/* Written 9:45 am Jun 9, 1993 by fcnl@igc.apc.org in igc:fcnl.updates */
/* ---------- "G-3118-MIL NUCLEAR TESTING UPDATE" ---------- */
Friends Committee on National Legislation
245 Second Street, NE - Washington, DC 20002-5795
(202) 547-6000
G-3118-MIL
6/10/93
NUCLEAR TESTING --
IT'S NOT OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER...
Many thanks to all the folks across the country who
responded to FCNL's Action Alert (dated 5/5/93) to put
a halt to nuclear tests after 1996. Your hard work
has paid off. Public outcry against the proposed
"one-kiloton test limitation" prompted editorial
boards and members of Congress to take strong action.
Major newspapers have called for extending the current
testing moratorium and for a Comprehensive Test Ban
(CTB) by or before 1996. Also, Senator Tom Harkin IA
and 22 Senate colleagues wrote to the President
stating their opposition to resumed testing and urging
a CTB. The White House, surprised by this
overwhelming response, has abandoned the one-kiloton
testing proposal.
Even though the White House is reassessing its
options, there is still work to be done. The threat
of resumed nuclear testing before 1996 still exists.
The Department of Energy (DoE) and the national
nuclear research laboratories have developed a new
nuclear testing plan for nine or ten tests through
1996. (See below for more details.)
What else can you do?
1. Appeal to your senators to send messages to
President Clinton, urging a Comprehensive Test Ban and
no new testing. Senators can write their own letters
or add their names to an addendum to Senator Harkin's
letter. If your senators have already written to the
President, encourage them to send similar messages to
National Security Director Anthony Lake.
2. Continue to send messages to President Clinton,
stating your opposition to resumed testing. The White
House Comment Line is (202) 456-1111. You can also
send messages via electronic mail
(president@whitehouse.gov) or regular mail (The White
House, Washington, D.C. 20500).
Please note! It has been rumored that
President Clinton may announce the
administration's decision whether or not to
continue nuclear testing much sooner than we
had anticipated. If, when you receive this,
the President has announced that he has
decided to end all nuclear testing, there
will still be tremendous political pressures
on him to back down. He will need to hear
your support and appreciation. But, if the
President has decided to resume testing, or
has not yet announced his position, the
above action suggestions still apply.
New Department of Energy testing plan:
This new plan would supplant last year's legislation,
which permits no more than five safety and reliability
tests a year for three years. The DoE's new plan
would permit testing for weapons development, although
that is strictly forbidden by the law. It calls for:
(1) three or four tests to complete development of the
W89 warhead (see below); (2) three reliability tests;
and (3) three British tests. The DoE would conduct no
underground tests after 1996. Department and agency
heads have made no final decisions, but the danger
exists that the White House may accept this plan.
W89 Warhead:
The W89 was originally planned for the SRAM II, a
short-range tactical missile. Even though this
missile was cancelled several years ago, development
on the actual warhead continued at Lawrence Livermore
Lab. If completed, the W89 would replace some or all
of the W76 and W88 warheads on the Trident II missile.
FCNL perspective:
We are very concerned about the ramifications of any
plan for resumed nuclear testing. Not only will
resumed testing undermine efforts to successfully
negotiate a CTB with the other nuclear powers, it will
also send a message to the world that the U.S. is not
serious about non-proliferation. This could badly
damage the conference to renew the Non-Proliferation
Treaty in 1995. The declared nuclear powers must
demonstrate their global commitment to end nuclear
testing. A first step toward this is for the Clinton
administration to extend the current U.S. testing
moratorium and advance directly into negotiations for
a CTB.
Thank You..
Limited Test Ban Treaty that stopped atmospheric testing.
--
"Trying to walk cheerfully on the earth."
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