Albright calls for better nuke treaty

[cal04]

Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and ex-Defence Secretaries Robert McNamara and William Perry have called on the Bush administration and other governments to strengthen a pivotal treaty designed to stem the spread of nuclear weapons.

Stockpiles of highly enriched uranium and plutonium, the fuel of nuclear bombs, pose today's greatest threat and "remain far too accessible to terrorists as a result of inadequate security and accounting at nuclear facilities" in the former Soviet Union and in dozens of other countries, 23 former US and European officials said.

The treaty, supported by 186 countries, will be reviewed at a nearly month-long conference beginning May 2 in New York. Some 180 governments are expected to attend, with about 50 foreign ministers on hand. The treaty, which took effect 30 years ago, permits nations with nuclear weapons to retain them, but to set disarmament as a goal. Non-nuclear nations that sign the treaty pledge not to acquire the weapons.

The statement - issued by Albright, McNamara, Perry and the other ex-officials - noted with concern that North Korea had announced it was withdrawing from the treaty. Also, they said, "we have seen new and more deadly forms of terrorism, wars, nuclear black markets" and governments cheating on the treaty. They urged next month's review conference to adopt tighter rules to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons as well as more effective regional arrangements.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Albright-calls-for-better-nuke-treaty/2005/04/07/1112815638412.html

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