Category: Events

Grand Bargain Is Not So Grand

by David Krieger

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has two major purposes and together they form a grand bargain. First, the treaty seeks to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons to other countries.  Second, the treaty seeks to level the playing field by the pursuit of negotiations in good faith to end the nuclear arms race at an early date and to achieve nuclear disarmament. The goal of the grand bargain, in other words, is a world without nuclear weapons.

It is the disarmament side of the grand bargain, though, where things really break down. The five nuclear-armed countries that are parties to the NPT (US, Russia, UK, France and China) appear more comfortable working together to maintain and modernize their nuclear arsenals than they do to fulfilling their disarmament obligations under the treaty. Their common strategy appears to be “nuclear weapons forever.”

To read more, click here.

Exclusive Interview With General Lee Butler

by Robert Kazel

Today, General Lee Butler is 75, and he has never stopped believing nuclear arms to be an enormous danger and outrageously immoral. They permit imperfect leaders to play God, he says, and make it all too easy for the planet to be ruined for all future generations in a span of hours. He’s incredulous that scores of U.S. missiles are still kept on hair-trigger alert, poised to be launched in minutes. And he is more disillusioned than ever that defense strategists and politicians keep defending nuclear deterrence: a theory born in the 1950s that asserts nations can prevent nuclear war by keeping nuclear weapons ready for use in retaliation. Butler believed that once, fervently. But he now says deterrence probably never made much sense, and certainly is unbelievable in a world of unstable, unpredictable regional nuclear actors and terrorists who seek to actually use weapons of vast, destructive power.

Now Butler has penned his life story, a project he painstakingly worked on for many years after he and his wife, Dorene, left Omaha and moved to a gated community in Laguna Beach, Calif., in 2001. The self-published memoir, which he expects to be out this summer, recounts his boyhood in Georgia as part of an Army family and his 33-year military career starting with his graduation from the Air Force Academy in 1961. It explains in depth why he ultimately called for the total elimination of nuclear weapons, and discusses his disillusionment with government officials who, he says, have allowed shortsightedness, petty politics and bellicosity to obstruct the road to world nuclear disarmament.

In a wide-ranging interview at his house recently, Butler spoke with NAPF about the perils of nuclear weapons that arose during and just after the Cold War, and why the dangers continue. The following is an edited version of the conversation.

To read more, click here.

Uprising

by Ray Acheson

A certain restiveness could be felt Friday evening at the United Nations at the close of the 2015 NPT Review Conference. The draft outcome document was not adopted, though it was not this fact that seemed to bother most. The content of the final draft was unacceptably weak on disarmament, as the majority of those taking the floor lamented in their closing remarks, and the process to develop it was extremely problematic. The discontent was rather about why it had been rejected. Three states parties blocked its adoption on behalf of Israel, a non-state party possessing nuclear weapons. If the month-long review of the Treaty’s implementation and attempts to develop actions for moving forward had not already sufficiently underscored the depth of the Treaty’s discriminatory orientation privileging nuclear-armed states, the Conference’s conclusion certainly did.

But the Conference has ended, leaving interested states now with the chance to pursue effective measures for nuclear disarmament. Instead of a text that moves backwards in some areas from previous commitments and threatened to stall progress for another five years, states parties can continue to rely on the outcomes from 1995, 2000, and 2010 to guide their actions in terms of Treaty implementation. And in the meantime, there is also space for what the Washington Post describes as “an uprising” of 107 states and civil society groups. These states are “seeking to reframe the disarmament debate as an urgent matter of safety, morality and humanitarian law,” and have pledged to fill the gap for the prohibition and elimination of nuclear weapons.

To read more, click here.

The Marshall Islands and the NPT

In a recent article in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Robert Alvarez writes about the history and impact of U.S. nuclear weapons testing in the Marshall Islands. He also explores the importance of the Marshall Islands’ Nuclear Zero Lawsuits for upholding the disarmament promises of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and the momentum of the effort to highlight the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons.

Alvarez writes, “The humanitarian initiative and the Marshall Islands lawsuits have received a chilly, some might say hostile reception from the nuclear weapons states, for an understandable reason: The nuclear weapons countries are engaged in costly modernization efforts that all but guarantee the continued existence of nuclear weapons for decades, and perhaps beyond. The Marshall’s lawsuits and the humanitarian initiative both seek to make the nuclear states seriously negotiate toward nuclear disarmament.”

Robert Alvarez, “The Marshall Islands and the NPT,” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, May 27, 2015.

What the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits Seek to Accomplish

by David Krieger

These are important lawsuits.  They have been described as a battle of David versus the nine nuclear Goliaths.  In this case, however, David (the RMI) is using the nonviolent means of the courtroom and the law rather than a slingshot and a rock.  It is worth considering what these lawsuits seek to accomplish.

• To challenge the “good faith” of the nuclear-armed countries, for their failure to initiate negotiations for nuclear disarmament as required by the NPT and customary international law.
• To awaken people everywhere to the magnitude of the threat posed by nuclear weapons.
• To achieve a “conversion of hearts,” recognized by Pope Francis as necessary for effective action in changing the world on this most challenging of threats.

These are high aspirations from a small but courageous country.  If you would like to know more about the Marshall Islands Nuclear Zero lawsuits, and how you can help support them, visit www.nuclearzero.org.

David Krieger, “What the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits Seek to Accomplish,” Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, May 6, 2015.

MOX Gets Golden Hammer Award for Egregious Waste

The Washington Times has awarded its Golden Hammer Award to South Carolina’s Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel facility. The MOX program, which is intended to convert 34 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium into fuel for nuclear power plants, is viewed by many as an egregious example of government waste.

In 2004, the project was expected to cost $1.6 billion, with a completion date of 2007. Now, in 2015, over $4 billion has been spent on the project, which is only 67% completed. Congress appears likely to provide $345 million in funding for MOX in Fiscal Year 2016. At this rate, studies have shown that the lifecycle costs for MOX will reach $114 billion. The MOX plant also lost its only potential customer for the fuel, Duke Energy. No other nuclear utility has been willing to take the risk of using MOX fuel in nuclear reactors.

Kellan Howell, “Congress Keeps Funding Overbudget Plutonium Site with No Real Customers,” Washington Times, May 7, 2015.

UK Whistleblower on Trident Submarine Dangers

The safety and security of the Royal Navy’s four Vanguard-class nuclear submarines, each carrying more than a dozen Trident nuclear missiles, was called into question when William McNeilly claimed that Britain’s nuclear weapons system was an “accident waiting to happen.” The damning 18-page report includes accusations of lax security, fire hazards, and poor quality food among other things.

The Royal Navy has firmly dismissed these allegations, while some defense experts admitted that there could be elements of truth in some of McNeilly’s claims. Historically, the Ministry of Defense has downplayed incidents involving its submarines, stating that the “technical complexity of running a nuclear submarine is vast.”

Jamie Merrill, “Trident Whistleblower William McNeilly Transferred to Portsmouth Naval Base as Royal Navy Disputes his Claims About the ‘Silent Service,’” The Independent, May 22, 2015.

U.S. Conducts Minuteman Missile Test During NPT Review Conference

Three days before the end of the 2015 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, the U.S. conducted a test of a Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. The Minuteman III is the United States’ land-based missile that is capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the other side of the planet in around 30 minutes.

