The Nuclear Club

The 'club' is composed of nations possessing nuclear weapons. They are: The United States, Great Britain, Russia, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel (the government has a policy of neither confirming or denying their possession, but it is widely believed Israel does have nukes), and North Korea claims to have nukes. Several states had (or still have some) nuclear weapons relating to the USSR prior to its collapse. Among these states are Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine (possibly more).

In Nuclear Terrorism : The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe, Graham Allison offers the following hypothetical: Ukraine had around 5,000 nuclear weapons prior to the disintegration of the USSR. 98% efficiency while removing those weapons leaves 100 unaccounted nukes (mind you, 98% efficiency is probably too optimistic). Apply that ratio to all former Soviet states the number of unanswered for nuclear weapons is scary as hell. And guess what? The United States isn't the most zealous party looking for those 'loose nukes'. Groups who intend to use those nukes are searching for them too.

Sleep well.