03/26/2010 IPPNW, a physicians’ organisation distinguished with the Nobel Peace Price in 1985, welcomes the cross-party resolution for a world without nuclear weapons, passed today in the German Parliament. “It is a unique occasion in Germany history that the withdrawal of the US nuclear weapons from Germany and a reduced role of nuclear weapons within Nato finds support from all political parties” said IPPNW chair Dr. Angelika Claußen.
However, IPPNW is demanding a complete cessation of all nuclear sharing arrangements. “The cold war has been over for more than 20 years now. And yet Germany is still participating in planning for a first-strike option in the NATO nuclear planning group, even though there is no actual enemy”, said the IPPNW expert on disarment, Xanthe Hall. In her opinion this “disgraceful practice” should be ended as soon as possible. Even the US military in Europe (USEUCOM und SHAPE) is of the opinion, that there would be no military disadvantage if US nuclear weapons were to be withdrawn from Europe.
IPPNW also regards it as a positive sign that members of the German parliament mentioned the proposal, long demanded by the peace movement, for a Nuclear Weapons Convention in the text of the resolution. “Foreign minister Guido Westerwelle should now advocate such a convention at the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) Review Conference in New York by promoting an early start to the preparatory process”, demands Hall.
More information on the NPT: http://www.slmk.org/larom/ENG/Dokument/International_law/NPT%20ADVANCED.pdf
More information on the Nuclear Weapons Convention: http://icanw.org/nuclear-weapons-convention
US Department of Defense report on nuclear weapons management of December 2008: www.defense.gov/pubs/pdfs/PhaseIIReportFinal.pdf
Contact: International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War/Physicians for Social Responsibility, Germany, Körtestr. 10, 10967 Berlin, www.ippnw.de, Xanthe Hall, Tel. +49-30 – 69 80 74 12, Email: xanthe[at]ippnw.de
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