Nonproliferation Prospects after the South Asian Nuclear Tests

by Wade Huntley The May 1998 nuclear tests by both India and Pakistan, accompanied by the expressed intentions of both countries to become fullfledged nuclear weapon states, present the prospect of a new nuclear arms race in South Asia. Perhaps even more ominous is the potential for these events to promote degradation of security relations and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction beyond the region. This viewpoint addresses the broader prospects for the future of nuclear nonproliferation arising from the new circumstances in South Asia.