Letter from Peter Ford
I should like to make the following points,
particularly with reference to Britain's National Security Strategy.
It must be recognised that the Non-Proliferation
Treaty has been effective in preventing the spread of nuclear
weapons to other countries but, unless there is genuine movement
on the part of the original nuclear weapon states P5, this Treaty
is in danger of collapse.
Although the NPT accepts that the P5 had
nuclear weapons when the Treaty was signed, this is quite different
from saying they can keep them forever. In fact under Article
6 all countries agreed to:
"pursue negotiations in good faith on
effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race
at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on
general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international
control".
Yet the P5, including UK, are modernising their
nuclear arsenals, contrary to their commitment.
On the other hand, the UK could take a world
lead in honouring this commitment by abandoning plans to renew
Trident, and should refuse to allow the US to use the Yorkshire
bases of Fylingdales and Menwith Hill for the US missile defence
system, which is leading to a new arms race.
2 September 2008
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