Obama to Urge Elimination of World’s Nuclear Weapons - including those by US

[TeamJordan23]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/us/politics/02obama.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1191290631-VzLg3WQsNnOPgzelKOsx6A&pagewanted=print

October 2, 2007
Obama to Urge Elimination of World’s Nuclear Weapons
By JEFF ZELENY

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 — Senator Barack Obama will propose on Tuesday setting a goal of eliminating all nuclear weapons in the world, saying the United States should greatly reduce its stockpiles to lower the threat of nuclear terrorism, aides say.

In a speech at DePaul University in Chicago, Mr. Obama will add his voice to a plan endorsed earlier this year by a bipartisan group of former government officials from the cold war era who say the United States must begin building a global consensus to reverse a reliance on nuclear weapons that have become “increasingly hazardous and decreasingly effective.”

Mr. Obama, according to details provided by his campaign Monday, also will call for pursuing vigorous diplomatic efforts aimed at a global ban on the development, production and deployment of intermediate-range missiles.

Mr. Obama, Democrat of Illinois, is seeking to draw attention to his foreign policy views with the approach of the fifth anniversary of the Congressional vote authorizing military action in Iraq. He is highlighting his early opposition to the war, which he argues is a sign of judgment that is more important than the number of years served in Washington.

Mr. Obama, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, often tells voters that the Iraq war has consumed American foreign policy to the detriment of its ability to address other threats facing the nation. In his speech on Tuesday, aides said, Mr. Obama will assert, as he has before, that the United States should not threaten terrorist training camps with nuclear weapons.

If elected, Mr. Obama plans to say, he will lead a global effort to secure nuclear weapons and material at vulnerable sites within four years. He also will pledge to end production of fissile material for weapons, agree not to build new weapons and remove any remaining nuclear weapons from hair-trigger alert.

In his speech, according to a campaign briefing paper, Mr. Obama also will call for using a combination of diplomacy and pressure to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to eliminate North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs. Aides did not say what Mr. Obama intended to do if diplomacy and sanctions failed.

[AtomicKitten]

1. That is particularly satisfying in light of the fact that

this administration had increased arms proliferation exponentially.

Gobama.

[babylonsister]

2. Bravo! Shades of John Kerry, if I do say so myself. And I

approved of it then, I approve of it now. :D

[TwilightGardener]

3. I'm Wienerdoggie, and I approve this message!

:-)

[madrchsod]

4. nice idea....but good luck convincing other nations

what the hell am i saying,he could`t get this nation to rid itself of these weapons

[pa28]

9. I'll have to read his statement tomorrow.

I was not quite sure but it sounded like if he could not get global consensus he would pledge effective disarmament anyway. If that's the case it will be interesting to see how people react.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

5. The most sane position I have heard.

Go Obama !

[zulchzulu]

6. K&R

[jmp]

7. Wow! Great for the primary ...

Suicide in the general election.

[cobalt1999]

14. That was my thought too.

Nice way to boost yourself in the primary, but it'll be used against him big time in the general election.

[geek tragedy]

15. And he can point out that the people

who think having nukes all over the place is a good thing are really the crazy ones.

How can we advocate sanity and progressivism if we retreat from them?

[ClayZ]

8. Yay! K and R

[MalloyLiberal]

10. He just said we should keep them..now he's copying Edwards

[Forkboy]

11. Excellent, though sadly not very realistic.

Still, great to see him saying this.Obama is two for two today.

[illinoisprogressive]

12. He's worked on loose nukes problem. this is a new step forward. Gobama

[killbotfactory]

13. Another big step in the right direction

I wonder how many will call him naive this time?

[Dawgs]

16. Kick to keep a good idea at the top.

Sadly, too many of these Obama idea posts drop like a brick. I guess it's more fun to attack than discuss good ideas.

[Bullet1987]

17. This is definently an issue I agree with. Weapons that can cause mass

extinction of the Human race should not be in ANY nation's arsenal. But what's the old saying about pandora's box?

[Odin2005]

18. GOBAMA!!!

:yourock:

[ripple]

19. K&R...this is the way all reponsible leaders should be thinking! n/t