Obama's Nonproliferation Initiatives Seen Losing Steam

Obama's Nonproliferation Initiatives Seen Losing Steam

from GSN Daily News

President Obama's bid to pursue a nuclear weapon-free world and counter the threat of nuclear-armed extremists has foundered following early successes, and the intensifying U.S. electoral race diminishes the likelihood of significant new accomplishments by his administration in either area, Reuters reported on Tuesday (see GSN, Sept. 30, 2011).
Obama's past steps have included restricting the circumstances under which the United States could employ its atomic arsenal in conflict, as well as shepherding to ratification a strategic nuclear arms control treaty with Russia (see GSN, March 15). The president's administration is now formulating potential steps for further reducing the size of the U.S. nuclear stockpile (see GSN, Feb. 15).
Some foreign policy hard-liners consider a number of Obama's atomic policies to be political weaknesses in this year's presidential campaign (see GSN, Feb. 21).
"Instead of dealing with real nuclear threats like Iran and North Korea, he's going to magic shows and talking about a world without nuclear weapons, which would be a much less safe world for the United States," former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton said.