Category: Events

The 2015 State of the Union Address: A Major Omission

by David Krieger

When President Obama first took office he was deeply concerned about nuclear disarmament. We might well ask not only what happened to “America’s commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons,” but what happened to President Obama’s commitment?

Mr. President, we live in an unpredictable world, but it is predictable based on history that nuclear weapons and human fallibility are a dangerous and highly flammable mix. Nuclear weapons, including our own, threaten all Americans and all humanity. Don’t give up on the essential quest for a Nuclear Zero world, which you seemed so eager to achieve upon assuming office.

To read more, click here.

Three Minutes to Midnight

by Bob Dodge

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has just announced its latest nuclear Doomsday Clock moving ahead the minute hand to three minutes till midnight. The clock represents the count down to zero in minutes to nuclear apocalypse – midnight. This significant move of TWO minutes is the 22nd time since its inception in 1947 that the time has been changed.

In moving the hand to 3 minutes to midnight, Kennette Benedict the Executive Director of the Bulletin, identified in her comments: “the probability of global catastrophe is very high”… “the choice is ours and the clock is ticking”…”we feel the need to warn the world” …”the decision was based on a very strong feeling of urgency”. She spoke to the dangers of both nuclear weapons and climate change saying, “they are both very difficult and we are ignoring them” and emphasized “this is about doomsday, this is about the end of civilization as we know it”.

To read more, click here.

The Marshall Islands Versus the World’s Nuclear Weapons States

by Peter Weiss

Last April, in an extraordinary and commendable act of chutzpah, RMI sued all nine states currently possessing nuclear weapons – the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, France, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea – accusing them of violating their duty to negotiate in good faith for the elimination of those horrific weapons.

One effect of the RMI initiative is to throw a spotlight on the policies of the nuclear weapons states, which claim to be committed to a nuclear weapons-free world while showing not the slightest willingness to reach that goal. Reduction, which can go on forever, is fundamentally different from elimination, which reaches an end point. The legal obligation to conclude negotiations for complete nuclear disarmament is not met by shrinking a nation’s nuclear arsenal from 600 to 300 weapons, as France has done, nor by the agreement between the United States and Russia to reduce the stockpile of deployed long-range nuclear warheads each to 1,550 by 2018, as was done in the New START Treaty negotiated in 2010.

To read more, click here.

Nuclear Zero Lawsuits Featured on Australian Morning News

A story about the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits aired on “Sunrise,” Australia’s largest morning TV show. Dr. Keith Suter, Foreign Editor for the program, discussed the lawsuits and the important issues that the Marshall Islands is raising.

To see many of the media stories published since the Marshall Islands filed the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits in April 2014, click here.

“Decades Since U.S. Nuclear Tests,” Sunrise, January 18, 2015.

Oral Arguments in U.S. Federal District Court Lawsuit

On January 16, Judge Jeffrey White heard oral arguments in the lawsuit filed by the Marshall Islands against the United States in U.S. Federal District Court. The hearing focused on the U.S. Motion to Dismiss.

Laurie Ashton, representing the Marshall Islands from the firm Keller Rohrback, said at the hearing that there is “an increased risk of nuclear detonation every time the U.S. refuses to negotiate disarmament.”

Prior to the hearing, Judge White issued a tentative ruling granting the Motion to Dismiss. However, he has taken the matter under advisement after the oral arguments and has not yet delivered a final ruling.

Katherine Proctor, “Marshall Islands, Feds Argue Disarmament,” Courthouse News Service, January 16, 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. A new profile will be published each Friday for the next few weeks on the NAPF Facebook page.

Profiles have already been published of John Anjain, Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner and Lijon Eknilang.

Air Force Piles on Requests

The United States is preparing to develop and build a new generation of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) for the Air Force. ICBMs are the land-based leg of the “nuclear triad,” which many experts believe to be unnecessary and highly dangerous.

The Air Force’s ICBM force is largely designed to be a sponge to absorb part of a massive hypothetical Cold War-style Soviet nuclear attack. “An adversary would have to fire hundreds, if not thousands, of missiles to eliminate that leg of the triad,” said Kingston Reif of the Arms Control Association. The only potential adversary capable of doing so is Russia.

