Obama and Nukes

President Obama will preside over a meeting of the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council today, where he is expected to call for a vote on a draft resolution that would halt production of weapons-grade plutonium and uranium and would strengthen the global Non-Proliferation Treaty. The President has secured support from China and Russia, important allies who had both hesitated to back the resolution.

With the resolution, the President will clearly contrast his policies with those of former President George W. Bush, who generally did not have confidence in arms treaties. However, it became clear during President Obama’s speech to the U.N. General Assembly yesterday that some Bush era policies will remain: particularly those regarding Iran’s nuclear aspirations and the Middle East peace process. Obama called for accountability on the behalf of Iran and North Korea if they continued to pursue nuclear weapons, but did say he would remain committed to pursuing diplomatic solutions first. The President also claimed to have re-engaged the United Nations, after many in the U.N. believed the former administration isolated itself from the rest of the assembly.

Critics of the nuclear resolution believe it will likely not be ratified quickly, nor will it be enforceable. Supporters believe that if the resolution, along with the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which was defeated in the Senate in 1999, can be ratified now by the United States, other nations will quickly follow suit.