No First Use
by David Krieger and Carah Ong, April 2002

In March 2002, major US media reported that the new and still classified US Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) indicated contingency plans for using nuclear weapons against seven states: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, North Korea, Russia and China. This indication of US planning to use nuclear weapons is contrary to international law as well as to long-standing US assurances not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapons states. It also constitutes a disturbing threat to the named states and others as well as to international peace and security overall.

The provocative US approach to planning nuclear weapons use will affect the approach taken to non-proliferation by all countries, promoting nuclear proliferation and further eroding the non-proliferation regime. US policy toward nuclear weapons use, combined with its plans to develop and deploy missile defenses, will encourage the expansion of nuclear weapons programs by Russia and China as well as the development of nuclear weapons by other countries. This could also lead to destructive new nuclear arms races.

The fact that the US is developing contingency plans to use nuclear weapons is viewed by most of the world as a dangerous expression of bad faith. In the past, nuclear weapons have been viewed as a deterrent against the use of nuclear weapons by other states. The US Nuclear Posture Review reveals that nuclear weapons are apparently being integrated into a full spectrum of war fighting capabilities. US policy makes nuclear weapons no longer weapons of last resort, but rather instruments that may be used in fighting wars, even against non-nuclear weapons states. Following the US lead, the UK also announced that it is prepared to use nuclear weapons against any state that may attack it with a weapon of mass destruction.

Among the nuclear weapons states, China has had the best policy on first use of nuclear weapons. Since 1964 China has unconditionally pledged that it will never be the first to use nuclear weapons at any time under any circumstance. China has also pledged unconditionally not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapons states. One hopes that China will continue to adhere to these policies. However, US policy, including its plans to deploy missile defenses, raises the possibility that China will abandon these constructive policies.

The 1995 Nobel Peace Laureate, Sir Joseph Rotblat, has called for a treaty among nuclear weapons states that commits these states never to be the first to use nuclear weapons. Rotblat argues that a treaty committing nuclear weapons states to No First Use "would open the way to the gradual, mutual reductions of nuclear arsenals, down to zero." He views such a treaty, as do we, as a critical step in achieving a Nuclear Weapons Convention, a treaty for the phased elimination of all nuclear weapons.

"Countries with nuclear weapons should undertake unconditionally not to be the first to use them, and not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states or nuclear-weapon-free regions. "
-Sun Yuxi, Foreign Ministry Spokesman for the People's Republic of China, March 2002

*David Krieger and Carah Ong are president and Director of Publications and Research at the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.