Clinton supports nuclear ban

Announcing his action in an address to the United Nations' 52nd General Assembly, Clinton called the treaty "the longest sought, hardest fought prize in the history of arms control." He signed the accord a year ago but pocketed it while White House lobbyists tried to build support.

In a 19-minute speech to U.N. delegates, the president also called for a permanent international court to punish human rights violators.

And he pledged that the United States would pay nearly $1 billion in past-due U.N. fees to "put the question of debts and dues behind us once and for all."

Returning to the theme of his U.N. address last year, Clinton said the nations of the world must unite against "21st century predators." He warned, "We're all vulnerable to the reckless acts of rogue states and to an unholy axis of terrorists, drug traffickers and international criminals."

The president met privately with foreign leaders, including Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov, before heading to the Metropolitan Opera's season-opening performance of "Carmen." He returned to Washington last night.

His submission of the test-ban treaty is expected to stir opposition from GOP senators who don't trust arms control agreements or who insist that testing is needed to maintain America's nuclear stockpile.

The debate probably will restore battle lines from the vote on the Clinton-backed chemical weapons treaty, ratified in April after many lawmakers remained undecided until the last minute. The president needs about 22 Republican senators to join Democrats in support of the treaty.

"We intend to win this vote and failure is not an option," said Robert Bell, a senior White House arms control adviser.

Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), chair of the Governmental Affairs subcommittee that handles this issue, said his panel will hold a hearing next week on whether the United States can count on its nuclear weapons to work without testing.

"If it creates a more dangerous environment and is an incentive for others to cheat and steal a march on the rest of the world and puts us at risk, then we would make a bad mistake to approve the treaty," he said.

During a U.N. visit a year ago, Clinton became the first world leader to approve the historic Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which prohibits all nuclear test explosions.

The United States has not conducted a nuclear test since 1992.

The treaty would take effect next September. A Senate vote is expected in the spring. The accord is signed by 146 countries, including Russia and China.

India is believed to posses nuclear weapons but is a treaty holdout. Pakistan, another probable nuclear nation, won't endorse it unless India does. Clinton met with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, but did not mention the treaty and was also meeting with Indian Prime Minister I.K. Gujral.

Critics point out that rogue states such as North Korea, Iraq and Libya also have not signed the pact.

Still, the president said the treaty "will help prevent the nuclear powers from developing more advanced and more dangerous weapons. It will limit the possibilities for other states to acquire such devices."

On the sensitive issue of America's indebtedness to the U.N., Clinton promised to work with Congress to pay most of the money.

Congress is expected to authorize about $900 million for the United Nations, provided the organization does not expand beyond current levels and agrees to put in a separate fund an additional $400 million that the United Nations claims it is owed but the United States has contested. The U.N. wants U.S. payments with no strings attached.

Traditionally, international courts have been established on a case by case basis to investigate human rights violations - such as the panel investigating Bosnia war crimes suspects. Clinton told the delegates: "Before the century ends, we should establish a permanent international court to prosecute the most serious violations of humanitarian law."

His speech was pointedly absent any mention of a proposed global ban on land mines. Clinton's refusal to back the measure has prompted worldwide criticism.

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