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UK better off without nuclear missiles, says Archbishop

Archbishop of Wales Barry Morgan Calls on UK to Abandon Nuclear Missiles By David Williamson Global Research, July 19, 2013 Archbishop of Wales Barry Morgan and other faith leaders have urged the UK Government to abandon nuclear missiles on moral, strategic and economic grounds.

The calls come in the same week that the findings of a Government report led the Lib Dems to argue that Britain could cease to have a continuous-at-sea deterrent, cut the submarine fleet from four boats to three and save £4bn on the estimated £20bn to £25bn cost of renewing the Trident missile system…… Dr Morgan called for the Government to go further and argued that Britain would now be better off without nuclear weapons.

The Anglican archbishop said: “Replacing Trident cannot be justified
morally, strategically or financially. Morally, we can’t argue for
non-proliferation and against possession of nuclear weapons in other
countries, such as Iran and North Korea, if we continue to invest in
our own.

“As a role model for other countries, I feel it does immense damage to
building peace and security in other political and economic contexts.
“Strategically, nuclear capability no longer seems to be an
appropriate way of ensuring security or equipping our military forces
to function effectively.

“The very existence of nuclear weapons as a defence against an unknown
future threat is likely to increase a culture of demand for nuclear
weapons across the world rather than reduce it. Financially, at a time
when we’re all being called on to tighten our belts and are affected
by severe cuts in local government, health and education, I think it
would be scandalous to spend £20bn on Trident’s renewal.”

Alun Lenny, spokesman for the Union of Welsh Independents – a large
network of chapels which has roots dating back to 1639 – said: “The
union has very recently called not for the downgrading of Trident but
for the scrapping of the nuclear fleet……
http://www.globalresearch.ca/archbishop-of-wales-barry-morgan-calls-on-uk-to-abandon-nuclear-missiles/5343279

July 20, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Religion and ethics, UK