In a world where a disagreement no longer could mean the end of a town, but the end of civilization its self, it is vital to make steps in the direction the NPT is heading. However there are many downfalls to the treaty and correcting them would not only make the treaty stronger, but also make the world a safer place. .
It is obvious to anyone who looks hard enough that the threat of nuclear weapons is very real. "The United States faces a heightened prospect that regional aggressors, third-rate armies, terrorist cells, and even religious cults will wield disproportionate power by using "or even threatening to use " nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons against our troops in the field and our people at home- (Cohen). Whether they are being used at home or thousands of miles away the threat is something everyone needs to be aware of and think about. The NPT was written to reduce the threat of such a tragedy, yet the possibility of the use of nuclear weapons grows every day. Most countries that pose a threat have signed and even ratified the NPT. The current threats of Iran help to emphasize this; "Despite Iran's status in the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Tehran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program- (CIA). It is actions like this that discredit the UN, the treaty itself, and compromise global security. This could however be solved, if there were legitimate punishments for not abiding by the guidelines laid out by the NPT. .
Not only are nuclear weapons still a very prominent threat, something even more dangerous and far more realistic, is the threat of chemical and biological weapons. Many countries that are a part of the NPT produce, test, use and sell these WMD. Since the NPT was so popular it would be an easy task to amend the treaty to include these weapons. Chemical and biological weapons are substances, which are intended for use in military operations to kill, seriously injure or incapacitate the enemy because of their physiological effects.