Currently the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, provides the most serious threat to international security. Public opinion over proliferation has varied widely over the past five decades, ranging from mass hysteria during the Cold-War era, to indifference. At the present time, there is an evenhanded appreciation and sense of necessity of urgency of new efforts to continue and advance non-proliferation efforts. Many experts claim that the present is currently one of the most, if not the most, challenging and critical periods of time for the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Perhaps this is the most critical period due to the fact that in the post Cold-War era there is not one imminent threat, but a multitude of threats. Challenges to these particular non-proliferation regimes include the withdrawal of North Korea from the NPT, the South Asian programs, and the threat of terrorists obtaining weapons of mass destruction. While these challenges pose a real threat to non-proliferation efforts, there are methods that the United States can confront and curtail these threats. The United States needs to construct a new security paradigm, and remove useless, counterproductive treaties. In addition to a new security regime, the United States needs to improve and enhance conventional forces and provide extensively for their own national security.
The withdrawal of North Korea serves as the first challenge to the NPT. Korean officials claimed that their withdrawal from the treaty was a self-defensive measure taken against the United States and the IAEA. North Korea expressed extreme contempt for the IAEA's resolution, which deemed them "criminal," and brought forth an ultimatum to the United Nations Security Council. In reality, however, North Korea's withdrawal can be seen as an opportunity for them to pursue a nuclear program free from international prohibitions set forth in the stipulations of the NPT.
