US nuclear tests were discussed at a meeting between senior officials representing top national security agencies in America according to the Washington Post.North Korea is the only country to have tested nuclear weapons this century.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Stephen Herzog, a fellow at Harvard Universitys Project on Managing the Atom, toldExpress.co.ukthe decision to resume nuclear testing in Nevada would serve as a green light for China, Russia and other nuclear powers to follow suit.<\/p>\n
The former US Department of Energy nuclear testing specialist, Mr Herzog, said: The result would be a more dangerous world in terms of arms racing and modernisation of nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n
Mr Herzog said the Trump administration apparently believe a rapid nuclear test could scare China and Russia into offering concessions in nuclear arms control.<\/p>\n
He described how the opposite would be more likely to happen if the US were to go ahead with nuclear testing and said: Beijing and Moscow would become less willing to negotiate with Washington and would consider conducting their own nuclear tests.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
And for what? A fully instrumented nuclear test with scientific merit would take the US around 18 months to prepare.<\/p>\n
A rapid nuclear test as proposed could take place in a matter of months, but it would be crude and lack benefits for maintaining or modernizing the US arsenal.<\/p>\n
The nuclear gamble will hit the presidential campaign leading up to the American election which will take place at the start of November.<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump and former Vice-President Joe Biden, the current presumptive Democratic nominee, have been campaigning during the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n
READ MORE:World War 3 MAPPED: The SIX places where WW3 could break out in 2020<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Research conducted by Mr Herzog, Jonathan Baron and Nuclear Knowledges between August-November 2019 suggests nuclear testing is unpopular.<\/p>\n
The majority of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans in America do not support nuclear testing, the research claims.<\/p>\n
As Mr Herzog explains, a predictable 81.7 percent of Democratic do not want nuclear testing.<\/p>\n
But even for Republicans 58.6 percent said they do not support nuclear testing.<\/p>\n
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Mr Herzog said: Moving toward a nuclear test could particularly damage Trumps electability in Nevada, where a test would be conducted, and in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah home to communities of downwinders.<\/p>\n
Downwinders are people affected by radioactive contamination from past nuclear tests in the US.<\/p>\n
Mr Herzog added: New Mexico is expected to vote for Joe Biden, but Arizona and Nevada are battleground states.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Utah has a long history of supporting Republican presidential candidates. The loss of any of these states could swing the election in favour of Biden.<\/p>\n
Americans have a lot of other issues to consider, including the COVID-19 pandemic, structural racism and police brutality, and a flailing economy.<\/p>\n
Mr Biden has described the reported renewed nuclear weapons testing as reckless.<\/p>\n
In a statement the former Vice-President said: The possibility that the Trump administration may resume nuclear explosive weapons testing in Nevada is as reckless as it is dangerous. We have not tested a device since 1992; we dont need to do so now.<\/p>\n
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World War 3: Trump poised to re-start nuclear weapons testing to SCARE China - Express.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" US nuclear tests were discussed at a meeting between senior officials representing top national security agencies in America according to the Washington Post.North Korea is the only country to have tested nuclear weapons this century. Stephen Herzog, a fellow at Harvard Universitys Project on Managing the Atom, toldExpress.co.ukthe decision to resume nuclear testing in Nevada would serve as a green light for China, Russia and other nuclear powers to follow suit. Continue reading