NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR/UN: “A United Nations disarmament panel presented the first draft on Monday [5-22-17] of a proposed global treaty to ban nuclear weapons, which advocates called an important step that could hasten completion of a final text by early July.
Nuclear powers including the United States have boycotted the negotiations for such a treaty, calling its goals naïve and unattainable — especially at a time when North Korea has threatened to launch nuclear-armed missiles at its enemies.
But those nations’ longstanding argument for deterrence — that the best way to keep nuclear arms from being used is to hold the ability to retaliate in kind — has failed to halt the momentum in the negotiations. The first round was held in March, and the effort is supported by more than 120 countries.”
-Rick Gladstone, “U.N. Panel Releases Draft of Treaty to Ban Nuclear Arms,” The New York Times online, May 22, 2017