UN Approves Nuclear Terrorism Treaty

You can sleep soundly tonight, safe under the warm, fuzzy blanket of security provided by the United Nations.

The United Nations has approved a treaty aimed at preventing nuclear terrorism. Passage of the measure ends seven years of negotiations.

In the end, no vote was necessary. The 191-member General Assembly adopted the “International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism” by consensus.

There, there, rest your little head. We’re all snug and safe now. The vigilant UN is immediately on the case to deal with a threat.

The measure is the 13th U.N. anti-terrorism convention, and the first adopted since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States.

Well, please realize that “immediately on the case” leaves a lot of room for interpretation.

The treaty adopted Wednesday obligates governments to prosecute or extradite anyone who possesses or threatens to use radioactive materials with intent to cause death or injury.

The accord is to be opened for signatures on September 14, during a summit of world leaders in New York. It needs ratification of 22 countries to become international law.

I expect it to become international law. I expect it to look nice, printed in a good font, adorned by meticulously-drawn signatures on the finest of paper. I also expect its enforcement to show it’s not worth the cost of that paper.