Obama urges eliminating nuclear weapons

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CHICAGO, Oct 3 (AP): Democrat Barack Obama called for ridding the world of nuclear weapons Tuesday and offered his early opposition to the Iraq war as evidence of sound judgment that trumps his lack of Washington experience.
Obama argued that US policy is still focused on the defunct Soviet Union instead of combatting the nuclear threat from rogue nations and terrorists. The United States shouldn't unilaterally disarm, he said, but it must work with other nations to phase out weapons and control atomic material.
"Here's what I'll say as president: 'America seeks a world in which there are no nuclear weapons,'" Obama said.
"The best way to keep America safe is not to threaten terrorists with nuclear weapons - it's to keep nuclear weapons and nuclear materials away from terrorists," the Illinois senator said. Aides said the process Obama envisions would take many years, not just a a single presidency.
The Republican National Committee criticised the proposal as unsafe and an example of Obama "playing to the fringe elements of his party."