Remembrance, Reflection and Resistance

by David Krieger

We remember the horrors of the past so that we may learn from them and they will not be repeated in the future. If we ignore or distort the past and fail to learn from it, we are opening the door to repetition of history’s horrors.

In August, we remember the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which took place on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively. Both were illegal attacks on civilian populations, violating long-standing rules of customary international humanitarian law prohibiting the use of indiscriminate weapons (as between combatants and non-combatants) and weapons that cause unnecessary suffering.

In a just world, those who were responsible for these attacks, in violation of the laws of war, would have been held to account and punished accordingly. They were not. Rather, they were celebrated, as the atomic bombs themselves were celebrated, in the false belief that they brought World War II to an end.

To read more, click here.

The Decision to Bomb Hiroshima

by Gar Alperovitz

Though most Americans are unaware of the fact, increasing numbers of historians now recognize the United States did not need to use the atomic bomb to end the war against Japan in 1945. Moreover, this essential judgment was expressed by the vast majority of top American military leaders in all three services in the years after the war ended: Army, Navy and Army Air Force. Nor was this the judgment of "liberals," as is sometimes thought today. In fact, leading conservatives were far more outspoken in challenging the decision as unjustified and immoral than American liberals in the years following World War II.

To read more, click here.

US Plans Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Test on International Day of Peace

by David Krieger

In 1981, the United Nations General Assembly created an annual International Day of Peace to take place on the opening day of the regular sessions of the General Assembly. The purpose of the day is for "commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples."

The United States has announced that its next test of a Minuteman III will occur on September 21, 2011. Rather than considering how it might participate and bring awareness to the International Day of Peace, the United States will be testing one of its nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles that, 20 years after the end of the Cold War, continue to be kept on high-alert in readiness to be fired on a few moments notice.

To read more, click here.

***An action alert on this issue is coming soon. If you are not yet subscribed to the NAPF Action Alert Network, you can subscribe here.***

Decision Delayed on Kansas City Ballot Initiative

A judge in Kansas City has delayed until mid-September a decision on a controversial ballot initiative proposed by a group called the Kansas City Peace Planters. The ballot initiative, which received more than enough signatures to be placed on the ballot, calls for the proposed new nuclear weapons factory in Kansas City to instead be used for renewable energy projects.

Kansas City's City Council has opposed the ballot initiative, calling it unconstitutional. The deadline for placing the initiative on the November ballot is September 27.

Hendricks, Mike, "Decision Delayed on Nuclear Weapons Ballot Measure in KC," The Kansas City Star, August 29, 2011.

Plans Progress for Plutonium Facility Despite Seismic Concerns

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has publicly released a final environmental analysis for construction of the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement-Nuclear Facility (CMRR-NF) in Los Alamos, NM, but leaves open key construction details, as they have not yet figured out how to deal with serious seismic risks at the site.

NNSA official Kevin Smith said the agency "carefully considered suggestions, alternatives and comments offered by stakeholders." Jay Coghlan, Executive Director of Nuclear Watch New Mexico, countered that "NNSA offered no real alternatives to building the Nuclear Facility."

Partly due to the seismic concerns, the estimated cost of the CMRR-NF has ballooned from an estimated $800 million in 2007 to today's estimate of up to $5.8 billion.

Fleck, John, "Nuclear Facility Plans Continue," Albuquerque Journal, August 27, 2011.

Amano Confident about Middle East Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone

Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that there appears to be momentum for a meeting as early as November between Israel and Arab nations to discuss a Middle East nuclear weapon-free zone.

Amano said, "A nuclear weapon-free zone in the Middle East will not be achieved tomorrow - everyone knows it - but we can get closer. Increasing confidence is very much needed; even a small step is helpful. I hope that we can host a forum this year."

"Momentum Building for Nuke-Free Mideast Meeting, Amano Says," Global Security Newswire, August 22, 2011.

Laser Enrichment Raises Nuclear Proliferation Fear

General Electric has successfully tested a method of enriching uranium with lasers. This new method is likely to be cheaper and less complicated than the traditional enrichment method involving thousands of finely tuned centrifuges. US regulators are currently deciding whether or not to give General Electric a commercial license to expand this enrichment method.

Critics of this technology worry that it could make the path to acquiring nuclear weapons easier. Frank von Hippel, a nuclear physicist and Princeton University professor, said, "We're on the verge of a new route to the bomb. We should have learned by now to do an assessment before we let this kind of thing out."

