Obama to Push Arms Control With Moscow

In Singapore for APEC Meeting, President Will Seek to Advance New Nuke Pact with Medvedev

(AP)  A major pact within tantalizing reach, President Barack Obama aims to nudge forward an arms-control deal in talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

The 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum brought Mr. Obama to Singapore, but he is focusing on individual meetings Sunday with Medvedev and with Indonesia's Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, president of the world's largest Muslim nation (and the president's home as a boy). The U.S.-Russia meeting takes place as the nations seek a successor to a Cold War-era agreement.

President Obama also planned another milestone: joining a larger meeting that includes the leader of military-ruled Myanmar. Mr. Obama is sure to face criticism at home, particularly from conservatives, for doing so - a significant step up in his administration's new policy of "pragmatic engagement" that is a shift from years of U.S. isolation and sanctions.

Obama Calls for U.S. Engagement with Asia
Notebook: Obama in Japan
Unplugged: Obama's Asia Trip Preview
Photos: President Obama in Japan

President Obama and Medvedev agreed in April to reach a new nuclear arms reduction treaty to replace Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty 1 before it expires on Dec. 5. Later, in Moscow in July, they agreed further to cut the number of nuclear warheads each nation possesses to between 1,500 and 1,675 within seven years.

U.S. officials say that the two nations now have agreed on the broad outlines of a new treaty, with the expectation that the leaders will sign one during President Obama's travels to Europe in early December to accept the Nobel Peace Prize.

Such an agreement would be a big feather in President Obama's cap and bragging rights toward his promise to work toward a nuclear-free world, offering momentum for other arms-control and nonproliferation efforts. The president has been hinting at his optimism on the issue leading up to and during his Asia trip.

"We are already taking steps to bring down our nuclear stockpiles in cooperation with the Russian government," he said during a news conference in Japan with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.

A new treaty also could boost relations with Russia at a time that Washington is looking for its cooperation on issues including reining in Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Negotiators already have worked through a number of contentious issues and agreed on the number of warheads, the number of delivery systems and what will count as a delivery system, officials said.

The remaining issues in negotiations involve procedures for the two countries to verify that the other side is meeting the terms of the treaty, two administration officials said speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.

"I don't foresee a major problem that can't be resolved within the next four weeks," said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, which follows the negotiations. "Neither side wants to go without a new agreement for very long."

Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser to President Obama, suggested it wasn't likely the leaders would announce a breakthrough but that holding talks at such a high level while they are going on could help bring one about.

The existing START treaty, signed by Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and President George H.W. Bush in 1991, led each country to cut its nuclear warheads by at least one-quarter, to about 6,000. In 2002, Presidents Vladimir Putin and George W. Bush signed the Treaty of Moscow, which specified further cuts to between 1,700 and 2,200 operationally deployed warheads by 2012.

The U.S. now has about 2,200 such warheads deployed, compared to about 2,800 for the Russians.

Once a deal is signed, it still would need ratification by the Russian Duma and the U.S. Senate to take effect.

Myanmar, also known as Burma, is a member of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, and President Obama is sitting in on their summit. A U.S. president has never met with a leader of the Burmese junta, one of the world's worst human-rights offenders.

Despite the new engagement, the Obama administration has said that sanctions will not be lifted unless Burma's rulers make democratic progress, such as releasing opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and democracy icon who has been under house arrest for most of the last two decades.

Obama aides as well as outside Asia experts have defended the administration's new gamble on Burma, even while admitting it may not succeed.

"One definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome," said Jeffrey Bader, President's Obama's top Asia adviser.

[RunsWithWolves]

by askagain November 15, 2009 1:10 AM EST
You make it sound like no one benefited from the Bush years. The reality is a lot of people, normal Americans, did very well under President Bush. The truth contradicts all of your claims. That includes Democrats and Republicans alike. My net worth is higher than it has ever been. But I belong to the group of people who make things happen.

AskAgain:
Oh you are right that plenty of wealthy Americans benefited from the Bush years! We all know how well the wealthiest Americans did during the Bush years. They benefited from the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy and favorable (little regulation) terms so we could all be raped by Wall Street in the financial meltdown. Under Bush the super wealthy got much much wealthier at the expense of our nations financial health.

[askagain]

There is no reason not to dress in the clothing of another culture for a photo shoot. It symbolizes respect for that culture. If memory serves me correctly, President Obama did not bow when he was introduced to the queen of England. That showed a disdain for the royalty of England. There is always a message in the way people behave.

