Iran, North Korea, and the NPT's Loopholes

Council on Foreign Relations:

Lawrence Scheinman, a top arms control official in the Clinton administration, says he is concerned that Iran is using the cover of the 35-year old Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) to develop nuclear weapons. Scheinman says an NPT review conference in May will likely focus on Iran's program, though participants will also discuss North Korea as well.

"The Iranian case is more serious," he says, "because it raises a question about whether a country can use a civil cover in order to acquire all the technology necessary from outside to put together a comprehensive fuel cycle, claiming that it's for civil purposes, and then exercise the right of withdrawal under the treaty and say, 'Sorry, things have changed and we're going to use this for weapons, thank you.'"

To read the interview, click here.