(RIAC) Commemorating the 70-year tragic anniversary of the A-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it seems appropriate to once again ponder over the role of nuclear weapons in the world, as well as over their impact on security of separate countries and the entire world. The countless human losses and unbearable sufferings inflicted by the August 1945 attack unveiled the dangers of possessing nuclear weapons, while future developments seemed convincing enough to heighten the awareness of the menace as their destructive force and long-tem consequences were becoming increasingly visible.
First, the risks of maintaining substantial nuclear arsenals – plus the fissile materials for weapons manufacturing – are increasing because terrorist groups are craving to get hold of the WMD.
Second, top readiness of the nuclear arsenals hoists the cost of a technical failure or a human error. There have been several such cases, for example an unintentional discharge of a nuclear warhead from a bomber during exercises or erroneous installation of nuclear missiles on an aircraft that later flew several thousand kilometers above the U.S. territory. We also know about the properly documented failure of the Soviet missile attack warning system on September 26, 1983. […]
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