South Africa's weapons of mass destruction / Helen E. Purkitt and Stephen F. Burgess.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Purkitt, Helen E., 1950-

Contributor:

Burgess, Stephen Franklin.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Weapons of mass destruction--South Africa.

Weapons of mass destruction.

South Africa--Military policy.

South Africa.

Physical Description:

vii, 322 p.

Place of Publication:

Bloomington, IN : Indiana University Press, c2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

South Africa's Weapons of Mass Destruction offers an in-depth view of the secret development and voluntary disarmament of South Africa's nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons program, Project Coast. Helen E. Purkitt and Stephen F. Burgess explore how systems used for nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons in South Africa were acquired and established beyond the gaze of international and domestic political actors. On the basis of archival evidence from Project Coast and their own extensive interviews with military and political officials, Purkitt and Burgess consider what motivates countries to acquire and build such powerful weaponry and examine when and how decisions are made to dismantle a military arsenal voluntarily. Questions such as how to destroy weapons safely and keep them from reappearing on international markets are considered along with comparative strategies for successful disarmament in other nation-states.

Contents:

Contents

Acknowledgments

1. Introduction: The Ongoing Problem of South Africa’s Unconventional Weapons

2. South Africa in a World of Proliferating Weapons

3. Origins and Evolution of Nuclear-Weapons Research and Development

4. Warheads, Missiles, and Nuclear-Deterrence Strategy

5. Project Coast and Its Origins

6. Dismantling the Nuclear-Weapons Program

7. The Rollback of Project Coast

8. Disarmament Trendsetter

9. Emerging Issues and Residual Concerns

Appendix: Policy Lessons from the South African Case

Notes

Bibliography

Index

What can I do?.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. [293]-312) and index.

ISBN:

0-253-00306-7

9786612238253

1-282-23825-6

OCLC:

434586626