The nuclear security summit in Washington, D.C., this week is the largest gathering of world leaders hosted by a U.S. president since the 1945 conference founding the United Nations. But the historic, two-day gathering of representatives from 47 countries is not expected to result in a bold new strategy. Rather, the summit will showcase President Obama's eagerness to lead on the issue, according to top administration officials. Obama invited world leaders to Washington as a key step toward his declared goal of one day ridding the world of nuclear weapons. And the president hopes to use the gathering to focus heads of state on what he sees as one of the most serious nuclear proliferation threats of their time: the ability of terrorists and terror networks like Al Qaeda to steal or buy nuclear material. "We don't believe the threat from nuclear terrorism comes from states," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on ABC's "This Week." "Our biggest concern is that terrorists will get nuclear material." Iran and North Korea were not invited to the summit, though both nations' nuclear programs are likely to be discussed during the Washington summit Monday and Tuesday. Clinton said in the interview aired Sunday that "we fear" North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons and Iran's pursuit of them because "they are unpredictable."
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