John R. Bolton

In 2001 international negotiations to add a legally binding protocol—which would improve enforcement mechanisms— to the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) broke down, in large part because of U.S. objections. In the following viewpoint, excerpted from a 2002 speech in Japan, U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control and international security John R. Bolton argues that traditional arms control approaches are ineffective against biological weapons and that proposed additions to the BWC would have compromised America’s national security and business interests. He contends that the United States remains committed in its efforts to prevent the spread of biological weapons despite its rejection of the treaty. As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How many countries are pursuing biological weapons, according to Bolton?
2. What makes biological weapons...