THE Association of South East Asko
Nations (ASEAN) has finally succeeded IN
forcing the us to see reason. After
resisting it for a decade, the us government has agreed to sign a treaty which
will establish southeast Asia as a
nuclear-free zone; it will be marked as a
region in which manufacture, possession and storage of nuclear arms would be banned.
Till now, Washington had argued
that such zones could weaken
global nuclear deterrence and
impede the us Navy's freedom of navigation. But nuclear analysts pointed
out that the end of us-Soviet
nuclear rivalry and the removal of
tactical nuclear weapons from the
North American warships and submarines had eliminated the basis for
these objections. The Clinton administration also appears to be finally
convinced'of that.
Indonesia, which has been I of
the vocal 'proponents of a regional
nuclear-*ee zone, was intimated by
President Clinton of his nation's decision. ASEAN 'officials - who are drafting
the treaty - have welcomed the us
move, declaring that this would
streng*qn su pport for the establishment of such zones in other parts of
the world.
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