The test went against the call of dozens of nations at the NPT Review Conference for the U.S. and other nuclear-armed nations to take their nuclear weapons off high-alert status and to pursue negotiations for nuclear disarmament. The Air Force Global Strike Command stated that the ICBM test launch program is to “verify the effectiveness, readiness, and accuracy of the weapons system.”

Rick Wayman, Director of Programs and Operations at the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, commented, “Conducting a nuclear missile test, particularly at this time, sends a clear signal to the international community that the United States believes it can continue to possess nuclear weapons indefinitely and with impunity.”

“U.S. Schedules Yet Another Controversial Minuteman III Test,” Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, May 19, 2015.

Women Cross Border Between North and South Korea

Women Cross DMZ, an international group of female peace activists led by Gloria Steinem, crossed one of the world’s most militarized borders, between North and South Korea, in order to draw attention to the need for a permanent peace treaty. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the division of the Korean peninsula. Other goals of the group were to highlight the suffering of divided families and promoting peace over war.

Mairead Maguire and Medea Benjamin, both members of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s Advisory Council, took part in the action. Maguire, recipient of the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize, said, “We are here today because we don’t believe in war. You can get to human rights when you have a normal situation and not a country at war.”

“Gloria Steinem and Female Activists Cross Korean Demilitarized Zone,” The Guardian, May 24, 2015.

Transform Now Plowshares Activists Released from Prison

On May 8, a federal appeals court ruled that the government had overreached in charging three Transform Now Plowshares activists with sabotage, ordering the release of Sister Megan Rice and her two fellow activists. The group nonviolently broke into the grounds of the Y-12 Highly-Enriched Uranium Manufacturing Facility on July 28, 2012 and conducted a symbolic conversion of the site, spreading human blood and painting peace slogans on the walls.

After so much time in jail, Sister Megan Rice, 85, has no intention of stopping her anti-nuclear activism and is more committed than ever. One threat is that the federal government might challenge the recent ruling and try to have her thrown back in prison. “It would be an honor,” Sister Rice said during the ride. “Good Lord, what would be better than to die in prison for the anti-nuclear cause?”

William J. Broad, “Sister Megan Rice, freed From Prison, Is Unapologetic for Anti-Nuclear Activism,” The New York Times, May 26, 2015.

Las Vegas Mayor Opposes Nuclear Waste Shipments

In response to a Department of Energy announcement that it would begin shipping uranium waste from Tennessee for storage in Nevada, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said that she would lie down in the highway to stop the transport vehicles.

“We know what happened in the nuclear testing days,” Goodman said. “We were told at the test site, ‘These things are harmless, go out and take your children to watch these wonderful mushroom clouds.’”

“I know it would bring funds to Nevada,” she added. “Sometimes there’s other, better ways to find funding.”

James Dehaven, “Vegas Mayor Will Lie Down on Highway to Block Nuke Shipments,” Las Vegas Review-Journal, May 5, 2015.

June’s Featured Blog

This month’s featured blog is Defusing the Nuclear Threat, written by NAPF Associate Martin Hellman. Hellman is Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University and an expert in risk analysis.

Recent articles include “Solving a Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside an Enigma,” and “Saber Rattling Works, but Which Way?”

To read the blog, which is updated frequently, go to www.nuclearrisk.org.

This Month in Nuclear Threat History

History chronicles many instances when humans have been threatened by nuclear weapons. In this article, Jeffrey Mason outlines some of the most serious threats that have taken place in the month of June, including the June 3, 1980 incident in which the malfunction of a 46-cent computer chip caused U.S. warning systems to falsely display that the Soviet Union had launched 2,200 nuclear missiles at the United States.

To read Mason’s full article, click here.

For more information on the history of the Nuclear Age, visit NAPF’s Nuclear Files website.

The Growing U.S. Nuclear Threat

The Alliance for Nuclear Accountability (ANA) is a network of over 30 groups around the United States, most of which are located in areas that are part of the vast U.S. nuclear weapons complex. ANA recently released a report entitled “The Growing U.S. Nuclear Threat.” The report documents numerous nuclear weapon programs that are part of the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration that are vastly over budget, have major oversight and management problems, and a general lack of accountability.

Rick Wayman, NAPF Director of Programs, wrote the executive summary for this report. Wayman wrote, “The Department of Energy’s budget is set to increase this year as in years past. The increased spending will undermine efforts to make the nation more secure. New, provocative investments in weapons programs and infrastructure will undermine non-proliferation efforts and introduce uncertainties into the U.S. stockpile. At the same time, cuts to the cleanup budget and failure to hold DOE and the NNSA accountable leave health risks unaddressed, environmental damage unrepaired, and urgent waste challenges unmet.”

To read the report, click here.

Peace Poetry Awards: Deadline July 1

The deadline for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s annual Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards is July 1. The contest encourages poets to explore and illuminate positive visions of peace and the human spirit. The Poetry Awards include three age categories: Adult, Youth 13-18, and Youth 12 & Under. Cash prizes of up to $1,000 will be awarded to the winners. For more information on how to enter, click here.

Paul Chappell Selected as CMM Institute Fellow

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s Peace Leadership Director, Paul K. Chappell, has been selected as a 2015 CMM (Coordinated Management of Meaning) Institute Fellow and is one of six fellows to present at the 2015 CMM Learning Exchange and Global Integral Competence conference. This event will be held in Munich, Germany, from September 17- 20, 2015.

Chappell’s project title is “Literacy in the Art of Living, the Art of Listening, and the Art of Waging Peace.” One of the Institute’s current priorities is to promote research and interventions on selected topics that take a “communication perspective” and contribute to the common good. Proposals for the 2015 fellowships have focused on issues of conflicts and how these may be resolved or prevented by taking a “communication perspective.”

To read more, click here.

Save the Date: Sadako Peace Day is August 6

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will hold its 21st Annual Sadako Peace Day commemoration event on Thursday, August 6. This year’s event, which falls on the 70th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, remembers the victims of the U.S. atomic bombings and all innocent victims of war. NAPF Peace Leadership Director Paul K. Chappell will deliver this year’s keynote address.

The event will take place at 6:00 p.m. at the Sadako Peace Garden at La Casa de Maria – 800 El Bosque Road, Montecito, California. The event is free and open to the public.

“Some powerful people make their living with the production of arms. It’s the industry of death.”

— Pope Francis

“Why is it that only the security of the five [nuclear-armed members of the NPT] requires nuclear weapons, whilst no one else needs nuclear weapons for their security? If the truth is that no one’s security needs nuclear weapons, then all of our security is enhanced by getting rid of nuclear weapons. If this is indeed the case, what makes it so different for the five that they feel that they have to be exempted from this universal truth?”

— Ambassador Abdul Minty of South Africa. To read his full statement, click here.

“No one can keep a straight face and argue that sixteen thousand nuclear weapons are an appropriate threshold for global safety. We are seeing nuclear nations modernize and rebuild when they could use the opportunity to reduce. There is no right to ‘indefinite possession’ to continue to retain nuclear weapons on security grounds.”

— Tony de Brum, Foreign Minister of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. To read his full statement, click here.

“Nothing could be worse than fear that one has given up too soon and left one effort unexpended which might have saved the world.”

— Jane Addams (1860-1935), American peace activist and 1931 Nobel Peace Laureate. This quote is featured in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, available online in the NAPF Peace Store.

McKenna Jacquemet
David Krieger
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman

Hubris Versus Wisdom

by David Krieger

Humankind must not be complacent in the face of the threat posed by nuclear weapons.  The future of humanity and all life depends upon the outcome of the ongoing struggle between hubris and wisdom.

