Now what are they up to?
The United States on Thursday proposed that the 65-nation Conference on Disarmament negotiate a new treaty banning production of the nuclear material needed to make atomic bombs.
Stephen G. Rademaker, acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for arms control, told the body that developments in the nuclear programs in North Korea and Iran showed it was time for a rapid agreement on the treaty to ban production of plutonium and highly enriched uranium, known as "fissile material."
"The treaty text that we are putting forward contains the essential provisions that would comprise a successful legally binding FMCT," or Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty, Rademaker said.
"It bans ... the production of fissile material for use in nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices," he said.
Now what are they up to? The most obvious is that they are looking for a new lever to use against Iran, but this proposal appears to be more of a pure fluff piece. Then again, if it contains an enforcement section but no pesky verification section it could be a very handy justification for invasions.
And I can't believe this White House would agree to one that barred the US from ever making new nuclear devices. Possibly they figure the US has enough enriched material to last us for centuries, and figure this will give the US a good bar against anybody ever being allowed to join the club.
Jay