Nuclear Weapons Taboos: India Puzzle, South Africa Case

NUCLEAR WEAPONS TABOOS
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Nuclear Weapons Taboos
Nuclear weapons are the new technology of warfare; they are powerful enough, destructive enough, and can inflict a catastrophic damage that may annihilate a geographical area completely from the map. Possessing such a technology can bring international recognition and respect, provide security, and deter any possible enemies away surely provide any state with prestige security and can deter any the needed security, prevent hostile action by another state, and bring international recognition. But while seeking this technology to enhance international standing or to ensure oneself security, the thought of others developing such a weapon diminishes the prestige and jeopardizes not just the state but the international security.[Scott D. Sagan, Why Do States Build Nuclear Weapons? Three Models in Search of a Bomb, (Winter, 1996-1997), p 57.]
First in anarchical system where there is no universal sovereign or worldwide government that can resolve disputes and enforce the law, states must rely on self-help to protect their sovereignty and national security, in the process they acquire more and more power in order to escape the impact of the power of others or at least follow the logic of security and balance against it, this created what neo- realist call a security dilemma in which actions by any state intended to strengthen its security, through increasing its military assets or making powerful alliances, can lead other states to respond with similar measures leading to inevitable armed race and increased tensions that may lead to unwanted war. This cycle of security dilemma is not limited to conventional and nuclear weapons only but also include chemical weapons. In fact, S. Sagan notes:" Every time one state develops nuclear weapons to balance against its main rival, it also creates a nuclear threat to another state in the region, which then has to initiate its own nuclear weapons program to maintain its national security".[Scott D. Sagan, Why Do States Build Nuclear Weapons? Three Models in Search of a Bomb, (Winter, 1996-1997), p 57.] [Scott D. Sagan, Why Do States Build Nuclear Weapons? Three Models in Search of a Bomb, (Winter, 1996-1997), p 57.]
The nuclear race began following the U.S. atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. After the attack the Russian leader following the logic of the neo-realist immediately demanded a quick match with U.S weapon capabilities. The attack and the Russian decision to balance the Americans triggered a chain reaction bringing countries like England, France, China, and Japan to the race hoping to imitate those who have introduced the technology first.[Scott D. Sagan, Why Do States Build Nuclear Weapons? Three Models in Search of a Bomb, (Winter, 1996-1997), p 58.]
Second during the cold war, states in the international system realized that nuclear power has a great intimidating force, and can be utilized in numerous ways to achieve deferent goals domestically and internationally. So they began the process of acquiring and proliferating the technology to achieve some of these goals, increase their national security, counter or deter any nuclear threat, keep stron...