World facing increased nuclear risk, researchers warn

STOCKHOLM, Jun 8: Researchers warned on Monday that nuclear-armed states were taking their arms out of storage and putting them on delivery systems, as the weapons of mass destruction are playing an increased role in global politics.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said the world's nuclear powers had an estimated total of 12,187 warheads, with about 9,745 of them in stockpiles for potential use.

That was a marginal decrease compared to the year before, as since the end of the Cold War old warheads have generally been dismantled more quickly than new ones have been deployed, resulting in a decrease in the overall number.

"The more worrying news is that even though we have lower numbers of nuclear weapons, the level of nuclear dangers and nuclear risks are rising," SIPRI director Karim Haggag told AFP.

SIPRI also predicts that the trend of declining nuclear arms stockpiles is likely to be reversed in the coming years "as the pace of dismantlement is slowing, while the deployment of new nuclear weapons is accelerating", it said in a statement.

Haggag also listed several worrying signs, such as a breakdown in strategic arms controls such as international agreements and competition between great powers with nuclear arms.

Another worrying trend is one "whereby states that have nuclear weapons are taking them out of storage and deploying them on nuclear-capable delivery systems. And so we see more deployed nuclear weapons", Haggag said.    �"AFP