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Former German chancellor, Helmut Schmidt, and former chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, Sam Nunn, contributed to International Herald Tribune's Saturday IHT Global Opinion. They gave their take on the spread of nuclear weapons - and what should be done about it:
In May, NATO leaders will meet in Chicago, preceded by a meeting of foreign and defense ministers this coming week in Brussels. The urgent question facing the alliance is how NATO can make a positive contribution to nuclear threat reduction in light of these converging developments. While America bears a special responsibility, nuclear policy must also be addressed within Europe, and NATO allies should strive to move together with a sense of urgency on core nuclear issues.
In this context, we believe the drafting of NATO’s Deterrence and Defense Posture Review tasked at the 2010 Lisbon summit provides an opportunity to set a solid foundation for NATO nuclear policy. Importantly, it would also provide a basis for a new process of engagement with Russia and other nuclear-weapons-capable states. Negotiations aimed at substantially reducing the number of nuclear weapons must continue, initially between the United States and Russia, in order to encourage and ensure that the other countries possessing such weapons will join this process.
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In May, NATO leaders will meet in Chicago, preceded by a meeting of foreign and defense ministers this coming week in Brussels. The urgent question facing the alliance is how NATO can make a positive contribution to nuclear threat reduction in light of these converging developments. While America bears a special responsibility, nuclear policy must also be addressed within Europe, and NATO allies should strive to move together with a sense of urgency on core nuclear issues.
In this context, we believe the drafting of NATO’s Deterrence and Defense Posture Review tasked at the 2010 Lisbon summit provides an opportunity to set a solid foundation for NATO nuclear policy. Importantly, it would also provide a basis for a new process of engagement with Russia and other nuclear-weapons-capable states. Negotiations aimed at substantially reducing the number of nuclear weapons must continue, initially between the United States and Russia, in order to encourage and ensure that the other countries possessing such weapons will join this process.
Read the rest
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