From: Rob Gross (moderator)
<gr...@bcvms.bc.edu>
Tuesday, May 21, 1996, 17:43 EDT
Arms Discussion Digest
Volume 13 : Issue 7
All submissions to ARM...@BUACCA.BU.EDU (ARM...@BUACCA.BITNET)
Please do not post articles, as they have a high probability
of being lost.
Today's topics:
CNI Action Post: Defense Spending (Mike Corso)
RE: Mexican proposal at the NPT (Ron VonBurg)
CNI Telecom: War Stat (Mike Corso)
Proliferation literature (Ron VonBurg)
Re: PURPOSE OF THIS NEWSGROUP (Michael J. Westerfield)
World Court case on legality of nuclear weapons (Timothy Bruening)
Pakistan's Nuclear Program (Bradley B. Woods)
Important new book on peacekeeping! (Chetan Kumar)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 14 Oct 1995 00:11:38 -0400
From: cno...@cnotes.com (Mike Corso)
Subject: CNI Action Post: Defense Spending
For the past several years I've been reading with great pleasure
the monthly newsletter published by the Center for Defense
Information. The Center for Defense Information believes that
strong social, economic, political, and military components and a
healthy environment contribute equally to the nation's security.
CDI opposes excessive expenditures for weapons and policies that
increase the danger of war.
I highly recommend and encourage that all progressives looking
for up-to-date information and resources related to the defense
spending debate subscribe to CDI's very informative and concise
monthly _Defense Monitor_. For info, write to c...@igc.apc.org or
call 202.862.0700.
Peace,
Mike Corso
CNI Telecom
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
CNI Telecom ---------------> http://www.cnotes.com/telecom/cnitelpage.html
Save money on Long Distance and help support Peace, Human Rights,the
Environment, Campaign Finance Reform, and AIDS Research.
Info: longdi...@cnotes.com
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 1995 13:35:00 -0700 (MST)
From: Ron VonBurg <von...@asu.edu>
Subject: RE: Mexican proposal at the NPT
Hello, I'm new to arms-l and am desperately looking for some
information on Mexico's proposal for the nuclear disarming of the
nuclear powers at the NPT extension conference in April. I know
they introduced a proposal with a specific time line for nuclear
rollback for the nuclear powers. If anyone knows the mandates of
the proposal of where I could get a copy of it, I would very much
appreciate it. Thank You in Advance.
Ron VonBurg
von...@asu.edu
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Oct 1995 00:52:35 +0000 (GMT)
From: cno...@cnotes.com (Mike Corso)
Subject: CNI Telecom: War Stat
>>BUT wouldn't the pursuit of trust been a lot less expensive and destructive?
Perhaps you subscribe to the theory that more nukes = less war;
consider that only a few hundred bombs can destroy the entire
planet. Maybe then, you could pursue your build-up theory and
THEN negotiate and TRUST for after a certain point, it doesn't
matter who's got what. The only thing that keeps the practice of
escalation in place is that fact that a lot of people make a lot
of money making weapons.
Peace,
Mike Corso
CNI Telecom
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CNI Telecom -----> http://www.cnotes.com/telecom/cnitelpage.html
Save on Long Distance Calls and help support Peace, Human Rights, the
Environment, Campaign Finance Reform, and AIDS Research.
Info: longdi...@cnotes.com
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 31 Oct 1995 17:53:22 -0700 (MST)
From: Ron VonBurg <von...@asu.edu>
Subject: Proliferation literature
I am a member of the Arizona State University debate team and I
am researching numerous issues regarding the proliferation of
nuclear weapons, such as, verification, NPT, break-out, disarm
etc.. If anyone on the list knows of any cites or information of
any 1994/5 literature pertaining to these and other issues
dealing with nuclear weapons, could you back-channel me with any
information. The Arizona State University debate team would be
extremely grateful. Thank You in advance.
