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Action to Ban Mini-Nukes Tell Your Senators to Say "No" to New Nukes Union of Concerned Scientists Action
Network May 16, 2003 The Bush administration is pushing for the development of new nuclear weapons. The White House is interested in smaller, more "usable" nuclear weapons and has asked Congress to lift the 10-year Spratt- Furse ban on the development of new "mini-nukes." The Senate will likely vote next week whether or not to maintain the ban. Take this opportunity to tell your senators to oppose new nuclear weapons: tell them to maintain the Spratt-Furse law. TAKE ACTION:
Learn more about the issue in the background section below. Letter: I am writing to ask you to maintain the ban on developing new low- yield nuclear weapons, also known as "mini-nukes." The Senate's FY 04 defense authorization bill repeals the 1993 Spratt- Furse provision. Spratt-Furse bans the development of these weapons while permitting research. Maintaining the ban serves US interests overall. As you may know, the United States has already developed and tested low-yield nuclear weapons, and does not need to develop new ones. Some argue that the ban impedes the development of new nuclear weapons designed to attack deep underground targets and destroy chemical and biological agents. However, technical analysis conducted by nuclear weapon scientists shows that low-yield weapons would not be effective for these tasks. Other advocates of mini-nukes push them as more useable than larger nuclear weapons. As the world's preeminent military power, however, the United States should work to decrease rather than increase the potential for nuclear use. Breaking the taboo on the use of nuclear weapons can only harm US interests. Finally, new mini-nukes put at risk international efforts to halt the spread of nuclear weapons. The US pursuit of new nuclear weapons legitimizes their development by other countries. It is also an incentive for countries that are concerned that they may be a target of such weapons to develop their own nuclear weapons as a deterrent. As your constituent, I strongly believe that you should improve US national security by voting to preserve the Spratt-Furse provision. Background: Next week, the Senate will likely consider the annual defense authorization bill. Tucked deep within the bill is language calling for the repeal of a 1993 law called the Spratt-Furse provision. Spratt-Furse bans the development of new low-yield nuclear weapons (with yields of less than 5 kilotons-about a third of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima), also known as "mini-nukes." It is critical to maintain this ban for two reasons. First, many advocates of mini-nukes push them as more useable than larger nuclear weapons. However, the use of any nuclear weapons, with their destructive power and radioactive fallout, is unacceptable. As the world's preeminent military power, the United States should work to decrease rather than increase the potential for nuclear use. Breaking the taboo on use of nuclear weapons can only harm US interests. Second, new mini-nukes put at risk international efforts to halt the spread of nuclear weapons. The US pursuit of new nuclear weapons legitimizes their development by other countries. It is also an incentive for countries that are concerned that they may be a target of such weapons to develop their own nuclear weapons as a deterrent. For detailed information on the Spratt-Furse provision, please see our backgrounder at: http://www.ucsusa.org/global_security/nuclear_weapons/page.cfm? pageID=1182 Act now to help stop the US development of new mini-nukes by preserving the Spratt-Furse law! ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Coalition for Peace and Justice and the UNPLUG
Salem Campaign; "First they ignore you; Then they laugh at you; Then they fight you; Then you win. (Gandhi) "Why walk when you can fly?" (Mary Chapin Carpenter)
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