Politics and a Treaty's Demise; True Believers
Published: October 15, 1999
To the Editor:
Supporters of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (front page, Oct. 14) make contradictory arguments. They say our refusal to ratify will embolden rogue countries, like North Korea, Iraq and Iran, to develop their own nuclear weapons. They also contend that nuclear testing is unnecessary because computer simulations and other methods can determine whether nuclear weapons will work.
If simulations can tell us whether a nuclear weapon works, then the treaty is nothing more than a symbolic exercise.
Also, do supporters of the treaty really believe that it would discourage a country like North Korea from developing its own nuclear weapons?
TERENCE J. DOYLE
Sussex, Wis., Oct. 14, 1999