PRESIDENT BARACK Obama has pledged US leadership in the effort to rid the world of nuclear weapons, and has warned that the threat of nuclear attack is higher now than it was during the cold war.
He also said yesterday that the US would continue to develop its controversial missile defence shield in Europe as long as Iran’s nuclear programme posed a threat to the world.
“To put an end to cold war thinking we will reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy and urge others to do the same,” said Mr Obama in a speech to 20,000 people in Prague, in which outlined how he plans to prevent nuclear proliferation.
“As the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to act . . . We cannot succeed in this endeavour alone, but we can lead it.”
Mr Obama, who was woken at 4.30am yesterday to be told North Korea had fired a rocket that could be used as a long-range missile, pledged that the US would cut its nuclear arsenal, ratify the comprehensive test-ban treaty, and seek tougher penalties for states that break international non-proliferation rules.
He also announced plans to host a global summit this year on nuclear security, and take part in an initiative to create an international nuclear fuel bank to help states develop nuclear energy but not weapons.
“Some argue that the spread of these weapons cannot be stopped – such fatalism is a deadly adversary,” said Mr Obama, who nevertheless cautioned that the goal would take years to achieve and may not be possible during his lifetime.
In a speech to cheering crowds that evoked memories of past speeches in Europe by former presidents John F Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, he warned that the cold war had disappeared, but thousands of nuclear weapons had not.
“In a strange turn of history, the threat of global nuclear war has gone down, but the risk of a nuclear attack has gone up. More nations have acquired these weapons. Testing has continued. Black markets trade in nuclear secrets and materials. The technology to build a bomb has spread,” said Mr Obama, who warned that terrorists were determined to buy, build or steal a nuclear bomb.
The urgency of Mr Obama’s message was underscored by news that North Korea had fired a rocket, which the international community believes was a weapons test.
The UN Security Council met in emergency session yesterday to discuss the launch. EU leaders condemned it after their meeting with Mr Obama at an EU-US summit that followed his speech.
“The launch of a missile by North Korea defies UN Security Council resolutions and harms peace and stability in northeast Asia,” said a joint US-EU statement, which called on North Korea to give up its weapons programme and stop threatening its neighbours.
Mr Obama said tougher measures were needed to deal with states that broke the rules on proliferation.
“Rules must be binding, violations must be punished, words must mean something. The world must stand together to prevent the spread of these weapons. Now is the time for a strong international response,” he said in his speech.
He repeated his desire to engage with Iran, offering to support its right to peaceful nuclear energy with rigorous inspections. However, he said the US would continue to develop its missile defence shield until Iran’s intentions became clear.
“As long as the threat from Iran persists, we intend to go forward with a missile defence system that is cost-effective and proven. If the Iranian threat is eliminated, we will have a stronger basis for security, and the driving force for missile defence construction in Europe at this time will be removed,” said Mr Obama, who praised the Czech Republic and Poland for agreeing to host installations supporting the defence system.