US must lead nuclear disarmament

Former United Nations weapons inspector Richard Butler today called on the US to lead the way in eliminating nuclear weapons.

The former Australian diplomat said the United States was the only nation that could successfully encourage other countries around the world to disarm.

‘‘Just imagine September 11 if it had been done with a nuclear weapon - and that is not fanciful. Some small suitcase size nuclear weapons have gone missing in the former Soviet Union,’’ he said.

Butler headed the UN weapons inspection team to Iraq in the 1990s.