John Edwards on nuclear weapons

Council for a Livable World : A January 2007 op-ed in the Wall Street Journal by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State George Shultz, former Senator Sam Nunn, and former Secretary of Defense William Perry called for moving toward a “world free of nuclear weapons” and urged the United States to lead an international effort to reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles. Do you support or oppose their proposal?

JOHN EDWARDS - I support this proposal. We should aspire to a nuclear-free world. Working with the international community to reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles will be one of my top priorities as president. The very existence of nuclear weapons and the possibility that new states might acquire them presents one of the greatest threats to international peace and stability. States like Iran and North Korea can sell dangerous technologies to terrorists intent on doing us harm. Nearly two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, hundreds of tons of nuclear materials - enough material to produce over 60,000 Hiroshima-size bombs - and 20,000 nuclear warheads remain at risk in Russia. A recent study concluded that 60% of the country’s nuclear materials have not been secured. Unfortunately, the Bush administration has failed to address this challenge in any serious, sustained way - a policy failure that must be reversed.

Citizens For Global Solutions : Stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and technology is one of our most important international goals, and we need to do much more to reduce the number of nuclear weapons and keep these weapons out of terrorists’ hands. Instead of producing new nuclear weapons, we need to focus our attention on keeping America safe through proven methods, such as securing the existing stockpile of weapons and ensuring that terrorists are denied access to them, strengthening security at our ports and vital infrastructure - like chemical and power plants -- and investing in maintenance of our equipment after the disastrous war in Iraq.

We should aspire to a nuclear-free world. The U.S. must abide by our commitment to NPT, and set an example for others to follow. Working with the international community to reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles will be one of my top priorities as president. The very existence of nuclear weapons and the possibility that new states might acquire them presents one of the greatest threats to international peace and stability. States like Iran and North Korea can sell dangerous technologies to terrorists intent on doing us harm. Nearly two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, hundreds of tons of nuclear materials—enough material to produce over 60,000 Hiroshima-size bombs—and 20,000 nuclear warheads remain at risk in Russia. A recent study concluded that 60% of the country’s nuclear materials have not been secured. Unfortunately, the Bush administration has failed to address t his challenge in any serious, sustained way—a policy failure that must be reversed. The U.S. will set the example for others to follow by making sure we abide by our own NPT commitments. This means opposing any plans to build new nuclear weapons and gradually reducing existing stockpiles in conjunction with other nations such as Russia.

Within six months of taking office, I will convene a summit of leading nations to develop a new Global Nuclear Compact, which will increase the international community’s role in providing access to fuel for peaceful nuclear programs and for reacquiring and storing wastes produced by them; strengthen security for existing stocks of dangerous nuclear materials; limit the capabilities of dangerous states to make such materials; and ensure more frequent verification that materials are not being diverted and facilities not being misused. International experts should be given authority to mount challenge inspections, without notice, in countries that have a record of past noncompliance with their obligations. Any country that joins the NPT, and then opts out, or that violates the rules of the Global Nuclear Compact, will be subject to strong, immediate and multilateral penalties aimed specifically at its military capabilities.