[Disarmo] United States will formally withdraw from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF)

[Elio Pagani <eliopaxnowar at gmail.com>]

Da: Daniel Högsta <daniel at icanw.org>
Date: ven 2 ago 2019 alle ore 10:58
Subject: [ICAN] INF Collapse: ICAN Statement, video, talking points and sample tweets
To: ICAN Campaigners <ican-campaigners at googlegroups.com>

Dear campaigners, 

While we’re still expecting official confirmation from the US State Department, all indications are that the United States will formally withdraw from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty today, leading to the Treaty’s collapse. 

Please refer to the ICAN statement which Rebecca circulated yesterday: http://www.icanw.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Media-release-ICAN-statement-regarding-Statement-INF-Treaty-Collapse-02-08-2019-.pdf

The treaty's expiration now enables the US and Russia to resume development of their medium-range land-based arsenals. Currently the US military plans to test a land-based cruise missile and a ballistic missile previously banned under the INF treaty between August and November of this year. 

Drawn from the ICAN statement, here are some specific talking points as well as some sample tweetsfor you to use. 

We’ve also developed a video with key points about the INF. Check it out on YouTube here (and share!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3cg2UHLyl4&feature=youtu.be 

ICAN talking points

• The collapse of the INF treaty threatens international security and is a clear sign of a new nuclear arms race that will increase the risk of use of nuclear weapons.

• Intermediate nuclear missiles are meant to wipe out whole cities, which violates international human rights and humanitarian law. Nations breaking treaties and seeking to develop more nuclear weapons are endangering us all with their commitment to security-based on weapons of mass destruction. 

• The international community must respond to this increased threat by urgently supporting and joining the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapon. 

• Next week, the world will mark the 74th anniversary of the use of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed hundreds of thousands of people and caused long-term health and environmental harm that continues to affect generations born long after the war. The anniversaries must serve as a reminder of the consequences of a nuclear arms race and threats to use nuclear weapons.  

• With the collapse of the INF Treaty, the US and Russia are now free to build and deploy this category of weapons, which would fall in line with their seeming determination to kick-start a new nuclear arms race. 

• The US alone is projected to spend $1.2 trillion in the coming 30 years to maintain and modernize its existing arsenal, and there have been indications that nuclear weapons producing companies are preparing to build nuclear weapons capable of striking within the 500 to 5500 km range.

• The collapse of the INF Treaty is a significant loss that puts the world - and Europe in particular - at increased risk. Due to their short range, the category of nuclear weapons weapons prohibited by the INF Treaty are mainly a threat for Europe - as many of these new missiles are likely to be stationed.

• Over 80 cities in Europe, including Paris, Manchester, Berlin, Oslo and many more are responding to the increased threat to their security by joining the ICAN Cities Appeal and urge their governments to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. 

Tweets

Nuclear weapons are inhumane, immoral and designed to wipe out everything we love. As the US & Russia let the #INFTreaty collapse, the rest of us have to speak up: The world doesn’t need a new arms race, it needs to end nukes altogether! https://nuclearban.org #nuclearban #TPNW

Words of regret and condemnation from the international community are insufficient. True government leadership in the face of a new nuclear arms race is to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapon. #nuclearban #tpnw https://nuclearban.org 

International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)
www.icanw.org