South Africa is the only country in history to build nuclear weapons in secret and then dismantle them voluntarily. In July 1991, Pretoria stunned the world by announcing that it…
Analysis
The Wisconsin Project’s reports track WMD programs and the companies supplying them. In op-eds and articles, we argue for strict enforcement of strategic trade controls to inhibit proliferation.
Libya Chemical Milestones – 1970-1995
1970: Libya tries to buy an atomic bomb from China. 1979: German engineers from OTRAG rocket firm start work on a medium-range missile in the Libyan desert. 1983: Soviet-supplied research…
Iraq is Still a Threat, U.N. Says
Iraqi weapons of mass destruction are still a threat, say U.N. inspectors, who are now digesting a stunning load of incriminating documents found in a chicken coop on an Iraqi…
Libya’s Nuclear Research is Centered at Tajura
Libya operates a Soviet-supplied research reactor at the Tajura Nuclear Research Center, located about 60 kilometers east of Tripoli. The 10-megawatt reactor started operation in 1983 and is open to…
Libya Has Trouble Building the Most Deadly Weapons
For more than twenty years, Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi has tried to buy or build weapons of mass destruction. He has succeeded in making poison gas, but has failed to…
Libya’s Soviet-Supplied Delivery Systems
Libya has Soviet-supplied Scud and Frog missiles and is trying to build its own heavy missile, the Al-Fatah. The most likely delivery system for Libya’s chemical weapons, however, would be…
China’s Nuclear Ambition Grows
Despite international protests, China continues to conduct nuclear tests to develop lighter warheads for new missiles that fly farther and are more accurate. “China is in the process of building…
China: Westinghouse Leads the Way Into Nuclear Market
With help from the Clinton administration, Westinghouse is wedging its way into China’s nuclear power reactor market, a venue previously closed to U.S. firms because of China’s record of helping…
China: Can it Build Power Reactors on its Own?
China, like the United States and other nuclear weapon states, is using its experience with military production reactors to launch a civilian power program. China has still not proved, however,…
China: The Paths to Weapon-Grade Uranium and Plutonium
In the 1950s, China began to build an array of nuclear facilities to produce both high-enriched uranium and plutonium for atomic bombs. Within 15 years, China had mastered each phase…