Hubris is an ancient Greek word meaning extreme arrogance. Wisdom is cautionary good sense.

Hubris is at the heart of Greek tragedy – the arrogant belief that one’s power is unassailable.  Wisdom counsels that no human fortress is impregnable.

Hubris says some countries can hold onto nuclear weapons and rely upon them for deterrence.  Wisdom, in the voice of the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, says these weapons must be eliminated before they eliminate us.

To read more, click here.

Why Are We Planning to Walk Across the DMZ?

by Mairead Maguire

Almost two years ago, when Christine Ahn proposed international women peacemakers walk across the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) which separates North and South Korea as an important action to help support Korean women and men working for reconciliation and reuniting of Korean families, I couldn’t resist. This was an important first step in establishing a peace process in which women and civil community would be included.

Many people have asked, “Why are they planning to walk across the DMZ that separates North and South Korea?” Maybe the real question should be, “Why not?”

To read more, click here.

How to Avert a Nuclear War

by James Cartwright and Vladimir Dvorkin

We find ourselves in an increasingly risky strategic environment. The Ukrainian crisis has threatened the stability of relations between Russia and the West, including the nuclear dimension — as became apparent last month when it was reported that Russian defense officials had advised President Vladimir V. Putin to consider placing Russia’s nuclear arsenal on alert during last year’s crisis in Crimea.

Diplomatic efforts have done little to ease the new nuclear tension. This makes it all the more critical for Russia and the United States to talk, to relieve the pressures to “use or lose” nuclear forces during a crisis and minimize the risk of a mistaken launch.

The fact is that we are still living with the nuclear-strike doctrine of the Cold War, which dictated three strategic options: first strike, launch on warning and post-attack retaliation. There is no reason to believe that Russia and the United States have discarded these options, as long as the architecture of “mutually assured destruction” remains intact.

To read more, click here.

Statement of Principle in Support of the Lausanne Agreement

We, the undersigned, encourage and support the ongoing negotiations process that in early April of 2015 resulted in the announcement of a historically significant “framework agreement” in Lausanne, Switzerland. This painfully negotiated initial agreement is between the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and those of the “P5+1″ world powers. Its aim is to resolve peacefully the chronic and dangerous dispute over the peacefulness of Iran’s nuclear energy (and technology) program. While we the undersigned may have different views about other matters, we deem the success of the “Lausanne Agreement” to be a significant and positive step forward (although modest and fragile) toward reduction of tension and violence in our interconnected world.

Nevertheless, we note in profound distress that the long diplomatic process which finally resulted in the Lausanne Agreement has many and diverse opponents, if not determined enemies. These foes (mainly in the U.S., in Israel, and even inside Iran) are trying to prevent the agreement from being finalized by the deadline of June 30, 2015. We believe that their strident and disruptive voices should be opposed nonviolently, by all well-intentioned persons and institutions. Why? Because in our opinion, human history is at a critical juncture in which the dream of a truly peaceful and just world, on our fragile “pale blue dot” (on which life is supposed to be thriving, as opposed to being further harmed every single day) is seriously imperiled. Thus, we, the undersigned, invite all people (and institutions) of good will to lend their support to this modest but significant peace process, in part by signing this petition and spreading its words far and wide.

To read the petition and sign your name, click here.

Marshall Islands to U.S.: Keep Your NPT Promises

On April 9, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) filed its court-ordered Mediation Questionnaire in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

In the Mediation Questionnaire, the RMI cites a statement made by the U.S. Embassy in the Marshall Islands on February 5, 2015, which asserted that “the U.S. commitment to achieving the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons is unassailable.” Taking the Embassy’s statement at face value, the RMI goes on to say, “If the U.S. were willing to demonstrate that commitment by calling for and convening negotiations for cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament under the NPT (which is the very relief sought by the Marshall Islands), then this case could have strong potential for a successful mediation.”

In subsequent court documents, it became clear that the U.S. did not accept the option for mediation in this appeal. The initial appeal brief from the Marshall Islands is due to the court on July 13, 2015.

“Marshall Islands to U.S. – Keep Your NPT Promises,” Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, April 9, 2015.

Marshall Islands Delivers Strong Message to NPT Review Conference

On April 27, 2015, the first day of the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Tony de Brum delivered a strong statement about the current state of nuclear affairs and the urgent need for the abolition of nuclear weapons worldwide.

De Brum said, “It should be our collective goal to not only stop the spread of nuclear weapons, but also to truly achieve the peace and security of a world without them, and thus end the cycle of broken promises…. After decades of diplomacy, the NPT’s defining purpose remains unfulfilled, and those who are unwilling to negotiate in good faith will be held to wider account.”

Tony de Brum, “Statement of Marshall Islands to the 2015 NPT Review Conference,” April 27, 2015.

Failed Missile Defense Programs Cost $10 Billion

Numerous U.S. missile defense programs once portrayed as vital to national security have been mothballed or completely scrapped due to their unworkable nature. Once lauded, the weapon systems were eventually discovered to be ineffective and/or much more expensive than initially promised.

Retired Air Force General Eugene Habiger, former head of the U.S. Strategic Command, criticized the leaders of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency for their repeated blunders. “They are totally off in la-la land,” he said.

Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon were the major contractors involved in the failed missile defense programs.

David Willman, “The Pentagon’s $10-billion Bet Gone Bad,” Los Angeles Times, April 5, 2015.

Close Call During Cuban Missile Crisis

Yet another close encounter with complete annihilation of the human race during the Cuban Missile Crisis has been revealed. U.S. missile officers stationed in Okinawa received a false order to launch nuclear-armed missiles on October 28, 1962. Nearly all of the redundancies and checks imposed upon launching a nuclear strike seemed to have been met and the “three-level confirmation process was taken step-by-step in accordance with a manual by comparing codes in the launch order and codes given to his crew team in advance. All of the codes matched.”

If the officers had followed protocol, they would have launched the missiles, which would have likely resulted in the initiation of a massive nuclear exchange between the U.S. and Soviet Union. Instead, the officer in charge decided to use logic and reason before following orders, leading to the eventual discovery that the order was a mistake.

Masakatsu Ota, “U.S. Veterans Reveal 1962 Nuclear Close Call Dodged in Okinawa,” Kyodo News, March 27, 2015.

Nuclear Weapon Transporter Has Anger Management Issues

According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s top auditor, the commander of a nuclear courier squad allegedly threatened to kill one of his colleagues. Senior officials did not learn about the allegations for five months. This same commander was also involved in physical altercations with other couriers on at least two other occasions.

The couriers are responsible for transporting nuclear weapons and weapons-usable nuclear materials around the United States to various factories, storage sites and military bases.

R. Jeffrey Smith, “He Handles American Nuclear Weapons, Has Anger Issues,” The Daily Beast, April 10, 2015.

U.S. Reveals It Has Known About Israel’s Nuclear Program for Over 50 Years

Despite denials for decades, the U.S. has finally declassified information affirming its knowledge of Israel’s nuclear program since 1960. When the United States first learned of Israel’s development, officials expressed immense “annoyance because Israeli officials at all levels repeatedly provided less than credible answers to U.S. questions about Dimona.” Included in the report are a myriad of other documents indicating dubious practices on the part of the U.S., Israel, the UK and even international agencies. Among these are:

• A secret agreement between Israel and Norway for the sale of Norwegian heavy water to Israel (through the United Kingdom), transmitted by Oslo Embassy political officer Richard Kerry (father of current U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry).
• Reports that the Israelis had a secret nuclear reactor project that involved experiments with plutonium.
• A telegram reporting on Finance Ministry official Addy Cohen’s statement that “we’ve been misbehaving,” and that the secrecy surrounding Dimona was unjustifiable, “a stupid mistake on the part of Israel.”
• Messages about a role for the International Atomic Energy Agency in inspecting and safeguarding Dimona.

