Obama outlines sweeping goal of nuclear-free world

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Obama outlines sweeping goal of nuclear-free world

By JENNIFER LOVEN – 33 minutes ago

PRAGUE (AP) — Declaring it " matters to all people everywhere, " President Barack

Obama promised on Sunday to lead the world into a nuclear-free future, giving a

hawkish edge to a peacenik pursuit even as North Korea upstaged him with the

launch of a long-range rocket that theoretically could carry a warhead.

Obama made his pledge before 20,000 flag-waving Czechs outside the gates of

picturesque Prague Castle. He chose a nation that peacefully threw off communism

and helped topple nuclear power Soviet Union as the backdrop for presenting an

ambitious plan to stop the global spread of dangerous weapons.

" Let us honor our past by reaching for a better future, " Obama said.

Shifting on an eight-day European trip from the economic crisis to the war in

Afghanistan and now nuclear capabilities, Obama said his goal of " a world

without nuclear weapons " won't be reached soon, " perhaps not in my lifetime. "

But he said the United States, with one of the world's largest arsenals and the

only nation to have used an atomic bomb, has a " moral responsibility " to start

taking steps now.

It is not only a lofty goal. Samore, Obama's arms control coordinator, said

the plan has a strategic aim: to give the U.S. extra leverage in opposing the

pursuit of nuclear arms in adversarial countries such as North Korea and Iran.

" We are trying to seek the moral high ground, " Samore said.

Devoting an entire speech to the longtime " no nukes " cause of the political left

is more popular in Europe than in the United States. Obama signaled he would not

allow America to become more vulnerable, saying that surrendering nuclear

weapons must be a global all-for-one, or not-at-all, endeavor.

" Make no mistake: As long as these weapons exist, we will maintain a safe,

secure and effective arsenal to deter any adversary, and guarantee that defense

to our allies, " he said.

He also gave his most unequivocal pledge yet to proceed with a missile defense

system in Europe while Iran pursues nuclear weapons, as the West alleges. That

shield is to be based in the Czech Republic and Poland. Those countries are on

Russia's doorstep, and the move has contributed to a significant decline in

U.S.-Russia relations.

In the interest of resetting ties with Moscow, Obama previously had appeared to

soft-pedal his support for the Bush-era shield proposal. But he adopted a

different tone in Prague.

" As long as the threat from Iran persists, we will go forward with a missile

defense system that is cost-effective and proven, " Obama said, earning cheers

from the crowd.

This was in part a message to Russia, which has balked at using its influence to

press Iran to drop its nuclear pursuits.

North Korea's launch, in the works for weeks, could not have been better timed

to achieve the reclusive communist country's goal of grabbing attention.

An aide awoke Obama in his hotel room to tell him of the launch in the early

morning hours here. By lunchtime, the president had addressed it publicly nearly

half a dozen times.

North Korea claimed it had sent up a satellite, not a missile. The West says it

hardly matters because such a rocket presumably could carry a warhead into

Japanese, South Korea or even U.S. airspace. North Korea declared the launch a

success, saying an experimental communications satellite reached outer space.

The U.S. military said " no object entered orbit. "

Obama said the North Korean action served only to underscore the need for the

actions he outlined.

" Rules must be binding, " he said. " Violations must be punished. Words must mean

something. "

" Now is the time for a strong international response, " he said.

He offered few details of how he would accomplish his larger goal, which has

eluded presidents and foreign policy lions, including Reagan,

Shultz and Henry Kissinger.

Obama acknowledged this. " In a strange turn of history, " he said, " the threat of

global nuclear war has gone down, but the risk of a nuclear attack has gone up. "

To combat the risk from countries, and possibly terrorists, with nuclear

weapons, Obama said he would:

_ " Immediately and aggressively " seek ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear

Test-Ban Treaty, which he may not get. Signed by President Bill Clinton, it was

rejected by the Senate in 1999. Overall, 140 nations have ratified the ban. But

they include only 35 of the 44 states that possess nuclear technology, and the

United States is the most prominent holdout.

_Host a summit within the next year on nuclear weapons.

_Undertake a new international effort to secure all vulnerable nuclear material

worldwide within four years.

_Try to strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty by providing more

resources and authority for international inspections and mandating " real and

immediate consequences " for countries that violate the treaty.

_Pursue by the end of the year a new treaty with Russia to reduce the two

nations' nuclear arsenals.

_Seek a new international treaty that verifiably ends the production of fissile

materials intended for use in state nuclear weapons.

_Build a new framework for civil nuclear cooperation, including an international

fuel bank, so countries can access peaceful power without increasing the risks

of proliferation.

Obama spoke after conferring with Czech leaders, including Prime Minister Mirek

Topolanek, just two weeks after his government collapsed. Topolanek is remaining

in office until President Vaclav Klaus names a replacement. Obama also

participated Sunday in a hastily arranged U.S.-EU summit; the Czech Republic

holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.

Obama met with Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero, and later

was having an audience with playwright and former president Vaclav Havel, who

led the 1989 Velvet Revolution that peacefully toppled communism in the former

Czechoslovakia.

As he has throughout the trip, Obama emphasized priorities that closely match

Europe's, such as promising to tackle climate change. But he had requests as

well. He asked European nations to accept detainees from the Guantanamo Bay

prison, which he has ordered closed, and to bring in Turkey as a member of the

European Union to send a positive signal to the Muslim world.

Turkey is the next and final stop on Obama's European tour.