June 2008 - Issue 412

Do we need to worry about nuclear weapons any more?
After the end of the Cold War, the world stepped back from the brink of mutually-assured annihilation and nuclear stockpiles were halved. But nukes haven't gone away. In fact, they are undergoing something of a renaissance. India, Pakistan and North Korea have all recently joined the nuclear club. The US, Russia, Britain, China and France are spending billions on 'modernizing' their nuclear arsenals. So why are disarmament campaigners so upbeat? The *NI* discovers a window of opportunity for banning the bomb – but can we seize the moment before the shutters slam down, perhaps for good?