Dr. Helen Caldicott – 2004-08-15 00:03:24

http://www.nuclearpolicy.org/SignPledge.cfm

I’m writing urgently to you today to tell you about the George W. Bush’s new nuclear bomb factory, and to ask you to sign a pledge opposing the United States launching a new arms race.

For the first time since the end of the Cold War, George W. Bush’s Energy Department is seeking to mass-produce the deadliest weapons ever made.

Though the Cold War came to an end over a decade ago, the United States and Russia did not dismantle their weapons. Today, each country continues to keep 2500 nuclear bombs on hair trigger alert, aimed at an adversary who no longer exists, leaving the world at risk of destruction because of an accidental or terrorist launch, or a return to hostile relations between the United States and Russia.

Now, George W. Bush is pushing to return us to a new arms race. To our peril, the United States has withdrawn from the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty, a cornerstone of arms control, prompting Russia to withdraw from the START II agreement.

The so-called Moscow Treaty has no verification controls, no real deadlines and allows each country to continue to stockpile weapons .

Bush’s New Nuclear Bomb Factory
Now the White House is asking Congress this year to approve $30 million dollars to fund the construction of a brand new nuclear bomb factory, which will be able to produce up to 500 new nuclear bombs every year — a request that Representative David Hobson (R-OH) called “completely out of touch,” at a hearing last week in Washington.

Even though the US still has over ten thousand nuclear warheads in storage, 3000 in submarines still patrolling the world’s oceans, and 2500 on hair trigger alert, the Administration and Congress are funding increased spending levels in these areas — more than during the height of the Cold War.

Those elected officials represent you. During an election year, we should be telling our representatives that new nuclear weapons make us all more vulnerable — not more safe.

The United States already has enough nuclear bombs to wipe out all life on Earth many times over. What possible reason could it have to build thousands more? The Nuclear Policy Research Institute is working with a broad coalition of organizations to stop this nuclear bomb factory in its tracks. But we must move quickly.

What You Can Do Today

First, we ask you to sign on to the Pledge Opposing the new Arms Race, [click here] and ask your friends to sign on as well. Your message will be delivered to the White House.

Over the coming months, we will issue periodic updates about how you can get involved in the movement and other actions that you can take to eliminate nuclear weapons. Together we are building consensus and visibility for our nuclear free future.

With warm regards, Helen Caldicott, MD