Military

Preventing Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Weapons Terrorism

John Kerry for President

There is no greater threat to America's security than the potential that terrorists could acquire chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons. John Kerry and John Edwards believe that preventing terrorists from gaining access to these weapons is our number one national security priority.

Defeating this threat requires American leadership of the highest order - leadership that brings our allies to greater collaboration, our friends to greater vigilance, our partners to greater participation. Unfortunately, the Bush administration's policies have moved America in the opposite direction. They have weakened international agreements and initiatives to enforce non-proliferation instead of strengthening them. They have not done nearly enough to secure existing stockpiles and bomb-making materials. They have failed to take effective steps to stop the North Korean and Iranian nuclear programs. Our security requires an immediate change of course.

John Kerry has proposed a comprehensive strategy that uses all of our resources and the might of our alliances to:

• Safeguard Existing Stockpiles of Dangerous Weapons and Materials including an acceleration of programs to secure all nuclear weapons and materials within the former Soviet Union, and at research reactors in countries outside the former Soviet Union, within 4 years.

• End Production of New Fissile Material for Nuclear Weapons by negotiating a global ban on production of new material.

• Reduce Existing Stocks of Nuclear Weapons and Materials by ending development of the new generation of nuclear weapons, accelerating reductions in U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals, and reducing stocks of dangerous highly enriched uranium in Russia.

• End Nuclear Weapons Programs in Hostile States, including by prioritizing negotiations with North Korea to ensure the complete, irreversible and verifiable elimination of its nuclear weapons program, and leading a global effort to prevent Iran from obtaining the materials necessary to build nuclear weapons.

• Enhance International Efforts to Eliminate Illegal Trafficking Networks by toughening export controls, stiffening penalties, and strengthening law enforcement and intelligence sharing as well as improving the proliferation security initiative.

Appoint a presidential coordinator to prevent nuclear terrorism who will focus exclusively on directing a top line effort to secure all nuclear weapons and materials around the world and prevent a nuclear terrorist attack.