Nuclear Weapons: Weapons Of Mass Destruction

Ever since the dawn of the nuclear age, mankind has been forced to dread the possibility that nuclear weapons of mass destruction might one day be available to individuals who are callous to its awesome and devastating power. With the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe and the improved relations among traditional nuclear powers, the world had been lulled into complacency regarding nuclear weapons until recent years. Although the struggle by the United States and other world powers to keep nuclear weapons from becoming a reality in unstable and hostile nations has been well documented, other nations surprisingly emerged with functioning nuclear arsenals.

In tests conducted in recent years, countries such as India and Pakistan have successfully detonated nuclear weapons. Several other nations are reportedly on the verge of achieving nuclear capability and some nations, such as Iraq, have nuclear programs whose progress remains a mystery. Through the use of the Internet as a forum of information exchange and education, awareness groups and government agencies have begun to track and publish the findings of research into the nuclear readiness of countries that have instituted atomic weapons programs.

As more nations gain the ability to deploy nuclear weapons, it appears the best defense against a potentially apocalyptic nuclear conflict is the continued sharing of information and ideas via the Web. The sheer permanence of the destructive force of these weapons and the by-products of their detonation must be stressed and made readily available to all those who seek to possess such arsenals.