Miss Obama's peacenik T-shirt sends a message to G8 leaders

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Miss Obama's peacenik T-shirt sends a message to G8 leaders

ByCHARLOTTE SPRATT
Last updated at 5:27 PM on 09th July 2009

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1198393/Miss-Obamas-peacenik-T-shirt-sends-message-G8-leaders.html#ixzz0LGVgApDl&D

Her father had just won agreement from the Russians to cut back on the world's stockpiles of nuclear weapons.

AndBarack Obama's eldest daughter was obviously keen to make her own statement on the issue - even if it was merely a fashion statement.

Just 48 hours after the U.S. President signed agreements with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev to reduce weapon stores, 11-year-oldMalia Obamawas spotted wearing not one, but two T-shirts with an anti-nuclear message.

She wore the tops emblazoned with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament's famous logo as her father prepared for three days of G8 talks inItaly.

Statement dresser: Malia Obama in a T-shirt bearing the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament symbol in Rome ahead of the G8 summit

First there was a grey T-shirt bearing the CND logo to visit the Colosseum inRomewith her mother Michelle and seven-year-old sister Sasha. Then during the visit she swapped it for a mottled white and grey top also bearing the logo.

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The symbol, designed for the CND in 1958, is now widely used to signify peace and is also an international sign for anti-war protesters.

Mr Obama spent two days in Moscow this week meeting president Dmitry Medvedev and prime minister and former president Vladimir Putin.

There the American and Russian leaders agreed a landmark deal to reduce their stockpiles of nuclear weapons.

Making faces: Michelle Obama has fun with her daughter in the Italian capital

Enlarge

Daddy's girl: Malia with her father Barack Obama, then Democratic presidential candidate in 2008

The 'joint understanding' would see the two countries - which between them have 95 per cent of the world's nuclear firepower - cut the number of warheads to around 1,500 from current levels above 2,200. ]

At the height of the Cold War both sides had some 40,000.

Mr Medvedev agreed to the weapon reduction targets despite the lack of a U.S. promise to scrap plans - vehemently criticised by the Kremlin - to deploy missile defence facilities in former Soviet satellite states.

Malia is apparently a fan of her father's work, though the deal is simply a 'guide' for negotiators as the nations work toward a replacement pact for the START arms control agreement, which expires in December.

The CND, a British campaign, aims to rid the world of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.

In April, Mr Obama made a speech inPraguecommitting to nuclear disarmament which was 'warmly welcomed' by the CND.

It has also welcomed this week's agreement betweenRussiaand the U.S., claiming the 'first step has been taken' in abolishing nuclear weapons.

Mr Obama's family are accompanying him at the G8 summit in the Italian town of L'Aquila for three days of talks on global issues such as climate change, trade and financial reform with Britain,Canada,France,Germany, Italy,Japan,and Russia.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1198393/Miss-Obamas-peacenik-T-shirt-sends-message-G8-leaders.html#ixzz0LGWOwAKW&D

Building bridges: Barack Obama meets Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow where Russia and the U.S. agreed to cut back on nuclear weapons

Inspiration: CND activists with their famous logo march in Scotland in 2004

Explore more:

People:

Michelle Obama,

Barack Obama,

Malia Obama

Places:

Prague,

Rome,

Canada,

Italy,

Russia,

Japan,

Scotland,

France,

Germany

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