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| Home Front: Politix |
| Obama takes non-nuclear pledge to world leaders |
| 2010-04-12 |
| [Dawn] President Barack Obama's pledge to one day rid the world of nuclear weapons runs up against global realities this week when representatives from 47 countries try to craft an agreement on keeping nuclear weapons out of terrorist hands. Sweeping or even bold new strategies were, however, unlikely to emerge from the two-day gathering that begins Monday. But Obama invited the swarm of world leaders as an important step to intensify global focus on one of the most serious nuclear proliferation threats: a world in which non-state actors, like the al-Qaida terrorist organization, obtain nuclear materials. On the table, too, will be Iran's perceived attempts to build a nuclear weapon in violation of the global Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and North Korea's nuclear weapons stockpile and exports of nuclear materials and technology. ''We want to get the world's attention focused where we think it needs to be with these continuing efforts by al-Qaida and others to get just enough nuclear material to cause terrible havoc, destruction and loss of life somewhere in the world,'' Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in an interview broadcast Sunday on ABC television's ''This Week.'' Clinton said the gathering would be the largest assembly of world leaders hosted by an American president since the 1945 San Francisco conference that founded the United Nations. Obama hopes to set the tone with one-on-one meetings Sunday with the leaders of India and Pakistan, antagonistic, nuclear-armed neighbors, as well as South Africa and Kazakhstan, which have given up nuclear weapons programs. Iran and North Korea were not invited because they are viewed as violators of the non-proliferation agreement. Syria was left off the invitation list because the US believes Damascus also has nuclear ambitions. An Israeli airstrike in 2007 destroyed what Washington claims was a nearly completed nuclear reactor designed to make plutonium. Iran's nuclear program likely will come up as Obama pushes for a UN Security Council resolution calling for additional sanctions against Tehran. Israel, meanwhile, said last week that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not attend the conference as planned. Insiders said he was worried Turkey and Egypt would use the summit to challenge him over his country's nuclear arsenal, which the Jewish state never has acknowledged. In Netanyahu's absence, Israel will be represented by Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor. Obama opens the conference Monday with a working dinner, and meets individually that day with the leaders of Jordan, Malaysia, Armenia and China. The sessions close Tuesday with a joint statement on efforts to prevent the transfer of nuclear materials and technology and to keep them locked up. The Washington conference is the fourth leg of Obama's campaign to rid the world of nuclear weapons, which have been used only by the United States to force a Japanese surrender in World War II. The high-flown goal, which the president admits likely will not be reality in his lifetime, began a year ago in Prague when he laid out plans for significant nuclear reductions. In the meantime, he has approved a new nuclear policy for the United States, vowing last week to reduce America's nuclear arsenal, refrain from nuclear tests and not use nuclear weapons against countries that do not have them. North Korea and Iran were not included in that pledge because they do not cooperate with other countries on non-proliferation standards. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Did they all sing Kumbaya? |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2010-04-12 12:09 |