Dave Majumdar, “$348 Billion in Nukes Ain’t Enough. The Air Force Wants New ICBMs Too,” The Daily Beast, January 28, 2015.

Doomsday Planes to Be Updated

The United States will update its four E-4B flying command posts that would be used by its leaders to manage military operations in a nuclear war. The planes will receive communications upgrades to enhance their ‘connectivity’ during a nuclear conflict.

Currently, at least one of the four “doomsday planes” is kept on alert at all times. The planes are capable of staying airborne as long as a week with aerial refueling.  The on-board equipment is hardened against nuclear effects. In a nuclear crisis, the heavily modified Boeing 747s could each carry a crew of over 100 specialists attempting to manage the conflict.

Loren Thompson, “A Doomsday Plane Reminder: Nuclear Weapons Haven’t Gone Away,” Forbes, January 13, 2015.

Congressional Budget Office Estimates Nuclear Modernization Costs

The Congressional Budget Office has released a new report that estimates the U.S. will spend $348 billion on nuclear weapons over the next 10 years, and possibly $1 trillion over the next 30 years. Planned spending includes rebuilding all three legs of the nuclear “triad” and their associated warheads.

Although Congress mandated reductions in planned military spending and President Obama’s military advisors have determined that the U.S. has more nuclear weapons than it needs for national security, the current spending plans would allow the U.S. to deploy far more weapons than deemed “necessary.”

Kingston Reif, “CBO: Nuclear Weapons Still Expensive,” Arms Control Association, January 22, 2015.

U.S. Rejects North Korean Offer to Suspend Nuclear Tests

On January 10, North Korea offered to suspend its nuclear tests in exchange for the U.S. cancelling its annual military drills with South Korea. The U.S. almost immediately rejected the offer, calling it a veiled threat that inappropriately linked nuclear tests and the U.S.-South Korea military drills that have been carried out for decades.

“By refusing to accept our proposal…the United States has shown once again that they will continue to increase attack military capabilities in South Korea while requesting us not to have our own national defence capabilities. This is absolutely unacceptable and cannot be justified by anything,” said An Myong Hun, North Korea’s Deputy UN Ambassador.

Michelle Nichols, “North Korea Offers to Meet U.S. on Rejected Nuclear Test Proposal,” Reuters, January 13, 2015.

Russia Ends Cooperative Threat Reduction Program

Russian officials informed their U.S. counterparts that they will no longer be seeking the United States’ help in securing Russia’s massive weapons-grade uranium stockpile. In accordance with deals struck between the two powers following the Cold War, the Untied States was helping Russia protect its HEU stockpile from finding its way onto the black market.

Since the cooperative agreement began two decades ago, U.S. experts have helped destroy hundreds of weapons and nuclear-powered submarines, pay workers’ salaries, install security measures at myriad facilities containing weapons material across Russia and the former Soviet Union, and conduct training programs for their personnel.

Bryan Bender, “Russia Ends US Nuclear Security Alliance,” The Boston Globe, January 19, 2015.

President Obama Continues to Seek Iranian Nuclear Deal

In an interview with Fareed Zakaria on CNN, President Obama said that he continues to seek a good deal with Iran on its nuclear program. Referring to the desire of some members of Congress to implement additional sanctions against Iran at this time, Obama said, “For us to undermine diplomacy at this critical time for no good reason is a mistake and that what we need to do is to finish up this round of negotiations, put the pressure on Iran to say yes to what the international community is calling for.”

President Obama continued, “I’ve said before that we will take no deal over a bad deal….Why would we reject [a good] deal and prefer a potential military option that would be less effective in constraining Iran’s nuclear program and would have extraordinary ramifications at a time when we’ve already got too many conflicts in the Middle East?”

“Obama: Netanyahu’s Visit Too Close to Election for Meeting,” Fareed Zakaria GPS, January 28, 2015.

