Obama Urges New Efforts to Cut World’s Nuclear Arms

Posted 04 6 2009 3:33AM

April 5 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama called for aworld without nuclear weapons, delivering his appeal just hoursafter a North Korean rocket launch that sparked internationalcondemnation.

While the Cold War has ended, “the risk of a nuclearattack has gone up,” Obama said in a speech in Prague’sHradcany Square today. “More nations have acquired theseweapons. Testing has continued. Black markets trade in nuclearsecrets and materials.”

Obama’s address in a city where Soviet tanks crushed ademocracy uprising in 1968, came on the third stop of his firstinternational tour that has been marked by praise from hisEuropean counterparts for a more cooperative approach tonational security and global concerns.

“As the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon,the United States has a moral responsibility to act,” Obamasaid. “We cannot succeed in this endeavor alone, but we canlead it.”

While Obama held out the prospect of retreating on aplanned missile-defense shield in eastern Europe, he said hewould press on with one of the Bush administration’s mostcontentious international initiatives.

“As long as the threat from Iran persists, we intend to goforward with a missile-defense system that is cost-effective andproven,” the president said. “If the Iranian threat iseliminated, we will have a stronger basis for security, and thedriving force for missile defense construction in Europe at thistime will be removed.”

Arms-Control Talks

Obama’s first face-to-face meeting with Russian PresidentDmitri Medvedev, in London on April 1, delivered an agreement toopen a new round of arms-control talks. He also helped settledisputes at the Group of 20 summit on April 2 and the meeting ofNATO leaders yesterday.

Obama’s plan to eliminate nuclear weapons came hours afterNorth Korea launched a rocket that flew over Japan and may havesent a satellite into orbit. The United Nations Security Councilwill meet later today to address it. Obama condemned the launchas provocative, joining criticism by Japan, South Korea and theEuropean Union.

The president said the U.S. will seek to bring theComprehensive Test Ban Treaty into force and pursue Senateratification. The pact has been ratified by 148 countries, andit will enter into force once it is ratified by the U.S., China,India, Pakistan, Israel, Iran, Egypt, Indonesia and NorthKorea.

Nuclear Weapons

To combat the threat of nuclear weapons falling into thehands of terrorists, Obama called for a new international effortto secure nuclear materials around the world within four years.In addition, the president will work toward a new treaty that“verifiably ends” the production of fissile materials fornuclear weapons, according to the White House.

Obama also called for tougher actions against nations that“break the rules,” such as North Korea and Iran.

North Korea’s missile launch, he said, is a “provocation”that “underscores the need for action -- not just thisafternoon at the UN Security Council, but in our determinationto prevent the spread of these weapons. Rules must be binding.Violations must be punished.”

The president’s aides couched today’s speech as singlecomponent of a new approach.

“This is a film that’s been developed over the course ofmany years,” Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonoughsaid yesterday. “This is an effort that will have many partsand it will advance fundamental U.S. national securityinterests.”

To contact the reporter on this story:Hans Nichols in Prague, at hnichols2@bloomberg.net ;Edwin Chen in Prague at echen32@bloomberg.net