An equal-opportunity NPT

The international community must decide how to fit the three de facto nuclear states--Israel, India, and Pakistan, whose perceived need for a nuclear deterrent could be greater than that of the Western powers--into the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty's framework when it comes up for extension in 1995. This article describes a way of developing a universal non-discriminatory nuclear restraint regime without altering the present NPT. In essence, a supplementary treaty could be adopted that would bring all nuclear installations (in both nuclear-weapon and non-weapon states) under a universal verification regime similar to that of the chemical weapons treaty. The treaty could prohibit all future manufacture of nuclear weapons, impose a comprehensive test ban, and institute an intrusive, non-discriminatory verification regime on all countries. The United Nations would be assigned mandatory retaliatory measures in case of a breach