The seizures have raised fears in Germany and elsewhere over the danger that terrorists or nonnuclear nations are buying bomb-grade nuclear material cheaply.

But American diplomats and others from the permanent Council nations were determined to bar nonnuclear nations from obtaining unfiltered copies of the report.

But only the nonnuclear nations are subject to monitoring.

The first sign of problems with renewal came in January, when several important nonnuclear nations raised their objections during a preparatory conference in New York.

Leading arms experts say that influential nonnuclear nations may muster enough votes to block a permanent extension of the treaty against the spread of nuclear weapons, which was signed in 1968 and put into effect two years later.

He added that Russia was also ready to discuss security guarantees for nonnuclear nations.

The treaty also committed the nuclear powers to work toward total nuclear disarmament and to help nonnuclear nations signing the accord in developing peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

A Communist deputy, Jacques Brunhes, said Mr. Chirac's position could, perversely, lead nonnuclear nations to seek nuclear arms.

Despite its stated policy as a nonnuclear nation, Japan stored "an extensive nuclear infrastructure - at its peak, as large as that of other American allies," the article states.

It weakens a favorite rationalization of nonnuclear nations: Why deny themselves what the superpowers so feverishly pursue despite pledges not to?