Broad, William, "Laser Advances in Nuclear Fuel Stir Terror Fear," The New York Times, August 20, 2011.

Nuclear Modernization Funds in the Super Committee

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) is one of 12 lawmakers on the new Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, also known as the "super committee." Kyl is a well-known advocate of nuclear weapons, and is likely to strongly push for full funding for "modernization" of the nuclear weapons complex and delivery systems during deficit reduction negotiations.

The super committee is tasked with cutting $1.2 trillion in federal spending over the next 10 years. The proposed nuclear modernization effort would cost over $200 billion over the next 10 years for constructing new nuclear weapon production facilities and new submarines, airplanes and missiles to carry nuclear weapons. Tom Collina, Research Director at the Arms Control Association, said, "Can all of this funding be justified in the post-budget-deal era? No, it can't."

Cadei, Emily, "Kyl a Likely Defender of Nuclear Weapons Programs on Deficit Panel," CQ Today Online News, August 11, 2011.

North Korea Offers to Renounce Nuclear Testing

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il visited Russia in August to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Kim apparently promised Medvedev that North Korea would renounce nuclear testing if long-stalled negotiations on its nuclear program resume.

South Korea has demanded that North Korea allow inspectors back to monitor its nuclear sites, stop nuclear processing activities and suspend testing of weapons of mass destruction before the six-party talks resume.

Chan-Kyong, Park, "N. Korea Urged to Act on Offer to Renounce Nuclear Tests," Agence France Presse, August 22, 2011.

UK Claims Wind Farms Prevent Detection of Nuclear Tests

The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense (MoD) has claimed that wind farms located within 50 kilometers of its seismological recording station at Eskdalemuir, Scotland would prevent the detection of nuclear tests around the world. According to the MoD, the swishing blades of wind turbines cause ground vibrations that would be detected by the Eskdalemuir station, causing an unacceptable level of interference.

The MoD has vowed to oppose any wind farms within 50 kilometers of Eskdalemuir. According to REG Windpower, the company whose application for a wind farm is being opposed by the MoD, up to one gigawatt of wind power is currently being held up by MoD opposition. A spokesman for the company expressed confidence that a technological solution will be developed in the near future.

Edwards, Rob, "Windfarms Prevent Detection of Secret Nuclear Weapon Tests, Says MoD," The Guardian, August 19, 2011.

At the Moral Core of Nuclear Weapons

The United Religions Initiative, the WE Campaign and 11 Days of Global Unity are presenting a conference call entitled "At the Moral Core of Nuclear Weapons: Are People of Faith Standing Tall or in Meltdown?" on September 20 from 3:00 to 4:00 pm Eastern time.

The speakers on the call are Mairead Maguire, 1976 Nobel Peace Laureate and member of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation's Advisory Council; Sidney Drell, Senior Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution; Jonathan Granoff, President of the Global Security Institute and NAPF Associate; and Tyler Wigg-Stevenson, Founder and Director of Two Futures Project.

These peace, security and disarmament leaders will discuss the spiritual, financial, political and scientific urgency to mobilize a coordinated response from people of faith and moral conviction for the elimination of all nuclear weapons.

To register for the call, click here. After registering, you will receive instructions on how to call in and submit questions to the speakers.

Abolition 2000 Annual Meeting in Geneva

Abolition 2000, a network of over 2,000 groups around the world working for the elimination of nuclear weapons, will hold its annual meeting in Geneva, Switzerland on September 16. Abolition 2000 links organizations and initiatives working for the elimination of nuclear weapons through a global treaty, and promotes simultaneous action on steps and measures supporting that goal.

Anyone interested in the abolition of nuclear weapons is welcome to attend the meeting. Momentum is building to start negotiations on a treaty to ban the bomb - something the network has called for since 1995. During this meeting, members will review efforts as a network of more than 2000 organizations in over 90 countries, examine regional perspectives and the efforts of various working groups and affiliated networks.

For more information about the Abolition 2000 meeting, click here.

Alternatives to Nuclear Weapons at the Kansas City Plant

Economists Lloyd Dumas and Teresa Nelson have published a report showing that alternative uses for the proposed new Kansas City Plant would create more jobs than its current intended use as a facility for manufacturing non-nuclear components of nuclear weapons.

