The panel's report makes clear the urgency of nonproliferation efforts, warning that "the more proliferation that occurs, the greater the risk of additional proliferation, as nations that have to this point declined to acquire nuclear weapons will believe it necessary to counter their neighbors who have developed those capabilities." As this "increases the prospect that these weapons will be poorly secured and thus may be stolen by terrorists", the commission made a number of recommendations about addressing this threat.

The Boston Globe reports that President-elect Obama is set to heed the eighth recommendation of the commission by designating a White House principal advisor for WMD proliferation and terrorism.

President-elect Obama's administration can help prevent nuclear terrorism by taking seriously as well the recommendation to "work internationally toward strengthening the nonproliferation regime, reaffirming the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons." Only by doing so can we truly hope to turn back the tide against proliferation, prevent Iran and other dangerous regimes and terrorist groups from obtaining nuclear weapons, and ensure the instability and terrorism emanating from Pakistan do not involve even deadlier weapons.

The Reform Movement has long called for the world to work together to prevent the massive destruction wrought by the use of nuclear weapons by achieving total nuclear disarmament. While the White House must step up its efforts, we must also get involved in the effort to create a safer world free of nuclear dangers.

One way to get involved with the work to create a safer, nuclear weapons free world is to take action through our partner, the Campaign for a Nuclear Weapons Free World.

Indeed, as the report's final recommendation states, "citizens should hold their governments accountable." Let's do so and make sure our government is doing everything possible to keep us safe by eliminating the threat of nuclear weapons from the earth.