Interview with George Bunn, 1986

George Bunn was General Counsel to the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency from 1961-1969, and played a key role as a negotiator of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). For the most part, the interview deals with the NPT process – the lead-up to negotiations, the talks themselves, the political dynamics among different parties, problems that confronted the treaty, and the implications of its approval. One of the United States' early concerns in this period, he notes, was China's possession of nuclear weapons. The NPT process gained momentum when the comprehensive test ban treaty bid failed, initially a great personal disappointment for Mr. Bunn. Among the obstacles the treaty faced along the way were the Multilateral Force, which the Soviets objected to because it would give Germany access to nuclear arms, and the question of safeguards, which several non-nuclear states protested against. In the latter instance, European members of EURATOM opposed the involvement of both Soviet inspectors and the IAEA. In the end, solutions were reached and the NPT, in Mr. Bunn's view, became one of the most successful arms control treaties since World War II. Among other related topics discussed are the impact of the Chinese and Indian tests, India's sharp criticisms of the NPT, and Mr. Bunn's personal interactions with Soviet negotiators.