The Chaplain Who Blessed the Hiroshima Bombers

Sixty-nine years ago, as a Catholic Air Force chaplain, Father George Zabelka blessed the men who dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Over the next twenty years, he gradually came to believe that he had been terribly wrong, that he had denied the very foundations of his faith by lending moral and religious support to the bombing. Zabelka, who died in 1992, gave a speech on the 40th anniversary of the bombings. He said:

“The destruction of civilians in war was always forbidden by the Church, and if a soldier came to me and asked if he could put a bullet through a child’s head, I would have told him, absolutely not. That would be mortally sinful.  But in 1945 Tinian Island was the largest airfield in the world. Three planes a minute could take off from it around the clock. Many of these planes went to Japan with the express purpose of killing not one child or one civilian but of slaughtering hundreds and thousands and tens of thousands of children and civilians – and I said nothing.”

To read Zabelka’s full speech, 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 February, including the February 13, 1950 crash of a U.S. bomber that was simulating a nuclear attack against San Francisco.

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 World’s Nuclear Weapons in Graphic Form

The Nagasaki Council for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, (PCU-NC) in cooperation with the Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (RECNA), Nagasaki University, have produced a poster about the number and type of nuclear warheads in the world.

To view and download a copy of the poster, click here.

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.

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.

The Dynamics of Possible Nuclear Extinction

The Helen Caldicott Foundation for a Nuclear Free Future will hold a two-day symposium at the New York Academy of Medicine on February 28 – March 1, 2015. The symposium will address the dynamics of possible nuclear extinction.

NAPF President David Krieger is among a distinguished group of panelists for this event. In last month’s edition of the Sunflower, we indicated that the symposium is free. This was an error; there is a modest cost associated with the event. For more information and to register, click here.

This event will be live-streamed. Check the link above for updates on the exact details of the live-streaming.

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. NAPF is offering a 20% discount if you order by March 1.

“There are a lot of hard decisions we’ve got to make out there, but this isn’t one of them. We want them (our children and grandchildren) to win: 100 to nothing, not 51 to 49. We can afford this, and it’s desperately needed so the United States Air Force continues to be what it always has been – the force that allows alternatives and options for our president to defend America.”

— Maj. Gen. Garrett Harencak, Air Force assistant chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, arguing for a massive budget to build new nuclear weapons and delivery vehicles.

“Many people feel powerless and suffer in cynicism, selfishness, and apathy. There is a cure: when individuals commit to caring for others with kindness and compassion, they change and they are able to make changes for peace in the world.”

— An excerpt from the statement “Living Peace,” issued at the conclusion of the 14th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates.

“In an all-out nuclear war, more destructive power than in all of World War II would be unleashed every second during the long afternoon it would take for all the missiles and bombs to fall. A World War II every second – more people killed in the first few hours than all the wars of history put together. The survivors, if any, would live in despair amid the poisoned ruins of a civilization that had committed suicide.”

— Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States. The U.S. observes Presidents Day on February 16, 2015. This quote is featured in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, available from the NAPF Peace Store.

“Nuclear deterrence and the threat of mutually assured destruction cannot be the basis for an ethics of…peaceful coexistence among peoples and states.”

— Pope Francis, in a message to the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons.

Shervin Ghaffari
David Krieger
Kate Mazzera
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman

The Nuclear Zero Lawsuits

by David Krieger

The Nuclear Zero lawsuits, initiated by the Marshall Islands, are about the law, but they are about much more than the law.  They are also about saving humanity from its most destructive capabilities.  They are about saving humanity from itself and about preserving civilization for future generations.

Nuclear weapons do not so much threaten our amazing planet itself, as they threaten the future of humanity and all the creatures, which are subject, for better or worse, to our stewardship.  Over geological time with the passing of hundreds of thousands of years, the Earth will recover from the worst we can do to it.  It is ourselves and civilization that we put at risk with our nuclear arsenals.

To read more, click here.

This Generation Will Ban Nuclear Weapons

by Jen Maman

Participants in a Civil Society Forum organized by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) before the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impacts of Nuclear Weapons called on governments to urgently start negotiating a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. The US and other nuclear-armed states may remain strongly opposed, but they can no longer ignore the emerging momentum to jump-start the efforts to reduce nuclear dangers so the world can live safely.

A powerful video shown at the conference by ICAN on behalf of civil society concluded: “Every generation has a chance to change the world. This generation will ban nuclear weapons.”

