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U.S. defense sequestration may raise risk of nuclear proliferation

U.S. defense sequestration may raise risk of nuclear proliferation

Posted March. 12, 2014 02:45,   

한국어

An official from the U.S. Defense Department admitted on Monday that if the United States continues to reduce its defense budgets, the possibility that its allies including Japan pursue nuclear armaments for themselves cannot be ruled out.

In the Quadrennial Defense Review organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies based in Washington D.C., Christine Wormuth, deputy undersecretary of defense for strategy at the Defense Department, said, (it) wasn`t an explicit factor," as she was asked if there is a concern for nuclear proliferation in countries like Japan if the U.S. continues to cut its defense budgets.

"Certainly, at the lowest levels I think there was an implicit understanding that the risks of that kind of proliferation, or the risks of countries that are scientifically capable enough to develop their own nuclear program, which certainly Japan is, would go up," she said.

Nevertheless, Wormuth made it clear that the U.S. is against Japan’s nuclear development by saying that “Our alliance with Japan is very, very strong... Our view is that there`s not a need for any kind of nuclear capability as long as our alliance remains strong, which we believe it is.”

In January, the U.S. demanded Japan to return 331 kilograms of plutonium used for the critical testing equipment in a reactor located in Tokaimura, Ibaraki Prefecture.