WASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Sunday that efforts by groups like al Qaeda to acquire nuclear weapons represented the biggest security threat, and he hailed a sense of urgency among leaders taking part in this week's nuclear security summit.
Obama, speaking before the start of the two-day conference on Monday that will bring together nearly 50 countries, said he expected 'enormous progress' toward the goal of locking down loose nuclear material worldwide.
'The central focus of this nuclear summit is the fact that the single biggest threat to U.S. security -- both short term, medium term and longterm -- would be the possibility of a terrorist organization obtaining a nuclear weapon,' Obama told reporters.
'We know that organizations like al Qaeda are in the process of trying to secure nuclear weapons,' and if they got them would have 'no compunction' about using them, Obama said before talks with visiting South African President Jacob Zuma.
'I feel very good at this stage in the degree of commitment and the sense of urgency' among world leaders who attend the summit, Obama said. 'We think we can make enormous progress on this.'
U.S. officials have said previously that al Qaeda had tried, so far unsuccessfully, to get its hands on bomb-making nuclear materials and that they hoped the summit would help secure any vulnerable stocks.
The summit will be the the largest assembly of world leaders hosted by the United States since 1945.
Two countries not on the guest list are Iran and North Korea, both of which are locked in their own nuclear standoffs with the West.
(Reporting by Caren Bohan, writing by Matt Spetalnick, editing by Philip Barbara) Keywords: NUCLEAR SUMMIT/OBAMA (matt.spetalnick@reuters.com ; +1 202 898 8300; Reuters Messaging: matt.spetalnick.reuters.com@reuters.net ) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Obama, speaking before the start of the two-day conference on Monday that will bring together nearly 50 countries, said he expected 'enormous progress' toward the goal of locking down loose nuclear material worldwide.
'The central focus of this nuclear summit is the fact that the single biggest threat to U.S. security -- both short term, medium term and longterm -- would be the possibility of a terrorist organization obtaining a nuclear weapon,' Obama told reporters.
'We know that organizations like al Qaeda are in the process of trying to secure nuclear weapons,' and if they got them would have 'no compunction' about using them, Obama said before talks with visiting South African President Jacob Zuma.
'I feel very good at this stage in the degree of commitment and the sense of urgency' among world leaders who attend the summit, Obama said. 'We think we can make enormous progress on this.'
U.S. officials have said previously that al Qaeda had tried, so far unsuccessfully, to get its hands on bomb-making nuclear materials and that they hoped the summit would help secure any vulnerable stocks.
The summit will be the the largest assembly of world leaders hosted by the United States since 1945.
Two countries not on the guest list are Iran and North Korea, both of which are locked in their own nuclear standoffs with the West.
(Reporting by Caren Bohan, writing by Matt Spetalnick, editing by Philip Barbara) Keywords: NUCLEAR SUMMIT/OBAMA (matt.spetalnick@reuters.com ; +1 202 898 8300; Reuters Messaging: matt.spetalnick.reuters.com@reuters.net ) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.