Avner Cohen and William Burr, “The U.S. Discovery of Israel’s Secret Nuclear Project,” The National Security Archive, April 15, 2015.

Pension Fund Blacklists Boeing for Work on Nuclear Weapons

Nordea Asset Management, the largest financial services group in Northern Europe, has blacklisted Boeing because of its work producing nuclear weapons. Sasja Beslik, head of corporate governance at Nordea, said, “Boeing is in the process of developing a new nuclear program, [which means] we cannot engage with them. These companies will not change their business models, because [nuclear] is too lucrative.” Beslik continued, “We do not believe that the development of new nuclear weapons is needed and we do not want to contribute to the expansion of this business as the potential use of [nuclear arms] is extremely damaging to mankind.”

Boeing is one of many companies that is listed as a “nuclear weapon producer” in the Don’t Bank on the Bomb report, produced by PAX. To see what companies and financial institutions are included in the report, click here.

“Nordea Blacklists Boeing Over Nuclear Arms,” Financial Times, May 3, 2015.

Women’s Power to Stop War

Hundreds of women from 80 countries gathered in The Hague April 27-29 for the Women’s Power to Stop War conference. Organized by the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) in honor if its 100th anniversary, the conference addressed many important global issues.

One such issue is global military spending, which was estimated to be $1.8 trillion in 2014. Speaking at the conference, Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams said, “We have done things, we have banned landmines, we’ve banned cluster munitions … Anything can happen if we get up off our collective butt and work together. With an overarching goal then, however individuals contribute to that goal, we can change the world.”

Liz Ford, “Peace Activists at The Hague Decry $1.8tn Global Military Spend in 2014,” The Guardian, April 29, 2015.

40th Anniversary of the End of the Vietnam War

Forty years ago, on April 30, 1975, the Vietnam War ended with the fall of Saigon, known today as Ho Chi Minh City. On May 1-2, a conference was held in Washington, D.C. to commemorate the anniversary and examine lessons learned during that time.

NAPF President David Krieger has written a letter to the Americans who died in the Vietnam War, which is one of many messages that will be delivered by Veterans for Peace to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Memorial Day this year.

“We Are Meeting the Pentagon on Battlefield of Memory,” Democracy Now, April 30, 2015.

NPT News In Review

Reaching Critical Will, a project of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, produces a newspaper during each Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. The News In Review contains summaries of debates, analysis and opinions, and is an excellent way to stay up to date on the daily proceedings whether you are attending the conference in New York City or not.

To read the News In Review, click here.

This Month in Nuclear Threat History

History chronicles many instances when humans have been threatened by nuclear weapons. In this article, Jeffrey Mason outlines some of the most serious threats that have taken place in the month of May, including India’s May 18, 1974 nuclear weapon test, which marked the beginning of a dangerous nuclear arms race in South Asia.

To read Mason’s full article, click here.

For more information on the history of the Nuclear Age, visit NAPF’s Nuclear Files website.

Filling the Legal Gap

Reaching Critical Will and Article 36 have produced a brief report summarizing the gaps in existing treaty law related to nuclear weapons that could be filled by a treaty banning nuclear weapons. The “legal gap” regarding prohibition and elimination arises from various deficits in the regulation of activities involving nuclear weapons, as currently codified. The key legal gap that needs to be filled is the explicit prohibition of nuclear weapons and establishment of a framework for their elimination.

To read the report, click here.

Worldwide Nuclear Modernization Programs

Hans Kristensen, director of the Federation of American Scientists’ Nuclear Information Project, delivered an informative presentation at the United Nations on April 28 as part of a side event sponsored by the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability. Kristensen’s presentation examined in depth the “modernization” programs of Russia and the United States, and provided overviews of the nuclear weapon activities of the other seven nuclear-armed nations (United Kingdom, France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea).

To view Kristensen’s presentation, click here.

NAPF at the NPT Review Conference

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation was deeply involved during the first week of the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in New York City. The conference, which began on April 27, continues through May 22. On the first day of the conference, NAPF held a side event in partnership with the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms. The event, held during the lunch hour, featured Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Tony de Brum, lead counsel in the U.S. lawsuit Laurie Ashton and NAPF President David Krieger.

In addition, NAPF representatives spoke on many other panels at the United Nations and in other locations around New York City. For example, David Krieger spoke at Soka Gakkai International’s Culture of Peace lecture series, while Rick Wayman spoke about the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits following a screening of the documentary Nuclear Savage.

Swackhamer Disarmament Video Contest Winners

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has announced the winners of the 2015 Swackhamer Disarmament Video Contest. The contest, which was open to people around the world, called for videos of up to 90 seconds on “The Imperative of Reaching Nuclear Zero: The Marshall Islands Stands Up for All of Humanity.”

To view the winning videos, click here.

Paul Chappell Speaks at Site of Dayton Peace Accords

When Paul K. Chappell, Peace Leadership Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, spoke on “Why World Peace Is Possible” at the annual conference of Southwestern Ohio Rotary District 6670 on April 18  in Dayton, Ohio, he found a willingness among the attendees to reconsider some long-held views.

One Rotarian commented, “I was changed. I went in thinking that peace was impossible. Left thinking there is a way to spread peace. Slow and steady, like curing polio.”

To read more about Paul’s trip to Dayton, click here.

Peace Poetry Awards: Deadline July 1

The deadline for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s annual Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards is July 1. The contest encourages poets to explore and illuminate positive visions of peace and the human spirit. The Poetry Awards include three age categories: Adult, Youth 13-18, and Youth 12 & Under. Cash prizes of up to $1,000 will be awarded to the winners.

“Democracy has come to nuclear disarmament.”

— Maritza Chan, Minister Counselor of Costa Rica, speaking at the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference on May 4, 2015. To read Costa Rica’s full statement, click here.

“Pointing nuclear-tipped missiles at entire nations is an act of unprecedented moral depravity.”

— Bernard Lown, co-founder of the 1985 Nobel Peace Laureate organization International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. This quote appears in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, which is available in the NAPF Peace Store.

“Nuclear arms are weapons of the devil, which will not allow humans to live nor die as humans.”

— Sumitero Taniguchi, an 86-year-old survivor of the U.S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki, speaking at the Peace and Planet Conference in New York City.

“It’s just making sure that if we ever had to use them, they would actually explode.”

— Rose Gottemoeller, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, explaining why the United States plans to spend at least $1 trillion over the next 30 years on a “modernization” program for its nuclear weapons, delivery vehicles and production facilities.

David Krieger
Grant Stanton
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman

Nuclear Weapons and Possible Human Extinction: The Heroic Marshall Islanders

by David Krieger

Extinction is a harsh and unforgiving word, a word that should make us shiver. Time moves inexorably in one direction only and, when extinction is complete, there are no further chances for revival. Extinction is a void, a black hole, from which return is forever foreclosed. If we can imagine the terrible void of extinction, then perhaps we can mobilize to forestall its occurrence, even its possibility.

