Obama meets with former policy chiefs

WASHINGTON, May 19 (UPI) -- Former Democratic and Republican leaders on national security issues huddled with U.S. President Barack Obama Tuesday to discuss nuclear non-proliferation.

Obama said the United States must take a leadership role in working with Russia and other countries even as nations such as North Korea and Iran are processing materials for nuclear weapons. In addition Pakistan has a nuclear arsenal and terrorists groups are seeking nuclear weapons.

"We are going to be pushing (non-proliferation) as one of our highest priorities, to take specific steps, measurable steps, verifiable steps, to make progress on this issue, even as we keep a long-term perspective and a long-term vision about what can be achieved," Obama told reporters after the meeting.

Meeting in the Oval Office with Obama were George Schultz, secretary of state under Ronald Reagan; Henry Kissinger, secretary of state for Richard Nixon; Sam Nunn, former Democratic senator from Georgia and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee; and William Perry, defense secretary for Bill Clinton. Also attending were Obama's National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones and Deputy National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, and Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel.

Among the steps Obama said his administration could undertake, including revitalizing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, working with Russia to continue to reduce dependence on nuclear weapons and moving forward on a comprehensive test ban treaty.

"It's going to require more work, but I think that we can get something accomplished there and we can lock down loose nuclear weapons that could fall into the hands of terrorists," Obama said.

Non-proliferation is a subject that "ought to somehow get up above trying to get a partisan advantage," Schultz said. "And it's of such importance that we need to take it on its own merits."