Obama and CTBT

As expected, Barack Obama has made it. Not only he has won the election, his Democratic party has secured majority in both the houses of Congress.

Barack Obama has a passion for nuclear non-proliferation. One of the stumbling blocks in the non-proliferation regime is the fact that the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) has not entered into force. This is because the USA, China, India and Pakistan are not parties to it. Pakistan has openly refused to sign it unless India did so. India has not overtly said so but it is clear to everybody that India will not sign it unless China ratifies the CTBT. China has its own fears. It has been dragging its feet on ratifying the treaty because the American Congress has denied ratifying it.

It will have a profound implication for mankind, if the new President of the USA is able to prevail upon the Congress the wisdom of ratifying the CTBT to which the USA had become a signatory more than 12 years ago. It will have domino effect. If the USA does indeed ratify the CTBT, China will have no strategic reason to deny ratification of the Treaty. Once China does it, India and Pakistan will do it one after another, or may be simultaneously. Once CTBT enters into force, where is the political provocation for India or any other country to explode a test bomb?

If the 44th President of the USA is able to pull it off, his country may be well be set on a path to gain the moral leadership of the world, and Obama's place in history will be assured.