The report documents:

• Why nuclear weapons are such a poor investment – the market has always been restricted to one customer; people who used to advocate for them are now advocating their abolition; and federal budget pressures are intense.
• Why renewable energy and similar projects are foreseeable as a far more profitable market.
• Why the five buildings of the current plant, well underway in construction, are technically suitable to these alternative uses.
• How the job-multiplier effect for nuclear weapons components production compares with various alternatives, showing that the nuclear weapons option has by far the lowest multiplier effect – authors explain why and provide color charts on pages 22 and 25.

To download the full report, click here.

Sadako Peace Day

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation held its 17th annual Sadako Peace Day commemoration on August 9 at La Casa de Maria in Montecito, CA. The capacity crowd gathered in the Sadako Peace Garden to hear music, poetry and keynote speaker Jimmy Hara, Vice-President of Physicians for Social Responsibility - Los Angeles.

The group reflected on the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the story of Sadako Sasaki, which has inspired millions around the world to fold paper cranes in their wish for world peace.

To see photos and documentation of Sadako Peace Day, click here.

Wagingpeace.org Now Accepting Comments on Articles

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation's main website, www.wagingpeace.org, is now accepting comments from readers on articles dating back to December 2009. The new comment feature, which will be included on all articles published in the future, can be found at the bottom of every article.

We encourage your input and look forward to lively discussions online about issues of nuclear weapons, war and peace.

Peace Leadership Program Travel Schedule

NAPF Peace Leadership Program Director Paul Chappell will be visiting many universities and community groups around the United States this fall. Paul's lectures and workshops have inspired thousands of people to take action for a better world.

To see if Paul is coming to your area, click here.

Paul recently had an interview published in Koream magazine featuring his work. To read the article, click here. He also just had an interview about the tenth anniversary of 9/11 that makes many interesting points. To read that article, click here.

From Hiroshima to Hope

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will hold its 28th Annual Evening for Peace on Sunday, October 9, 2011 in Santa Barbara, CA. The event, entitled "From Hiroshima to Hope," will honor Tadatoshi Akiba, former Mayor of Hiroshima and past President of Mayors for Peace, and Shigeko Sasamori, a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, who will accept an award on behalf of all hibakusha of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Please join us for an inspiring evening to honor two courageous leaders for peace. For more information or to reserve tickets, please call (805) 965-3443.

Seminar on the International Day Against Nuclear Tests

On August 29, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation convened a seminar on the International Day against Nuclear Tests at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Delegates from 43 countries attended the seminar along with several NGO representatives, U.N. Disarmament Fellows and graduate students from universities in Geneva.

The speakers at the seminar were: H.E. Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Director-General of the U.N. Office at Geneva; Mr. Jarmo Sarvea, Director of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs' Geneva Branch; H.E. Ambassador Mukhtar Tileuberdi, Permanent Representative of the Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva; Jean du Preez, Chief of External Relations and International Cooperation Section of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization; and Tom Collina, Research Director of the Arms Control Association.

The speakers shared their views on the significance of the International Day Against Nuclear Tests and the objectives set forth in UN Resolution 64/35 entitled the International Day Against Nuclear Tests. The speakers also raised awareness among participants about the effects of nuclear tests and the need for the international community to support the immediate ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

"Have we turned away from our responsibility for the future? Now is the time to discuss thoroughly and choose what kind of society we will create from this point on."

-- Tomihisa Taue, Mayor of Nagasaki, in his 2011 Nagasaki Peace Declaration. To read the full declaration, click here.

"Today as we gather in this beautiful setting we have to remember that our destiny and the fate of the planet is not outside our reach. It is within our grasp if it is within our hearts to abolish all weapons and to abolish war itself. On this great day when we reflect upon the great human tragedy of war and the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki let us resolve that we shall become as architects of a new world free of fear, free of nuclear weapons, and free of war."

-- Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), speaking at the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolence commemoration of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings. To see Kucinich's speech in its entirety, click here.

"The time has come for the rest of us to learn from all the hibakusha what they experienced and their desire for peace. Then, we must communicate what we learn to future generations and the rest of the world."

-- Kazumi Matsui, Mayor of Hiroshima, in his 2011 Hiroshima Peace Declaration. To read the full declaration, click here.

Christian Ciobanu
David Krieger
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman