The Long Shadow : Nuclear Weapons and Security in 21st Century Asia

Contents: Preface. Introduction: investigating nuclear weapons in a new era/Muthiah Alagappa. I. Historical, strategic, and conceptual perspectives: 1. Asia's security environment: from subordinate to region dominant system/Muthiah Alagappa. 2. Exploring roles, strategies, and implications: historical and conceptual perspectives/Muthiah Alagappa. II. National nuclear policies and strategies : The nuclear weapon states: 3. United States: nuclear policy at  a crossroads/James J. Wirtz. 4. Russia: "New" inconsistent nuclear thinking and policy/Yury Fedorov. 5. China: dynamic minimum deterrence/Chu Shulong and Rong Yu. 6. India: the logic of assured retaliation/Rajesh Rajagopalan. 7. Pakistan: the dilemma of nuclear deterrence/Feroz Hasan Khan and Peter R. Lavoy. 8. Israel: a Sui Generis proliferator/Avner Cohen. Aspirant states and nonstate actors: 9. North Korea: existential deterrence and diplomatic leverage/John S. Park and Dong Sun Lee. 10. Iran: the nuclear quandary/Devin T. Hagerty. 11. Nuclear terrorism: prospects in Asia/S. Paul Kapur. Allies of nuclear weapon states: 12. Japan: new nuclear realism/Michael J. Green and Katsuhisa Furukawa. 13. South Korea: fears of abandonment and entrapment/Kang Choi and Joon-Sung Park. 14. Taiwan: conventional deterrence, soft power, and the nuclear option/Vincent Wei-Cheng Wang. 15. Australia: back to the future?/Rod Lyon. Southeast Asia: 16. ASEAN: the road not taken/Tan See Seng. III. Conclusion: 17. Nuclear weapons and national security: far-reaching influence and deterrence dominance/Muthiah Alagappa. 18. Reinforcing national security and regional stability: the implications of nuclear weapons and strategies/Muthiah Alagappa. Index.

"The Long Shadow is the first comprehensive examination of the roles and implications of nuclear weapons in the post-cold war security environment, focusing on a broadly defined Asian security region. It investigates the strategies for the employment of nuclear weapons, and the consequences for security and stability in a dramatically altered strategic landscape, and a substantially different nuclear environment.

The canvas of study includes the six nuclear weapon states--China, India, Israel, Pakistan, Russia, and the US; several nuclear weapon-capable states--Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan; and the aspirants--Iran and North Korea.

A key conclusion of the study is that nuclear weapons influence national security strategies in fundamental ways; and that deterrence continues to be the dominant role and strategy for the employment of nuclear weapons. It further infers that although there could be destabilizing situation, on balance nuclear weapons have reinforced security and stability in the Asian security region.

As nuclear weapons will persist in the foreseeable future, it is important to re-examine 'old' ideas, concepts, and strategies, and develop 'new' ones relevant for the contemporary era. In line with this, the global nuclear order should be constructed anew based on present realities.

This volume would be of interest to scholars and students of international relations, disarmament, strategic studies and conflict management, and area studies. Defence experts, diplomats, and policymakers would find it informative." (jacket)