To read more, click here.

Pope Breaks Ground in Seeking Abolition of Nuclear Weapons

by Douglas Roche

Pope Francis, who has already broken new ground in his outreach to a suffering humanity, has put the weight of the Catholic Church behind a new humanitarian movement to rid the world of nuclear weapons.

In his message, delivered by Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, a leading Holy See diplomat, Pope Francis stripped away any lingering moral acceptance of the military doctrine of nuclear deterrence: “Nuclear deterrence and the threat of mutually assured destruction cannot be the basis for an ethics of fraternity and peaceful coexistence.”

To read more, click here.

A Former Ground Zero Goes to Court Against the World’s Nuclear Arsenals

The New York Times published a substantial article about the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits in its Sunday, December 28 edition. The article opens by describing the experiences of Tony de Brum, now the Foreign Minister of the Marshall Islands, as he witnessed many U.S. nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands as a child.

Explaining the Marshall Islands’ reasoning for pursuing the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits, Marlise Simons writes, “By turning to the world’s highest tribunal, a civil court that addresses disputes between nations, he [Mr. de Brum] wants to use his own land’s painful history to rekindle global concern about the nuclear arms race.”

Marlise Simons, “A Former Ground Zero Goes to Court Against the World’s Nuclear Arsenals,” The New York Times, December 28, 2014.

Five Million Signatures in Support of Nuclear Zero

In a remarkable show of strength and unity, the Youth Division of Soka Gakkai in Japan presented to Tony de Brum, Foreign Minister of the Marshall Islands, more than 5,000,000 signatures in support of the Nuclear Zero campaign. The presentation took place in Vienna at the Civil Society Forum sponsored by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).

Soka Gakkai Youth Leader, Taro Hashimoto, stated, “We are deeply grateful to the efforts of many youth members and their friends who have helped us gather millions of signatures endorsing the Nuclear Zero campaign…Soka Gakkai International President, Daisaku Ikeda, has repeatedly called for a world youth summit for nuclear abolition. We look forward to connecting with young people around the world committed to abolishing nuclear weapons and making sure that the voices of those who will shoulder the future will be heard by the international community.”

The petition is still open for signatures at www.nuclearzero.org.

“Five Million Voices for Nuclear Zero,” Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, December 17, 2014.

Opinion Column on Lawsuits in the Boston Globe

Boston Globe columnist James Carroll has published an article about the Marshall Islands’ Nuclear Zero Lawsuits. In a piece that was published in the Globe‘s January 5 edition, Carroll wrote, “One of the smallest nations on the planet, yet speaking with the unrivaled moral authority that comes of having been blasted and contaminated, is demanding that the new nuclear threshold not be crossed. The Marshall Islands pose, once again, a challenge to the conscience of humankind.”

James Carroll, “Tiny Pacific Nation Aims to Stop New Nuclear Arms Race,” Boston Globe, January 5, 2015.

Hearing in U.S. Court Scheduled for January 16

A hearing is scheduled in U.S. Federal District Court on January 16 on the U.S. Motion to Dismiss in the Nuclear Zero lawsuit filed by the Marshall Islands. The hearing will take place at 9:00 a.m. at the Oakland Courthouse, Courtroom 5, Second Floor, 1301 Clay St., in Oakland, California.

We will update the NAPF Facebook and Twitter page as soon as we hear any news about the Motion to Dismiss. You can read all of the relevant court documents in the case at this link.

Video and Transcripts of Marshall Islands Events in Vienna

In December, numerous events took place in Vienna relating to the Marshall Islands’ Nuclear Zero Lawsuits. Video and written transcripts of two of the events are below:

Public Forum on the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits: Video 1, Video 2, Transcript of Tony de Brum’s speech, Transcript of David Krieger’s speech.

Sean MacBride Peace Prize Ceremony: Video, Transcript of Tony de Brum’s speech.

U.S. Government Deems Cleanup Too Expensive

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed court documents indicating that cleanup deadlines imposed by the state of Washington at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation are too costly and should be rejected. According to the government, the cleanup deadlines at the United States’ most polluted nuclear weapons production site would cost an additional $18 billion over the next 14 years. For decades, Hanford produced plutonium for nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government is on track to spend $1 trillion over the next 30 years to modernize its nuclear weapons and delivery systems.

