Greenpeace activists anchored a large banner to a boat today,
reading “No War. When Will the U.S. Disarm?” and sailed it in front
of the United Nations headquarters. The floating banner was part of
the international environmental group’s call for all nations,
including the United States, to disarm themselves of weapons of
mass destruction through peaceful means. This demonstration follows
a series of anti-war protests led by Greenpeace around the world
including in the United Kingdom, Australia, China, and the
Netherlands. Mr. Hans Blix, leader of the United Nations inspection
team, is expected to deliver his latest inspections report to the
Security Council on March 7, 2003.
“When will the United States disarm?” is a question that
Americans should begin to ask their government because disarmament
must begin at home to insure global security,” said John
Passacantando, Executive Director of Greenpeace in the United
States. “If the U.S. is truly committed to disarmament, then this
country needs to stand behind the international efforts to
eradicate weapons of mass destruction, not walk away from global
arms agreements. And, the U.S. must let the UN’s inspections work
to disarm Iraq.”
The United States itself pulled out of the Anti-Ballistic
Missile (ABM) treaty in June 2002, which was considered the
foundation of global arms control and disarmament. In addition,
arms control advocates say the Bush administration is exploring a
new class of bunker-busting nuclear bombs and threatening nuclear
retaliation for a chemical or biological weapons attack. (Reuters,
February 25, 2003). “There is no justification for violence with
Iraq,” continued Passacantando.” If the United States is motivated
by Iraq’s oil reserves then the solution is to reduce our
dependence on oil through the development and use of clean energy,
such as hydrogen, wind and solar energies. If the United States’
motivation is to disarm Iraq, then the U.S. must work for peaceful
disarmament, and disarm at home as well. The world needs the U.S.
to recommit itself to global arms control and peaceful disarmament
to promote real global security.”
Greenpeace advocates global
disarmament through peaceful means and has challenged the testing
and proliferation of nuclear weapons around the world since its
founding in 1971. The international environmental organization is
opposed to all wars, including a war in Iraq because beyond the
tragic loss of life, war causes environmental degradation and
pollution and can lead to the use of weapons of mass destruction.
Greenpeace is also a member of the Win Without War Coalition.
