U.S. policies are among the biggest obstacles to curbing the proliferation of nuclear weapons abroad, an arms expert told a Kansas University audience on Monday.

Joseph Cirincione, the director for nonproliferation for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, spoke at KU’s Eurasian Security and Military Affairs Forum.

Cirincione said the Bush administration has changed the U.S. focus from “what” to “who.” Rather than focusing on eliminating weapons, it is focused on eliminating certain regimes, either known or believed to be proliferating nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons.

The strategy then picks “good guys” and “bad guys,” he said.

“The problem is the good guys and the bad guys keep changing,” Cirincione said.

He said the strategy maintains a double standard, saying it’s OK for one country, but not for another.

Cirincione said effective strategies include securing nuclear material, stopping illegal transfers, and a commitment to conflict resolution.

Joel Kasten, a KU freshman who listened to the lecture, said he believes the United States should take a multilateral approach to curbing nuclear proliferation. But, he said, he believes the U.S. role is key.

“I think the U.S. needs to take a central role and attack the problem,” he said.

The forum was sponsored by KU’s Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, the Foreign Military Studies Office in Fort Leavenworth, and Kansas State University’s political science department.