“Feds: Nuke Site Cleanup Request is Too Expensive,” Associated Press, December 9, 2014.

Throwing Good Billions After Bad

In a recent report on MSNBC, Rachel Maddow reported on U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s plan to spend billions of dollars to upgrade nuclear weapon systems, “because there’s nothing like pouring good billions after bad billions to fix a disastrously nonsensical and dangerous system.”

Click the link below to watch Maddow’s full report.

The Rachel Maddow Show, “New Pentagon Head Faces Nuclear Crisis, Wars and More,” MSNBC, December 2, 2014.

Russia Says It Has a Right to Put Nuclear Weapons in Crimea

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has asserted his country’s “right” to deploy nuclear weapons in Crimea. He said, “In accordance with international law, Russia has every reason to dispose of its nuclear arsenal … to suit its interests and international legal obligations.”

Alexander Golts, a Russian defense and political analyst, said that there is no military reason for Russia to deploy nuclear weapons in Crimea. Golts said, “Lavrov has brought up this nuclear weapons issue to demonstrate that the Kremlin considers Crimea such an inalienable part of Russia that it may choose to do with it whatever it wants, including the deployment of nukes.”

Russia, along with the other eight nuclear-armed nations, is obligated under international law to end the nuclear arms race and negotiate in good faith for nuclear disarmament.

Sergei Loiko, “Russia Says It Has a Right to Put Nuclear Weapons in Crimea,” Los Angeles Times, December 15, 2014.

French Polynesia to Sue France Over Nuclear Tests

The French Polynesia Assembly is preparing to sue the French government for nearly $1 billion in compensation for damage caused to the islands by nuclear weapons tests.

The Tahoera’a Huiraatira party committee, acting independently of Polynesian President Edouard Fritch, seeks $930 million for environmental damage caused by 210 French nuclear tests conducted from 1966 to 1996 off secluded atolls in the South Pacific.

Rose Troup Buchanan, “South Pacific Islands Prepare to Sue French Government for $1 Billion Over Nuclear Tests,” The Independent, November 24, 2014.

North Korea Threatens Fourth Nuclear Test

Reacting to “political provocation” from the United Nations, North Korean officials said that the country had no option but to consider an additional nuclear test so that their “war deterrent will be strengthened infinitely in the face of the United States’ plot for armed interference and invasion.” North Korea has conducted three nuclear tests since 2006, all of which were factors in the UN committee vote urging the Security Council to refer North Korean leaders to the International Criminal Court.

Choe Sang-Hun, “North Korea Threatens to Conduct Nuclear Test,” The New York Times, Nov. 20, 2014.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu Speaks About Nuclear Weapons

NAPF Advisor Archbishop Desmond Tutu sent a video message of support to the ICAN Civil Society Forum in Vienna.

Archbishop Tutu said, “Although I could not be with you in Vienna for this important gathering, rest assured that I am right by your side in this noble effort to free the world from nuclear arms. Our task, of course, is not an easy one. But nor was ending Apartheid in South Africa. Through perseverance, conviction and determination, we defeated the forces of injustice and hatred. We won because we stood on the right side of history; we stood for a just and moral cause. And you, too, stand on the right side of history.”

Click here to watch the full video.

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 January, including U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles announcing in 1954 the U.S. policy of massive nuclear retaliation “in response to communist aggression anywhere in the world…applied at places and with means of [our] own choosing.”

To read Mason’s full article, click here.

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

New From Easton Studio Press

Easton Studio Press, publisher of the first four books by NAPF Peace Leadership Director Paul K. Chappell, will publish Chappell’s fifth book, “The Cosmic Ocean,” in 2015. You can learn more about Chappell’s first four books (Will War Ever End?; The End of War; Peaceful Revolution; and The Art of Waging Peace) at this link.

Prospecta Press, part of Easton Studio Press, has also just published a new book by Lionel Delevingne entitled “To the Village Square.” The author stated, “This book is about power. Not just nuclear power but, as I have witnessed, the power of community to force action and make a change.”

