Nuclear Weapons

Since 1945, when the first nuclear bomb was exploded by the Manhattan Project team in the US, nuclear weapons have proliferated across the globe.There are enough nuclear weapons in the world to destroy all civilization as we know it. They are perhaps the most powerful forces that man has ever wielded. When first developed, nuclear weapons were completely strategic weapons. That is, they were not designed to destroy enemy weaponry; they were designed to destroy entire cities. Many countries want nuclear weapons.The reason that nuclear-armed countries have power over non-nuclear countries is that there are fewer risks involved in attacking non-nuclear states versus attacking nuclear-armed states. If every state had nuclear capability, countries would be unwilling to attack one another out of fear of "mutual assured destruction" (MAD). President Obama said, "It is clear to all concerned that when it comes to nuclear weapons, we have reached a decisive point. This is... about preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East that could lead this region and the world down a hugely dangerous path."Well, I have a lot of respect and appreciation for the President, but I have to say his statement is not enough. We don't need a warning about how grave the danger is. We need action. Right now, most countries in the Middle East support a nuclear weapons-free zone. In fact, they see agreement on this zone as a requirement for the indefinite extension of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.