Could it just be that the New York Times has actually got something right?

“There is no bigger and more urgent threat to the security of every American than the possibility of nuclear bomb materials falling into the wrong hands. That is why it is astonishing, and frightening, that the Bush administration is now pushing to strip the teeth from a proposed new treaty aimed at expanding the current international bans on the production of weapons-grade uranium and plutonium. With talks on the new treaty set to begin later this year, the administration suddenly announced last week that it would insist that no provisions for inspections or verification be included.”

I’m no megaton-head, but I have to believe that the US has more than enough weapons-grade uranium and plutonium to satisfy the country’s defense needs for the indefinite future. Given that fact, and the fact that we are living in an age facing the threat of nuclear terrorism, anything basically reasonable that could result in less of the bad stuff being manufactured by the bad guys (and from there falling into the hands of the worse) should, one would think, be pursued.

Properly amended, this treaty looks like a good idea. Time for a rethink?