Message of support to the
Conference on the Illegality of the Use of Depleted Uranium
of the International Association of Lawyers against Nuclear Arms - Italian Section
With the support of the Comune di Firenze
Palazzo Vecchio 27 February 2001

Dear Friends,

People throughout Europe have been outraged by the use of depleted uranium ammunition in the Balkans and during the Gulf War. Its poisonous legacy continues to harm and kill. All those who seek to nurture peace and a healthy environment will welcome your call to have these weapons banned.

At the same time, we invite your co-operation in the European Network for Peace and Human Rights which concerns itself with this and other problems such as National Missile Defence or "Son of Star Wars". President Bush's programme for expanded NMD unilaterally abrogates the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, and will provoke a mutation in nuclear military policies. If the ABM Treaty is thus annulled, then the consequences for the European powers are likely to prove far more immediately threatening than those for the United States. If this onrush to space wars is to be prevented, the power of public opinion is the key.

You are cordially invited to become sponsors of the new Network.

Yours sincerely,

Ken Coates
Chairman
Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation



The Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation Ltd
Russell House, Bulwell Lane, Nottingham NG6 0BT
tel. 0115 9784 504fax 0115 9420 433 e-mail: elfeuro@compuserve.com

February 2001

Dear Friend,

European Peace Network

President Bush has wasted no time at all in developing his push for the National Missile Defence programme, or "Son of Star Wars". This threatens to overturn all previous agreements on the management of nuclear confrontation, including the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. The justification claimed for NMD is that it is necessary to prevent rogue nuclear strikes from such states as North Korea and Iran. This is far-fetched in the extreme, but what is perfectly clear is that the new programme is felt to be profoundly threatening by Russia, China and a number of European states.

Many European governments are opposed to National Missile Defence on principle. Meanwhile, the British Government pursues a lone course. It talks of a "net security gain" from Star Wars and hints that it is ready to co-operate in the upgrading of the key US early warning radar station at Fylingdales in the North Yorkshire Moors.

For some time now, this Foundation has been consulting with peace movements and others throughout Europe about the grave situation in which we all find ourselves.As part of this initiative, we have organised two conferences at the European Parliament in Brussels where the issues have been explored at length and in depth.

In the course of these contacts, a European Network for Peace and Human Rights has begun to establish itself. We are now seeking sponsors for this Network and you are warmly invited to become one (by completing the enclosed reply slip). This role is honorific and implies no other commitment than that you approve and support the movement for nuclear disarmament and against a new arms race.

In addition to becoming a public sponsor, you are welcome to participate more actively in the Network if you wish. We will gladly keep you informed of its activities as they develop. We are presently working towards a launch conference of the Network for Peace and Human Rights towards the end of the year.

I do hope you will feel able to give us your support.

Yours sincerely,

Ken Coates



Reply slip

European Network for Peace and Human Rights

I would like to be a sponsor of the Network

Name…………………………………
Organisation………………………………………………..
Address……………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
Phone…………………………………Fax………………………………
E-mail……………………………………
Web site………………………………….

Please complete this slip and return it to the
Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation
Russell House
Bulwell Lane
Nottingham NG6 0BT
England
fax 00 44 (0) 115 9420 433
or e-mail your response to elfeuro@compuserve.com
www.spokesmanbooks.com (for our journal, The Spokesman)
www.russfound.org



As we feared, even before his inauguration President Bush made it perfectly clear that the imposition of National Missile Defence, or "Son of Star Wars", would be a major priority for his Administration. Now, his Secretary of State for Defence, Donald Rumsfeld, has informed the European allies that the American Government sees this as a constitutional obligation. Of course, peace movements everywhere are all too aware that this programme will provoke dangerous mutations in nuclear doctrine, and annul the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, upon which is founded the present East-West agreement on nuclear détente. The danger is that limited nuclear disarmament and arms control measures will be brought to a halt. A new round of highly dangerous proliferation is likely to follow. Russia and China feel deeply threatened. As they perceive matters, National Missile Defence embodies the new military doctrine adopted by Nato at its Jubilee Conference, as well as the pursuit of "Full Spectrum Dominance" by the United States military on earth and sea, in the air and in space. Once again, nuclear weapons force their way to the centre of our concerns. Fylingdales and other locations in Europe will trigger strong protests, just as the nuclear submarines at Faslane still mobilise thousands of opponents.

