US boycott nuclear testban - NGO’s call for US boycott

international | anti-war / imperialism | press release

Tuesday September 02, 2003 18:42

by Pol - For Mother Earth

Pol at motherearth dot org

Brussels - Vienna September 2, 2003 – Since 1945 there have been 2051 nuclear tests on our planet. This adds up to an average of one nuclear explosion every 10 days for the past 58 years. As the US boycott the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Conference (CTBT) which starts tomorrow in Vienna (Austria), a growing coalition of NGO’s is calling consumers to stop buying American (1).

ACTION ALERT including background info, graphics and model letters for government officials on http://www.motherearth.org/nuke/ctbt1.php

Government representatives from around the world are gathering in the Austrian capital for the purpose of examining ways and means to accelerate the Treaty's entry into force. The Conference is expected to renew global awareness of the Treaty and encourage States who have not already done so to sign or ratify it. To date 168 countries signed the CTBT, while 104 of the signatories have ratified it. The five official nuclear weapon states have signed the treaty. Britain, France and Russia also ratified it, while China is waiting for Washington to ratify the treaty. India, North-Korea and Pakistan are also hold-out states and even did not sign the CTBT. Next to the US also North Korea decided to stay away from the Conference in Vienna. Pakistan and India will join as observers.

Since 1945 there have been 2051 nuclear tests on our planet. This adds up to an average of one nuclear explosion every 10 days for the past 58 years. These atomic tests have caused enormous human suffering in the form of cancers, birth defects and social upheaval, and environmental destruction without precedent. The effects have been felt especially by Indigenous People, who have seen their lives and homelands sacrificed for what officials have misleadingly called safe nuclear tests and activities. We need to prevent any new atomic tests in the future. Today we need to sent a very strong signal to Washington whose military industrial complex is the motor of the arms race.

The US boycott of the Conference is not a surprise as the Bush administration is pushing ahead with research and development of a new generation of nuclear weapons. The US Department of Energy (DoE) is making preparations for a new campaign of nuclear tests at the Nevada Test Site. In 2002 and 2003 the DoE asked for money to reduce the time necessary to resume underground nuclear testing at the Nevada nuclear test site. Insiders fear the US will announce resumption of testing within the next two years. This will be the start of a new nuclear arms race. A growing coalition of NGO’s is calling for a consumers boycott of certain US products. Pol D’Huyvetter, spokesperson of For Mother Earth who initiated the boycott declared: “Today, we want to offer consumers worldwide a tool to express their opposition to unilateral US policies, including its intention to resume testing. The boycott is the perfect daily instrument which is very easy to use as there are always local alternatives.” The campaigners refer to the success of the boycott of French products in 1995 when President Chirac had to cut tests down from eight to six.
Today, the French test-site is permanently closed.

Although the US was the first state to sign the CTBT in 1996, today US is moving away from the CTBT. Bush has declared that he will not seek the approval of the Senate for the ratification of the CTBT. In November 2002 in the UN General Assembly the US was the only country voting against keeping the CTBT on the UN agenda. On August 7th 2003 Mr. Colin Powell declared that the US “has no intention of testing nuclear weapons” at this time. However Mr. Powell continued by stating “but we can’t rule it out forever”.

(1) NGO’s participating http://www.motherearth.org/USboycott/index_en.php#signed

More information:
· For Mother Earth background info, graphics, action alert, ... http://www.motherearth.org/nuke/ctbt1.php
Contact: Pol D’Huyvetter phone +32-495-280259 pol@motherearth.org
· CTBTO Website of Conference http://www.ctbto.org/

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Comments (4 of 4)

definitions of a terrorist state..

by David

Thu Sep 04, 2003 17:55

Is america a terrorist state.

It can be easily agreed that america is a state. Just in case there might be some dispute, here is a definition of the State, according to www.dictionary.com.

"One of the more or less internally autonomous territorial and political units composing a federation under a sovereign government: the 48 contiguous states of the Union."

That sounds like it can be applied to america, agreed america is a state?

Next a popular definition of a terrorist. Again from websters.
"One that engages in acts or an act of terrorism"

Not particularly helpful..
we need to define terrorism. If america fits one or more of the conditions for terrorism then it can be described as a terrorist and as a state it would be a terrorist state.

Terrorism according to websters
"The act of terrorizing, or state of being terrorized; a mode of government by terror or intimidation"
Does america fit into this category?
Very possibly. In the last few years the american government has survived based on the populations belief that they were under actual or imminant attack by international enemies. Not only has the state done nothing to aleviate this fear, but it has created a system whereby it can actually dictate directly exactly how afraid the citizens should be at any one time. (the colour coded terror alert system) In the last 2 years (whenever america needed to boslter public opinion in support for an unjustified war), america has gone to yellow, orange and even red terror alerts. None of those alerts have been based on any real threat.

In order to gather support for the invasion of iraq the US government decieved the population through careful propaganda faithfully reported by the corporate media, that Iraq was preparing to attack America with nuclear weapons, dirty bombs and or chemical nerve agents/biological weapons. they also lied saying that Iraq was responsible for 9/11 (absurd) so they could say, Iraq hit us before, they will probably attack us again.

This seems to me to lead to the very clear conclusion that the Bush Administration relies very heavily on fear and terror in order to stay in power and keep control. They engage in terrorism, which makes them terrorists, which makes them a terrorist state.
And that is without even considering the actions america has perpetrated on outside countries over the last 50 years..

US Terrorist state?

by >>>>>Seáinín

Thu Sep 04, 2003 03:48

US a terrorist state?

You're so fashionably anti-american Dubsky but you don't know your ass from your elbow. If it wasn't for US nukes we'd all be in the gulags by now, except you of course, you'd fit in incely with the KGB weasels.

Fuck you Eoin and read some History.

by Righteou Pragmatist

Wed Sep 03, 2003 21:45

The U.S.A has nuclear weapons because the U.S.S.R. threatened and terrorised the world with their own nuclear weapons. They had more nuclear weapons than the Yanks ever had.
If the Russkies wanted to fuck with us we were going to fuck with them. That's the sole reason there wasn't a nuclear war.
In 1962 Kennedy told Khruschev that if he put weapons in Cuba, America would invade and if the Russians fired their nukes at America, then America would nuke Moscow. Khrushchev backed off and didn't post the nukes in Cuba. Problem solved.
Nowadays Red China, North Korea, Pakistan have nukes. Iraq was trying to develope nukes, Iran IS trying to develope nukes and Islamic terrorists are trying to get hold of nukes.
If they try to nuke us we will nuke them.
So the threat of our reaction makes them weak at the knees. So fuck them.
AND FUCK YOU DIPSHIT! I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY TO BOYCOTT U.S. GOODS!

I don't see Israel on that chart

by Eoin Dubsky

Wed Sep 03, 2003 19:04

Israel must have tested their nuclear weapons at least once or twice by now... they've had a nuke weapons program for at least 20 years sure.

Still, the US is the biggest nuclear terrorist state in the world of course. And what is Ireland doing about it? We're helping them build super-computers to do their testing out-of-sight (...and out of mind?). Lookup "HP Galway" and "nuclear weapons" with Google.

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US boycott nuclear testban - NGO’s call for US boycott

Comments (4 of 4)