Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

Author: NAPF Press Office

  • More than 120 Nations Convene Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty Negotiations at the United Nations

    NUCLEAR AGE PEACE FOUNDATION

    For Immediate Release

    Contact:
    Rick Wayman
    (805) 696-5159; rwayman@napf.org
    Sandy Jones
    (805) 965-3443; sjones@napf.org

    More than 120 Nations Convene Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty Negotiations at the United Nations

    New York City–Beginning on Monday, March 27, 2017, for the very first time, negotiations on a treaty to ban nuclear weapons in international law are taking place under the auspices of the United Nations. More than 120 nations have gathered to participate in the negotiations.

    A treaty banning nuclear weapons would make using, possessing, developing, and assisting with nuclear weapons illegal under international law and provide a framework for the weapons’ eventual complete elimination. Banning these weapons is the next step in a decades-long effort to ensure that the laws of war are followed and the indiscriminate destruction and unnecessary suffering caused by nuclear weapons is prevented forever.

    David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, said, “This is a breakthrough day and week in the Nuclear Age. For the first time ever, nations will be negotiating to ban nuclear weapons – weapons capable of destroying civilization and complex life.”

    The world now faces 21st century threats and challenges — cybersecurity, pandemic disease, and terrorism. These threats cannot be addressed by nuclear weapons or the logic of nuclear deterrence. More ominously, the spread of nuclear weapons, technology, and material only increases the chances of intentional or accidental nuclear detonation by states or terrorist groups.

    The treaty is expected to:

    • Legally bind parties from using, possessing and developing nuclear weapons, and assisting others in those activities.
    • Work in concert with the existing regime of nonproliferation and disarmament agreements.
    • Strengthen the norm against indiscriminate weapons and provide countries a method to meet disarmament obligations.

    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will be represented at the ban negotiations by Robert B. Laney, Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Directors and Rick Wayman, Director of Programs. Wayman will be among the presenters in a discussion on Tuesday, March 28, from 10:00 AM ‘til noon, entitled, “US Nuclear Modernization Under President Trump: Implications for the Ban Treaty Process.”

    Wayman commented earlier on Monday, “In an epic role reversal, this morning we saw U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley protesting outside the UN General Assembly Hall while the majority of the world’s nations, supported by NGOs from around the world, began negotiations on a treaty banning nuclear weapons. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will continue to support the good faith efforts of those negotiating a nuclear ban treaty and oppose the nuclear weapons states’ efforts to keep nuclear weapons in perpetuity.”

    The negotiations will take place in two sessions; this week in March and three weeks in June/July of 2017 at the United Nations. This week, representatives will meet to begin the drafting process by discussing and submitting language for the various components of the treaty. Between the two meetings, draft text will be produced for negotiation at the June/July meeting.

    With the risk of nuclear detonation higher than at any time since the end of the Cold War, this treaty is an urgent priority for all countries that believe in a future free of nuclear weapons.

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    If you would like to interview Rick Wayman, please call (805) 696-5159 or email him at rwayman@napf.org

    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s mission is to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons and to empower peace leaders. Founded in 1982, the Foundation is comprised of individuals and organizations worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations. For more information, visit www.wagingpeace.org.

  • Nuclear Abolition Begins With Education and Inspiration

    NUCLEAR AGE PEACE FOUNDATION

    For Immediate Release

    Contact:
    Sandy Jones or Elena Nicklasson
    (805) 965-3443
    sjones@napf.org or enicklasson@napf.org

     

    NUCLEAR ABOLITION BEGINS WITH EDUCATION AND INSPIRATION

    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation to hold several events in March

     

    Santa Barbara–The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will be busy this March with several educational and inspirational events presented locally.

    The first event, on March 7, is entitled What is Your Road Map to Peace? Dorothie and Martin Hellman will share their model for a peaceful, sustainable planet and provide insights from their new book, A New Map for Relationships: Creating True Love At Home & Peace On The Planet. The event will take place on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 from 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM.

    The second event, taking place on March 22nd, is a lunchtime discussion featuring two global leaders in the peace movement. Reiner Braun, Co-President of the International Peace Bureau and Kevin Martin, President of Peace Action, will lead a presentation and discussion on U.S./Nato – Russian relations and preventing World War III. The event will take place on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.

    The third event, Realistic Hope. Radical Empathy, is a unique workshop presented by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s Peace Leadership Director, Paul K. Chappell. Chappell will cover, among other topics, how the power of conveying respect can increase peaceful conflict resolution and how to maintain empathy in the most difficult situations and effectively navigate the anatomy of aggression. This event will also take place on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, from 3:00 – 5:00 PM.

