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Kenneth T. Walsh
During his campaign, President Obama promised to work more closely with U.S. allies around the world and to end the perceived go-it-alone attitude of his predecessor,
Obama told the assembled presidents and prime ministers that both the stakes and the need for international cooperation are higher than ever. That's because Obama says terrorists are making major efforts to obtain nuclear materials to use against
Obama added that a "new mindset" is needed, a shift away from preoccupation with the Cold War doctrine of mutually assured destruction in which
Now Obama and other leaders are proposing an entirely new approach that would focus not on the supremacy of fear between the superpowers, but instead emphasize keeping nukes from getting into the hands of what Bush used to call "the evil doers." In addition to the pledges by individual nations to better control their own nuclear material, the final communique at the security summit unanimously endorsed Obama's goal of all nations securing the most dangerous nuclear materials within four years. And the president, echoing scientist
The question is whether the world's leaders can agree on what materials are most vulnerable and how to protect them, and that remains to be seen. Cooperative rhetoric is easy when leaders sit around a table and talk about high-minded principles, but following through is a far bigger challenge.
Yet Obama did show that his global outreach can make a difference. Not only did he display an ease in dealing with other leaders in personal terms, he was also effective in persuading them to at least begin working more closely to limit the spread of nuclear-bomb components. He also won some additional support for strengthening sanctions against
As usual at such international gatherings, there was no enforcement mechanism to convert the promises into action. But in getting the pledges in the first place, Obama seemed to be reaping the benefits of the goodwill he has generated because of his let's-work-together approach. U.S. officials say his goal is to show that he wants his international counterparts to be willing partners, not rubber stamps, which is a significant change from the unilateralist Bush era. "First and foremost," says
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Willful Neglect: The Dangerous Illusion of Homeland Security
The Reluctant Spy: My Secret Life in the CIA's War on Terror
The Political Fix: Changing the Game of American Democracy, from the Grassroots to the White House