Inter Action Council wants action on nuclear weapons

Even though 230,000 persons were killed when the USA dropped two atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in August 1945, several countries around the world still hold on to their nuclear weapons, many of which can be detonated at the touch of a button.{{more}}

And, although the threat of a nuclear attack on St. Vincent and the Grenadines may be remote, a former prime minister of this country thinks Vincentians should pay attention to this issue as we stand to benefit directly if world powers reduce their nuclear arsenals.

Abolish all nuclear weapons

Fresh from a meeting of the Inter Action Council held in Japan from April 18 – 20, 2010, Sir James Mitchell visited SEARCHLIGHT to share his insights on nuclear disarmament, which was one of the main topics discussed at the forum of former world leaders.

For yet another year, the Final communiqué issued by the Inter Action Council has called for the abolition of nuclear weapons, something it has done in nearly every annual meeting since the group’s establishment in 1983.

The current worldwide arsenal of over 20,000 nuclear warheads is large enough to destroy the world many times. “Yet, international law has not completely prohibited the use of nuclear weapons,” the communiqué said.

Sir James, who visited many of sites in Hiroshima dedicated to the elimination of nuclear weapons, said the fireball which was caused by the atomic bomb, generated a temperature of 2000 degrees Celsius.

“It burnt areas in the forest … a mile away. People were killed immediately in Hiroshima, and weeks and months after, people who came into the city to see what had happened, they all got infected with radiation and died, some immediately, some within months,” he said.

Sir James also shared that the genetic metabolism of survivors was affected, so effects of the bomb are being passed from generation to generation. He said one of the survivors of the bomb, now in her eighties, spoke of the stigma attached to survivors, so much so, other Japanese are wary of having marital relations with them.

“The bombs which they have now are 20 times more powerful than the one that dropped in Hiroshima that killed 230,000 people. If one of these is dropped anywhere,… that means its radius of activity is 20 miles from where it drops,” Sir James said.

One human error could lead to catastrophe

One of the short-term goals of the Inter Action Council, in the quest for a nuclear weapons free world, is for the United States and Russia to remove the thousands of nuclear weapons, which can be detonated at the touch of a button. “One human error may lead to catastrophic impact,” the communiqué said.

The conference also called on the nuclear power to ban the first use of nuclear weapons.

World leaders urged to visit Hiroshima

Sir James, who was Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines from 1984 to 2000, recommends that all world leaders visit Hiroshima to see first hand the destruction caused by the atomic bomb 65 years ago.

“That would get the message out,” he said.

There are currently nine states that have successfully detonated nuclear weapons. Of these, The United States, Russia, The United Kingdom, France and China are considered to be “nuclear weapon states” (NWS), an internationally recognized status conferred by the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Big countries should cut defence spending

Since the NPT entered into force in 1970, three states that were not party to the Treaty: India, Pakistan and North Korea, have conducted nuclear tests. Israel is also widely believed to have nuclear weapons, though it has refused to confirm or deny this.

Russia is said to have the largest arsenal of active warheads with 4,650, with the United States following with 2,468.

But besides the threat to human existence, Sir James also sees a direct relationship between nuclear disarmament and the economies of Caribbean countries.

“Defence spending is part of the debt of these big countries. If they could scale back their defence spending, it means less tax burden on their citizens.”

Lower taxes, Sir James said, will mean citizens of those countries will have more money to travel and spend in this part of the world.

“The conference also pointed out that even without nuclear weapons, the United States will still be the most powerful military nation in the world,” Sir James said.

On April 8, US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a significant new arms control agreement, which calls for both countries to cut their long-range nuclear arsenals by about 30 per cent over the next seven years.