The Long Shadow

by Alagappa, Muthiah

• ISBN13: 9780804760867
• ISBN10: 0804760861
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-08-18
• Publisher: Stanford Univ Pr

Summary

The Long Shadowis the first comprehensive, systematic examination of the roles and implications of nuclear weapons in the dramatically different postCold War security environment. Leading experts investigate the roles and salience of nuclear weapons in the national security strategies of twelve countries and the ASEAN states, and their implications for security and stability in a broadly defined Asian security region that includes the Middle East. The study also investigates the prospects for nuclear terrorism in Asia. A chief conclusion of the study is that nuclear weapons influence national security strategies in fundamental ways and that deterrence continues to be the dominant role and strategy for the employment of nuclear weapons. Offensive and defensive strategies may increase in salience but will not surpass the deterrence function. Another major conclusion is that although there could be destabilizing situations, on balance, nuclear weapons have reinforced security and stability in the Asian security region by assuaging national security concerns, strengthening deterrence and the status quo, and preventing the outbreak and escalation of major hostilities. As nuclear weapons will persist and cast a long shadow on security in Asia and the world, it is important to reexamine and redefine "old" ideas, concepts, and strategies as well as develop "new" ones relevant to the contemporary era. In line with this, the global nuclear order should be constructed anew based on present realities.

Author Biography

Muthiah Alagappa is Distinguished Senior Fellow at the East-West Center Washington. He is the editor of several volumes on Asian security, including Asian Security Order: Instrumental and Normative Features (Stanford, 2003).

Table of Contents

Tables and Figures	p. vii
Preface and Acknowledgments	p. ix
Contributors	p. xv
Introduction: Investigating Nuclear Weapons in a New Era	p. 1
Historical, Strategic, and Conceptual Perspectives
Asia's Security Environment: From Subordinate to Region Dominant System	p. 37
Exploring Roles, Strategies, and Implications: Historical and Conceptual Perspectives	p. 78
National Nuclear Policies and Strategies The Nuclear Weapon States
United States: Nuclear Policy at a Crossroads	p. 111
Russia: "New" Inconsistent Nuclear Thinking and Policy	p. 134
China: Dynamic Minimum Deterrence	p. 161
India: The Logic of Assured Retaliation	p. 188
Pakistan: The Dilemma of Nuclear Deterrence	p. 215
Israel: A Sui Generis Proliferator	p. 241
Aspirant States and Nonstate Actors
North Korea: Existential Deterrence and Diplomatic Leverage	p. 269
Iran: The Nuclear Quandary	p. 296
Nuclear Terrorism: Prospects in Asia	p. 323
Allies of Nuclear Weapon States
Japan: New Nuclear Realism	p. 347
South Korea: Fears of Abandonment and Entrapment	p. 373
Taiwan: Conventional Deterrence, Soft Power, and the Nuclear Option	p. 404
Australia: Back to the Future?	p. 429
Southeast Asia
ASEAN: The Road Not Taken	p. 451
Conclusion
Nuclear Weapons and National Security: Far-Reaching Influence and Deterrence Dominance	p. 479
Reinforcing National Security and Regional Stability: The Implications of Nuclear Weapons and Strategies	p. 508
Index	p. 545
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