The citation for his Nobel Peace Prize later in 2009 praised his “vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons”. The Defence Department was directed to “strengthen non-nuclear capabilities and reduce the role of nuclear weapons in deterring non-nuclear attacks”. Mr. Obama also launched the cycle of Nuclear Security Summits in 2010 to highlight the threats posed by terrorists seeking nuclear materials. The Nuclear Security Summits created the buzz normally associated with summitry but remained content with shared best practices and voluntarily announced measures. Further, it can permit the U.S. to question the need for tactical nuclear weapons or even vulnerable ICBMs that are maintained on high alert.

Source: The Hindu September 06, 2016 19:18 UTC