UN flags threat of nuclear disaster
INCREASING global tension and the rise of cyber warfare could lead to nuclear disaster, the UN has warned.
A report by UN Institute for Disarmament Research paints a pessimistic picture of the threat.
“The lack of nuclear-weapons use since Hiroshima and Nagasaki cannot on its own be interpreted as evidence that the likelihood of a detonation event is minimal,” the report warns.
“The Cold War was replete with incidences of near-misses, false alarms, and accidents in and around nuclear weapons.”
The threat has been increased by the growing automation of command and control weapon systems.
“Nuclear deterrence works — up until the time it will prove not to work,” the report says. “The risk is inherent and, when luck runs out, the results will be catastrophic.”
The report comes at a time when North Korea’s neighbours continue to amass military hardware in the region as tensions escalate on the Korean peninsula ahead of a major North Korean military anniversary on Tuesday.
There were reports of increased activity from Chinese planes and of Russia deploying troops to its eastern border ahead of the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People’s Army.
With regional analysts fearing that the North’s defiant young dictator Kim Jong-un will order another missile or nuclear test to mark the occasion, South Korea announced it was placing its forces on heightened alert.
A US aircraft carrier navy group continues to move towards Korean waters. —©