They often kill people anyway, and their development can undermine global accords meant to eliminate chemical and biological weapons that are far more deadly.

"We are pressing for a global accord," he said.

She cited Congressional approval of a global free-trade accord last week and a bill two months ago that will allow more interstate banking.

The trade agreement initialed there has sharply improved the odds for a new global accord.

Negotiators in Geneva have been stalled for two years in trying to produce a global free-trade accord.

Administration officials argue that the new authority will help them negotiate global and regional accords to free trade in agriculture, manufactured goods and services.

And five of the six big environmental groups that supported the North American pact announced last week that they wanted many changes in the global accord.

There are no parallels in the new global accord, but only because the United States had bigger fish to fry.

A nuclear test would violate the global accord signed by Moscow that outlaws such detonations.

Still, she faces long odds as trade diplomats struggle to salvage a global accord that the Bush administration hopes will be one of its signal economic achievements.