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The threat to retaliate against an adversary
with nuclear weapons on behalf of a third-party is called
extended deterrence, and is sometimes referred to as the
nuclear umbrella. Through military alliances, such as the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO), and other mutual defense treaties, the United States
has agreed to extend its nuclear umbrella over its allies and friends. During
the Cold War, the Soviet Union entered into similar arrangements with its
allies.
The U.S. nuclear umbrella
in particular has
provided many industrially-advanced
countries with the option to choose not to develop WMD, even
though most are technically capable of doing so.
"The National Security Strategy of the United States"
(March 2006) reiterates the importance of maintaining credible
nuclear forces as a deterrent against threats to the United States
and its allies. This policy states that the United States'
New
Triad will "bolster security commitments" to U.S. allies, and
aid nonproliferation objectives by convincing these countries not to
build their own nuclear weapons programs. Extended
deterrence offers one possible reason for states not to proliferate. |
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