The brilliant American author Jonathan Schell, who wrote The Fate of the Earth and was an ardent nuclear abolitionist, had this insight into the Nuclear Age: “We prepare for our extinction in order to assure our survival.” He refers to the irony and idiocy of reliance upon nuclear weapons to avert nuclear war.

To read more, click here.

Why We Need Peace Heroes

by Paul K. Chappell

The art of living requires us to understand what it means to be human, because the art of living works with the medium of our shared humanity, just as painting works with color and music works with sound. The art of living also requires us to learn the art of waging peace, because peace is the process and product of living well. Instead of saying our society is illiterate in peace, a more accurate phrase is “preliterate in peace.” Three thousand years ago, there were many brilliant Greeks and Trojans who did not understand the importance of becoming literate in reading. And today, there are many brilliant people in our society who do not yet understand the importance of becoming literate in living well, waging peace, and our shared humanity.

Because environmental destruction, nuclear weapons, and war can drive humanity extinct, this new kind of literacy I am describing is necessary for human survival. Just as people today recognize that illiteracy in reading is a serious problem, we must create a future where people recognize that illiteracy in the art of living and the art of waging peace is also a serious problem. To take their society to the next level, a civilization such as the ancient Greeks had to prioritize literacy. To take our global society to the next level, we must prioritize literacy in living well, waging peace, and our shared humanity.

To read more, click here.

Marshall Islands to Appeal to Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

The lawsuit brought by the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) against the United States is not going away anytime soon. While the case was dismissed on February 3, 2015 by the U.S. Federal District Court for the Northern District of California, on April 2, 2015, this small island nation took the important step of formally filing its Notice of Appeal.

Earlier this year, U.S. Federal District Court dismissed the case on the jurisdictional grounds of standing and political question doctrine without getting to the merits of the case. Laurie Ashton, lead attorney for the RMI, expressed strong disagreement with the court’s ruling, saying, “We believe the District Court erred in dismissing the case. The Marshall Islands, like every party to the NPT, is entitled to the United States’ fulfillment of its NPT promise – negotiations for nuclear disarmament. Further, the U.S. President does not enjoy exclusive purview to determine the U.S. breach of its treaty obligations. Instead, the judiciary has an obligation to rule in this treaty dispute.”

“The Marshall Islands Will Not Back Down,” Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, April 2, 2015.

Marshallese Can Rightfully Claim a Victory

In Embassy, one of Canada’s top publications on foreign affairs issues, Cesar Jaramillo and Debbie Grisdale describe the main details of the Marshall Islands’ Nuclear Zero Lawsuits.

Speaking particularly to their Canadian audience, they write, “However the court rules, the effort by the RMI to hold nuclear armed states accountable is worthy of support in Canada and beyond. Canada recognizes the ICJ’s compulsory jurisdiction and has historically aligned with the rule of law.”

Cesar Jaramillo and Debbie Grisdale, “Marshallese Can Rightfully Claim a Victory,” Embassy, March 25, 2015.

U.S. Pressures Allies to Reject Austrian Pledge

The United States has pressured Japan, Norway and likely many other allied countries to reject the Austrian Pledge, which calls for efforts to “stigmatise, prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons.” While Japan sponsors a resolution annually at the United Nations General Assembly calling for states to take action towards the elimination of nuclear weapons, the Japanese government felt pressured by the United States to reject the Austrian Pledge.

According to a Japanese government official, Japan’s reliance on the U.S. nuclear “umbrella” is more important than supporting an effort to negotiate a treaty banning and eliminating nuclear weapons.

“Because of U.S. Nuclear Umbrella, Japan Not to Support Austrian Document Seeking Atomic Weapons Ban,” Kyodo, March 13, 2015.

U.S. Finally Admits that Israel Has Nuclear Weapons

A report prepared for the Pentagon in the late 1980s has been released under the Freedom of Information Act. The report describes Israel as having nuclear weapon development and production facilities “equivalent to our Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore and Oak Ridge National Laboratories.”

While it has been widely known for years that Israel possesses nuclear weapons, the United States government has played along with Israel’s position of “strategic ambiguity” for decades. This document’s release marks the first time that the U.S. government has officially disclosed its knowledge of Israeli nuclear weapons programs.

William Greider, “It’s Official: The Pentagon Finally Admitted that Israel Has Nuclear Weapons, Too,” The Nation, March 20, 2015.

GOP Senators Send Letter to Iran in Attempt to Undermine Nuclear Negotiations

Forty-seven Republican Senators have sent a letter to Iran’s leadership in an attempt to undermine negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. The letter, written by Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, states that the signers view any negotiated agreement as an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei. It goes on to state that future U.S. Presidents could “revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time.”

In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said, “I should bring one important point to the attention of the authors and that is, the world is not the United States, and the conduct of inter-state relations is governed by international law, and not by US domestic law. The authors may not fully understand that in international law, governments represent the entirety of their respective states, are responsible for the conduct of foreign affairs, are required to fulfill the obligations they undertake with other states and may not invoke their internal law as justification for failure to perform their international obligations.”

“Part II: Iran Responds to GOP Letter,” United States Institute of Peace, March 9, 2015.

Iran Nuclear Negotiations Continue

The latest self-imposed deadline of March 31 has passed in the negotiations between Iran and the P5+1. Negotiations have mostly been portrayed as positive, but important points of disagreement remain.

The Americans want to establish quantitative limits: how many centrifuges can spin, how much nuclear fuel can be produced, etc. The Iranians, on the other hand, are focused on maintaining sovereignty and reassuring Iranian citizens that they are standing their ground. Additionally, the pace of sanctions relief is an unresolved issue.

Joe Cirincione, President of the Ploughshares Fund, recently published an article entitled “How to Know if the Iran Deal Is a Good Deal.” Click here to read it.

Michael Gordon, “Iran Nuclear Talks Are Extended for Another Day,” The New York Times, April 1, 2015.

Why Is China Modernizing Its Nuclear Arsenal?

China’s nuclear modernization program often receives more attention than the programs of other nuclear-armed nations, even though its nuclear arsenal is far inferior to that of Russia or the United States. Chinese analysts often point to concerns about the United States’ first strike capability as a reason for modernizing. The analysts also say that China believes it must modernize its nuclear arsenal to remain viable against massive U.S. nuclear and conventional weapon modernization.

Chinese analysts also point to the disparity in numbers of nuclear weapons. Despite the New START Treaty between the United States and Russia, which has reduced the number of deployed strategic nuclear weapons those two countries can have, the nuclear arsenals of Russia and the United States are still nearly 20 times larger than China’s. Interestingly, under the definition of “deployed” in the New START Treaty, China would be considered to have zero nuclear weapons.

Gregory Kulacki, “Why Is China Modernizing Its Nuclear Arsenal?” All Things Nuclear, April 1, 2015.

Russia Calls on U.S. to Remove Nuclear Weapons from Europe

Russia has called on the United States to remove its tactical nuclear weapons from Europe. Currently, the United States has approximately 180 nuclear weapons in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey under a NATO nuclear sharing agreement. Russia claims that this arrangement is “in direct contradiction to the letter and spirit of the Non-Proliferation Treaty” because it involves the use of military equipment and personnel of non-nuclear weapon states.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that deployment of U.S. nuclear weapons on the territories of NATO allies “is consistent with the NPT” because the NATO nuclear sharing agreement was in place before the NPT entered into force in 1970.

