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DALIY TRIUMPH-Projections of power

Projections of power
DAILY TRIUMPH By Andrew Nagorski 6 Nov 08 So the seemingly endless U.S. presidential campaign is finally ending………………………….. The most promising area for a dramatic new breakthrough could involve the biggest legacy of the cold war: both sides’ huge arsenals of nuclear weapons. Four American elder statesmen—former secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and George Shultz, former secretary of state William Perry and former senator Sam Nunn—have been advocating a nuclear “zero option”—the abolition of all nuclear weapons. Once seen as a purely utopian vision, this has stimulated a growing debate about massive cutbacks, which was the focus of a major EastWest Institute conference at the United Nations on Oct. 24. “Such initiatives deserve greater
support,” U.N. Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon told the gathering. He also urged all nations to seek an international convention on nuclear weapons backed by a strong verification system or to pursue separate agreements.
The United States and Russia, whose arsenals are still crammed with the most nuclear weapons, must lead the way. And in the current situation, the new American president is the only person who could give this initiative the impetus it truly needs. This is unlikely to lead to the “zero option,” but a growing number of experts are convinced it could produce a radical reduction in the size of both countries’ nuclear arsenals without eliminating their ability to defend themselves. Russia has continued to brandish its nuclear might as a means of clinging to the remnants of its superpower status; it is also acutely conscious of the limitations of its conventional forces—despite their muscle-flexing in Georgia. But a concerted effort by the United States and others to engage Russia on this issue could lead to the win-win situation that both sides need.

DALIY TRIUMPH-Projections of power

November 7, 2008 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized