Clerics And Politicians Investigate Reports Aldermaston Is ‘Jumping The Gun’ On New Nuclear Weapons

'CLERICS AND POLITICIANS INVESTIGATE REPORTS ALDERMASTON IS 'JUMPING THE GUN' ON NEW NUCLEAR WEAPONS

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*Next Monday (June 12th ) a delegation of Scottish Church Leaders and MSP’s will visit the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Aldermaston near Reading, Berkshire, where Britain’s Trident nuclear weapons are designed and built (1). *

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*The delegation, which includes a former Lord Advocate and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, has requested a meeting with senior Aldermaston scientists to discuss concerns that they are already in the process of designing new nuclear weapons, despite government claims that no decision on Trident replacement has yet been made.*

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*Whether inside or outside the wire, the delegation will tour the site, where developments underway on the scale of Heathrow's Terminal 5 expansion strongly suggest new nuclear weapons are already under development. These include:*

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  * *Government investment of £1 billion in Aldermaston over the next
    3 years and commitment to invest a further £5 billion.* **
  * *Plans to build a new laser, called Orion, which is one thousand
    times more powerful than the existing one onsite. *
  * *Development of new ‘super computers’ – capable of simulating
    nuclear tests and designing new weapons – which will increase the
    facility’s computing power by a factor of nine hundred. *
  * *Plans to build new hydrodynamics test facilities and tritium and
    highly enriched uranium plants. *
  * *Plans for recruitment of 80 new specialist scientists and
    advertising for staff to join the ‘warhead development centre’.* **

 

BLIX HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF UK DECISION

*Following the fact-finding visit the delegation will travel to the House of Commons to meet Hans Blix, who will present the new UN Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Commission report to MPs and the media. The report recommends that nuclear weapons be outlawed completely and highlights how important Britain’s decision whether or not to build a new generation of nuclear weapons is to the future of international nuclear disarmament: *

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*"Any state contemplating replacement or modernization of its nuclear-weapon systems must consider such action in the light of all relevant treaty obligations and its duty to contribute to the nuclear disarmament process. As a minimum, it must refrain from developing nuclear weapons with new military capabilities or for new missions. It must not adopt systems or doctrines that blur the distinction between nuclear and conventional weapons or lower the nuclear threshold." *

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*"France and the UK…..are now at a crossroads: going down one road would show their conviction that nuclear weapons are not necessary for their security, while the other would demonstrate to all other states a belief that these weapons continue to be indispensable”. (2)*

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*The delegation has travelled from Scotland to reflect widespread Scottish opposition to nuclear weapons. Britain’s Trident nuclear submarines are currently based at Faslane on the west coast of Scotland. The delegation is being jointly organised by Scottish CND, Greenpeace and the Nuclear Information Service.*

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*After the AWE visit, the delegation will then travel to London and
join the UK launch of the WMD Commission report with Dr Hans Blix in Westminster. * *

Then the delegation will meet Westminster MPs to discuss their Aldermaston visit and UK nuclear weapon's policy.

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* (1) the delegation includes Bill Butler MSP, Labour; Colin Fox MSP, Leader Scottish Socialist Party; Rev. Kathy Galloway, Leader Iona Community; Robin Harper MSP, Co-leader Scottish Green Party; Dr Bashir Maan CBE, Scottish representative on the Muslim Council for Britain; Mary Alice Mansell, Scottish Quaker General Meeting; Dr Richard McCready, National Secretary Justice and Peace Scotland (Catholic Church); Rev. Alan McDonald, Moderator Church of Scotland; Isobel Lindsay Vice Chair Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Lord Ronald King Murray, former Lord Advocate; Matt Smith, Scottish Secretary, UNISON; Sandra White MSP, Scottish National Party; Rev John Ainslie, Coordinator Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Simon Clydesdale Greenpeace; Dr. Rebecca Johnson, The Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy; Phillip Austin, Quaker Peace & Social Witness; Di McDonald, Executive Director Nuclear Information Service; Dr. Kate Hudson, Chair CND; Rt Rev. Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Reading; Dr. Richard Maguire, Mountbatten Centre for International Studies; Dr David Ryall, Assist. Gen. Sec.
(International Affairs) Catholic Bishop's Conference of England & Wales,
Prof. John Finney, Pugwash, Pat Gaffney, Pax Christi.
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*(2) For more on the Blix report visit: http://www.wmdcommission.org/*

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