THE UNITED STATES ON THURSDAY PROPOSED THAT THE 65-NATION CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT NEGOTIATE A NEW TREATY BANNING PRODUCTION OF THE NUCLEAR MATERIAL NEEDED TO MAKE ATOMIC BOMBS, AP REPORTED. STEPHEN G. RADEMAKER, ACTING U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR ARMS CONTROL, TOLD THE BODY THAT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE NUCLEAR PROGRAMS IN NORTH KOREA AND IRAN SHOWED IT WAS TIME FOR A RAPID AGREEMENT ON A TREATY TO BAN PRODUCTION OF PLUTONIUM AND HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM, KNOWN AS «FISSILE MATERIAL.» «THE TREATY TEXT THAT WE ARE PUTTING FORWARD CONTAINS THE ESSENTIAL PROVISIONS THAT WOULD COMPRISE A SUCCESSFUL LEGALLY BINDING FMCT,» OR FISSILE MATERIAL CUTOFF TREATY, SAID RADEMAKER. «IT BANS ... THE PRODUCTION OF FISSILE MATERIAL FOR USE IN NUCLEAR WEAPONS OR OTHER NUCLEAR EXPLOSIVE DEVICES,» HE SAID. RADEMAKER SAID THE PROPOSAL HAS WIDESPREAD SUPPORT AND WOULD GIVE THE CONFERENCE A POSITIVE ROLE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE IT COMPLETED THE BAN ON NUCLEAR BOMB TESTING 10 YEARS AGO. «THE ONLY POSSIBLE AVENUE FOR PROGRESS IN THIS CONFERENCE IS TO CONCENTRATE ITS EFFORTS ON THE ONE TOPIC ON WHICH WE MOST LIKELY SHALL BE ABLE TO TAKE ACTION,» HE SAID.