Prospecta Press is offering Sunflower readers a special offer of 25% off plus free shipping on Delevingne’s book. Click here for more information.

NAPF Peace Leadership Program: 2014 Highlights and 2015 Preview

As part of a busy year with more than 50 separate events, the NAPF Peace Leadership Program in 2014 expanded globally, across the country, and into the American heartland, with special keynotes, trainings, and lectures that brought new inspiration to high school and college students, veterans, activists, college professors, and concerned citizens.

Plans are underway for an even busier 2015. NAPF Peace Leadership Director Paul K. Chappell will be returning to the Dayton International Peace Museum for a number of events. Museum co-founder Christine Dull said, “Paul Chappell is a prophet for our times. Would that all thoughtful young people could experience his wisdom, whether from his interactive talks or his beautifully expressed books. Through his fine mind and great heart, Paul shows us that peacemaking requires as much discipline as war, but the motivation is the opposite. It comes from the recognition that we are all one human family.”

To read the full article about the NAPF Peace Leadership Program, 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 will go on sale soon at the Lobero Theatre box office. For more information, call (805) 965-3443.

The Dynamics of Possible Nuclear Extinction

The Helen Caldicott Foundation for a Nuclear Free Future will hold a two-day symposium at the New York Academy of Medicine on February 28 – March 1, 2015. The symposium will address the dynamics of possible nuclear extinction.

NAPF President David Krieger is among a distinguished group of panelists for this event, which is open to the public. For more information and to pre-register online, click here.

“Law stands on hollow ground where a solid moral conviction is absent….a gap in law is often just a mirror through which we are impelled to gaze into our own ambivalent souls. And so it is the case with nuclear weapons.”

— Nobuo Hayashi of the University of Oslo, speaking at the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons. Click here to read his speech.

“It underscores the senselessness of pouring funds into modernizing the means for our mutual destruction while we are failing to meet the challenges posed by poverty, climate change, extremism and the destabilizing accumulation of conventional arms.”

— UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a message to the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons. Click here to read his full message.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

— Martin Luther King, Jr. This quote is featured in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, available from the NAPF Peace Store.

David Krieger
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman

On Modernizing the U.S. Nuclear Arsenal

by David Krieger

The Los Angeles Times ran front-page articles on November 9 and 10, 2014, on modernizing the US nuclear arsenal. Both were long articles and the authors made the case that there is no choice but for the United States to modernize its nuclear arsenal, delivery systems and infrastructure at great expense to taxpayers, estimated at $1 trillion over the next three decades.

The authors, reporters for the newspaper, write, “The Defense Department’s fleet of submarines, bombers and land-based missiles is also facing obsolescence and will have to be replaced over the next two decades, raising the prospect of further multibillion-dollar cost escalations.” This statement might be acceptable as a quote from a Defense Department official or in an opinion piece, but it hardly reflects the objectivity of professional reporters. It sounds more like an unattributed statement from a Defense Department official or from a “defense” corporation press release.

To read more, click here.

Wage Peace, End Racism

by Paul K. Chappell

If anyone doubts that attitudes toward race have improved in America, they should follow what is going on with the Ku Klux Klan. Being part black and from Alabama, I have been following this for a while now. The Ku Klux Klan is so desperate for new members that many people in the KKK are trying to reach out to people who are not traditionally considered white. When my African American father was born in the South in 1925, the KKK had millions of members (back then the United States had a little over 100 million people). Today it only has between 5,000 to 8,000 members in a country of over 300 million.

To read more, click here.

Nuclear Weapons and the International Security Context

At the 2010 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference, states parties reaffirmed their commitment to a “diminishing role for nuclear weapons in security policies to minimize the risk that these weapons ever be used and to facilitate the process of their total elimination.” Nearly five years have passed; another Review Conference is in the offing. Nuclear stockpiles of civilization-destroying size persist, and progress on disarmament has stalled.

The commitment to diminish the role of nuclear weapons in security policies assumed that de-coupling nuclear weapons from conventional military forces would help facilitate elimination of nuclear arsenals. Yet there has been little progress in reducing the role of nuclear weapons. All nuclear-armed states are modernizing their nuclear arsenals.

To read more, click here.

