nuclear weapons
trojan tv - 08.05.2004 17:38
nieuws van tour de france
> Nuclear Weapons
>
>
>
> Almost immediately the names Hiroshima and Nagasaki come to mind when you
> think about nuclear weapons.
>
> France has developed a nuclear program after world war 2 to become one of
> the world's important military powers. This happened in a very silent and
> secret way, almost without any political discussion or information to the
> public.
>
> Because France wanted to be independent from other countries to supply the
> plutonium for its nuclear warheads the enrichment factory Pierelatte has
> been build (only many years later, it produced enriched uranium for
nuclear
> power plants, and stopped with that because it could financially not
compete
> with production plants in the US).
>
> The "civil" and military use of nuclear is strongly linked.
>
> Nuclear weapons have to be tested. The first French nuclear test was in
> february 1960 in Algeria, after which 16 others followed. After the bloody
> independence-war in Algeria France had to find another place and did find
it
> in another colony, French Polynesia, among others at the atolls Moruroa
and
> Fangataufa. To the people they presented it as if it was good for jobs and
> development. At first the tests were hold again above the ground (44
> times).
>
> Later, because of protests and the complaining of Australia and New
Sealand,
> under the ground. (Over 150 times).
>
> France didn't care much about the protests. They even didn't hesitate to
> sink the Rainbow Warrior, a ship of Greenpeace, which was doing a critical
> action against the tests.
>
> Years later in 1995-1996 they did a last series of tests, because of the
> growing support in the UN for a Test Ban Treaty. Now the tests are
replaced
> by computer simulation in the institute of Le Barp (Gironde). Because of
the
> absence of tests "in real", this simulation programme is called:
> "indispensable for the perfection of weapons and to guarantee their
security
> and reliability". French Polynesia which was almost self-reliant paid a
high
> price, this self-reliant economy came to a stop; and the social structure
is
> destroyed by the growing consumption, and a lot of medical problems by the
> radioactivity cancer, skin diseases, genetic malformations, malformed
baby's
> etc.
>
> An important aspect of the test simulation at Le Barp is that it helps to
> forget the dirty past; "the tests in Polynesia and Algeria are past, we do
> not have to bother anymore because we have Le Barp now".
>
> France's so-called "doctrine of deterrence" is incoherent, criminal and
> incredibly expensive.
>
> During the manifestation at the nuclear site of Valduc (April 30, 2004)
the
> director of the site came out to give his point of view to the press on
the
> critics of the demonstration, and told that nuclear weapons are not meant
> for war but for peace.
>
> The Minister of Defence of France uses the same words when she speaks
about
> them, in her opinion they are "political weapons" which are not meant to
be
> used at the battlefield (*).
>
> The public has been told that Iraq was attacked because there was proof,
> they had so called "weapons of mass-destruction" and perhaps even a
nuclear
> weapon program.
>
> Cynically enough, the nuclear knowledge of Iraq (and also of Iran) has
been
> "delivered" (sold) by France.
>
>
>
> Why do we keep believing the rhetoric's of the politicians?
>
> Every weapon that has been developed in history has been used.
>
> And in case of 'weapons of mass destruction', they are meant to do exactly
> what their name says.
>
> On July 8th 1996 the International Court of Justice in the Hague declared;
> "the use and the threat of use of nuclear weapons is in conflict with
> international humanitarian laws" and that
>
> "Nuclear weapons are the ultimate threat for mankind" and that the nuclear
> states must come to negotiate to abolish nuclear arms".
>
> Because of the lack of action by governments in more and more countries
> civilians take action.
>
> For example by organising citizen-inspections at nuclear weapon-bases like
> the UN inspected in Iraq for weapons of mass destruction. The
> citizen-inspectors have the International Law on their side, because of
the
> Nuremberg principles. Directly after the nazi-crimes during World War 2
the
> Nuremberg tribunal declared; "everyone have the right and duty to prevent
> war crimes and crimes against humanity. The possession of nuclear weapons
> surely is preparing war crimes.
>
>
>
>
>
> * Speech of Madame Alliot-Marie, France's Minister of Defence on Monday
> February 2nd, 2004, delivered at the Institut des Hautes Etudes de la
> Défense Nationale (IHEDN).
>
>
>
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