To the Point

2005 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference

Sixty years after the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki either killed or maimed half a million people, military and civilian security experts concur that nuclear weapons are the most significant security issue of our time. This month, representatives of nearly 190 countries signed to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty are convened at the United Nations in New York. Nuclear powers, including the US, are being pressed to reduce their arsenals while non-powers, such as Iran, are pushing for the right to develop nuclear energy. Are the US and Russia providing leadership toward nuclear disarmament? Is the non-proliferation treaty in trouble? As the firestorm of debate rages at the UN, guest host Diana Nyad speaks with Robert McNamara, Hans Blix, James Woolsey, some of the world's leading authorities on nuclear weapons. Making News: Rumsfeld Testifies as Commission Considers Base Closures The Secretary of Defense today is taking the first steps toward closure of 150 military installations across the United States. Donald Rumsfeld meets with the nine members of BRAC, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, to start the analysis of which bases will close and in what order. Vince Crawley, who covers the Pentagon for The Military Times, says the military has been pressing for these closures for a long time. Reporter's Notebook: Newsweek Backtracks on Koran Report Last week, violent protests erupted in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other Muslim countries over a Newsweek report that a US soldier in Guant-namo flushed pages of the sacred Koran down a toilet. Seventeen civilians died during the demonstrations. Now Newsweek apologizes, saying there were errors in the report. We get perspective on what went wrong from Tim Rutten of the Los Angeles Times and Tom Rosenstiel of the Project for Excellence in Journalism.