The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) has been the principal legal barrier to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons for the past forty-five years. It promotes the peaceful uses of nuclear technology and insures, through the application of safeguards inspections conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), that those technologies are not being diverted toward the production of nuclear weapons. It is also the only multinational treaty that obligates the five nuclear weapons states that are party to the treaty (China, France, Great Britain, Russia, and the United States) to pursue nuclear disarmament measures. Though there have been many challenges over the years, most would agree that the treaty has largely been successful. However, many are concerned about the continued viability of the NPT. The perceived slow pace of nuclear disarmament, the interest by some countries to consider a weapons program while party to the treaty, and the funding and staffing issues at the IAEA, are all putting considerable strain on the treaty. This manuscript explores those issues and offers some possible solutions to ensure that the NPT will survive effectively for many years to come.

Iran’s rocket and missile forces serve a wide range of Iranian strategic objectives. These forces range from relatively short-range artillery rockets that support its ground forces and limit the need for close air support to long-range missiles that can reach any target in the region and the development of booster systems that might give Iran the ability to strike at targets throughout Europe and even in the United States. Iran’s forces and systems are steadily evolving. While the lethality of most current systems is limited by a reliance on conventional warheads, poor accuracy, and uncertain reliability, Iran is developing steadily improved guidance systems, attempting to improve the lethality of its conventional warheads, and has at least studied arming its missiles with nuclear warheads.

This volume documents U.S. responses to the dramatic changes that took place in the global oil production system from 1969 until 1974. During this period long-established relationships among oil producing nations, oil consuming nations, and international oil companies underwent a tumultuous realignment. As traditional contractual arrangements between producing nations and international oil corporations broke down, political and economic influence shifted from consuming nations to producing states. The diplomatic effects of this shift in the global monetary balance of power were wide-ranging and include the oil embargo imposed by Arab oil-exporting countries during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. This volume documents U.S. efforts to negotiate an end to the embargo, relations with oil producing states such as Saudi Arabia, U.S. relations with allies in the Atlantic Alliance and elsewhere, the administration s attempt to reformulate the U.S. oil import program in 1969, negotiations between international oil companies and oil producing states, efforts to create bureaucratic structures to deal with energy issues, and attempts to prepare U.S. consumers to adjust to the long-term consequences of a tighter oil market and higher priced oil."

The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record began publication in 1873. Debates for sessions prior to 1873 are recorded in The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (1789-1824), the Register of Debates in Congress (1824-1837), and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873)