It is not only the peace movements that are registering these disturbing concerns. Most European governments are also profoundly uncomfortable with these policies. They may well begin to wonder whether Full Spectrum Dominance includes not only the military intimidation of opponents, but also the strategic imposition of economic and other choices on the allies themselves. President Chirac made his opposition to "Son of Star Wars" absolutely clear at the summit with Prime Minister Blair in Cahors. Chancellor Schroeder has been similarly outspoken. What they fear is that the imposition of a profoundly destabilising nuclear policy may greatly and unnecessarily aggravate their own relations with the East. Clearly, at this time, public opinion may be decisive in determining the choices which can maintain peace or lead directly to nuclear confrontation.

Two years ago, the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation launched an appeal for a representative European Conference for Peace and Human Rights. This sought to bring together all those people and organisations who were concerned about the trend to seek military solutions for social and political problems. These trends have been aggravated by a growing readiness to ignore the United Nations Charter. There has grown up a culture of domination and intimidation. Nuclear proliferation is one result of this. Another result is growing support for the peace movement. Many organisations have been responding to these threats. In the resultant discussion, a Network stretching across Europe has begun to establish itself. Position papers have been circulated, and these have provoked widespread debate. The issues involved have been considered at two European consultations held in Brussels at the European Parliament. These agreed to organise a number of meetings in different countries to deepen this process and prepare the ground for the launching of a permanent Network and a European Conference.

With the threat of Star Wars, and the scandal of depleted uranium, the nuclear dimension of threats of war has become all the more pressing. At our next European meeting, it therefore seems necessary to launch a public Network, to elect officers, and to establish contact points throughout Europe. We are seeking sponsors for this activity, and we are already negotiating for appropriate facilities for a launch before the end of 2001. Those who share our concerns are most cordially invited to join in sponsoring this Network by completing the attached reply slip.



Some of the key issues for the co-ordination of action throughout the proposed Network, and for the agenda of the Conference on Peace and Human Rights

The implications for Europe of the revival of Star Wars: how to combat the ending of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, mutations in nuclear weapons doctrine, changes in the nuclear balance, proliferation, moves towards nuclear war-fighting.

How to support the call for full public scrutiny of the effects of testing, production and use of depleted uranium ammunition, for full public disclosure of all information, and for prohibition of the use of depleted uranium munitions.

The relevance of nuclear-weapon-free-zones and other proposals for disarmament and arms control: how to advance the agenda for nuclear disarmament.

How to oppose the sidelining of the United Nations by military alliances;  responses to Nato's enlargement Eastwards, Nato's Partnership for Peace,  moves towards the militarisation of the European Union.

Peace and human rights after the Nice European Council: the crisis in Israel/Palestine; the crisis in Turkey and the problems of the Kurds; the problem of Cyprus; the results of military intervention in the Balkans.



La lettera di accompagnamento:

Mr Marco Saba
Ethical Environmental Observatory

22nd February 2001

Dear Marco,

Many thanks for your e-mail of 16 February informing us about the important conference on 27 February at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence which is organised by IALANA.

Although we should very much like to have participated, we are very sorry indeed that none of us are free to join you on that day. However, we wish the conference every success, and append a message of support which we hope you might be able to convey to the organisers and participants.

We are also sending you some information about the European Network for Peace and Human Rights in a separate attachment. We very much hope that you will agree to be a sponsor of this network. Would it be possible to ask the Mayor of Florence and some others also to become sponsors?

With every good wish.

Ken Coates
Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation