The Problem with Nuclear Mind Reading

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In The Media

The Problem with Nuclear Mind Reading

The IAEA places importance on a state's intentions, something which its investigatory arm does not and cannot assess. The effect of emphasizing intent is to cause discussions about enforcement that descend into irresolvable arguments about ambiguous activities, thus reducing the chances of decisive action and, in turn, reducing the credibility and effectiveness of the nonproliferation regime.

By James M. Acton

Published on Feb 1, 2009

Source: Survival

The basic technologies that underlie nuclear power were first developed during the Second World War by the United States for purely military purposes. Since then, extensive civilian research and the use of nuclear technologies for peaceful ends has not erased this military heritage. Almost all nuclear technology in use around the world today is ‘dual use’, able to contribute to the production of fuel for nuclear reactors or the explosive components of nuclear weapons. For this reason, there is serious concern that supposedly peaceful nuclear programmes are being used for, or could become, cover for the development of nuclear weapons.

About the Author

James M. Acton

Jessica T. Mathews Chair, Co-director, Nuclear Policy Program

Acton holds the Jessica T. Mathews Chair and is co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Recent Work

Paper
Nuclear Weapons and the Future of American Power
- James M. Acton, Ankit Panda
Commentary
The Latest Iran Deal Ignores the Lessons of the Past
- James M. Acton

Nuclear Policy Nuclear Energy East Asia North Korea

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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The Problem with Nuclear Mind Reading

More Work from Carnegie China

The nuclear missile formation passes through Tian'anmen Square during a military parade on September 3, 2025 in Beijing, China.

Paper

Untangling the Nuclear Knot: A Constructive Agenda for Managing China’s Nuclear Relations with the United States and Its Allies

The nuclear relationship between China and the United States is increasingly shaped by widening perception gaps rather than deliberate strategic design.

Tong Zhao

Robot arm with disposable test tube virus sampling in laboratory

Commentary

Caught in the Middle: Chinese Biotech Firms’ Divergent Responses to U.S. Sanctions

Chinese biotech companies have been on the receiving end of U.S. economic coercion. Yet their responses have differed significantly because firm and state interests are not uniformly aligned. For Washington, treating all Chinese tech firms the same, irrespective of their actual interests, risks pushing them farther into Beijing’s corner.

Xue Gong

Commentary

China’s Energy Security Doesn’t Run Through Hormuz but Through the Electrification of Everything

Across Asia, China is better positioned to withstand energy shocks from the fallout of the Iran war. Its abundant coal capacity can ensure stability in the near term. Yet at the same time, the country’s energy transition away from coal will make it even less vulnerable during the next shock.

Damien Ma

An aerial view shows containers stacked at a port in Taicang, in eastern China's Jiangsu province on May 18, 2025.

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GDP growth means something fundamentally different in China than in most countries.

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People wave Chinese flags as the plane carrying Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for a two-day state visit at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on April 14, 2025

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