Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI): Countering Proliferation by Sea

In December 2002, two events occurred that led to development of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI): the case of the Cambodian-flagged M/V SOSAN and the publishing of the U.S. National Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMB). The Statement of Interdiction Principles represents a political commitment by states to strongly use their national capabilities to interdict shipments of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, related materials, and their means of delivery that are of proliferation concern. The statement of principles addresses PSI participants in their separate capacities as flag States and as coastal and port States. The growing WMD threat and recent proliferation trends require new, more proactive tools to counter proliferation. Weapons of mass destruction, nuclear, biological and chemical, in the possession of hostile states and terrorists represent one of the greatest security challenges facing the international community. Keywords: Cambodian-flagged M/V SOSAN; combat weapons of massdestruction (WMD); interdiction principles; proliferation security initiative (PSI); U.S. national strategy