“You may delay, but time will not.” —Benjamin Franklin “We are in a race between cooperation and catastrophe.” —Sam Nunn and Ted Turner [1] “There will be no learning period with nuclear weapons.” —Robert S. McNamara [2] “We must eliminate nuclear weapons before they eliminate us.” —Walter Cronkite [3] “I believe that the greatest danger facing our nation and the world is the global threat from nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.” —Warren Buffett [4]

I have written this book primarily for the layperson, while attempting to maintain a non-partisan, global perspective. Weapons of mass destruction do not discriminate between liberals, moderates, or conservatives. This issue does not belong to any one religious belief, racial heritage, or ethnic background. Eliminating weapons of mass destruction is not just a national or regional issue, nor is it solely the responsibility of politicians and government. It is a global issue of life and death that we all have to solve.

This brief journey into many disciplines: the history war and weaponry, anthropology, psychology, political science, and law, weaves a thread through the tapestry of our precarious existence. More than just discussing the problem, I propose and explain a practical solution which has never been tried by the nations of the world.

There are sections in this book that are graphic because it is vital for everyone to be aware of the gruesome devastation that weapons of mass destruction are capable of inflicting. Some sections are technical, but I have done my best to make the material engaging.

My hope and my goal is for the reader to spend the next couple of hours reflecting upon the most important issue in the world today—eliminating weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, and genocide—and then to be moved by this information to do something about it, whether that would be just discussing this subject with a neighbor or becoming actively involved.

Bruce A. Roth

[1] "Letter from the Co-Chairmen," NTI Annual Report 2004: 4.

[2] Errol Morris, Director, The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara, (Sony Pictures Classics, Inc., Columbia Tri-Star Home Entertainment, 2003). February 10, 2005.

[3] Walter Cronkite, "Lessons From Hiroshima, 60 Years Later," July 2005, www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2005/07/00_cronkite_lessons-from-hiroshima.htm.

[4] NTI Annual Report 2004: 65.