Tony Halpin, “Russia Calls on U.S. to Remove Its Nuclear Weapons from Europe,” Bloomberg Business, March 24, 2015.

Russia and U.S. Test ICBMs

In March, both Russia and the United States conducted tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles – land-based missiles that carry nuclear warheads. Russia tested its SS-26 Rubezh missile on March 18, while the U.S. conducted tests of its Minuteman III missile on March 23 and 27.

Speaking about the March 27 Minuteman III launch, Lt. Col. Daniel Hays, commander of the 341st Missile Wing Task Force, said, “These launches are a visible reminder to both our adversaries and our allies of the readiness and capability of the Minuteman III weapon system.”

To read NAPF President David Krieger’s response to the U.S. tests from Vandenberg Air Force Base, click here.

Brian Everstine, “Missile Crews Complete Two Successful Test Launches in One Week,” Air Force Times, March 27, 2015.

NPT Action Plan Monitoring Report

In advance of this month’s Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, Reaching Critical Will has published a new report that examines progress that countries have made toward implementing the 2010 Action Plan agreed to at the 2010 NPT Review Conference. The 64-point action plan was intended to further the implementation of the NPT.

Reaching Critical Will’s monitoring report provides a straightforward review and assessment of the Plan’s implementation. In addition to actions on nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the report covers the initiatives related to the Middle East weapons of mass destruction free zone and the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons.

Many of the 64 action points, particularly those relating to nuclear disarmament, continue to receive a failing mark.

To read the report, click here.

This Month in Nuclear Threat History

History chronicles many instances when humans have been threatened by nuclear weapons. In this article, Jeffrey Mason outlines some of the most serious threats that have taken place in the month of April, including the April 11, 1950 crash of a B-29 Superfortress strategic bomber in New Mexico, in which 13 crew members died. The plane was carrying a nuclear weapon on board, but the nuclear warhead did not detonate.

To read Mason’s full article, click here.

For more information on the history of the Nuclear Age, visit NAPF’s Nuclear Files website.

Consequences of Limited and Large-Scale Nuclear War

Dr. Ira Helfand, co-President of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, delivered an important overview of the consequences of limited and large-scale nuclear war at a planning meeting for the upcoming World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Atlanta.

Dr. Helfand explained that even in a limited regional nuclear war, the consequences would be global. Soot from burning cities would block sunlight and prevent crops from growing in many parts of the planet, leading to widespread famine that could kill up to two billion people.

To watch the 10-minute video of Ira Helfand’s presentation, click here.

Nuclear Weapons in Your Backyard

Physicians for Social Responsibility has created an interactive map showing U.S. nuclear facilities and the locations of many mishaps involving nuclear weapons throughout history. Many readers of The Sunflower may be surprised to discover that a nuclear weapon accident has taken place near their home.

To see the map and read more information about the project, click here.

Global Wave on April 26

The Global Wave will involve a simple public action in cities around the world in a timed fashion over 24 hours just before the 2015 NPT Review Conference in New York City. Starting at a major peace rally in New York City on April 26, and then proceeding westward through each time zone every hour, humanity will “Wave Goodbye to Nuclear Weapons” through symbolic Wave events.

The action will engage parliamentarians, mayors, religious leaders, youth, environmentalists, human rights activists, sports clubs, celebrities and other representatives of civil society. The action in some places will be small and symbolic – in other places it will be larger and more celebratory.

Global Wave 2015 is part of Peace and Planet: Mobilization for a Nuclear Free, Just and Sustainable World. To get involved in this exciting global action, click here.

NAPF at Peace and Planet Mobilization

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is involved in many activities around the upcoming Peace and Planet Mobilization in New York City on April 24-26. NAPF is co-sponsoring a workshop at the Peace and Planet conference entitled “Small Islands, Big Threats: The Marshall Islands Tackle Nuclear Weapons and Climate Change.” The Foundation will also have a booth at the Peace Festival from 3-6 p.m. on Sunday, April 26 in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza.

If you are in the New York area, please join us for these important events. For more information on the Peace and Planet Mobilization and to register, click here.

Event on Nuclear Zero Lawsuits at the United Nations

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms is co-sponsoring a lunchtime event on the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits at the United Nations on April 27, the first day of the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. Speakers at the event include: Tony de Brum, Foreign Minister of the Marshall Islands; Laurie Ashton, lead counsel for the Marshall Islands in the lawsuit in U.S. Federal Court; and David Krieger, NAPF President and member of the legal team working on the lawsuits at the International Court of Justice.

The event is inside United Nations headquarters and is only open to government and NGO representatives with building passes.

New Booklets Now Available

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has just published two new booklets to raise awareness around the urgent need for the abolition of nuclear weapons. The first booklet is based on NAPF President David Krieger’s list of 15 moral reasons to abolish nuclear weapons. The second booklet, entitled “Nuclear Zero: Believe,” contains quotes from leaders of many different faith traditions that support the abolition of nuclear weapons.

Click here to view the 15 moral reasons booklet. Click here for the “Nuclear Zero: Believe” booklet. To order hard copies of these booklets for distribution in your area, please email rwayman@napf.org.

Peace Leadership and Civil Rights

NAPF Peace Leadership Director Paul K. Chappell touched a part of civil rights history on March 29 as keynote speaker for the Durr Lecture Series at Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama. Chappell, who grew up in Huntsville, helped to bring closure to a time period of remembering. Only several days earlier, at the reenactment of the conclusion of the civil rights march from Selma to the steps of the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery, Bernice King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Peggy Wallace Kennedy, daughter of Governor George Wallace, hugged and held hands in prayer.

Among many topics, Chappell discussed how, from a military perspective, Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. were strategic geniuses, more brilliant and innovative than any general in history. They were courageous warriors who advanced a more effective method than waging war for providing national and global security. “Gandhi said, ‘I am a soldier, but a solider of peace.’ Martin Luther King, Jr. said, ‘In the nonviolent army, there is room for everyone who wants to join.’”

To read more about Paul’s recent trip to Alabama, click here.

Upcoming NAPF Lectures

In the coming weeks, NAPF representatives will be giving public lectures around the United States. If you are in the area of any of these lectures, we would be pleased to see you there. For more information on these events, please call NAPF at (805) 965-3443.

On April 27 at 7:30 p.m., NAPF President David Krieger will deliver a lecture in New York City as part of the SGI Culture of Peace Lecture Series.

On May 3-4, NAPF Peace Leadership Director Paul K. Chappell will speak at Kent State University to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the killing of four students by National Guard troops during a protest against the Vietnam War. Paul will be joined by Dick Gregory and many others.

NAPF Peace Poetry Contest

The deadline for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s annual Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards is July 1. The contest encourages poets to explore and illuminate positive visions of peace and the human spirit. The Poetry Awards include three age categories: Adult, Youth 13-18, and Youth 12 & Under. Cash prizes of up to $1,000 will be awarded to the winners.

April is National Poetry Month, so it is a great time to submit your poems. For full details on the poetry contest, click here.

“There’s an increasing urgency on the part of those countries that do not have nuclear weapons to say to the nuclear weapons powers: ‘You need to disarm, you need to fulfill your side of the bargain.’”

— Angela Kane, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. Ms. Kane recently announced her decision to step down from her position after serving for three years.

“We are robbing America’s future to pay for unneeded weapons of the past.”