Greenpeace Champions the Marshall Islands

Greenpeace, the most inclusive, people-powered collective movement in the world, is lending its strong support to the Marshall Islands and the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits. In doing so, they are sending a clear message to the world that it is long past time for the nuclear Goliaths to begin negotiations for nuclear disarmament.

Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace International, said, “We stand with the people of the Marshall Islands in their fight to rid the world of nuclear weapons. Having seen their land, sea and people poisoned by radiation, they are now taking to task the nine nuclear-armed nations for failing to eliminate this danger which threatens humanity at large. Greenpeace salutes their struggle and joins them in declaring that Zero is the only safe number of nuclear weapons on the planet.”

“Greenpeace Champions the Marshall Islands,” Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, November 19, 2014.

Vienna Forum Features the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits

The International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms and the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation are co-sponsoring a public forum on Friday, December 5, at the Vienna University of Technology in Vienna, Austria. The forum will feature a wide array of speakers, including: Tony de Brum, Foreign Minister of the Marshall Islands; Christopher Weeramantry, former Vice President of the International Court of Justice; Phon van den Biesen, co-agent of the Marshall Islands in the lawsuits before the ICJ; Marylia Kelley, Executive Director of Tri-Valley CAREs; and David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.

The forum will take place from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

Click here to download a flyer for the event.

NuclearZero.Org Now Available in Spanish

The nuclearzero.org website (including the petition in support of the Marshall Islands) is now available in Spanish at www.nuclearzero.org/es. Please pass it on to your friends and colleagues in Spanish-speaking countries so that they can express their support for the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits.

The website is also available in French and Japanese.

More Firings in Air Force Nuclear Ranks

Continuing a long string of disciplinary actions, the U.S. Air Force fired two commanders from two of its nuclear missile bases in Wyoming and North Dakota. Col. Carl Jones was the No. 2 commander of the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. He was in charge of 150 of the Air Force’s 450 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles. He was dismissed “for a loss of trust and confidence in his leadership abilities.”

Last March, nine officers were fired at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, which is the third of the three nuclear missile bases, in response to an exam-cheating scandal there. Last year, Maj. Gen. Michael Carey, commander of the entire ICBM force, was fired after an investigation into a drinking binge and other misconduct while he was in Russia as head of a visiting U.S. government delegation.

Robert Burns, “2 Nuclear Commanders Fired, Another Disciplined,” Associated Press, November 3, 2014.

United States Will Attend Vienna Conference

The United States has announced that it will attend the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impacts of Nuclear Weapons, to be held on December 8-9 in Vienna, Austria. The U.S. openly boycotted the first two conferences on the humanitarian impacts of nuclear weapons, held in Norway in 2013 and Mexico in 2014.

While the U.S. claims that it fully understands “the serious consequences of nuclear weapons use and gives the highest priority to avoiding their use,” it continues to possess thousands of nuclear weapons, many of which are on hair-trigger alert, ready to be fired at a moment’s notice.

“United States Will Attend the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons,” U.S. State Department, November 7, 2014.

Iran Nuclear Negotiations Miss Another Deadline

Negotiators have missed the deadline of November 24 to reach a deal on Iran’s nuclear program, giving themselves an additional seven months to strike a deal. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that “we would be fools to walk away” since temporary restrictions curbing Iran’s nuclear program would stay in place while negotiations continue.

Negotiations are scheduled to resume before the end of the year.

David Sanger and Michael Gordon, “U.S. and Allies Extend Iran Nuclear Talks by 7 Months,” The New York Times, November 25, 2014.

French Polynesia to Sue France Over Nuclear Tests

The French Polynesia Assembly is preparing to sue the French government for nearly $1 billion in compensation for damage caused to the islands by nuclear weapons tests.

The Tahoera’a Huiraatira party committee, acting independently of Polynesian President Edouard Fritch, seeks $930 million for environmental damage caused by 210 French nuclear tests conducted from 1966 to 1996 off secluded atolls in the South Pacific.

Rose Troup Buchanan, “South Pacific Islands Prepare to Sue French Government for $1 Billion Over Nuclear Tests,” The Independent, November 24, 2014.

