McCain: No easy answers for nuclear issues

DENVER, May 27 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. John McCain offered a long list of ways to deal with nuclear weapon proliferation Tuesday but said no country could "meet this dire challenge" alone.

Speaking at the University of Denver, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said the United States "must lead concerted and persistent multilateral efforts" against proliferation.

Among other things, McCain, R-Ariz., said he supports international guarantees of nuclear fuel supply to countries renouncing enrichment and reprocessing as well as an international repository for spent nuclear fuel.

McCain said he would strengthen existing international treaties and entities to combat nuclear proliferation, as well as strengthen the non-proliferation treaty. He also would seek funding to the U.N. nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency and the intelligence support it receives.

"This is a long list of steps we need to take ... because there is no single answer to this crisis," he said. "It is long because no nation can meet this dire challenge alone and none can be indifferent to its outcome."

McCain was interrupted several times by back-and-forth sloganeering between pro- and anti-Iraq war advocates.

"This may turn into a longer speech than you anticipate," he chuckled, then seriously saying, "I will never surrender in Iraq, my friends."