Abstract
Although the United States began demonstrating concern over ballistic missile proliferation in the 1960s, it was not until the early 1980s that Washington adopted a policy that sought explicitly to prevent developing countries from acquiring these missiles and the associated production capabilities. This policy was prompted by the interaction of increased missile proliferation with a growing awareness of the continued spread of nuclear weapons technology in the developing world. Specifically, the United States became concerned about the potential role that ballistic missiles could play as delivery systems for nuclear weapons in regions such as the Middle East, and how this might affect regional stability and America’s security and foreign policy interests.
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Notes
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© 2000 Wyn Q. Bowen
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Bowen, W.Q. (2000). The Pre-1989 Evolution of US Missile Nonproliferation Policy. In: The Politics of Ballistic Missile Nonproliferation. Southampton Studies in International Policy. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780333982280_3
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