[searingtruth]

"We found ourselves left to the whims and consequence of a barbarity we ourselves embraced."
SearingTruth

A Future of the Brave

[bigermay]

PRESIDENT OBAMA IS WISELY NEGOTIATING WITH RUSSIA. IT WILL LEAD TO A NEW RUSSIAN ASCENDANCY ALREADY UNDERWAY AS THE RUBBLE RISES. THE USA AND ISRAEL GET THE OK TO DEGRADE EXTREMIST ISLAM. SEE THE BOOKS ABOUT IT:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=MENDEL+EDWARDSON&x=7&y=

ALSO, ON YOUTUBE.COM - SEE THE VIDEOS UNDER THE USERNAME "AMMENUEL".

BE PREPARED TO BE SHOCKED AND FACE THE TRUTH AND HELP OUR COUNTRY.

[searingtruth]

"If I had any concern for human rights at all I would vote for those who advocate them openly and regularly, not for those who simply whisper their nobility into my ear."
SearingTruth

A Future of the Brave

[YourVeryWrong]

Best part was when they all agreed that upon leaving office, their first goal would be to get a Pacific Rim job. Which the Chinese delegation reports is now more difficult to obtain there.

[babooph]

The shot affirms my awareness that a modern US president must be tall ,with hair-[more important than being a white guy now]-adds to the international importance-maybe why he cannot be photoed with Assad?Ike,one of the best, would now have to wear a piece & Sarcozy shoes...

[jgg000015]

They look like the Supercuts graduating class.

[erb0087]

"Obama looks so at home in his Muslim garb. It suits him so well."
- by BryanW217c November 14, 2009 2:54 PM EST

================================

That isn't Muslim garb, silly.

They're wearing Starship Enterprise uniforms.

The APEC Forum has a Star Trek theme this year.

[hungry1968-17]

by bann65 November 14, 2009 5:35 PM EST
Obama is a socialist and a marxist. This administration and their policies are one unmitigated disaster after another.
Anyone having confidence in Obama is not dealing with reality.







The preceding message has been brought to you by Michael Steele, in accordance with Fat Rush Productions, and this smear and BS is patent pending.

[jimmytoh-2009]

It was Bush and the Republicans brought this country to its knees after 8 years wreckless spending on wars which was not worth the fight at all. Obama is merely picking up the mess that left by the previous administration. How convenient it is to push all the blames on Obama. From day one, he worked hard to prevent this country into great depression. Republicans just shut up! How dare you call him socialist when you are the one who wrecked this beloved country of ours!!!

[askagain]

You make it sound like no one benefited from the Bush years. The reality is a lot of people, normal Americans, did very well under President Bush. The truth contradicts all of your claims. That includes Democrats and Republicans alike. My net worth is higher than it has ever been. But I belong to the group of people who make things happen.

[MalloryDavis]

How quickly they forget 9-11. Yea the whole taco is Bush's. Please.

[OregonJames]

A question for everyone; How many nuclear warheads should it take to satisfy the security of the US, Russia, China, or any other nation? What number of warheads are required to keep America safe?

[hungry1968-17]

That depends:

If you're a war mongering neo con that believes in limitless defense spending, and endless amounts of money kicked back to the military industrial complex, then the answer is AT LEAST one for every man woman and child, in accordance with the Second Amendment and the fictional belief that only WEAPONS ensure self defense and protection.

If you're a human being however, you'll say that the point is moot, because ANY nuclear weapon is one too many.

[dronemonk]

Such propaganda. Our economy is in shambles, we have failed in our responsibilities as stewards of the US dollar, and Obama wants to talk about nukes like it's the grand old deficit spending days of the cold war. Those days are gone. It's a new world order out there folks. And we ain't invited to the captain's table. Now, we have to find a way to enjoy life under our new wastrel high finance overlords who spent everything so they could stay rich.

[bann65]

Obama is a socialist and a marxist. This administration and their policies are one unmitigated disaster after another.
Anyone having confidence in Obama is not dealing with reality.

[bill0bob]

"Obama is a socialist and a marxist." -- bann65

Pick one or the other, retard. He can't be both.

Do you even know what those words mean? No, of course, you don't. You are an imbecile.

As it turns out, Obama is the democratically elected president of the United States of America-- a democratic republic. That is very definitely NOT a socialist or a marxist.

You hate mongers simply make me sick. Your ignorance is so vast that you have no connection at all to reality. It's a wonder you can even manage to type the words into your computer to express your "ideas".

[bann65]

The republicans are the ONLY ones who know hwo to run the economy and get this country rolling. Case in point......Obama.........LOL, Gheitner,LOL, Rahmie, LOL.

