Letter from Dr Arianna Andreangeli
I wish to make a submission to the current inquiry
pending before the Foreign Affairs Committee and concerning the
current approach as well as the future perspectives of the UK
in relation to Global Security and the non-proliferation of nuclear
weapons and focusing especially on the effectiveness of the existing
international arrangements.
— Current arrangements: the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty, which is due for review in 2010, has
proved to be effective in curbing the ambitions of countries other
than the P5 states to acquire nuclear weapons. However, it
is my opinion that it is the very P5 members that are threatening
its effectiveness. It appears from the policies being pursued
by some of them that the existing arsenals, far from being progressively
dismantled, are actually being modernised and expanded. For instance,
the recent US/Poland agreement as regards the installation of
missile defence interceptors, belonging to the American strategy
of ballistic missile defence, appears inconsistent with the Treaty's
spirit and has caused a predictably dangerous reaction from Russia.
— Future prospects: the United Kingdom
Government has consistently argued that the existing Treaty allows
the P5 countries to retain nuclear weapons. However, I would
like to argue that such an interpretation of the Treaty defies
its very purpose, which is that of leading to the eventual elimination
of the nuclear threat on the part of all states, including the
P5. In addition, all the other countries have agreed not to develop
new nuclear capability.
The Non Proliferation Treaty has proven truly
effective in deterring an arms race on the part of non-P5 countries.
However, the policies adopted by some of the P5 states risk
undermining its purpose and could lead to its collapse. I would
therefore urge your Committee to call upon the Cabinet to renew
the British obligations to non-proliferation undertaken as a result
of the NPT by:
— Dropping its plans to replace Trident;
— Denying the US use of the bases in
Flyngdales and Menwith Hill for ballistic missile defence purposes.
It is my opinion that global security which
is stable and based on true commitment to peace cannot be based
on the threat of nuclear weapons being developed or replaced,
but should instead be built upon mutual understanding and on true
disarmament.
I am very grateful for the time the Committee
will devote to my submission and look forward to the final report.
8 September 2008
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