Graphic Above: Nuclear powers include the United States, the United Kingdom, France, South Africa, Russia, Israel, Pakistan, India, China and North Korea.
By Martha Gellhorn
Adrian Veidt’s personal campaign to disarm the world’s nuclear arsenal was finally looking like a reality, yet the latest developments have sent shock waves throughout the world and seemingly halted the battle in its tracks. Launched in 1988, the anti-nuclear mission has seen its share of success and appeared to be on its way to culmination. Commonly believed to have won him the 88’ election, President Redford’s “Nuclear Free” proposal became central to his campaign.
While Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev’s refusal to engage in any kind of disbarment discussions led to the failed coup d’état of ’89. In its wake, Gorbachev resigned and the Soviet Union collapsed. President Boris Yeltsin took control of the Russian Federation and promptly joined Redford and the other members of the NTA in their nuclear peace talks. With Veidt leading the charge and the United Nations embracing his Global Data Exchange Program, the NTA agreed to a disarming of all nuclear weapons over a 20-year period. But one world super-power was still standing in the way. Over the years, Israel has been steadfast in its refusal to confirm possession of nuclear weapons. That all changed with the Vela incident, long rumoured to be evidence of Israel’s nuclear testing. Veidt’s tenacity paid off when his investigation using global forensics to uncover the truth behind the mysterious events of 1979 forced Israel to admit the existence of its nuclear arsenal. The country reluctantly joined the NTA’s disarmament plan.
But just three years in, that plan has come to a grinding halt. As the world reels from the accusations against Adrian Veidt, President Redford has terminated his “Nuclear Free” Programme and withdrawn from the NTA. It’s only a matter of time before the rest follow as everything Ozymandias has touched crumbles.
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