Tag Archives: nuclear security summit

Access versus Privacy

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A Washington Post column published April 14 has generated quite the debate over freedom of the press versus the need to keep certain governmental matters private.

The article, Obama’s disregard for media reaches new heights at nuclear summit received 1300 comments within an hour of its posting. The summit, which brought leaders of 47 nations together for a series of meetings, led to an agreement among nations to take meaningful steps to secure nuclear materials.

In his column, Dana Milbank is critical of the administration’s decision to keep meetings private. “Reporters, even those on the White House beat for two decades, said these were the most restricted such meetings they had ever seen,” he writes.

Many of the commentors agree with Milbank. They note that it wasn’t just meetings that were closed off to the press, but in many cases ceremonial meet and greets were also limited.

But others point out this: consider the context of the summit. Nuclear proliferation is a matter of national, in fact international, security. There is a need to keep certain discussions private. Also, leaders may feel they are able to be more frank with one another without the glare of cameras.

What do you think?

Nations Make Nuclear Security Agreements at President's Summit

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Representatives from 46 countries attended President Obama’s Nuclear Security Summit April 12-13 in Washington, D.C.

“We have the opportunity, as individual nations, to take specific and concrete actions to secure the nuclear materials in our countries and to prevent illicit trafficking and smuggling,” Obama said.

The goal of the talks between the nations was to prevent nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists. Media reported it as the largest gathering of world leaders called by an American president since President Franklin Roosevelt hosted a 1945 meeting that began the United Nations.

For Obama, the summit followed his April 8 nuclear nonproliferation treaty with Russia, where both countries have agreed to decrease nuclear arms by 30 percent.

Among those in attendance were Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chinese Jordanian President Hu Jintao, King Abdullah, Malaysian Prime Minister Mohamed Najib Abdul Razak and Armenian President Serzh Sargsian.

The White House reported that several nations have come to agreements that include:

Chile has shipped its highly enriched uranium to the United States; Ukraine has agreed to ship its highly enriched uranium out of the country within two years; and Canada has agreed to ship its used highly enriched uranium to the United States.

And the United States and Russia have both agreed to eliminate enough plutonium for approximately 17,000 nuclear weapons.

South Korea has agreed to host the next Nuclear Security Summit in 2012.

White House Will Host 47 Nations in Nuke Talks

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The White House will host world leaders representing 47 countries at the Nuclear Security Summit April 12-13.

“The pursuit of peace and calm and cooperation among nations is the work of both leaders and peoples in the 21st century,” Obama said in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday.

Next week, world leaders will discuss the prevention of the spread of nuclear weapons, preventing the trafficking of these weapons on the black market and keeping them out of the hands of terrorist organizations.

The Washington, D.C., summit follows President Barack Obama’s signing of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty with Russia.

Under the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), the United States has agreed with Russia to begin decreasing nuclear arms by 30 percent. But the president said this was not enough.

“This is a well-crafted treaty that meets the interests of both countries; that meets the interests of the world in the United States and Russia reducing its nuclear arsenals and setting the stage for potentially further reductions in the future,” Obama said.

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Obama and Medvedev sign the START nuclear nonproliferation treaty April 8. World leaders will gather in Washington April 12-13 to discuss nonproliferation among 47 nations.