U.S.-Russian agreement on new nuclear disarmament treaty to lend momentum to NPT Review Conference
Mar. 30, 2010
by Yumi Kanazaki, Junichiro Hayashi, Sakiko Masuda, and Junji Akechi, Staff Writers
Leaders of the United States and Russia have reached a final agreement on a new treaty to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START 1). On March 27, A-bomb survivors (hibakusha) in Hiroshima reacted positively to the news, saying that the agreement would lend momentum to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference to be held in New York in May. Citizens in the United States also voiced their hopes for the progress of international nuclear disarmament.
"The agreement will help build momentum for the NPT Review Conference," said Sunao Tsuboi, 84, chair of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations, who is preparing to visit the United States. Mr. Tsuboi also stressed, "We would like to convey in New York that the treaty is backed by hibakusha and the world."
Kazushi Kaneko, 84, chair of the other faction of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations, pointed out, "The agreement does not signify that nuclear weapons will be eliminated." Still, he expressed hope for the agreement, saying, "The agreement will give impetus to the NPT Review Conference and influence the other nuclear weapon states."
Shizuko Abe, 83, a resident of Kaita Town, Hiroshima Prefecture, who has long shared her A-bomb account, commented, "So far, it has been like crying for the elimination of nuclear weapons amid a dark, stormy night. Now, at last, I see a ray of light in this wave of activity for nuclear abolition."
Though the United States and Russia have reached agreement on a new treaty, its terms still permit both nations to deploy up to 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads, respectively. Haruko Moritaki, 71, co-director of the Hiroshima Alliance for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (HANWA), demanded, "We should not only decrease the number of nuclear weapons but also bear in mind that this is a step toward zero nuclear weapons."
On March 26, when the United States and Russia reached the agreement, three high school students from Hiroshima were on a visit in the Washington, D.C. area. Ken Jones, 38, a history teacher from the U.S. state of Maryland, who met the students, said that though the agreement was wonderful, it would not be easy to urge the other nuclear weapon states to give up their nuclear weapons. Qaisar Saleem, 48, a Pakistani accountant visiting Washington, stated that India and Pakistan, which had nuclear weapons, should also sit down at the negotiating table and extricate themselves from this danger.
(Originally published on March 28, 2010)
by Yumi Kanazaki, Staff Writer
The Chugoku Shimbun interviewed Kazumi Mizumoto, 53, associate professor at the Hiroshima Peace Institute of Hiroshima City University, on the significance and future challenges of the new treaty to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START 1), on which leaders of the United States and Russia have reached agreement. Below are Professor Mizumoto's comments:
The agreement highlights the fact that neither the United States nor Russia wanted to be perceived as taking a negative stance toward nuclear disarmament and that both nations are putting emphasis on the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT). The agreement will provide a positive influence for the NPT Review Conference to be held in May. By signing the treaty in Prague in April, the message can be sent that U.S. President Barack Obama has not altered his determination to realize "a world without nuclear weapons."
At the same time, the number of Russian delivery vehicles, such as ballistic missiles, now stands at 620, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). This agreement requiring both nations to reduce their delivery vehicles to "800" will not therefore bring about the reduction of Russian delivery vehicles, and cannot be praised.
Meanwhile, the agreement stipulates that the upper limit of the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads should be "1,550," which is within our expectations with respect to the negotiations. But "1,550" nuclear warheads are still too many.
A report released last year by the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND), a joint initiative of the Japanese and Australian governments, proposed that the United States and Russia reduce their nuclear warheads to 500 each by the year 2025, including non-strategic nuclear weapons.
However, if both nations can maintain 1,550 nuclear warheads respectively until the new treaty expires in ten years, this goal will not be achieved. It would also make it difficult to bring in the other nuclear weapon states in negotiations on nuclear disarmament.
The United States and Russia should promptly work on further reductions of nuclear weapons without being fettered by the set number of "1,550." The A-bombed nation of Japan, which has supported the ICNND, should press the United States and Russia to follow this path of further reductions.