    These three events are free and open to the public. They will be held at the Foundation office, 1622 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara. Space is limited, however and reservations are required. To RSVP and for more information, please call Elena at 805.965.3443 or enicklasson@napf.org.

    Finally, the Plaza Playhouse Theatre in Carpinteria is presenting A Walk in the Woods, running through March 5, 2017. Lee Blessing’s Broadway play is a dramatic and humorous look at two diplomats who ostensibly try to reduce nuclear arms proliferation during the (first) cold war. The play examines the tension that Russia and the U.S. experience through a distant lens. Following the March 3rd performance, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will make a short presentation with a Q & A session. There will also be a special discount for the March 3rd performance, (use code NAPF). For more information or to make reservations call 805.684.6380 or go to www.plazatheatercarpinteria.com.

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    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation was founded in 1982. Its mission is to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons and to empower peace leaders. The Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations and is comprised of some 80,000 individuals and groups worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age.

  • Vandenberg to Launch Minuteman III Missile Test

    For Immediate Release

    Contact:
    Rick Wayman
    (805) 696-5159; rwayman@napf.org
    Sandy Jones
    (805) 965-3443; sjones@napf.org

    Vandenberg to Launch Minuteman III Missile Test

    Santa Barbara, CA – A Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test is scheduled for launch between 11:39 p.m. Wednesday and 5:39 a.m. Thursday of this week, from Vandenberg AFB to Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. While it won’t carry an armed nuclear warhead, the purpose of the United States’ 450 land-based ICBMs is to deliver powerful nuclear warheads to any target on Earth in under an hour.

    The U.S. Air Force tested this Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile on February 20, 2016. Photo | U.S. Department of Defense
    The U.S. Air Force tested this Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile on February 20, 2016. Photo | U.S. Department of Defense

    The scheduled test comes just days after the Trump administration imposed new sanctions on Iran to punish them for their latest ballistic missile test. President Trump tweeted that “Iran has been formally PUT ON NOTICE.” Michael T. Flynn, Trump’s national security advisor, said, “The ritual of convening a United Nations Security Council in an emergency meeting and issuing a strong statement is not enough. The Trump administration will no longer tolerate Iran’s provocations that threaten our interests.”

    USAF officials regularly boast of U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile tests as “messages we send to our allies who seek protection from aggression and to adversaries who threaten peace.” Clearly, this kind of double standard cannot be lost on the rest of the world.

    David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, commented, “Test-firing these missiles while expressing criticism when other countries conduct missile tests is a clear double standard. Such hypocrisy encourages nuclear proliferation and nuclear arms races and makes the world a more dangerous place.”

    William Perry, former defense secretary under President Bill Clinton, has stated unequivocally that his experiences have led him to believe the U.S. should remove ICBMs from its nuclear triad, which also includes strategic bombers and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

    With each missile test, the U.S. sends a clear and expensive message that it continues to be reliant on nuclear weapons. Each test costs tens of millions of dollars and contributes to the U.S. plans to spend $1 trillion modernizing its nuclear arsenal over the next thirty years.

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    If you would like to interview David Krieger, please call the Foundation at (805) 965-3443.

    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s mission is to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons and to empower peace leaders. Founded in 1982, the Foundation is comprised of individuals and organizations worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations. For more information, visit www.wagingpeace.org.

  • The Government of the Marshall Islands and Former Foreign Minister Tony de Brum Voted “2016 Arms Control Persons of the Year”

    NUCLEAR AGE PEACE FOUNDATION

    For Immediate Release

    Contact:
    Sandy Jones or Rick Wayman
    (805) 965-3443
    sjones@napf.org or rwayman@napf.org

    January 9, 2017 (Washington, D.C.)—The Republic of the Marshall Islands and its former Foreign Minister, Tony de Brum, were just awarded the “2016 Arms Control Person of the Year.” Over 1,850 individuals from 63 countries participated in the selection.

    Ten individuals and groups were nominated by the staff of the Arms Control Association for their leadership in advancing effective arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament solutions or for raising awareness of the threats posed by mass casualty weapons during the past year.

    The government of the Marshall Islands and Ambassador de Brum were nominated for pursuing a legal case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague against the world’s nuclear-armed nations for their failure to initiate nuclear disarmament negotiations in violation of Article VI of the 1968 nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and customary international law.

