World leader to try to ban nuclear weapons

Washington: A new international group committed to eliminating nuclear weapons over the next 25 years has enlisted scores of world leaders as its campaign gets under way at a conference in Paris on Tuesday.

"The aim is to get to zero," said Richard Burt, chief strategic weapons negotiator for President George H.W. Bush.

Even Iran is considered a potential supporter, he said in an interview.

"If there is growing support by nuclear powers and public opinion worldwide, I think it becomes harder for any government, including Iran, to cross that barrier," Burt said.

The group, Global Zero, is proposing deep cuts in US and Russian nuclear arsenals, a verification and enforcement system, and phased reduction leading to the elimination of
all stockpiles.

After the kickoff meeting, delegations will go to Moscow for talks with Russian officials on Wednesday and to Washington to see Bush administration officials and possibly advisers to President-elect Barack Obama on Thursday.

"In recent months, the threat of proliferation and nuclear terrorism has led to a growing chorus of world leaders calling for the elimination of all nuclear weapons," the group said in a statement announcing its plans.

There are an estimated 20,000 or more nuclear weapons around the world. The nuclear-armed nations are the US, Russia, Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and, presumably, Israel.