— Senator Edward Markey (D-MA), introducing the Smarter Approach to Nuclear Expenditures (SANE) Act on March 23, 2015.

“The hope of humankind is that compassion and compromise may replace the cruel and senseless violence of armed conflicts.”

— Benjamin B. Ferencz, American attorney and prosecutor at the Nuremberg Tribunal. This quote is featured in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, available from the NAPF Peace Store.

Keanna Cohen
David Krieger
Grant Stanton
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman

Bush-Appointed Judge Dismisses Nuclear Zero Lawsuit; Marshall Islands to Appeal

by David Krieger

On April 24, 2014, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), a Pacific Island country of 70,000 inhabitants, took bold action on nuclear disarmament. It brought lawsuits at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the world’s highest court, against the nine nuclear-armed countries, accusing them of violating their obligations under international law to negotiate in good faith to end the nuclear arms race and for total nuclear disarmament. Because of the importance of the US as a nuclear power and the fact that it does not accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ, the Marshall Islands at the same time brought a similar lawsuit against the US in US federal district court in Northern California.

In the US case, rather than engaging in the case in good faith, the US government responded by filing a motion to dismiss the case on jurisdictional grounds. On February 3, 2015, George W. Bush appointee Judge Jeffrey White granted the US motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that the RMI, although a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), lacked standing to bring the case and that the lawsuit is barred by the political question doctrine.

To read more, click here.

Nuclear Nations in the Dock

by Sue Wareham

A little-known court case initiated by an inconspicuous Pacific Island state might not seem very newsworthy, but when there’s a David and Goliath element involving some of the world’s most powerful nations, with implications for Australia, we should take notice.

For Australia, this is anything but a quaint and esoteric legal exercise, and we are anything but an innocent bystander.  Successive Australian governments pay lip service to the goal of a nuclear weapons free world, while simultaneously giving support to US nuclear weapons, under the extraordinarily foolish notion that they protect us. Goliath, with his genocidal weapons, has our unbridled loyalty and complicity. We are in fact part of the problem.

To read more, click here.

Remember Your Humanity

by John Scales Avery

This year, 2015, marks the 60th anniversary of the Russell-Einstein Manifesto, which contains the following words: “There lies before us, if we choose, continual progress in happiness, knowledge and wisdom. Shall we, instead, choose death, because we cannot forget our quarrels? Remember your humanity, and forget the rest. If you can do so, the way lies open to a new Paradise. If you cannot, there lies before you the risk of universal death.”

[The elimination of nuclear weapons] is a life-or-death question. We can see this most clearly when we look far ahead. Suppose that each year there is a certain finite chance of a nuclear catastrophe, let us say 2 percent. Then in a century the chance of survival will be 13.5 percent, and in two centuries, 1.8 percent, in three centuries, 0.25 percent, in 4 centuries, there would only be a 0.034 percent chance of survival and so on. Over many centuries, the chance of survival would shrink almost to zero. Thus by looking at the long-term future, we can clearly see that if nuclear weapons are not entirely eliminated, civilization will not survive.

To read more, click here.

Foreign Minister Tony de Brum Addresses Marshallese Parliament

On February 23, Tony de Brum, Foreign Minister of the Marshall Islands, delivered a speech to the Nitijela (parliament) about the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits. Mr. de Brum explained many of the key issues in the ruling granting the U.S. government’s Motion to Dismiss and responded to the recent statement by the U.S. embassy in the Marshall Islands.

Importantly, Foreign Minister de Brum made it clear that the Marshall Islands was disappointed in the ruling in U.S. Federal District Court and plans to appeal to a higher court. He stated, “Nuclear weapons are not our friend, nor the friend of the U.S. or any other country. Rather, these weapons are the enemy of all humankind. That is why we will stand up for what we believe in, and we will be appealing the Court’s dismissal of the lawsuit to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the next step in the American judicial process.”

“Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Speaks Out on Dismissal of Lawsuit and Plans to Appeal,” Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, February 24, 2015.

The Marshall Islands is “In to Win” Nuclear Disarmament Case

Laurie Ashton, Lead Counsel for the Marshall Islands in the Nuclear Zero Lawsuit against the United States in U.S. Federal District Court, has indicated that the Marshall Islands is willing to go as far as possible to win the case.

Ashton said, “I think the Marshall Islands are among the bravest people, certainly among the people I know, in terms of siding against nuclear weapons and some of that comes from their tragic and horrible experience with the United States testing there…. it takes a great deal of determination and courage to bring lawsuits against what some people believe are the biggest and strongest countries on the planet, the nuclear-armed countries.

Sally Round, “Marshalls ‘in to win’ nuclear disarmament case,” Radio New Zealand International, February 11, 2015.

Nuclear Zero Profiles

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has launched a series of profiles featuring people from the Marshall Islands who have been significantly impacted by U.S. nuclear weapon tests.

Profiles have already been published of John Anjain, Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, Lijon Eknilang, Jeban Riklon, Rokko Langinbelik and Tony de Brum.

We encourage you to share these profiles with your friends and colleagues through social media.

More Bucks for the Bang

The United States is now paying 500% more per nuclear warhead, on average, than it did in 1985. While the total number of U.S. nuclear warheads has declined from 23,368 in 1985 to 7,300 in 2015, the large infrastructure and bureaucracy remain in place. The average annual cost per warhead in 1985 was $354,000, compared to $1.8 million annually per warhead today.

These costs will rise even further as the U.S. continues to design and build new nuclear warheads, delivery vehicles and production facilities that will allow it to retain nuclear weapons for many decades to come.

Robert Alvarez, “More Bucks for the Bang,” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, February 23, 2015.

Over 10 Percent Increase for Nuclear Weapons in Budget Request

The Obama administration has requested a 10.5% increase, to $8.85 billion, in the Fiscal Year 2016 budget request for the nuclear weapon programs of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The budget increase was requested to accommodate the United States’ 30-year nuclear weapon modernization plan. In contrast, funding for cleaning up radioactive contamination remains the same as previous years, even as the estimated cost for cleaning up this contamination rises. Similarly, the budget request contains only $48 million for dismantlement of retired nuclear warheads.

“DOE Nuclear Weapons Budget Up 10%, Equals Cold War Record,” Nuclear Watch New Mexico, February 11, 2015.

U.S. Missile Officer Ran Violent Street Gang

A U.S. Air Force nuclear missileer stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, was tried for a plethora of crimes committed while leading a violent street gang. Capt. Leon Brown IV was eventually convicted of “two counts of sexual assault of a child younger than 16; distribution of marijuana and psilocybin; use of psilocybin; willful dereliction of duty; conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman; pandering; unlawful entry; and four specifications of communicating threats.” He was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison and dishonorably discharged.

Kristin Davis, “AF: Missileer Who Ran ‘Violent Street Gang’ Gets 25 Years,” Air Force Times, February 2, 2015.

Prescribed Burn Canceled at Rocky Flats Plutonium Site

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has canceled a prescribed burn at the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge due to public opposition. From 1952-89, the United States produced plutonium cores for nuclear weapons at Rocky Flats. The site was raided by the FBI in 1989 and was shut down due to extreme environmental contamination.

Activists argue that a prescribed burn would cause plutonium particles to be released into the air, carried by the wind and, ultimately, inhaled by people. Plutonium is extremely harmful to humans, even in minute quantities.

LeRoy Moore, “Burn Canceled; What’s Next?,” Boulder Daily Camera, February 20, 2015.