    “The nomination of the Marshall Islands and Ambassador de Brum and the many votes they received reflects the concern and frustration expressed by many non-nuclear weapon states about the unacceptable consequences of nuclear weapons use, the slow pace of nuclear disarmament, and the growing risks of renewed global nuclear competition,” noted Kingston Reif, director of disarmament and threat reduction at the Arms Control Association.

    The people of the Marshall Islands were subjected to 67 U.S. atmospheric nuclear test explosions from 1946 to 1958. The largest of these tests was 1,000 times stronger than the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 and resulted in immeasurable suffering and emotional and physical trauma to the islanders. Tony de Brum, just nine years old at the time of the testing, said: “After seeing what mere testing of these terrible weapons of mass destruction can do to human beings, it makes sense for the Marshallese people to have implored the nuclear weapon states to begin the hard task of disarmament. All we ask is that this terrible threat be removed from our world.”

    In October, the 16-member court issued their rulings which upheld the arguments of the nuclear states that the Court lacked jurisdiction in two 9-7 votes in the cases of India and Pakistan and in an 8-8 vote in the case of the UK. India, Pakistan, and the UK were the only states to participate

    in the lawsuits because the other nuclear-armed states do not recognize the court’s compulsory jurisdiction to adjudicate disputes between states. Despite the court decisions, the cases brought the frustratingly slow pace of disarmament negotiations to the world’s attention.

    David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, a consultant to the Republic of the Marshall Islands in their lawsuits, commented: “We are proud and excited that Tony de Brum and the government of the Marshall Islands have received this important recognition for their courageous actions. They have demonstrated that when it comes to international security, small countries can make a big difference.”  He continued, “I’ve known Tony de Brum for nearly fifty years and he has been persevering in the pursuit of peace and planetary well-being. He has been a passionate advocate for his people and the people of the world. He and the government of the Marshall Islands are most deserving of this award.”

    The runner-up in the vote for the 2016 Arms Control Persons of the Year were the foreign ministers of Austria, Brazil, Ireland, Mexico, Nigeria, and South Africa. They had jointly secured adoption of UN Security Council resolution L.41 “to convene in 2017 a United Nations conference to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination.”

    The second runner up was former U.S. Secretary of Defense William J. Perry for his continuing efforts to draw attention to the risk of renewed nuclear weapons competition and calling for restraint. Secretary Perry launched in 2016 a new online course on nuclear weapons and authored a new book, My Journey at the Nuclear Brink. A list of all 2016 nominees is available at https://armscontrol.org/acpoy/2016

    Previous winners of the “Arms Control Person of the Year” include include: Setsuko Thurlow and the Hibakusha of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, (2015); Austria’s Director for Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament, Ambassador Alexander Kmentt (2014), Executive-Secretary of the CTBTO Lassina Zerbo (2013); Gen. James Cartwright (2012); reporter and activist Kathi Lynn Austin (2011); Kazakhstan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kairat Umarov and Thomas D’Agostino, U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration Administrator (2010);Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) (2009); Norway’s Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and his ministry’s Director-General for Security Policy and the High North Steffen Kongstad (2008); and U.S. Congressmen Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.) and David Hobson (R-Ohio) (2007).

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    If you would like to interview David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, please contact Sandy Jones at sjones@napf.org or (805) 965-3443.

    Founded in 1982, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s mission is to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons and to empower peace leaders.  The Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations and is comprised of individuals and groups worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age.  For more information, visit www.wagingpeace.org.

    acpoy

    The Marshall Islands and Ambassador de Brum were nominated for pursuing a formal legal case against the world’s nuclear-armed states for failing to meet their obligations under the NPT.

  • Press Release: Open Letter to President-elect Trump

    For Immediate Release

    Contact:
    Sandy Jones or Rick Wayman
    (805) 965-3443
    sjones@napf.org or rwayman@napf.org

    Open Letter to President-Elect Trump

     Santa Barbara–As the inauguration of President-elect Trump approaches, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is reaching out to him in an Open Letter, reminding him that, as President of the United States, he will soon have “the grave responsibility of assuring that nuclear weapons are not overtly threatened or used during [his] term of office.”

    The Open Letter advises Trump of the U.S. obligation under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to negotiate in good faith for an end to the nuclear arms race and for nuclear disarmament. It explains that nuclear deterrence is based upon on the willingness of political leaders to act rationally under all circumstances, even those of extreme stress. It goes on to say that nuclear proliferation and a renewed nuclear arms race would both make for a far more dangerous world.

    David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, commented, “Mr. Trump does not seem to have a well-grounded understanding regarding threats to use the U.S. nuclear arsenal. This poses a dramatic danger to the whole world, including U.S. citizens. His presidency may constitute and the most dangerous period in human history.”

    The letter urges Mr. Trump “to choose the course of negotiations for a nuclear weapons-free world,” stating that to do so, “would be a great gift to all humanity and all future generations.”

    Among the signers to the Open Letter are many advisors, board members and staff of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and others, including Helen Caldicott, Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg, Richard Falk, Oliver Stone and Setsuko Thurlow, to mention just a few.

    The Open Letter is online at https://wagingpeace.davidmolinaojeda.com/open-letter-trump/

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    If you would like to interview David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, please contact Sandy Jones at sjones@napf.org or (805) 965-3443.

    Founded in 1982, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s mission is to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons and to empower peace leaders.  The Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations and is comprised of individuals and groups worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age.  For more information, visit www.wagingpeace.org.

  • International Court of Justice Dismisses Marshall Islands’ Nuclear Disarmament Cases Without Considering the Merits

    Contact:
    Rick Wayman
    +1 805 696 5159
    rwayman@napf.org

    Peace Palace
    Photograph: CIJ-ICJ/UN-ONU, Capital Photos/Frank van Beek – Courtesy of the ICJ. All rights reserved.

    October 5, 2016 – The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the world’s highest court, delivered its judgments on preliminary issues in the Marshall Islands’ nuclear disarmament cases against India, Pakistan and the United Kingdom (UK).

    By a vote of 8-8, by the casting vote of Ronny Abraham, President of the Court, the Court upheld the objection of the United Kingdom that there was not sufficient evidence of the existence of a dispute, and therefore the ICJ does not have jurisdiction to hear the case on the merits.

    By votes of 9-7, the Court upheld the objections of India and Pakistan that there was not sufficient evidence of the existence of a dispute, and therefore the ICJ does not have jurisdiction to hear the cases on the merits.

    The government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands released an official statement following the judgments, which can be found at the end of this press release.

    Phon van den Biesen, Co-Agent of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, said, “We are pleased that the Court recited its unanimous decision of 1996 that there exists an obligation to pursue in good faith negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects. Likewise we are pleased that half of the judges of the highest court in the world confirmed, as the Marshall Islands alleged, that jurisdiction exists here. Nonetheless it is difficult to understand how eight judges could have found that no disputes existed in these cases when they were filed. So that is very disappointing. It is particularly worrying that the World Court cannot be unanimous on what it takes to establish a dispute in the context of nuclear disarmament.”

    These unprecedented lawsuits were submitted by the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) to the ICJ on April 24, 2014. They aimed to hold the nine nuclear-armed states (U.S., Russia, UK, France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea) accountable for violating international law by failing to respect their nuclear disarmament obligations under the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and customary international law.

    Only the UK, India and Pakistan appeared before the Court, since only they accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ. China, the U.S., Russia, France, Israel and North Korea chose to ignore the ICJ cases. The RMI also has a nuclear disarmament case pending against the United States in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

    David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and a consultant to the RMI, said, “In bringing these lawsuits, Tony de Brum and the Marshall Islands have demonstrated the courage and determination to act and speak, based on conviction and bitter, tragic experience, for the benefit of all humankind. De Brum and the Marshall Islands made the choice to act in a constructive manner to find a path to end the existential threat posed by nuclear weapons. With the lawsuits, the Marshall Islands challenged the nuclear-armed states to show good faith in meeting the universal legal obligation to pursue and conclude negotiations on complete nuclear disarmament. The Marshall Islands itself has shown good faith fulfilment of that obligation in a dignified, respectful way, through court action.”

    Contact information for the International Legal Team:

    Phon van den Biesen, Co-Agent of the RMI
    Attorney at Law at Van den Biesen Kloostra Advocaten, Amsterdam http://vdbkadvocaten.eu/en/phon-van-den-biesen-en/
    +31.65.2061266
    phonvandenbiesen@vdbkadvocaten.eu

    A complete list of the International Legal Team as well as information on the lawsuits can be found at www.nuclearzero.org. The California-based Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is consultant to the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

    Official statement from the government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands:

    “While these proceedings were initiated by a previous government administration, and have been carried forward, the Marshall Islands has – for decades – repeatedly reminded the international community that our own burden and experiences with nuclear detonation must never again be repeated – this includes Marshallese who petitioned the United Nations in 1954 and 1956 to cease the nuclear testing program during its status as a UN Trust Territory. Recent nuclear tests in North Korea are a stunning example of clearly unacceptable risks which remain with us all.

    While it may be that there are several political pathways to sharply reducing – and eliminating – nuclear risk, further progress on nuclear disarmament appears stalled. Without further flexibility and political will by all sides of the table, and with all necessary actors – and without common agreement on a way forward, it is as though there is no visible path to a world free of nuclear weapons, and the peace and security which accompany it. Such a lack of progress is no way to honor or respond to the lesson that Marshallese people have offered the world.

    We look forward to studying closely the Court’s opinion before commenting further.”

  • International Court of Justice to Deliver Judgments on Preliminary Issues in Marshall Islands’ Nuclear Disarmament Cases on October 5 at 10:00 a.m.

    International Court of Justice to Deliver Judgments on Preliminary Issues in Marshall Islands’ Nuclear Disarmament Cases on October 5 at 10:00 a.m.

    Media Advisory

     

    INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE TO DELIVER
    JUDGMENTS ON PRELIMINARY ISSUES
    IN MARSHALL ISLANDS’ NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT CASES
    ON OCTOBER 5 AT 10:00 A.M.

    Rick Wayman
    +1 805 696-5159
    rwayman@napf.org

    Sandy Jones
    +1 805 965-3443
    sjones@napf.org

    The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will deliver its judgments on preliminary issues in the three Marshall Islands’ nuclear disarmament cases against India, Pakistan and the United Kingdom on October 5 at 10:00 am local time in The Hague. The judgments will be read in open court.

    The nuclear disarmament lawsuits were filed on April 24, 2014 in the ICJ by the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The cases aim to hold the nuclear-armed nations accountable for their breaches of Article VI of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and customary international law.

    In all three cases the Court is to address and decide questions of jurisdiction and admissibility. If these questions are decided in favor of the Marshall Islands, the cases will go forward to the merits stage. If the Court decides against the Marshall Islands in any of the cases, the litigation in that case will be ended.

    For those unable to travel to The Hague, the judgments will be webstreamed live (no delay) on two sites:

    For those who plan to be in The Hague, information regarding media admission and accreditation is in this ICJ press release.

    Contact information for the International Legal Team:

    Phon van den Biesen, Co-Agent of the Republic of the Marshall Islands
    Attorney at Law at Van den Biesen Kloostra Advocaten, Amsterdam
    http://vdbkadvocaten.eu/en/phon-van-den-biesen-en/
    +31.65.2061266
    phonvandenbiesen@vdbkadvocaten.eu

    Press releases about the March hearings on the preliminary issues and other information about the lawsuits can be found at http://www.nuclearzero.org/newsmedia. The California-based Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is consultant to the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

    For those attending the session, Mr. van den Biesen will be available for comment to the press 15 minutes after the conclusion of the session; venue to be announced at that point in time.

  • Media Advisory: ICJ to Deliver Judgments in Marshall Islands Nuclear Disarmament Cases

    cropped-nuclear_zero_lawsuits.jpgThe International Court of Justice (ICJ) has announced that it will read its judgments in the Marshall Islands’ nuclear disarmament cases against India, Pakistan and the United Kingdom on October 5 at 10:00 am local time in The Hague.

    The judgments will address the questions of jurisdiction of the Court and admissibility of the Application in the cases against India and Pakistan. In the case against the UK, the judgment will address the preliminary objections raised by the United Kingdom.

    For those who are able to travel to The Hague, information regarding media admission and accreditation is in this ICJ press release.

    While we have not received confirmation that the judgments will be live-streamed online, they likely will be, just as the oral arguments were last March.

    If you would like to interview members of the Marshall Islands’ legal team, please contact Rick Wayman at either +1. 805.965.3443, +1. 805.696.5159 or rwayman@napf.org.

  • NAPF Strongly Condemns North Korean Nuclear Test; Urges Broader Perspective

    NUCLEAR AGE PEACE FOUNDATION

    For Immediate Release
    Contact:
    Rick Wayman
    (805) 696-5159 / (805) 965-3443
    rwayman@napf.org

    NAPF Strongly Condemns North Korean Nuclear Test; Urges Broader Perspective

    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) deplores the continued testing of nuclear weapons and the provocative statements by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Today’s nuclear test – the fifth by North Korea – makes apparent the growing nuclear dangers in the Northeast Asian region, and generally throughout the world.

