The Enemy of My Enemy Is My Customer

Extract

In this superbly written and thoroughly researched book, Matthew Kroenig puts forward a new mid-level theory on the dynamics of nuclear proliferation. The title of this review—the enemy of my enemy is my customer—is but one finding of his meticulous review of the supply side of proliferation. This approach examines not only why states may want nuclear weapons, but the equally important point of whether another state is willing to provide sensitive nuclear exports to help that country acquire a bomb.

Kroenig's book is one of the most original and interesting studies of the business of proliferation to be published in a long time. It belongs on the shelf of any student of proliferation, along with such classics as Potter (1990), Sagan and Waltz (1995), and Langeweische (2007), plus the multitude of more recent case studies and examinations of international efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. The author's credentials for taking on this subject are first rate, and his research is exhaustive. This is a relatively short book, but rich in new ideas, surveys of the field, and qualitative and quantitative approaches to explaining supply side aspects of proliferation. It includes several valuable appendices and a superb bibliography at the end.