APPENDIX 2
Memorandum from the West Midlands Campaign
for Nuclear Disarmament
1. This inquiry is welcome. The submission
has been made difficult by the terrible events of September 11.
2. Britain's special relationship and status
as a trusted friend of the United States should be used to urge
the Bush administration to:
2.1. examine its cavalier attitude to treaties,
which is alarming and highly dangerous. It has said it will withdraw
from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty "at a time convenient
to America", has abandoned Kyoto, and looks set to ignore
the Outer Space Treaty.
2.2. consider the implications on the non-proliferation
regime of the lifting of sanctions, imposed on India and Pakistan
following their nuclear tests three years ago. While we recognise
the threat posed by international terrorism, the struggle against
it should be pursued in the context of international law and by
upholding, not discarding, existing treaties. Although India and
Pakistan had not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the
act of lifting sanctions will signal to others that the US is
not serious in its attempts to prevent proliferation of nuclear
weapons.
2.3. consider the implications of, reportedly,
giving China the green light for increased production of its nuclear
arsenals, in spite of the commitment given at last year's NPT
Conference to work towards world-wide abolition of nuclear weapons.
2.4. consider the implications of the intention
by the US not to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. There
are fears that the US might not oppose Chinese resumption of nuclear
testing, in return for support in pursuit of Osama Bin Laden,
another example of the ignoring of existing treaties.
2.5. consider the necessity of upholding
international law and adhering to existing treaties, if the US
expects global assistance, following the terrible events of September
11.
2.6. impress upon the US that international
co-operation has to be mutual and that the US desire for "Full
Spectrum Dominance", (United States Space Command Vision
for 2020) is not helpful in creating a peaceful world?
3. We understand that Tony Blair has said
that the introduction of the proposed US Missile Defence programme
is "inevitable" (Observer, 30.9.01). If this be so,
the Anti-Ballistic Missile will be breached, and, almost certainly
in the future, the Outer Space Treaty. The UK can ensure that
these treaties are not thus breached by refusing the use of Fylingdales
and Menwith Hill. Security will be real, only when it embraces
the whole world. It cannot come at the expense of the rest of
the world.
4. How genuine have the "consultations"
been on Missile Defence? A US academic, with close links to the
US administration, has said that "when the US says `consult'
it means `inform'." Have the UK and other "allies"
been consulted about a bill, introduced into the House of Representatives
in July:
"To provide for burdensharing contributions
from allied and other friendly foreign countries for the costs
of deployment of any United States missile defense system that
is designed to protect those countries from ballistic missile
attack".
5. Why has there been no debate in Parliament?
Why is the relationship between the US and UK in general not more
open to parliamentary scrutiny.
West Midlands Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Birmingham
2001
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