(Originally published on March 28, 2010)
Leaders of the United States and Russia have reached a final agreement on a new treaty to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START 1). On March 27, A-bomb survivors (hibakusha) in Hiroshima reacted positively to the news, saying that the agreement would lend momentum to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference to be held in New York in May. Citizens in the United States also voiced their hopes for the progress of international nuclear disarmament.
"The agreement will help build momentum for the NPT Review Conference," said Sunao Tsuboi, 84, chair of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations, who is preparing to visit the United States. Mr. Tsuboi also stressed, "We would like to convey in New York that the treaty is backed by hibakusha and the world."
Kazushi Kaneko, 84, chair of the other faction of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations, pointed out, "The agreement does not signify that nuclear weapons will be eliminated." Still, he expressed hope for the agreement, saying, "The agreement will give impetus to the NPT Review Conference and influence the other nuclear weapon states."
Shizuko Abe, 83, a resident of Kaita Town, Hiroshima Prefecture, who has long shared her A-bomb account, commented, "So far, it has been like crying for the elimination of nuclear weapons amid a dark, stormy night. Now, at last, I see a ray of light in this wave of activity for nuclear abolition."
Though the United States and Russia have reached agreement on a new treaty, its terms still permit both nations to deploy up to 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads, respectively. Haruko Moritaki, 71, co-director of the Hiroshima Alliance for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (HANWA), demanded, "We should not only decrease the number of nuclear weapons but also bear in mind that this is a step toward zero nuclear weapons."
On March 26, when the United States and Russia reached the agreement, three high school students from Hiroshima were on a visit in the Washington, D.C. area. Ken Jones, 38, a history teacher from the U.S. state of Maryland, who met the students, said that though the agreement was wonderful, it would not be easy to urge the other nuclear weapon states to give up their nuclear weapons. Qaisar Saleem, 48, a Pakistani accountant visiting Washington, stated that India and Pakistan, which had nuclear weapons, should also sit down at the negotiating table and extricate themselves from this danger.
(Originally published on March 28, 2010)
Interview with Kazumi Mizumoto, associate professor at the Hiroshima Peace Institute
by Yumi Kanazaki, Staff Writer
The Chugoku Shimbun interviewed Kazumi Mizumoto, 53, associate professor at the Hiroshima Peace Institute of Hiroshima City University, on the significance and future challenges of the new treaty to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START 1), on which leaders of the United States and Russia have reached agreement. Below are Professor Mizumoto's comments:
The agreement highlights the fact that neither the United States nor Russia wanted to be perceived as taking a negative stance toward nuclear disarmament and that both nations are putting emphasis on the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT). The agreement will provide a positive influence for the NPT Review Conference to be held in May. By signing the treaty in Prague in April, the message can be sent that U.S. President Barack Obama has not altered his determination to realize "a world without nuclear weapons."
At the same time, the number of Russian delivery vehicles, such as ballistic missiles, now stands at 620, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). This agreement requiring both nations to reduce their delivery vehicles to "800" will not therefore bring about the reduction of Russian delivery vehicles, and cannot be praised.
Meanwhile, the agreement stipulates that the upper limit of the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads should be "1,550," which is within our expectations with respect to the negotiations. But "1,550" nuclear warheads are still too many.
A report released last year by the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND), a joint initiative of the Japanese and Australian governments, proposed that the United States and Russia reduce their nuclear warheads to 500 each by the year 2025, including non-strategic nuclear weapons.
However, if both nations can maintain 1,550 nuclear warheads respectively until the new treaty expires in ten years, this goal will not be achieved. It would also make it difficult to bring in the other nuclear weapon states in negotiations on nuclear disarmament.
The United States and Russia should promptly work on further reductions of nuclear weapons without being fettered by the set number of "1,550." The A-bombed nation of Japan, which has supported the ICNND, should press the United States and Russia to follow this path of further reductions.
(Originally published on March 28, 2010)
