"...History shows that we can get results when we work with other nations to enforce and, when necessary, strengthen the international laws and standards that discourage the spread of deadly weapons. For example, international agreements have succeeded in limiting the spread of nuclear weapons to a handful of nations, and these agreements have encouraged several nations -- like Brazil and South Africa -- to give up their plans for developing such weapons. International cooperation on chemical weapons has led to the destruction of millions of tons of chemical agents. Thanks to another cooperative agreement, the U.S. is helping Russia do a better job of monitoring and securing its nuclear weapons and materials; this joint program has also provided 40,000 weapons scientists in the former Soviet Union with funding for peaceful research, so they don't have to go looking for work in places like North Korea and Iran. There's much more to do, and in some areas we're moving too slowly. But we can build on these successes to tackle today's weapons challenges, if we muster the political will to do so..."

"...Many nations share our concern about the spread of deadly weapons, and history shows that we can get results when we work together to develop shared rules and enforcement mechanisms for dealing with this threat. Those rules and mechanisms can and should be strengthened, and the U.S. should play an important role in this process. But that's not all we can do. We should also support impartial international institutions, like the International Atomic Energy Agency, that go where individual nations can't go and exert pressure on behalf of the entire global community. Getting serious about prevention is critical too. We should play an active role in international diplomatic efforts to help resolve regional conflicts -- like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- that escalate tensions and create incentives for neighboring countries to develop deadly weapons. And we should increase our investment in proven, cooperative programs to help other countries do a better job of guarding their stockpiles of weapons and materials -- so terrorists aren't able to acquire or steal them. It's hard, expensive work, but when we use the full array of tools at our disposal, and share the burden with other nations, the odds are on our side. We can do it..."

"...For just 1 percent of the current defense budget, we could secure all the nuclear bomb material in the world, taking it off the black market for good. Getting more serious about measures to prevent proliferation would be a smart investment in our own security..."

"...Proliferation isn't just about "them" -- it's also about us. We can set a good example by significantly reducing the role of nuclear weapons in our own security policies. That would reduce the attractiveness and acceptability of these weapons in the eyes of other nations..."