World powers arrive for U.S. nuke summit

WASHINGTON, April 11 (UPI) -- Leaders of more than 40 countries have begun arriving in Washington for the Nuclear Security Summit as the White House seeks common ground among sharp division.

The administration of President Barack Obama says the two-day summit, which begins Monday, will be the largest gathering of world leaders hosted by a U.S. president since the 1945 San Francisco conference that led to the founding of the United Nations.

The summit is seen as critical for Obama, who campaigned on a pledge to rid the world of nuclear weapons.

But some foreign diplomats involved in the discussions told the Los Angeles Times the focus on common ground had glossed over differences and avoided some of the most sensitive issues.

Still, a diplomat close to the talks told the Times the meeting "is going to give a new visibility to an issue that hasn't gotten enough attention. It will push people to do more."

The talks begin with many countries, including India, China, and Russia, resistant to any international attempt to learn more about and monitor their nuclear programs.

And disagreement about the extent of the nuclear threat persists.

The United States and Russia say the priority should be keeping militant groups from acquiring nuclear weapons, while some European leaders worry more about "dirty" bombs made from easily accessible materials, said Sharon Squassoni, a former U.S. official at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.