NEW DELHI -- The five original nuclear powers have won a much-needed reprieve at the first review of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty since its indefinite extension five years ago. That reprieve, however, could serve as the lull before the storm.
Despite the adept juggling of the wordsmiths that helped conclude the four-week review conference at the United Nations with a consensus document last weekend, the treaty's future appears shaky. Despite its membership having grown to encompass all nations except Cuba, India, Israel and Pakistan, the NPT regime has come under greater pressure.
The treaty's growing weaknesses, some flowing from its successes, are beginning to haunt its future. Designed 32 years ago primarily as an instrument against horizontal proliferation, the pact has been overtaken by events.