Wall Street Journal: Obama Legacy on Nuclear Arms Under Threat
As Iran talks enter critical stage, arms expansion elsewhere threatens key U.S. policy goal
WASHINGTON—As international talks over Iran’s nuclear program enter their critical final stage this month, a key goal of President Barack Obama’s presidency—curtailing the world-wide nuclear threat—hangs in the balance.
Mr. Obama’s campaign to stem the spread of nuclear weapons was cited as a main reason for his 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, but that signature effort has been bogged down amid a resurgence of Middle East turmoil, tensions between the U.S. and Russia and the growth of North Korea’s arsenal.
Senior U.S. officials cite the impending deal with Iran as a major step toward Mr. Obama’s nonproliferation objective. But many nonproliferation concerns have grown. Chinese scientists warned the U.S. in recent months that North Korea has expanded its arsenal to about 20 atomic bombs. And developing countries negotiating the future of the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty at the United Nations last month, meanwhile, sharply criticized the U.S. and Russia for not doing enough to shrink their nuclear-weapons arsenals.
WNU Editor: Countries like North Korea will pursue nuclear arms regardless of international opinion and/or President Obama's strategies .... and the reason why is simple .... we do not have any leverage on them. Iran is a slightly different situation because it is a case where President Obama decided to pursue a nuclear agreement with them for the sole purpose of limiting their nuclear arms ambitions in return on the lifting of sanctions .... unfortunately (and not surprising) Iran has not been forthcoming, and the result will probably not satisfy those who want to limit their nuclear program. This weakness .... and failure .... will probably result in other nations pursuing policies to counter this failure. Case in point .... Saudi Arabia is already hinting that they will develop their own nuclear program, and one can only surmise what countries like Turkey, Egypt, and others in the region may do. Is this President Obama's fault .... not really .... but he cannot claim a legacy that he made the world safer from nuclear weapons ...which was the main reason why they gave him a Nobel Peace Prize in the first place.
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