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SAY NO TO NMD/STAR WARS, FAX BUSH AFTER 20 JAN Dear Everyone, National Missile Defence/Star Wars is the single largest obstacle to continued progress toward the elimination of nuclear weapons, and threatens to re-ignite a global nuclear arms race. Vital initiatives such as de-alerting (see alert for US National Call - In Days Feb 5-6 at the end of this email), and deep cuts in warhead numbers under START-II and III will be destroyed by NMD. Yet Bush, in spite of initial hopes that he might proceed in a bipartisan fashion, is proceeding rapidly down a path that will be set by cold- war hawks such as Rumsfeld, and NMD enthusiasts such as Condoleeza Rice.
Two sample letters are below. The first is for US citizens to send direct to Bush. If you are in a country outside the US, especially if you live in the UK, France, Germany, Japan or Australia, your country's governments views will be vital. Urge your government to reject Missile Defence/Star Wars. The second letter is for that. Please ask your government to tell the US government that your country does not support NMD/Star Wars. Then if you still have energy, you can
fax President Bush - But write to your own government first.
Yorkshire CND has initiated a postcard campaign against National Missile Defence. CND's postcard comes after the two sample letters, and then comes an appeal from the US 'Back from the Brink' campaign to call the white house to take nuclear weapons off alert. COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE, +1-202-647-6047,
RE: PLEASE CANCEL MISSILE DEFENCE SCHEME Dear President George Bush, Secretary for Defence Rumsfeld, Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice, and Secretary of State Colin Powell, I am writing to you to convey my dismay that your administration may proceed with an enlarged version of the ill-concieved 'National Missile Defence' ('Star Wars') scheme. The deployment of NMD will make it much harder, if not impossible, to achieve vital arms control objectives. Russia and China have made it clear that they will increase their own nuclear offensive capabilities in order to counter NMD. This will set back attempts to reduce nuclear weapons severely and may lead to another nuclear arms race. National Missile Defence in its current form, has failed two out of its three operational tests and has been critiqued by the US scientific establishment as fundamentally flawed. More importantly, Russia and China as well as the US's own allies have made it clear that they regard the preservation of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty as paramount. The ABM treaty cannot be modified in a way that would allow the deployment of NMD, and the US should not walk away from it. NMD has been opposed by groups ranging from 354 major NGOs representing millions of people worldwide, to 50 of the US's Nobel prizewinners in physics, to generals and church people. Non-US governments worldwide, including close US allies, have strongly opposed NMD. NMD is a scheme that is unlikely ever to work, against a threat that may never materialize and that is in any case better dealt with in other ways. It will cost billions better spent elsewhere, and will make further progress toward the total and unequivocal elimination of nuclear weapons - an objective to which the US as well as all other governments are committed - much more difficult if not impossible. I therefore urge you to drop the NMD proposal
and to focus your efforts on the vital objectives of deep reductions in
warhead numbers, and reductions in the alert status of weapons, to which
you committed yourself during your campaign.
TO: PRESIDENTS, FOREIGN MINISTERS, DEFENCE MINISTERS AND PRIME MINISTERS OF US ALLIES RE: PLEASE CANCEL MISSILE DEFENCE SCHEME Dear President, Prime minister or Foreign minister [use whichever appropriate] I am writing to you to convey my dismay that the Bush administration may proceed with an enlarged version of the ill-concieved 'National Missile Defence' ('Star Wars') scheme. I urge you to use all the diplomatic influence at your disposal to persuade the Bush administration not to proceed with this scheme, and urge the government of this country to refuse to cooperate in any way with the NMD scheme, [and thank you for the steps you have already taken in this direction] [If they are already doing this you need to thank them for doing it] The deployment of NMD will make it much harder, if not impossible, to achieve vital arms control objectives. Russia and China have made it clear that they will increase their own nuclear offensive capabilities in order to counter NMD. This will set back attempts to reduce nuclear weapons severely and may lead to another nuclear arms race. National Missile Defence in its current form, has failed two out of its three operational tests and has been critiqued by the US scientific establishment as fundamentally flawed. More importantly, Russia and China as well as the US's own allies [including this country [if appropriate]] have made it clear that they regard the preservation of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty as paramount. The ABM treaty cannot be modified in a way that would allow the deployment of NMD, and the US should not be permitted to walk away from it. NMD has been opposed by groups ranging from 354 major NGOs representing millions of people worldwide, to 50 of the US's Nobel prizewinners in physics, to generals and church people. It has also been opposed by every major international grouping represented in the UN General Assembly. NMD is a scheme that is unlikely ever to work, against a threat that may never materialize and that is in any case better dealt with in other ways. It will cost billions better spent elsewhere, and will make further progress toward the total and unequivocal elimination of nuclear weapons - an objective to which the US as well as all other governments are committed - much more difficult if not impossible. I therefore urge you to drop the NMD proposal
and to focus your efforts on the vital objectives of deep reductions in
warhead numbers, and reductions in the alert status of weapons, to which
you committed yourself during your campaign.
INTERNATIONAL STAR WARS POSTCARD CAMPAIGN The Yorkshire Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) has initiated a postcard campaign throughout the United Kingdom urging George W. Bush to back away from Star Wars. One side of their card has a photo of a Star Wars protest at Fylingdales (U.S. radar facility in their country.) Groups all over the world are urged to create similar postcards to Bush for distribution in your nation. Not only would this effort help to flood the White House with messages from all over the world, but it would also help to focus attention on the issue in your country as the cards are distributed. (Please let us know if you decide to join this effort from overseas.) The Global Network has produced such a postcard for distribution throughout the U.S. The cards contain a "Ban War in Space" photo message on one side and a written message to Bush on the other. Bulk postcard orders can be made as follows (prices include postage): * 25 cards
$3.00
Send your order, along with check made out to GN, to address below: Global Network Against Weapons &
Nuclear Power in Space
The following is a priority action alert. Dear Friends of the Brink Campaign. There are only 4 weeks left before the NATIONAL CALL-IN DAYS TO THE WHITE HOUSE, February 5-6, 2001 to urge President-elect George W. Bush to reduce the danger of accidental nuclear war by working with the Russians to TAKE ALL NUCLEAR WEAPONS OFF HAIR-TRIGGER ALERT. The campaign is building rapidly with over 100 national, regional and local organizations participating. If there was ever a time to let a president know we want action on nuclear weapons, it is now and February 5 and 6 are the days to do it. The Campaign has several resources available to promote the Call-In Days among your friends, contacts, members and e-groups. Contact us at the e-mail address above for printed flyers available FREE in bulk, a downloadable flyer in .pdf format; a text announcement available via e-mail, and, after January 21st ,a pop-up e-mail announcement. If everyone contacts just 5 more friends, we can flood the switchboard and make the White House take notice. Thanks for being part of this fast growing movement to take nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert. Let me know how things are going and how I can be of help. Esther Pank
James C. Bridgman
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