[bill0bob]

Sorry, moron! Every single time republicans have been in control, the economy has tanked. The Bush recession started 1 year before Obama was elected president. Whether or not Obama can actually fix all the chaos Bush and Cheney caused is an open question. But you have to be a complete imbecile to think that repukes can fix what they broke.

[veteran71]

Obama to Push Arms Control With Moscow

Meanwhile, congress authorizes another $Trillion$ for War Contractors in Afghanistan and Iraq......

Cup of Cheneyburton Coffee - $5 bux
Gallon of Poppylyle Group Gasoline - $400 bux

Cha-Ching!!!! Is this a great police state, er, I mean, country, or what???......

[bann65]

Why isn't this money-spending, guy here taking care of our country which "incidently", we pay him for.................. So far he's put this nation into more debt than ever before, for his AGENDA. There has NEVER seen such low IQed, uncaring people, as Obama and his regime, running or should I say ruining this country before!

[reveal4]

bann65...Your post is unsupported by fact. You say Obama has put this nation into more debt than ever before. Actually, Reagan and the Bushes are responsible for 80 of 83% of the national debt as compared to GDP. You talk about low iq'ed people. It's self descriptive in your case, apparently. Imagining factual information is not the same as actual information. Fantasy is not reality.

[dolansprings]

There has NEVER seen such low IQed, uncaring people, as Obama and his regime, running or should I say ruining this country before!
Bann65:
Oh, I guess you forgot about bush who had a low IQ, and did his best to ruin this country. Those mental lapses could get you into trouble

[Mkw789]

You get to employ a carrot + stick approach when you are talking. When you isolate, it's just stick. So the opposite side hardens, and 3rd parties don't come over to your side of the matter -- saw a cool site; Balkingpoints ; incredible satellite view of earth

[reveal4]

Nobel Prize, reduction of earth threatening nuclear stockpiles..."Yes We Can", if we don't let the least educated, most irrational, most uninformed, least cognitive, goofballs in America direct, in any way the course of events. The village idiot, pitchfork wielding, grumpy geezer club must not be allowed to have any influence on the President.

[prairiefox]

BUSH AND DRAFT DODGER DID PROTECT THIS COUNTRY! TRUE THEY WERE SO CAUGHT UP WITH THE WAR OTHER THINGS WERE NEGLECTED! LIKE THE GREEDY DESTROYING THE ECONOMY! BUT HE DID PROTECT US FROM ANOTHER ATTACK!
COME ON AND GIVE THE GUY SOME CREDIT!

[bhrater]

Bush and the draft dodger Cheney did nothing for this country, after eight years they couldn't catch Bin Ladin. Attacked the wrong country and tortured prisoners against the Geneva convention which means it's going to be hard to convict them in court. making cleaning the mess up even harder. They tapped my phone without telling me, and increased the size of government. Lied about how much money was being spent on the wars! Blew the cover of CIA operatives. WOW they really looked after us didn't they. While the world looked on and said WOW look where America has gone.
Obama has tried to clean this mess, not even mentioning the Financial GOP deregulation causing the recession.
So although he looks fine in his Muslim Garb, I am glad he will be coming back to fix things!
He will be judged by what he achieves during his administration, and not by what fox news thinks!

[prairiefox]

BY THE WAY! SAADAM WAS CLAIMING TO HAVE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION!
BUSH HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT IT WAS A LIE TO KEEP IRAN FROM ATTACKING IRAQ!
I WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING TO PROTECT THIS COUNTRY OF OURS!

[packs45]

I hate to say it, but, as bad as terrorists are, it's the Democrat party that's most likely to destroy this country.

[packs45]

Obama?s FBI interrogation task force is on it?s way to Texas as we speak armed with hot chocolate and herbal tea...

[ch2444]

by bhrater November 14, 2009 3:15 PM EST


Kooooooooooooooooooooool-Aide!

[Overruled1]

There are an adventure awaiting our arrival......out there in space we can be partners,allies and brothers.
But first we must disarm our weapons of mass distruction for our own good.
There is so much in space waiting for our use. Whole planets within our solar system we can learn to mine and exploit the resourses already available to us if we only reached out and grabbed it...Someday we no longer will be using the resources of our world, but instead clean energy will transform our world to that utopian society we all are destined for.

Perhaps we can even meet aliens flying around our planet whom civilizations have lived and passed calling them angels and demons.

Before any of this can be achieved, a system of checks and balances with absolute authority must be established to enforce the doctrine I have espoused....

Is this achievable or is it only a dream?