A carnival atmosphere has followed Obama on his eight-day Europen tour, writes JAMIE SMYTHIn Prague
US PRESIDENT Barack Obama continued his whistlestop tour of Europe with an ambitious pledge to do everything in his power to rid the world of nuclear weapons.
“As the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to act,” said Obama in a speech to 20,000 people in Prague, which reiterated his policy of building global alliances to combat the world’s biggest problems.
His open air speech next to Prague castle, which was aptly prefaced by music from U2’s album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, laid out a new US strategy for nuclear disarmament. He also said North Korea would be “punished” for attempting to fire a rocket into space that could be used as a long-range missile.
While admitting that the goal of a nuclear-free world might not happen during his lifetime, he committed to push for US ratification of the 13-year-old comprehensive test-ban treaty, a treaty that prohibits all nuclear tests but that has not yet been implemented. He also pledged to host a summit this year to: co-ordinate efforts to secure nuclear materials; outlaw the production of material to make nuclear weapons; and create an international nuclear fuel bank to help states that want to develop nuclear energy.
Evoking memories of the Prague Spring in 1968 – when Soviet tanks brutally crushed the beginnings of democratic protest in Czechoslovakia – he said no one would have thought then it would be possible for a US president to deliver a speech in the city. He praised the peaceful Velvet Revolution of 1989, noting young people can bring change.
“Some argue that the spread of these weapons cannot be stopped – such fatalism is a deadly adversary,” he said.
“Obama talks about hope and bringing people in a positive direction,” said Josef Havela, a 64-year-old retired lawyer from Prague, who queued from 4.30am to hear the speech. “I hope he talks about how the US will agree with the Muslim world and fight terrorism.”
EU leaders, who met Obama later for an EU-US summit, praised the new era of partnership with the US, particularly on climate change and efforts to deal with the economic crisis. But closer US friendship also brings with it more US demands, a point underlined by Obama’s request for more troops for Afghanistan and his call for EU membership to be extended to Turkey, where he travelled to last night. French president Nicolas Sarkozy responded in typically blunt fashion, saying it was up to the EU to decide who joins the union.
But the carnival atmosphere that has followed Obama on his eight-day European tour was not spoiled. Even Czech prime minister Mirek Topolánek, who last week described the president’s economic policies as “the road to hell” was effusive in his praise for Obama, saying his speech was “brilliant”.
Following the collapse of the Czech government, which holds the six-month EU presidency, local politicians were noticeably absent from Obama’s official programme in Prague.
Czech president Vaclav Klaus, who does not believe in climate change – a key theme of Obama’s presidency – did not announce the US president to the crowd. After meeting Klaus at the airport briefly on Saturday, Obama also chose to take the night off with his wife rather than take part in official meetings.
The current political instability in Prague was underlined by sporadic booing when Klaus was pictured on the big screen taking his seat for Obama’s speech. “I booed Klaus because I think he was the one that masterminded the collapse of the government. This was bad timing during a presidency and when the economy is in crisis,” said Filip Langan (29), a manager living in Prague.
There was a small protest after the speech by members of the Humanist Society, who are protesting plans by the US to base a radar station in the Czech Republic.
“About 70 per cent of Czechs oppose hosting this radar and we appeal to the president to set an example and cancel this plan,” said Michaela Svarcova, a 22-year-old student dressed in a radiation protection suit.
Obama disappointed the protesters by refusing to abandon missile defence. “As long as the threat from Iran persists, we will go forward with the missile system,” he said. “If the Iranian threat is eliminated, we will have a stronger basis for security, and the driving force for missile construction in Europe will be removed.”