North Korea’s defiance has culminated in a seismic wave of around 4.2 in the Richter scale, but its politico-strategic ramifications are beyond calculation. The episode has provided sufficient fodder for the strategic community to interpret vividly the nomenclature of clandestine proliferation, possible actions and reactions of the stakeholders, and the current state of the global nuclear order. However, it should be understood that Pyongyang’s case is not a single phenomenon.

Indo-US relations are on the upswing since signing of the coveted nuclear deal during the US President’s visit to India in March. On the other hand, the Americans have not forgotten their old ally Pakistan altogether. The seriousness of the AQ Khan affair prohibits Americans from offering nuclear energy to Pakistan but on military front they are ready to help their ally considerably.

As India and the US started technical talks early this month over formal bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement, the focus has once again shifted on the difficulties both the countries are facing in coming to a consensus. While India and the US are facing severe criticisms over the high-profile agreement, the situation is more complex on the US side. Though this is not surprising in the light of US conceding ‘too’ much and India not loosing ‘anything’, yet the clock is ticking for the passage of the deal in the US Congress.

Whether to risk status quo environment- an appetite for it or an aversion to it- is a meaningful way to explain crisis decision making since it links the strategic and the psychological conceptions of choice. It portrays leaders as calculating goal-seekers while allowing them to have different personal decision making styles.

STATEMENT TO MEETING OF THE STATES PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON THE PROHIBITION OF THE DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTION AND STOCKPILING OF BACTERIOLOGICAL (BIOLOGICAL) AND TOXIN WEAPONS AND ON THEIR DESTRUCTION, GENEVA, MONDAY, 5 DECEMBER 2005

Mr Chairman, Distinguished Representatives, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), otherwise known to the world as North Korea has indicated its willingness to go to the fifth round of the six-party multilateral nuclear talks in Beijing in November 2005 as it had promised. However, the green signal came with a accusation that the United States has been using words and deeds contrary to the joint statement issued in September this year.

Chief nuclear negotiator of Iran, Ali Larijani has warned the country would resume enriching uranium and restrict United Nations inspectors from critical information if the United States and its allies used the "language of threat" by referring Iran to the Security Council. The negotiator's threat came as a confidential draft resolution circulating at the governing board of the global nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency.

“Today we are all Hibakusha,” UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said, using the Japanese term for victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombings on the occasion of the Sixtieth anniversary of the events. Annan urged international leaders to take action against the spread of nuclear weapons.