Project for Nuclear Awareness Policy Briefing on Capitol Hill

Thursday, February 5, 2009
Sponsored by:
The Project for Nuclear Awareness (PNA)
Physicians for Social Responsibility-Philadelphia (PSR)
The United Nations Association of Greater Philadelphia (UNA-GP)

On Thursday, February 5, PNA led a delegation of citizens to talk to our House and Senate Members on Capitol Hill about nuclear and space weapons policy, smarter diplomacy, and re-prioritizing our government spending in ways that will grow the economy instead of continuing nuclear and terrorist threats to the world.

Jofi Joseph, foreign policy director for Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), moderated and led off the briefing, which included Ambassador Tom Graham, PNA’s chairman Craig Eisendrath and Edward A. Aguilar, the executive director, Steven Starr of PSR, and Emily Gleason, research assistant at PNA and a leader of the Ban All Nukes Generation-USA, a youth anti-nuclear network for the United States.

The policy briefing focused on five treaties that will need attention in the first years of the Obama Administration to strengthen U.S. security.  The forum further focused on the $52.4 billion price tag of nuclear security spending, and how this can be appropriately reduced. We can use the savings for green jobs-creation, transforming the Energy Department to address environmental issues, and safeguarding nuclear fissile materials around the world with a new Nuclear Control Regime. 

Some highlights of the Nuclear and Space Policy Briefing follow.

* Terrorist threat is a major incentive for nuclear disarmament *

• Elevate costs for business and individuals who smuggle or facilitate illegal exchange of nuclear material and/or related components.

- Should be a “crime against humanity”

- This would eliminate incentive for those who are interested in the financial gain of nuclear material smuggling

• U.S. should work with other nations through the International Energy Agency (IEA) to build a fissile material library.

- The library would enable tracing of fissile material and the ability to trace smuggled material back to a nation state

-This would exert pressure on nation states to heighten security of fissile material

• The United States should commit to a robust non-proliferation agenda, including downscaling the nuclear arsenal.

• Ratification of Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)

- Must convince eight Republican senators to support CTBT, to achieve a 2/3 Senate majority 

-Highlight importance of CTBT and other treaties in your community discussions

            -Special administration envoy for talks with Russians

• NPT Nuclear weapon states have not made good on their promise to disarm, or to adopt a CTBT.

- There have been no negotiated nuclear weapons reductions since 1994

-NPT has been eroded from the outside by Israel, Pakistan, India, North Korea and possibly Iran

-Nuclear weapons states- particularly the U.S. and Russia- must take the lead in re-building confidence in NPT

• U.S. –Russia relationship is the MOST important international relationship.

            -Relationship is needed to secure NPT, CTBT, and other treaties

- Consider the effects of NATO expansion on the U.S.-Russia relationship

-Avoid aggressive and subversive measures in the old USSR’s “backyard”

•         Need a treaty which bans ALL weapons in outer space

-          Possible with the cooperation of the new administration

-          Testing of space weapons generates debris that threatens the safety of our communications and weather satellites

-          DOD wants to use satellites against missiles, which would cost an estimated $200 billion- $1 trillion.

-          Creates further opportunity for military misunderstanding with other nations

•         There are strong commercial interests for weapons in space

•         Nuclear War and Global Climate Change

-          The rapid nature of climate change caused by nuclear war poses a greater risk than climate change associated with global warming

•         High Alert Weapons

-          High alert weapons can be launched when a perceived threat has been launched by an enemy

-          Indication of a false launch IS VERY POSSIBLE (i.e.: technical error, human error, computer virus/computer hacker, physical launch by terrorists who unlock launch codes.)

•         The U.S. spent $52.4 billion on nuclear security in 2008

  -      The vast majority of this money goes to maintaining nuclear forces and missile defense

•         The U.S. spends more on nuclear weapons than other crucial programs such as: diplomacy, general science and technology, and energy research and development.

-          The budget should be redistributed, with funds diverted from nuclear forces and allocated to nuclear threat reduction, fissile material security, atomic veterans compensation, environmental clean up and as funding for treaties and IAEA oversight.

•         Key treaties for funding include:

-          START- Russia and U.S. should reduce to 1,000 nuclear weapons as an interim measure

-          CTBT- U.S. ratification will encourage others such as India, Pakistan, Israel to ratify

-          NPT

-          De-Alerting nuclear weapons and confidence building measures with Russia

-          Fissile Material Control- accounting for both civilian and military materials

Student Involvement in Nuclear Disarmament Advocacy

•         Most popular Issues with Student Activists

-          Human Rights

-          Environment/Global Warming

•         Communication

-          Tailor communication to your audience

-          Utilize Internet resources like Facebook and YouTube

•         Collaboration

•         Outreach and Education

-          Be creative

-          Give students a chance to ACT

-          Ban All Nukes Generation student network

-          Global Zero: citizen petition

Related Media

Events

NUCLEAR AND SPACE POLICY BRIEFING- A Roadmap for 2009
Our Feb. 5, 2009 briefing featured Jofi Joseph, Senator Casey's top foreign policy advisor, and other experts.  View

Articles

PNA International Video Forum with Students and Hans Blix
Jennifer Lin of The Philadelphia Inquirer attended the International Dialogue with Dr. Blix and Ambassador Graham. Read her article on the event.  The forum with HANS BLIX, TOM GRAHAM, and PNA'S CRAIG EISENDRATH and EMILY GLEASON took place at Chestnut Hill College, and included students in the US, Canada, and Mexico. It is the first in a series of PNA and student-sponsored conferences.  View

Videos

Bombed by 67 Nukes
Senator Abacca Anjain Madisson of Rongelap, Marshall Islands, describes how her country was struck by 67 nuclear weapons during Pacific Islands testing by the United States.  View