Dubai: The real danger of the nuclear arms race is the possibility of the weapons being stolen or sold to rogue organisations, former US president Bill Clinton said here on Friday.
Lauding America's efforts to get economic sanctions imposed to deter countries from obtaining nuclear weapons, Clinton said, "In the place of one country there could be 20 countries that possess these weapons like the UAE or Saudi Arabia which can afford to have one.
"But the big danger is not so much that the countries will use them. But they are very expensive and difficult to maintain and secure. So the more countries that have nuclear weapons, the more likely it is that they can be stolen or sold or given away to non-state groups, that will think nothing of building a suitcase bomb."
Bill Clinton was addressing a packed audience at the GEMS World Academy in Al Barsha.
Clinton's visit to the school marks a strategic partnership between his Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) and GEMS education to provide access to quality education to underprivileged communities across the globe.
CGI was established in 2005 by Clinton to address some of the most pressing problems like social injustice, health care and climate change after his eventful term as the 42nd US president ended.
Donation
A cheque for Dh100,000 collected by students of Dubai American Academy, another GEMS school for the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund was given to Clinton during the event.
Receiving the donation, Clinton said, "The cheque I received from the students is symbolic of the positive aspects of the 21st century. The world requires us to go beyond our borders and that our money, time and talent as private citizens should be used for the public good."
Underlining the role of public private partnerships in mitigating global issues, Clinton said there will always be a gap between what the public sector can provide and the private sector produces.
"It is in this gap that the work of non-governmental work of the world takes place," he said, drawing a witty parallel between how he and his wife Hillary Clinton, now US Secretary of State, has swapped roles wherein "she wields all the powers and I work as a private citizen for public good."
