Window of opportunity

The Stockholm Conference, a new Secretary-General, and a generally relaxed level of tensions make this a good time for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to reevaluate and reform its nuclear policy. One step would be to determine which measures NATO could undertake on a unilateral basis and which require negotiation with the Soviet Union and a process of verification. A first step could be the unilateral withdrawal of short-range nuclear battlefield systems. Other steps could be to abandon dual-capable delivery systems, leaving a clear differentiation between systems which deliver nuclear and conventional weapons, and to adopt a no-first-use policy. Before taking these risks, however, NATO must develop greater internal self-confidence