20 years on, UN waits for working nuclear-test-ban treaty | Fox News

At this point, I am not fully convinced that ratifying this treaty at this time would significantly change our world. North Korea would still be developing and testing nuclear arms, in violation of other international treaties and despite United Nations and multilateral sanctions.

If the United States should ratify the treaty, that means the CTBO, could be "on site", with international inspection team members potentially on, or in proximity to, some of our most sensitive national security sites, potentially observing activities that have nothing to do with nuclear testing. While that is not unprecedented, it does complicate our security programs.
It also would mean that we, as a nation, have full faith that our Stockpile Stewardship Program, based on sophisticated computer modeling, would fully support our nation's enduring nuclear stockpile through an indefinite and uncertain future; and that our nation can fully accept a ban on "zero-yield" testing. While many scientific and military experts do accept that, some of us retain some healthy skepticism and uncertainty, and suggest that we should fully understand all benefits and risks.

The continued national moratoriums (and associated de facto international moratorium) on nuclear testing, with the exception of the PRK, has held for many years, since 1998 when India and Pakistan established their own unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing.

I admit, my opinion is based on my past experiences. As a young Army major, I served on a scientific assessment team for an underground nuclear test, and was at a test site when President George H. W. Bush announced his Presidential Nuclear Initiative eliminating many non-strategic, tactical, nuclear weapons, substantially out of concern and to establish conditions for the Soviet Union to maintain control of its nuclear weapons as it underwent significant political change and fragmented into multiple independent states.

It would be nice to have a New Comprehensive One but I'm not holding my Breath on that. Guess I'm just glad that Tactical Nukes like SUBROC are no longer in Fashion (They fell out of Fashion Just after I completed my SAS (Nuclear Launch Codes) Training).

The difference between good intentions and good results is rarely mastered by those with no discernible skills at diplomacy, especially when they consider themselves the smartest man in the room