Belgian Prime-Minister will disclose secrets around NATO nukes

[Ak Malten]

Beste Mensen,

Ter informatie.

Met vriendelijke groeten,

Peace,
or saved by
the pigeon,

Ak Malten,

Global Anti-Nuclear Alliance

---original message follows---
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1999 02:19:40 +0200
From: "Pol D'Huyvetter" <pol at motherearth.org>
Subject: Belgian Prime-Minister will disclose secrets around NATO nukes


For immediate release

                                Breakthrough around Belgian NATO nukes
                        Illegality of nuclear weapons confirmed by Scottish Court

Brussels, October 21 1999 - Following years of campaigning by several peace
organisation, today the Belgian Prime-Minister Guy Verhofstadt stated in
the parliament that he will soon disclose information around the suspected
NATO nuclear weapon base of Kleine Brogel.

For the past years For Mother Earth and the Flemish branch of the War
Resisters International have demanded such openness actively with regular
'citizens inspections'. Since December 1995 more then 400 non-violent peace
campaigners were arrested during the inspections of the NATO base. Amongst
the arrested there were famous authors, actors, as well as MP's from
several political parties. The openess of the 'citizens inspections' which
were based on international law were succesful in disarming the complete
Belgian legal system.

To this date the Belgian government kept a 'nor confirmed nor denied' NATO
policy around the probable deployment of 10 tactical US nuclear bombs
stored in Kleine Brogel. Deployment is suspected to have started in 1962 or
1963. The controversial US nuclear bombs are also stored in the Germany,
Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, UK and Turkey.

Today the organisers of the Citizens Inspections ask to start an open
parliamentary debate as soon as possible. They wish to confront the
historic July 8th 1996 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of
Justice around the illegality of nuclear weapons with the disclosed
information concerning the US nuclear weapons deployed in Belgium.

                                        Nukes outlawed in Scotland

Following over three weeks of court hearings, today the Scottish judge
Margaret Gimblett of the Greenock Sheriff Court dropped all charges against
three Ploughshares activists during a ground-breaking trial confronting
international law to the British Trident nuclear deterrent. The release of
the three Ploughshares women confirms the opinion of the World Court
concerning the illegality of the use or threat to use nuclear weapons .

The ruling of the World Court also called for the implementation of Article
VI of the 1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty, calling for a global Treaty
banning nuclear weapons. The peace movement is now gathering momentum in
supporting a historic UN nuclear disarmament resolution calling for a step
by step elimination of nuclear weapons. This 'New Agenda Coalition'
resolution, tabled by amongst others EU-members Sweden and Ireland, is
expected to be adopted with a large majority in the UN First Committee in
the first half of November. Especially the US, the UK and France are
pressuring other NATO members to turn down this renewed global call for
nuclear disarmament, endangering the complete non-proliferation regime.
However some peace campaigners expect more independence and support from
some NATO member states for this timely disarmament resolution. The refusal
by the US Senate to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty last week has
clearly send shock-waves to political capitals around the world.

==>>>> Contacts, pictures and info for press

* In Belgium
  ----------
  For Mother Earth                              Forum voor Vredesactie
  Pol D'Huyvetter       +32-495-28 02 59        Hans Lammerant  +32-495-47 35 25
  <http://www.motherearth.org>

* Greenock Trial in Scotland:
  ---------------------------
  contact David McKenzie or Jane Tallents
  Greenock: +44-1475.785893 (mobile: +44-7775711054).
  Trident Ploughshares <http://www.gn.apc.org/tp2000/>
  Scottish CND website <http://ds.dial.pipex.com/cndscot/>

* NAC - UN New York
  -----------------
  UN website <http://www.un.org/ga/54/first/first.htm>

end


-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
For Mother Earth/Voor Moeder Aarde vzw,
Lange Steenstraat 16/d, 9000 Gent, Belgium
Phone   +32-9-233 84 39
Fax     +32-9-233 73 02
Mobile  +32-495-28 02 59
E-mail  pol at motherearth.org
WWW:    http://www.motherearth.org/

---end---

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