    The world’s other eight nuclear-armed nations have tested a great deal. Over 2,000 nuclear tests have been conducted worldwide, and the United States alone has conducted over 1,000 nuclear tests.

    The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which has been open for signature for over 20 years, has still not entered into force. Forty-four key nations, known as “Annex 2 States,” must sign and ratify the CTBT before it can enter into effect. Of these, North Korea, India and Pakistan have neither signed nor ratified the treaty. China, Egypt, Iran, Israel and the United States have signed the treaty, but have not ratified it.

    While all nations other than North Korea have been observing a moratorium on explosive nuclear tests, many nuclear-armed nations, including the United States, have continued conducting sub-critical tests and computer simulations. NAPF believes that all nuclear testing must stop. This includes North Korea’s provocative yield-producing explosions, as well as the sub-critical tests and computer simulations that other nuclear-armed nations engage in.

    Tests of nuclear weapon delivery vehicles, such as last Monday’s launch of a Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile by the U.S. Air Force, are also dangerous and destabilizing. The modernization of nuclear arsenals and production infrastructure by all nine nuclear-armed nations is driving a perilous nuclear arms race.

    The Korean War has never officially come to an end. North Korea has asked numerous times to bring the war footing to an end, and has been rejected each time. The U.S. still keeps around 28,000 troops in South Korea and conducts annual war games targeting North Korea. All parties must negotiate an end to the hostilities, instead of relying on a 63 year-old Armistice Agreement.

    Finally, NAPF urges all nine nuclear-armed nations to fulfill their obligations under existing international law. Nuclear-armed countries have an obligation to convene negotiations in good faith for an end to the nuclear arms race and for nuclear disarmament, as required by Article VI of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and customary international law. As North Korea’s continued nuclear testing shows, the only way to ensure that nuclear weapons are never used is to negotiate their complete abolition.

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    For further information, contact Rick Wayman at rwayman@napf.org or (805) 696-5159.

    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation – NAPF’s mission is to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons and to empower peace leaders.  Founded in 1982, the Foundation is comprised of individuals and organizations worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations.

  • Press Release: Vandenberg to Launch Minuteman III Missile Test

    For Immediate Release

    Contact:

    Rick Wayman
    (805) 696-5159
    rwayman@napf.org

    Sandy Jones
    (805) 965-3443
    sjones@napf.org

    minuteman_launchSanta Barbara, CA – A Minuteman III ICBM missile test is scheduled for launch early on Sunday morning, September 4, from Vandenberg AFB. The launch window extends from 00:01 to 06:01 PDT.

    This comes just six days after August 29th, a date designated by the United Nations as the International Day against Nuclear Tests. While this Minuteman III missile will not be carrying an armed nuclear warhead, the sole purpose of the United States’ 450 land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles is to deliver powerful nuclear warheads to any target on Earth in under an hour.

    Bunny McDiarmid, Executive Director of Greenpeace International, said, “Nuclear weapons were designed and tested to be the ultimate doomsday weapon, setting a legacy of fear and destruction. No other human invention had as much impact on the story of humanity in recent decades.” To read more, click here.

    David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, stated, “Regularly testing its nuclear warhead delivery vehicles – in this case, the Minuteman III ICBM – stands in stark contrast to its obligation under Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms rate at an early date. This planned test on September 4th continues the provocative behavior by the U.S.”

    Krieger went on to say, “Test-firing these missiles while expressing criticism when other countries conduct missile tests is a clear example of U.S. double standards. Such double standards encourage nuclear proliferation and nuclear arms races and make the world a more dangerous place.”

    The U.S. Air Force’s proposal for the development of a new generation of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) has in fact stalled over questions surrounding the program’s cost estimates. The Air Force estimates that research, development and production of 400 new missiles would cost $62.3 billion. However, because ICBMs have not been produced by the U.S. for many years, some believe the cost would end up being much higher.

    Former defense secretary William Perry has said unequivocally that his experiences have made him believe the U.S. should remove ICBMs from its nuclear triad, which also includes strategic bombers and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

    With each missile test, the U.S. sends a clear and expensive message that it continues to be reliant on nuclear weapons. Each test costs tens of millions of dollars and contributes to the U.S. plans to spend $1 trillion modernizing its nuclear arsenal over the next thirty years.

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    If you would like to interview David Krieger, please call the Foundation at (805) 965-3443.

    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s mission is to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons and to empower peace leaders.  Founded in 1982, the Foundation is comprised of individuals and organizations worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations.  For more information, visit www.wagingpeace.org.