> >Media Advisory > >For Immediate Release > >February 24th, 1998 > > > >LIBBY DAVIES, M.P., TO LEAD SEARCH FOR > >U.S. NUCLEAR WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION > > > >(Vancouver) Libby Davies, Member of Parliament for Vancouver East, will > >lead a Citizens' Weapons Inspection Team composed of community and church > >leaders to search for U.S. weapons of mass destruction suspected to be > >deployed in neighbouring Washington State. > > > >The team's visit to Washington State will occur as nuclear-armed U.S. and > >British military forces, backed by Canadian forces, stand poised for a > >military assault against Iraq to enforce U.N. weapons inspections. > > > >"Canada should play the role of peacemaker by working to ensure that all > >weapons of mass destruction are banned," said Libby Davies. "Our team will > >begin by inspecting the country which possesses thousands of the most > >deadly weapons ever created - nuclear weapons." > > > >Analysts suspect that 1600 active nuclear weapons are based in Washington > >State - more active weapons than Britain, France, and China combined. The > >team will focus its inspection on Submarine Base Bangor, the homeport of > >eight Trident submarines located near Puget Sound, west of Seattle. A > >Trident submarine can carry 24 missiles and 200 nuclear bombs - enough to > >destroy an entire country. > > > >Joining Libby Davies, M.P., will be Peter Coombes, President of End the > >Arms Race; Murray Dobbin, National Board Member of The Council of > >Canadians; Ed Schmitt, Chair of the Peace and Social Justice Committee of > >the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster; David Morgan, President of > >Veterans Against Nuclear Arms; and others. > > > >The team will depart Vancouver at 7 A.M. Thursday, February 26th, (the same > >day the H.M.C.S. Toronto arrives in the Persian Gulf). It will be joined by > >U.S. members at a meeting in Seattle at 11 a.m., and the team will arrive > >at Submarine Base Bangor at 4:00 p.m. > > > >The team has written the base commander requesting full and unconditional > >access to the site to search for nuclear weapons of mass destruction. "Only > >rogue states stockpile and conceal weapons of mass destruction," said Peter > >Coombes. "We expect to be granted our request for an inspection of nuclear > >weapons deployed on the U.S. submarines." > > > > (30) > > > >Contact: Libby Davies, Ottawa (613) 992-6030, Vancouver (604) 775-5800. > > Jillian Skeet, End the Arms Race at (604) 688-8846. > > The team will depart in white vans at 7 A.M. from > > 1207 Salsbury Drive (at William St. near Commercial Drive). > > > >****** > >END THE ARMS RACE > >Suite 405 > >825 Granville Street > >Vancouver BC V6Z 1K9 > >604/ 687-3223 > >Fax 604/ 687-3277 > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >www.peacewire.org > > > >President William Jefferson Clinton > >The White House > >Washington, D.C. > > > >February 24, 1998 > > > >Mr. President: > > > > End the Arms Race, one of Canada's largest peace and disarmament > >organizations, is currently working with peace workers in Washington State > >to organize an international Citizens' Weapons Inspection Team to visit > >Naval Submarine Base Bangor on Thursday February 26. We are scheduled to > >arrive at the Naval Submarine Base Bangor at approximately 4:00 p.m. The > >team will consist of eight to ten Canadians and will be joined by an equal > >number of Americans. Among the Canadian team are prominent community > >workers and a Member of the Parliament of Canada. > > > >We trust that you will take the appropriate action to ensure that our > >international Citizens' Weapons Inspection Team is given full access to > >Naval Submarine Base Bangor in Washington State. > > > > The team visiting the area is requesting a brief meeting with the > >Commanding Officer of Naval Submarine Base Bangor so we can get detailed > >information regarding its purpose. > > > >It is suspected that Submarine Base Bangor in Washington State is being > >used to store and deploy weapons of mass destruction. It is commonly > >understood that at least eight Trident nuclear submarines are based at > >Bangor, each with the capacity to carry twenty-four intercontinental > >ballistic missiles armed with eight nuclear warheads each. > > > > Continuing, indefinite reliance on nuclear weapons as the > >cornerstone of United States and NATO defence strategy is a clear violation > >of the nuclear disarmament obligation in Article VI of the > >Non-Proliferation Treaty, which was described in the 1996 Advisory Opinion > >of the International Court of Justice as an obligation "to bring to a > >conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects." > > > > Therefore, as ethically concerned and law abiding citizens, we > >acknowledge our duty and responsibility to confirm whether or not weapons > >of mass destruction are stored in the area. Thus, we are requesting a tour > >of the base and access to all documentation that confirms whether or not > >weapons of mass destruction or the delivery vehicles of any such weapons > >are present on the base. > > > > We also request access to inspect any nuclear weapons or their > >delivery vehicles that may be present at Naval Submarine Base Bangor. > > > > Once again, I wish to repeat our strong desire to meet with the > >Commander of Naval Submarine Base Bangor on February 26 to discuss its > >purpose and to learn more about the types of weapons systems that are > >present at the base. > > > > I trust that as the President of the United States, you will do all > >that is necessary and appropriate to help ensure that the United States and > >the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are abiding by international law and > >norms. > > > >Yours Sincerely, > > > >Peter Coombes > >President > >
