McClatchy: Nuclear weapons treaties: No nukes is good nukes

[babylonsister]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/17346.html

Nuclear weapons treaties: No nukes is good nukes
By Jonathan S. Landay | McClatchy Newspapers


WASHINGTON — Breaking with its closest ally, Britain Monday called on the United States to help renew a drive for global nuclear disarmament by joining Russia in reducing the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals lower than the Bush administration says it can go.

British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said the United States also should ratify a global ban on underground nuclear testing and agree with Russia to extend the verification measures the two countries use to monitor each other's arsenals beyond a December 2009 expiration date, steps the Bush administration opposes.

"What we need is both vision — a scenario for a world free of nuclear weapons — and action — progressive steps to reduce warhead numbers and to limit the role of nuclear weapons in security policy," said Beckett.

Her speech to an international arms control conference a stone's throw from the White House appeared to signal that incoming British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will not provide President Bush with the same lock-step support that cost his predecessor, Tony Blair, so much popularity.

more...

[Tom Joad]

1. A good place to start is in the Middle East. It would help US negotioation position if it supported

a nuclear-free middle east, instead of turning a blind eye to Israel's nukes and then insisting, under military threat, to halt Iran's nuclear program.