Condi’s Convenient Omission: U.S., Israel Not Parties to Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

While the world rightfully expresses outrage at North Koreans nuclear weapons test, a convenient fact remained buried. A Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty banning such tests cannot come into force until others sign on. Those failing to ink the treaty include the noted offender North Korea along with U.S. allies Pakistan and India. However, the United States is yet to sign.

America has clear plans to replace and modernize its nuclear weapons stockpiles. The design of the Reliable Replacement Warhead will be chosen next month. Will those need to be tested at some point? Will the United States need to show it has a massive kiloton capability? Will it wave its 6.8 magnitude test data to show North Korea that their nuke test was wimpy? When that happens what will Condi say?

Also, what about Israel, long rumored to have nuclear weapon capabilities? Are they being asked to sign the Comprehensive Test ban? A report this morning said Israel had not announced tests for their suspected nuclear weapons. Is there any seismic data indicating Israel has tested? Are there any air samples showing the Jewish state’s detonation of an underground nuclear test? Condi failed to cover these questions in her recent round of diplomacy.