Parliamentarians and Civil Society Appeal on Iran and Nuclear Weapons - un appello a livello mondiale per politici e ONG

[Roberto Del Bianco <delbia at casamia.org>]

Parliamentarians and Civil Society Appeal on Iran and Nuclear Weapons

To sign please email foesyd4 at ihug.com.au, with your name and position  or
electorate

Dear Parliamentarian or NGO,

You are urged to led your support to the below appeal from
parliamentarians and civil society on Iran, which urges a peaceful 
solution to the problems between that country, the US, and Israel,  and a
nuclear - free middle -east.

It has been signed so far by Friends of the Earth Australia, the
Medical Association for the Prevention of War, CND-UK, ACDN-France,  and
Abolition2000 UK.

John Hallam

PARLIAMENTARIANS AND CIVIL SOCIETY APPEAL ON IRAN AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS

A PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO THE IRAN CRISIS AND A NUCLEAR-FREE MIDDLE EAST

NO FIRST USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

To:
President George Bush
Secy of State Condoleeza Rice
Secy of Defence Donald Rumsfeld
UN Ambassador John Bolton

President Ahmadinejad
Foreign Minister of Iran, Motaki
Iran UN Ambassador, Zarif-Khonsari

Israel Prime Minister
Israel Foreign Minister
Israel UN Mission

cc
Mr Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission
Tony Blair, Prime Minister of UK and Exercising President of the
European Council
Jack Straw, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia
Alexander Downer, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australia

M. Jacques Chirac, Président de la République Française
M. Dominique de Villepin, Premier Ministre
M. Philippe Douste-Blazy, Ministre des Affaires Etrangères

Herr Horst Köhler, Bundespräzsident Deutschlands

Frau Angela Merkel, Bundeskanzlerin Deutschlands
Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Deutsche Bundesaussenminister

Mr Kofi Annan, General Secretary of the United Nations
Mr Mohamed ElBaradei, Director of the IAEA


Dear Presidents Bush and Ahmadinejad, Presidents, Prime Ministers, 
Foreign Ministers, Secretaries of State and Defence and Ambassadors,

The proliferation of nuclear weapons is possibly the single greatest 
threat to civilisation.  If a feared cascade of proliferation occurs,  the
probability that by malice, madness, miscalculation or
malfunction, nuclear weapons will at some point be used will increase 
sharply. All nations have a responsibility to ensure that the number  of
nations with nuclear weapons does not grow, to prevent non-state  actors
from obtaining them, and for those who posses nuclear weapons to eliminate
and abolish them.

Threats and rumours of military action or even nuclear weapons use  only
worsen a growing crisis between Iran, the United States, and  Israel.

Reports of preparations for and explorations of military options, no 
matter how speculative, are highly disturbing and are in themselves 
dangerous. Such explorations must cease. There must be no talk of war.

But there IS talk of war, both from the United States and from
Israel. And, President Ahmadinejad, you have spoken of "wiping Israel 
from the map."  In the US and Israel, 'hotheads' call openly for
"swift military action", while 'responsible' leaders speak of "no  option
being ruled out." President Bush, we heard these same two
formulations used just months before the invasion of Iraq.   We urge  that
the explorations of military or nuclear options cease
immediately, and support IAEA General Director, Mohamed ElBaradei in 
calling for this belligerent talk from all parties to stop now.


 The United States and other Nuclear Weapon States and de facto
nuclear weapon states -nations that already possess nuclear weapons-  have
made little progress toward the internationally mandated goal of  the
total and unequivocal elimination of those weapons. Although
there has been some limited progress in lowering total nuclear
stockpiles, the established nuclear weapons possessors continue to  rely
on those weapons in their security doctrines, and do not
envisage change in that posture 'for the foreseeable future'.

This continues in spite of a clear international consensus to the  effect
that nuclear weapons are a continuing threat to civilisation  and life, in
spite of repeated calls by the international community  for progress
toward their total and unequivocal elimination.

Nations that possess large nuclear arsenals cannot consistently or 
credibly call for others to eliminate or cease the pursuit of nuclear 
weapons arsenals of their own while not moving to eliminate their own 
nuclear weapons.  A global commitment to the elimination of nuclear 
weapons is a global commitment to the elimination of nuclear weapons,  and
applies equally to all parties.  There can be no exceptions.
Those who now posses nuclear arsenals are obliged to eliminate those 
arsenals. Those who do not have them must not pursue them.

Similarly, the violation of the goal of a nuclear-free Middle East by  one
party does not in any way excuse its violation by another party.  However,
the renunciation of the nuclear option by one party will  facilitate its
renunciation by another party.

Israel's nuclear arsenal and the pursuit of nuclear weapons by Iran -  if
indeed that is taking place - are dangerous per se and open the  gate for
further proliferation by other Middle Eastern nations, and  for a middle
eastern arms race that would be dangerous in the
extreme. This must not happen.

Serious concerns exist over the possibility that US nuclear doctrine  may
envisage strikes against other nations that involve a first use  of
nuclear weapons, or possibly the use of nuclear weapons against  nations
that are not themselves nuclear - armed. We note with
approval the recent letter by US senators and others in this matter.

A third use of nuclear weapons must never take place. It would be a 
catastrophe not only for Iran or Israel but for the entire region and 
even for the entire world, because of its radioactive fallout, its 
chaotic effects, and because it would break the taboo against the use  of
these weapons that has so far held place for the last 60 years.  Breaking
this taboo could result in the further use of nuclear
weapons, with a lower and lower bar for such use. The widespread use  of
nuclear weapons would be catastrophic for the world.   We urge all 
parties to renounce the pursuit of nuclear weapons, and to adopt
policies that rule out their use.


The Parliamentarians, civil society organisations, and prominent
individuals signed below hereby urge a solution to the crisis in
relations between the US and Iran, Israel and Iran, based on the
following clearly defined principles:

1) No use of any military option whatsoever by any party for any reason.

2) A clear commitment by all nuclear-armed parties not to use nuclear 
weapons in this situation, and a broader commitment to the doctrine  of no
first use of nuclear weapons.

3) The implementation of the 1995 Non-Proliferation Treaty Resolution  on
a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone in the Middle East, and implementation  of the
annual consensus-adopted General Assembly resolutions on
'Establishment of a Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone in the region of the  Middle
East'.

4) A clear commitment by all parties to the global elimination of  nuclear
weapons, including through reaffirming the Final Declaration  of the 2000
Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, and relevant  General Assembly
resolutions.

5) A diplomatic path to the removal of tensions between the US,
Israel, and Iran, involving compromise on both sides, recognition of  the
legitimate security concerns of all parties including both Israel  and
Iran, and refraining from inflammatory statements or the
exploration of military options by any party.


Signed

John Hallam, Friends of the Earth Australia Sydney Australia
Dimity Hawkins, Executive Officer, Medical Association for the
Prevention of War (MAPWA)
Ak Malten, Global Anti Nuclear Alliance (GANA) The Hague, Neth
Jean-Marie Matagne, Action des Citoyens pour le Désarmement Nucléaire
(ACDN) Peter Nicholls, Chair, Abolition 2000 UK
Kate Hudson, Chair, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) London, UK



--
Roberto Del Bianco - delbia at casamia.org. ICQ: 68931976.
On Skype (VoIP): robertodb.
http://www.casamia.org (Personal Site)