Ron VonBurg
von...@asu.edu
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 1996 05:22:22 +0900
From: west...@neca.com (Michael J. Westerfield)
Subject: Re: PURPOSE OF THIS NEWSGROUP
Although the focus of this newsgroup has traditionally been
limited to nuclear disarmament, I would like to propose that it
be broadened to include discussions of the elimination of
conventional arms as well. I suggest this because I believe that
discussions on the subject of nuclear disarmament have been
virtually exhausted. Every argument has been made and it would
be very hard to find anyone who did not believe that nuclear
weapons should ultimately be done away with. The few remaining
debatable issues - should the U.N. retain a limited stockpile of
nuclear weapons for "enforcement" etc. - would become meaningless
if universal disarmament should occur.
The real problem in the world today is "conventional" weapons.
Those are the ones that are killing thousands of people daily in
ethnic warfare all around the world. Very low-tech weapons such
as land-mines, that can be produced for a few dollars and used
with prodigality, are an incredible problem, even in countries
where the active warfare ended years ago.
I would also propose that, in addition to the standard discussion
group approach, that a newsgroup is needed where serious
organizing around issues can take place. WE can post our
philosophical musings forever without making one bit of
difference in the real world.
How do the users of this newsgroup feel about the above
proposals?
Michael Westerfield
west...@neca.com
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 10 Mar 1996 09:48:05 +0000 (GMT)
From: tsbr...@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us (Timothy Bruening)
Subject: World Court case on legality of nuclear weapons
I believe that the use or threat to use nuclear weapons is a
violation of international law because the use of nuclear weapons
causes indiscriminate mass murder, leaves survivors to suffer for
decades from radiation sickness and cancer, causes genetic damage
to the descendents of those survivors, and damages the
environment through radioactive fallout, destruction of the ozone
layer, and creating smoke and soot which blocks out the sun;
cutting off the light plants need to grow and causing
temperatures to plummet.
The World Court is currently considering whether the use or
threatened use of nuclear weapons is legal or illegal. It held
hearings on that issue from October 30-November 15, 1995, and is
expected to issue a verdict this spring.
The majority of states testifying before the World Court
testified against nuclear deterrence. Australian Foreign
Minister Gareth Evans said "self-defence is not a justification
for genocide, for ordering that there be no enemy survivors in
combat, or for indiscriminate attacks on the civilian population.
Nor is it a justification for the use of nuclear weapons". The
mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki said "it is clear that the use
of nuclear weapons, which causes indiscriminate mass murder, that
leaves survivors to suffer for decades, is a violation of
international law".
The World Court also received evidence in the form of
"Declarations of Public Conscience" and petitions from over 3
million people in many nations. The declaration states "I
support the initiative to seek a World Court opinion on the legal
status of nuclear weapons, and wish the court to know that I
believe that nuclear weapons are illegal according to
international law and the dictates of public conscience". Please
copy (or write your own), date, sign, note your address and mail
to: Lawyers' Committee on Nuclear Policy, 666 Broadway, #625 New
York, NY 10012 USA.
The issue of the legality of nuclear weapons has been brought
before the World Court though the efforts of the World Court
Project, an international alliance of citizens groups founded in
1992. The co-founding organizations are the International Peace
Bureau, the International Association of Lawyers against Nuclear
Arms, and the Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War.
World Court Project lawyer Peter Weiss believes that nothing but
good can come from this hearing. He believes that if a majority
of the court says that nuclear weapons are totally illegal, there
will be a strong push for a convention to implement that
decision. Even if a majority rules that nuclear weapons aren't
totally illegal, there will be a strong push for a convention to
outlaw nuclear weapons like the treaties abolishing chemical and
biological weapons.
Strangely enough, these hearings weren't well covered in the U.S.
media (or in any of the nuclear nations), in spite of the fact
that the issue of nuclear weapons is vital to the world's
survival.
--
Timothy S. Bruening (tsbr...@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us)
Davis Community Network
------------------------------
From: bwo...@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Bradley B. Woods)
Subject: Pakistan's Nuclear Program
To: soc-polit...@uunet.uu.net
I don't know if this is the appropriate n.g. or not, but here is
my question: I recently heard on NPR that Pakistan is excavating
some mountain. This is believed to be the location of their
future nuclear testing site. Can anyone furnish more details on
this matter, please?
B
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 04 Dec 1995 10:14:00 +0000
From: IPALAN!IPAPOST!ku...@ipaatt.attmail.com (Chetan Kumar)
Subject: Important new book on peacekeeping!
TO ALL SUBSCRIBERS OF ARMS-L:
The International Peace Academy, an independent, non-partisan,
U.N.-affiliated organization devoted to the promotion of peaceful
and multilateral approaches to the resolution of international as
well as internal conflicts, has just released a report in a book
form called "Peacemaking and Peacekeeping for the Next Century."
The evolution of the peace-and-security agenda of the United
Nations is caught at a difficult crossroads today. The recent
rapid expansion of complex peace operations has generated serious
political and financial stresses on the organization. These
stresses, combined with the tragic failures of the UN in Somalia,
Rwanda, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, have produced a mood of
retrenchment for the present and serious uncertainties about
future directions This is the time for stock-taking by the United
Nations; it must also be a time for sketching the outlines of a
future peace-and-security role into the next century.
With these objectives in mind, the International Peace Academy
and the Government of Austria had convened a special, high-level,
seminar in Vienna in March, 1995, to commemorate both the 25th
anniversary of the annual Vienna Seminar and the 50th anniversary
of the United Nations. This report on the seminar proceedings
highlights the key lessons to be drawn from the past fifty years
of experience in peacemaking and peacekeeping, and discusses the
principal challenges and opportunities for multilateral peace
activities into the next century.
The following individuals made presentations at the seminar:
Professor Adam Roberts, Mr. Edward Mortimer, Lt.-Gen. John M.
Sanderson, Ambassador Jan Eliasson, Sir Brian Urquhart, Mr. John
Roper, Professor Thomas Franck, and Ambassador Ismat Kittani.
Prominent individuals who provided commentary and overviews at
the seminar included Ambassador Diego Arria, Dr. Boutros
Boutros-Ghali, Mr. Erskine Childers, Dr. Nabil Elaraby, M.
Georges Berthoin, Mr. Laszlo Kovacs, Mr. Sergey Lavrov, Mrs.
Sadako Ogata, Sir Sridath Ramphal, Lt.-Gen. Satish Nambiar, Mr.
Thorvald Stoltenberg, Sir Brian Urquhart, and Dr. Kumar
Rupesinghe. The volume provides summaries of the views and the
opinions of these key individuals.
Given this high-level representation, the volume is a useful tool
for any scholar, activist, or policy maker who might find himself
or herself requiring up-to-date information on peacekeeping, or
having to defend the UN or its activities. It provides quick,
easy-to-read summaries of the viewpoints and the arguments being
presented by some very eminent friends and defenders of the
organization, people who are extremely cognizant of the numerous
criticisms that have been levied against the organization of
late.
The volume also explores options in terms of some of the UN's
peacekeeping and peacemaking burden being shared by regional
organizations, alliances, and institutions.
The volume is handsomely produced, has been designed for a long
shelf-life, and has been very attractively printed and formatted.
A copy of this 96-page volume can be obtained by sending a check
for $ 9.95 (within the United States), or $ 12.95 (outside the
United States), made payable to "International Peace Academy," to
the following address:
Chetan Kumar
Program Associate
International Peace Academy
777 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017
Phone: (212) 949-8480
Fax: (212) 983-8246
The amounts will include shipping and handling costs.
Please direct further enquiries to the e-mail address on this message, or
send an e-mail to:
ipalan!ipaatt!ku...@ipaatt.attmail.com
Outside of the UNITAR, the International Peace Academy is the
only international institution provide training for diplomats and
peacekeepers. The Academy also has a research program that
focuses on crucial issues relating to preventive diplomacy,
peacebuilding, causes of internal conflict, and the long-term
resolution of conflicts. The program has released a set of
Occasional Papers through Lynne Rienner Publishers that will be
of immediate utility to persons with an interest in these issues.
Enquiries about these and other IPA publications, and the Academy
in general, can be directed to the mail address provided above.
--------------------------
End of Arms-Discussion Digest
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