Potential veeps joining Obama for security talk

[Ron Burgundy]

AP - Democrat Barack Obama warned on Wednesday about the danger of "fighting the last war" as he pledged to focus on emerging nuclear, biological and cyber threats if elected president.

One goal of his administration would be to rid the world of nuclear weapons, he said in remarks he planned to deliver before a round-table discussion at Purdue University. Obama said adhering to non-proliferation treaties would put pressure on nations such as North Korea and Iran, the former of which has tested a nuclear weapon.

Among those joining Obama for the panel discussion were two potential running mates, Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and former Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga. Bayh has demurred when asked about running on a ticket with Obama. Nunn, a defense expert, is viewed as a senior statesman who could offset the relative youth of Obama, a freshman senator from Illinois.

In his remarks, Obama also paid tribute to Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., who has focused on nuclear non-proliferation issues for much of his career, working closely with Nunn.

"As long as nuclear weapons exist, we'll retain a strong deterrent. But we'll make the goal of eliminating all nuclear weapons a central element in our nuclear policy," Obama said.

Indiana is a Republican-leaning state but Obama hopes to put it in play in the general election, capitalizing in part on his neighbor status from Illinois.

The senator also called for investing in methods to prevent, detect and contain biological attacks. He highlighted a proposal to spend $5 billion over three years to develop an international intelligence and law enforcement infrastructure to stymie terrorist networks.

"Making these changes will do more than help us tackle bioterror — it will create new jobs, support a healthier population, and improve America's capability to respond to any major disaster," he said.

Meanwhile, coping with cyber-security for an increasingly online world will protect the country's economic and national security assets. He pledged to appoint a national cyber adviser who will coordinate government efforts and report directly to the president.

"All of this will demand the greatest resource that America has — our people," said Obama "In the Cold War, we didn't defeat the Soviets just because of the strength of our arms. We also did it because at the dawn of the atomic age and the onset of the space race, the smartest scientists and most innovative workforce was here in America."

He added: "The danger ... is that we are constantly fighting the last war, responding to the threats that have come to fruition, instead of staying one step ahead of the threats of the 21st century."

Obama also jabbed at President Bush and his Republican rival, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, saying, "Instead of adjusting to the stateless threats of the 21st century, we invaded and occupied a state that had no collaborative relationship with al-Qaida. Instead of taking aggressive steps to secure the world's most dangerous technology, we have spent almost a trillion dollars to occupy a country in the heart of the Middle East that no longer had any weapons of mass destruction."

The event continued the buildup for Obama's upcoming visit to Iraq and Afghanistan. He also plans to travel to Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and Britain during his overseas trip.

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080716/ap_on_el_pr/obama [link]