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Strengthen the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) aimed at stopping spread of weapons of mass destruction
"Barack Obama and Joe Biden will institutionalize the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), a global initiative aimed at stopping shipments of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials worldwide. They will expand the responsibilities of its members, not only in stopping illicit nuclear shipments, but also in eradicating nuclear black market networks. A stronger PSI will produce greater international intelligence and police cooperation, maintain tougher export controls and criminal penalties for violations in countries around the world, and apply the tools developed to combat terrorist financing to shut down proliferators' financial networks."
Sources: "Obama-Biden: Confronting 21st Century Threats"
Subjects: Foreign Policy, Nuclear
Obama promotes 2010 summit that includes Proliferation Security Initiative
Updated: Friday, October 30th, 2009 | By Robert Farley
In a speech in Prague on April 5, President Barack Obama reiterated his intent to strengthen the Proliferation Security Initiative to stop the black-market spread of weapons of mass destruction.
"We must also build on our efforts to break up black markets, detect and intercept materials in transit, and use financial tools to disrupt this dangerous trade," Obama said. "Because this threat will be lasting, we should come together to turn efforts such as the Proliferation Security Initiative and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism into durable international institutions. And we should start by having a Global Summit on Nuclear Security that the United States will host within the next year."
In July, leaders of the G-8, a group of the world's advanced countries, endorsed Obama's vision. "We maintain our support for the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), which plays an important part in preventing and countering proliferation of WMD, their delivery systems and related materials," the group said in a statement. "We recognize the progress in combating the financing of proliferation activities, and the role of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)."
The Global Summit on Nuclear Security that Obama talked about in his April speech has been set for March 2010. We'll have to wait until then to get a better idea whether Obama will fulfill this promise. But Obama has clearly set this one in motion, enough to warrant a rating of In the Works.
Sources: White House Web site, press release: "Addressing the Nuclear Threat: Fulfilling the Promise of Prague at the L’Aquila Summit," July 8, 2009 Time, "Signs At Obama's Speech in Prague," by Michael Scherer, April 5, 2009 G8 Web site, L'Aquila Statement on Non-Proliferation , July 2009
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