Clinton Gives Acheson Lecture

“At the close of World War II, Acheson was serving as under secretary of state. Secretary of War Henry Stimson was the country’s leading advocate for nuclear arms control. But Stimson had a tough opponent in then Secretary of State James F. Byrnes, who wanted to leverage the United States’ nuclear advantage to the maximum extent possible. Acheson looked beyond the confines of his bureaucracy and joined with the secretary of war in favor of arms control. He recognized that the world was at a crossroads. And he saw that the United States had an obligation and an interest in working with other nations to curb the spread of the most dangerous weapons in history. Today, we find ourselves at yet another crossroads. . . .

 

We now face a different kind of threat, a threat that is more diffuse and perhaps even more dangerous. The range and intensity of current nuclear proliferation challenges is alarming. The nuclear threat cannot be checked by us acting alone. Whether we seek to prevent the smuggling of dangerous nuclear materials, establish a new international framework for civil nuclear energy cooperation, increase the IAEA’s budget or persuade governments with nuclear weapons ambitions to abandon their quest, we can only achieve our goals through cooperation with others. 

 

Clinging to nuclear weapons in excess of our security needs does not make the United States safer. And the nuclear status quo is neither desirable nor sustainable. It gives other countries the motivation or the excuse to pursue their own nuclear options. The right way to reduce our excess nuclear forces is in parallel with Russia. . . . But we must do more than reduce the numbers. . . . We believe now is the time for a look—a fresh look at the views on the role of the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal.

 

For almost two decades, and over four successive administrations, the United States has observed a moratorium on nuclear testing. . . . A test ban treaty that has entered into force will allow the United States and others to challenge states engaged in suspicious testing activities. . . . And make no mistake, other states—rightly or wrongly—view American ratification of the CTBT as a sign of our commitment to the nonproliferation consensus. Just as Acheson did in his time, we must meet this challenge by acting boldly, wisely, hopefully and in concert with other nations. And once again, if we do so, American leadership will ensure our security and the peace of future generations.”