Argentina and weapons of mass destruction

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NPT party
Yes

Argentina has a history with the development of weapons of mass destruction. Under the military dictatorship, Argentina began a nuclear weapons program in the early 1980s, but this was abolished when democracy was restored in 1983.

Missile systems

During the 1980s, the Alacrán (English: Scorpion) and Cóndor 1 (English: Condor) missiles were developed.[1] The Cóndor 2, with a range of around 1,000 kilometres,[2] was intended to be developed with assistance from Egypt and Ba'athist Iraq. However, the project was condemned by the United States and the Missile Technology Control Regime.[3] It was reportedly scrapped during the Menem administration under pressure from the United States government and due to a lack of funds in 1990.[3][4]

Biological and chemical weapons

Argentina acceded to the Geneva Protocol on May 12, 1969[5] and has been active in non-proliferation efforts, ratifying the Biological Weapons Convention in 1979[6] and the Chemical Weapons Convention on October 2, 1995.[7]

In September 1991 Argentina, together with Brazil and Chile, signed the Mendoza Declaration, which commits signatories not to use, develop, produce, acquire, stock, or transfer—directly or indirectly—chemical or biological weapons.[8]

Nuclear weapons

Argentina conducted a

return of democracy, on December 10, 1983. President Raúl Alfonsín placed the nuclear program back under civilian control.[3] The program was also abandoned because Argentina did not have bad relations with Brazil, and because Brazil was wealthier than Argentina and thus more advantaged in an arms race.[11]

After the

Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials (ABACC) to verify both countries' pledges to use nuclear energy only for peaceful purposes. On February 10, 1995, Argentina acceded to the Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state. Argentina continues to use nuclear power in non-military roles, and is noted as an exporter of civilian use nuclear technology.[citation needed
]

In 2010, the government announced that it would start working in the creation of a nuclear submarine.[12] This type of submarine uses nuclear power for propulsion. The announcement was highly criticized by politicians from opposing parties.[13]

In accord with three presidential decrees of 1960, 1962 and 1963, Argentina supplied about 90 tons of

Dimona reactor, reportedly creating the fissile material for Israel's first nuclear weapons.[14]

See also

References

  1. .
  2. .
  3. ^
    OCLC 823345765.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  4. .
  5. ^ United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Foreign Relations (1974). Prohibition of Chemical and Biological Weapons: Hearing Before the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, Ninety-third Congress, Second Session on Ex. J, 91-2 ... Ex. Q. 92-2 ... and S. Res. 48 ... December 10, 1974. U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 19–.
  6. .
  7. ^ Arms Control and Disarmament Quarterly Review. Arms Control and Disarmament Research Unit, Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 1995.
  8. .
  9. ^ By JOHN J FIALKA And GERALD F SEIB Staff Reporters of THE WALL,STREET JOURNAL. "Argentina's Nuclear-Weapon Capability is Estimated to be Closer than Thought." Wall Street Journal (1923-), Apr 29, 1982, pp. 6.
  10. ^ National Geographic. August 1986. p.243.
  11. ^ , retrieved 2022-01-20
  12. ^ Promete Garré que se construirá un submarino nuclear en el país (in Spanish)
  13. ^ La oposición, entre las duras críticas y la ironía (in Spanish)
  14. ^ "The Israel-Argentina Yellowcake Connection". National Security Archive. George Washington University. 25 June 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2013.

Sources

External links