IMMEDIATE USE 25/9/2002
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIAN PEACE COMMITTEE
CAMPAIGN FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND DISARMAMENT (CICD)
PEOPLE FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT NSW
OZPEACE
REGIME CHANGE IN WASHINGTON?
THE WMD DOUBLE STANDARD
Australian groups opposed to nuclear weapons today said that all the
Blair dossier on Iraq proved is that there is an outrageous double
standard on weapons of mass destruction.
According to Friends of the Earth, the Australian Peace Committee, CICD,
PND, and Ozpeace, "The Blair dossier quite rightly focuses attention on
the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The potential for such
proliferation, and the fact that it is propelled by the massive arsenals
held by the major nuclear weapons powers, is something that groups such
as ourselves have warned of for decades. By all means let us talk about
weapons of mass destruction!"
"But we are utterly mystified as to why there seems to be NO concern
over the 12,000 warheads including 2,500 on 24 hour launch on warning
status, possessed by the US, the 22,000 warheads including 3,500 on
launch on warning status possessed by Russia, the 400 warheads possessed
by China, the 450 warheads held by France, the 250 held by the UK, the
200-300 warheads held by Israel, the 35-50 held by Pakistan, and the
75-100 held by India."
"The only country to have tested a missile in the last week is the US,
last Saturday at Vandenberg. The US performed another subcritical
nuclear test it seems, only yesterday."
"Only last may and June, India and Pakistan threatened each other with
nuclear obliteration. Still more recently, in the last week, Israel has
actually threatened Iraq with nuclear destruction should it use scud
missiles on it. The US itself has evolved a 'first strike' nuclear
doctrine that makes nonsense of its international obligations."
"Compared to these things, Saddams pitiful efforts to acquire a tiny
fraction of what the big boys have looks ludicrous, and our war
preparations look equally so."
Why, why, are we not calling for regime change in Washington and Tel Aviv?"
Contact:
John Hallam 02-9567-7533, 02-9810-2598
Irene Gale AM 08-8364-2291
Jacob Grech 0402-246-491
Natalie Stevens 0414-336-800 02-9319-4296
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