Iran Nuclear Negotiations Progress

Following another round of high-level negotiations, both sides are mulling over a proposal that would see Iran’s nuclear production severely limited for 10 years, with another 5 years of diminished restrictions. The United States has insisted that Iran’s breakout capacity be constrained for “double-digit years.” The speed at which Iran might make a nuclear bomb is a paramount U.S. interest, one that forms the crux of these negotiations. With the March 31 deadline approaching, both sides are keenly aware that a framework for the final June 30 deadline is essential for a permanent deal.

Michael Gordon and David Sanger, “Negotiators Weigh Plan to Phase Out Nuclear Limits on Iran,” The New York Times, February 23, 2015.

Latin American and Caribbean Countries Commit to Austrian Pledge

At the third annual summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), all 33 heads of state restated their commitment to a world without nuclear weapons. They also gave their unanimous support to the Austrian Pledge to address the “legal gap” between the commitment to nuclear disarmament and its legal manifestations. According to Daniel Högsta of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, “The Austrian Pledge is a rallying call for states to demand action to fill an unacceptable legal gap. The momentum generated by the humanitarian initiative is paving the way for the commencement of a process to ban nuclear weapons. CELAC states have added their voices to the call. We expect other regions to do the same.”

“33 Latin American and Caribbean States Endorse Austrian Pledge and Call for Negotiations on a Ban Treaty,” International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, January 30, 2015.

Fiji Compensates Nuclear Test Victims as UK Stalls

The Fijian government recently compensated the remaining survivors of British nuclear tests done on Christmas Island in 1957-58. The payments came after decades of campaigning by veterans and their children for recognition of the serious health problems they suffered. After waiting for British compensation to no avail, the Fijian prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, said,  “The Pacific nation could wait no longer.” The personnel known to have suffered from conditions such as cancer, leukemia and other blood disorders were each given the equivalent of $4,788 U.S. dollars in payment for their suffering.

“Fiji Compensates Its Veterans of British Nuclear Tests in the Pacific,” Agence France Presse, January 30, 2015.

Recommended Reading on the Dangerous Situation in Ukraine

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has compiled a short list of recommended reading about the current dangerous situation in Ukraine. The list includes articles by Andy Lichterman of Western States Legal Foundation, Martin Hellman of Stanford University and Robert Parry, an author and investigative journalist.

To see the list of recommended reading, click here.

This Month in Nuclear Threat History

History chronicles many instances when humans have been threatened by nuclear weapons. In this article, Jeffrey Mason outlines some of the most serious threats that have taken place in the month of March, including the March 10, 1956 crash  of a U.S. Air Force B-47 bomber, carrying two capsules of payload pits for nuclear warheads. The bomber was lost at sea while flying from MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, to a NATO base in Morocco.

To read Mason’s full article, click here.

For more information on the history of the Nuclear Age, visit NAPF’s Nuclear Files website.

SGI Peace Proposal

Daisaku Ikeda, President of Soka Gakkai International, has published his 2015 Peace Proposal. Regarding the abolition of nuclear weapons, a consistent theme of Ikeda’s proposals, he applauds the fact that, in October 2014, a total of 155 countries and territories signed the Joint Statement on the Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons. Over 80% of UN member states have now clearly stated that nuclear weapons should be never used under any circumstances.

Ikeda asserts that, while the gulf between the nuclear-weapon states and those calling for nuclear abolition appears great, there is common ground in the desire to avoid the horrific outcome of any use of nuclear weapons. He urges heads of government to attend the 2015 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference and calls on them to voice there the pledges of their governments to eliminate the danger posed by nuclear weapons.

To read a full copy of the 2015 Peace Proposal, click here.

Nuclear Disarmament: The Road Ahead

The International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms has published a new paper entitled “Nuclear Disarmament: The Road Ahead.” The paper recommends that states seek agreement on commencement of negotiations on a comprehensive convention prohibiting and eliminating nuclear weapons at the upcoming Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference and beyond. It explains the mandate for such negotiations arising out of General Assembly resolutions, the NPT, and the 1996 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice,  as well as the illegality of nuclear weapons under international humanitarian law.

To read a copy of the paper, click here.

14th Annual Kelly Lecture Features Dr. Helen Caldicott

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s 14th Annual Frank K. Kelly Lecture on Humanity’s Future will feature Dr. Helen Caldicott, an Australian physician and renowned anti-nuclear advocate. Her lecture, entitled “Preserving Humanity’s Future,” will take place on March 5, 2015 at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, California.

Tickets start at $10 and are on sale at the Lobero Theatre box office online or by phone at (805) 963-0761.

Swackhamer Disarmament Video Contest Now Underway

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s annual Swackhamer Disarmament Video Contest is now underway. The contest is open to people of all ages around the world. Contestants must make a video of 90 seconds or less on the topic “The Imperative of Reaching Nuclear Zero: The Marshall Islands Stands Up for All Humanity.”

Entries are due by April 1, and the top videos will receive cash prizes. For more information and a complete set of rules, click here. You can also “like” the contest’s Facebook page and see the videos as contestants post them.

New Book by NAPF President David Krieger

Wake Up! is the latest poetry book by David Krieger, in which he continues on his path of writing piercing and thought-provoking peace poetry. His poems are often poems of remembrance, as well as warnings about the dangers of the nuclear age. Wake Up! is divided into six sections: Truth Is Beauty; War; Remembering Bush II; Global Hiroshima; Peace; Portraits; and Imperfection.

The book has received much praise. Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote, “There is haunting beauty and truth in this poetry.” Doug Rawlings, poet and Vietnam War veteran, said of Wake Up! that “…it reads like a series of eloquent telegrams sent directly to the heart of a culture, ours…”  Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet and author of A Coney Island of the Mind, wrote:  “Wake Up! is accessible and moving writing, setting itself against the dominant murderous culture of our time. Every poem hits home.”

Click here to order a copy of the book.

From Peace Leaders to Peace Heroes

When Paul K. Chappell, Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, visited the Dayton International Peace Museum in Dayton, Ohio, for a week’s worth of events, the museum made a request. Could Paul put down his thoughts about peace heroes that they could use in the spring campaign for their first annual peace heroes walk?

Paul wrote a 2,500 word essay entitled “The Little Book of Peace Heroes,” which is published on the museum’s website and will soon be available as a pamphlet to be distributed nationwide to schools and concerned organizations.

To read more about Paul’s recent trip to Ohio, click here.

“It is time for States, and all those of us in a position to influence them, to act with urgency and determination to bring the era of nuclear weapons to an end.”

— Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, in a speech to diplomats in Geneva.

“The human failing I would most like to correct is aggression. It may have had survival advantage in caveman days, to get more food, territory or a partner with whom to reproduce, but now it threatens to destroy us all.”

— Physicist Stephen Hawking.

“It is my firm belief that the infinite and uncontrollable fury of nuclear weapons should never be held in the hands of any mere mortal ever again, for any reason.”

— Mikhail Gorbachev, former President of the USSR and 1990 Nobel Peace Laureate. This quote is featured in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, available from the NAPF Peace Store.

“The experience of the Bravo explosion on March 1st, 1954 was a jolt on my soul that never left me.”

— Tony de Brum, Foreign Minister of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, describing his memory of the U.S. Castle Bravo nuclear test, the largest ever conducted by the United States.

Shervin Ghaffari
David Krieger
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman