the best nuclear 'deterrent' is to cut back on some of the fear-mongering and posturing and start practising what is preached.

L.H is spot on to say the NPT is a load of legalese being used as a stick to beat Iran. The invasion of Iraq was,n't sanctioned by the UN, but America and Britain just went ahead and did it anyway and to hell with legal niceities. 'Legality' is a term they use to browbeat the 'other guy' into doing what they want, an excuse to attack him when he doesn't, and something that doesn't apply to oneself, unless it produces the result you want.

Iran will probably be invaded anyway, nukes or no, because a cabal of US and other 'western' politicians have decided it's time to re-draw (yet again) the map of the Middle East to suit their current needs. The unfortunate indians - I mean, citizens, who happen to be in the way of their latest project will probably put up some kind of a fight and be flattened, just like the Iraqis, God help them. Meanwhile, lost in all the talk about 'spreading democracy' (makes democracy sound like some kind of virus, doesn't it?) and 'making the world a safer place' is Robert Mugabe, beating and shooting opposition parties and running is country into the ground. But, the 19th century has passed, and the West has already looted Africa for whatever was worthwhile, and so you won't see any marines turning up in Zimbabwe to save the beleagured people from an oppressive dictator.


B.Finn: "Which is what the US should do with Bush, Rummey, Rice, the Wolf, Cheney & others! Arrest them before they start of WWIII"

Well said. Well said!