-
Glossary
- University of Washington Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
Glossary abm: Anti-ballistic missile abm Treaty: Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty. Formally known as Treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Limitation of Anti-ballistic Missile Systems. Signed and entered into force in 1972 at the conclusion of the first Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (salt i), the abm Treaty limited the deployment of national missile defenses by either the United States or the Soviet Union (now Russia) and, pursuant to a 1974 protocol, limited each side to one abm deployment site. The treaty was intended to stabilize nuclear deterrence between the superpowers, thereby facilitating strategic arms limitations and reductions. The United States gave notice of withdrawal to Russia under Article XV (the six-month withdrawal clause) on December 13, 2001, and formally withdrew on June 13, 2002. active defenses: The deployment of devices intended to deflect, destroy, or render unworkable offensive weapons. Additional Protocol: This iaea protocol was the response to the 1 7 7 call for improved npt verification in the Statement of Principles and Objectives. It was opened for signature in 1997. By 2004 only about 20 percent of npt states parties had signed and ratified it. Al Qaeda: A worldwide terrorist organization founded by Osama Bin Laden that has declared war on the United States. This organization was responsible for the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., and many other terrorist attacks. Antarctic Treaty: Signed in 1959 and entered into force in 1961, the Antarctic Treaty prohibited the testing of nuclear weapons or the conduct of any measures of a military nature in Antarctica, thus preserving the continent as a nonmilitarized, nuclearweapon -free area. anthrax: A well-known disease caused by bacteria spores. The most dangerous form of the disease, pulmonary anthrax, is also a favored biological weapon agent. Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty: See abm Treaty. arms race stability: A term normally used to refer to a situation in which strategic defense is kept to a low level, thereby removing the incentive to build more strategic offensive systems to overcome defenses. ballistic missile: A missile system designed to operate on the basis of ballistic technology, as does a bullet. In the case of strategic missiles, this means that after launching a missile beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, its return to the Earth and striking of the target are propelled by the force of gravity. As strategic ballistic missiles reenter Earth’s atmosphere and approach their targets, they reach enormous speeds, and are accompanied by decoys; as a result, they are nearly impossible to defend against. Baruch Plan: The plan presented in 1946 to the UN by financier Bernard Baruch on behalf of the United States designed to internationalize nuclear technology. It was rejected by the Soviet Union. 1 7 8 / g l o s s a r y basic bargain: The central deal enshrined in the npt, whereby most of the world (the nonnuclear weapon states parties) agreed never to acquire nuclear weapons and to accept treaty safeguards on their peaceful nuclear activities (Articles 2 and 3) in exchange for the commitment of the five nuclear weapon state parties (the United States, Britain, Russia, France, and China) to share peaceful nuclear technology (Article 4) and engage in nuclear disarmament negotiations aimed at the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons (Article 6). Biological Weapons Convention (bwc): Formally known as Biological Weapons Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction. The bwc, which opened for signature in April 1972 and entered into force in 1975, required parties not to develop, produce, stockpile, or acquire biological agents or toxins “of types and in quantities that have no justification for prophylactic, protective , and other peaceful purposes,” as well as biological weapons and means of delivery. boost phase system: A missile defense system designed to intercept ballistic missiles during the lift-off phase of flight. botulinum toxin: A highly poisonous chemical and favored biological weapon produced by the bacteria which causes botulism. b-29 bomber: A World War II strategic bomber. calculated ambiguity: The doctrine of reserving all of one’s military retaliatory options, but implying a possible nuclear weapon response under certain circumstances. ccw: See Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. cep: Circular error probable. A means of measuring the accuracy of a ballistic missile. The cep is the radius of a circle within which 50 percent of the warheads deployed on...