America must develop robust capabilities to identify and monitor clandestine nuclear weapons programs. Accurate and timely intelligence are essential elements in combating the spread of nuclear weapons, of which the President’s 2006 National Security Strategy succinctly describes as “the greatest threat to our national security.” This paper first delves into why the leadership of some countries desire nuclear weapons. A brief discussion on international agreements and American policies in relation to nuclear nonproliferation follows. Then, the uranium nuclear fuel cycle is described along with several pertinent case studies. Finally, conclusions and recommendations for American nonproliferation efforts are presented. An increased emphasis on nuclear nonproliferation within the United States government is required. Nonproliferation programs are spread across many agencies and departments within the Executive Branch, lending to inefficiencies and a lack of synergistic direction. Just as a cabinet post was recently created to enhance America’s intelligence assessments, similar attention is warranted for America’s nonproliferation endeavors. There are shortfalls in the intelligence capabilities of the United States to detect clandestine nuclear weapons programs, as was discovered following the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
