... 1996, at the New York City headquarters of the United Nations, U.S. President Bill Clinton signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, intended to prohibit all nuclear weapons testing. (credit for 1996 pro-treaty demonstration in front of White House) He used the same pen with which President John F. Kennedy had signed the Limited Test Ban Treaty in 1963. Clinton then urged further limits on weapons of mass destruction in a speech before the 51st session of the U.N. General Assembly. For the 2d year in a row, The New York Times reported, Clintonasked diplomats and world leaders to take a strong stand against what he calls the 'new threats' of the post-cold-war era: Drug traffickers, terrorists and unsafeguarded weapons materials. 'Frankly, we have not done that yet.'
Three years later, the Senate refused to give its advice and consent to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. In 2009, President Barack Obama pledged he would "immediately and aggressively pursue" ratification. To date, however, he has not presented it to the Senate.
(Prior September 24 posts are here, here, and here.)