North Korea Threatens Fourth Nuclear Test

Reacting to “political provocation” from the United Nations, North Korean officials said that the country had no option but to consider an additional nuclear test so that their “war deterrent will be strengthened infinitely in the face of the United States’ plot for armed interference and invasion.” North Korea has conducted three nuclear tests since 2006, all of which were factors in the UN committee vote urging the Security Council to refer North Korean leaders to the International Criminal Court.

Choe Sang-Hun, “North Korea Threatens to Conduct Nuclear Test,” The New York Times, Nov. 20, 2014.

Don’t Bank on the Bomb

Don’t Bank on the Bomb identifies financial institutions that invest heavily in companies involved in the US, British, French, Indian and Israeli nuclear weapon programs. The report is published by PAX, a partner of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).

The nuclear-armed nations spend a combined total of more than USD 100 billion on their nuclear forces every year. This money goes towards assembling new warheads, modernizing old ones, and building missiles, launchers and the supporting technology to use them. While the majority of that comes from taxpayers in the nuclear-armed countries, this report shows that private sector investors from many non-nuclear-armed countries also provide financing that enables the production, maintenance and modernization of nuclear arsenals.

With this report, PAX, together with partners in ICAN, aims to increase transparency about the financing behind the bomb, and stimulate support for the stigmatization, outlawing and elimination of nuclear weapons.

Click here for more information and to read the report.

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 December, including U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney’s comments in 2008 that the U.S. President can order a nuclear attack at any moment without discussing it with anyone first.

To read Mason’s full article, click here.

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

Dream of a Nation

The Dream of a Nation Education Initiative is reaching hundreds of thousands of students across the United States. Based on the inspiring book Dream of a Nation, the classroom set is now being used in courses ranging from English Language, to American History, Economics and Environmental Studies.

NAPF President David Krieger wrote a chapter entitled “Creating a World Without Nuclear Weapons” for Dream of a Nation. The book includes contributions from many other top thinkers and activists dedicated to making the world a better place.

Copies of the book are now available for only the cost of shipping. Click here for more information and to order.

Peace Leadership in Minnesota

Despite unseasonable record cold and early snow, Paul K. Chappell, Peace Leadership Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, inspired a crowd of activists, students, veterans, and concerned citizens in a five-day tour though Minneapolis and St. Paul. Events included a one-day peace leadership workshop at the First Unitarian Church, a public forum at Plymouth Congregational Church, university talks at Augsburg College and the University of St. Thomas, and a keynote speech at the 19th annual celebration of the Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers with about 300 people in attendance.

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

NAPF Activities in Vienna

In addition to participating in the ICAN Civil Society Forum in Vienna, Austria (see Resources, above), David Krieger, Rick Wayman and Alice Slater of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will be involved in many other activities in Vienna in early December.

On December 5, NAPF is co-sponsoring a public forum with the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA) about the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits. The forum will feature Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Tony de Brum, NAPF President David Krieger, Judge Christopher Weeramantry, Phon van den Biesen of IALANA, and Marylia Kelley of Tri-Valley CAREs.

On December 8 and 9, the NAPF representatives will attend the Third Conference on the Humanitarian Impacts of Nuclear Weapons, hosted by the Foreign Ministry of Austria. Around 150 countries are expected to send representatives to the conference.

“I think any honest person with an ounce of common sense realizes that the only real path to higher morale in the nuclear weapons business lies in gradually shutting it down, starting with the most stupid parts first.  The hope that the nuclear sword of Damocles can finally be lifted, reinforced by gradual progress, is what can bring higher morale — and only that.”

— Greg Mello of the Los Alamos Study Group, commenting on U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s plan to increase the Pentagon’s investment in nuclear weapons by 10%.

“I believe that peace is a basic human right for every individual and all people.  War is a negation and deprivation of all human rights, for life, property, liberty, and should be abolished.”

— Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate and NAPF Advisor, speaking at Fondazione Patrizio Paoletti and Commune of Assisi on November 23, 2014.

“One day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but that it is a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr. This quote is featured in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, available from the NAPF Peace Store.

Christian Hatchett

David Krieger

Grant Stanton

Carol Warner

Rick Wayman