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Toward a nuclear-free world: a German view

Toward a nuclear-free world: a German view –By Helmut Schmidt, Richard von Weizsäcker, Egon Bahr and Hans-Dietrich Genscher. 9 Jan 09  “………………

We unreservedly support the call by Messrs. Kissinger, Schultz, Perry and Nunn for a turnaround on nuclear policy, and not only in their country. This applies in particular to the following proposals:

– The vision of a world free of the nuclear threat, as developed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik, must be rekindled.

– Negotiations aimed at drastically reducing the number of nuclear weapons must begin, initially between the United States and Russia, the countries with the largest number of warheads, in order to win over the other countries possessing such weapons.

– The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) must be greatly reinforced.

– America should ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty.

– All short-range nuclear weapons must be destroyed.

From Germany’s point of view it must be added:

-The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) expires this year. Its extension is the most urgent item on the agenda for Washington and Moscow.

– It will be vital to the credibility of the 2010 NPT Review Conference that nuclear-weapon states finally keep their promise under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to reduce their nuclear arsenals.

– The Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty must be restored. Outer space may only be used for peaceful purposes…………………………………Germany, which has renounced the use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, has every reason to call on the nuclear-weapon states not to use nuclear weapons against countries not possessing such arms. We are also of the opinion that all remaining U.S. nuclear warheads should be withdrawn from German territory.

Toward a nuclear-free world: a German view – International Herald Tribune

Tags: nuclear, antinuclear, radioactive, uranium

January 10, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | weapons and war