BASIC IN THE MEDIA, 1997

BASIC BY-LINES

DECEMBER 1997

• "Una oportuna cabeza de turco" ("An opportunity comes to Turkey"), by Tasos Kokkinides, El Mundo, 16 December 1997. This article describes how the European Union's decision not to invite Turkey to join will affect its relations with Greece, NATO, and European security at large.

NOVEMBER 1997

• "What Hungarians Should Ask Themselves About NATO", by Tasos Kokkinides and Alistair Millar, International Herald Tribune, 14 November 1997. Published on the eve of Hungary's referendum on whether to join NATO, the authors of this op ed urge Hungarians to examine the fine point behind signing up to the alliance and warn that the price is too high for NATO's flimsy security guarantees.
  
  

• "Eliminate Weapons from Conflict Zones", by Geraldine O'Callaghan and Abdel-Fatau Musah, Africa World Review, November 1997-March 1998. This opinion piece argues that the destruction of light weapons should be prioritized within peacekeeping mandates in BASIC's forthcoming paper on the destruction of light weapons in five African countries.

OCTOBER 1997

• Letter to the Editor, by Stephen Young, The Daily Telegraph, 24 October 1997. This letter sets forth various nuclear policy options open to the new Labour government vis-a-vis the Trident, and looks forward to the government taking a lead in nuclear disarmament.
  
  

• "The UN-NATO family", by Daniel Plesch and Alistair Millar, The Washington Times, 23 October 1997. The authors of this op ed take issue with Jesse Helms' call to reject efforts to tie NATO decisions to UNSC approval, and instead point to the important historical links between the two institutions. The current dismissal of the UN, widespread in US circles, is also confronted, with the authors emphasizing the significant security functions the UN has played at a fraction of NATO costs.
  
  

• Letter to the Editor, by Stephen Young, The Guardian, 20 October 1997. This letter was in response to an article on the number of missiles a Trident submarine could be expected to carry, and commented on the misleading pledges from the new Labour government vis-a-vis its nuclear policy.
  
  

• Letter to the Editor, by Daniel Plesch, The Guardian, 13 October 1997. This letter, along with David Bryer of Oxfam and Paul Eavis of Saferworld, was on the criteria that must be incorporated within a European Code of Conduct on arms exports; proposals for which are being considered by the Blair government.

SEPTEMBER 1997

• "When the bad guys are shooting M16s, we've got problems", by Kate Joseph, The Washington Times, 24 September 1997. This letter to the editor points out that a code of conduct would enhance American security.
  
  

• "Baltics Pose Wider Issue: Question of NATO Ties Unsettles Russian Relations", by Lucy Amis and Tasos Kokkinides, Defense News, 15-21 September 1997. This op ed posits that a forthcoming US-Baltic Charter, revealed to BASIC ahead of completion, is part of a US strategy to keep Russia subservient and NATO enlargement on track, while pandering to Baltic Americans. The authors argue that Washington's policy unfairly raises Baltic NATO aspirations and risks jeopardizing US-Russian relations.
  
  

• "Partnership and Profits: NATO Membership at a Price", by Lucy Amis and Tasos Kokkinides, Disarmament Diplomacy, September 1997. The authors argue in this Guest Analysis article that NATO expansion has turned Central and Eastern Europe into a lucrative arms market, where Western defense contractors are intensifying their lobbying efforts, and economically impoverished CEE governments are courting Western arms manufacturers.
  
  

• "Arming for Peace", by Tasos Kokkinides, War Report, September 1997. In this op ed, the author welcomes the recent US-brokered non-aggression style agreement between Greece and Turkey, but warns that this reconciliation could prove short-lived if the continuing arms race between them is not halted, and the US and other NATO allies fail to re-examine their weapons-transfer policies.
  
  

• "The UN Register of Conventional Arms--Facing the Future", by Dr. Natalie J. Goldring and Susannah L. Dyer, Bulletin of Arms Control, published by the Council for Arms Control, September 1997, No. 27. This article describes the challenges facing those who would like to expand and strengthen the register, in light of the poor performance of the 1997 UN experts review panel.

AUGUST 1997

• "Jet that bombed", by Stephen Young, The Guardian, 25 August 1997. This letter to the editor commented on the Stealth aircraft's lack of stealth.
  
  

• " Take Nuclear Weapons Off Alert", by Dan Plesch and Lutz Hager, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 August 1997. In this op ed, the author argue that the NATO-Russia Permanent Joint Council is an excellent forum for decisions on de-alerting.
  
  

• "Arms build up in central Europe: The hidden costs of NATO expansion", by Tasos Kokkinides, World Disarm, summer 1997. This op ed discusses the hidden costs that the destabilizing decision to expand NATO will have on the economies of the prospective members. The author posits that the diversion of scarce resources from the domestic to the military sector will undermine efforts for integration into Europe and the development of structures that will genuinely ensure future prospects for stability.

JULY 1997

• "The Marshall Plan Helped People, Not an Industry", by Daniel T. Plesch and Alistair Millar, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 1997. This op ed criticizes the US administration for likening NATO enlargement to the Marshall Plan. The authors argue that the Marshall Plan was a purely economic reconstruction program, whereas NATO enlargement is a military conception that will only benefit US defense contractors and may in fact hinder central and east European economic recovery.
  
  

• "NATO Expansion Could Fracture European Stress Lines", by Tasos Kokkinides and Alistair Millar, Defense News, June 30-July 6, 1997, Vol. 12, No. 26. In this op ed, the authors posit that NATO expansion creates a division in Europe. They suggest that excluded countries could unravel positive developments in relations between central and eastern European nations and will undermine the Partnership for Peace (PfP) program.

JUNE 1997

• "NATO's Credibility Problem", by Daniel T. Plesch and Kirsten Ruecker, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 June 1997. In this op ed, the authors argue that attributing the roles of democratizer and stabilizer to NATO is erroneous. By citing the example of Turkey, which has been a member of NATO since 1952, and its record of human rights abuses and its conflict with neighboring Greece, the authors contend that NATO has very little to offer new members.
  
  

• "Collective Security Unraveled", by Tasos Kokkinides and Marcella Favretto, War Report, June/July 1997. "The disintegration of Albania illustrates NATO's unwillingness to project stability towards countries excluded from NATO expansion...this raises doubts about its ability to deal with other post-Cold War risks to European security."

MAY 1997

• Letter to the Editor, by Geraldine O'Callaghan, The Times, May 19, 1997. This letter was in response to Simon Jenkins, and the author agreed that double standards existed under the Conservative government between the policy of prohibiting certain firearms in Britain while exporting them abroad, but on the basis of Labour activity in Opposition, the author looked forward to a more ethical and consistent policy under the new Labour government.
  
  

• "Expansion: Cost-benefit shortfall", by Daniel Plesch NATO and Kirsten Ruecker, The Washington Times, 18 May 1997. This op ed explores the analogy that is made by the US administration that NATO expansion is the latter-day Marshall Plan. It is argued that this analogy is misplaced and fails to understand that NATO expansion is a military project which will not provide the necessary economic assistance to ensure the transition to liberal democracy.
  
  

• "Defend or spend in Tony Blair's Britain", by Alistair Millar, The Washington Times, 12 May 1997. In this op ed, the author offers a overview of the new Labour government's defense policy pledges. While welcoming Blair's more ethical small arms policy, the conclusion is that overly ambitious defense contract commitments will prove fiscally unrealistic and ensure that Labour is only a one term party.
  
  

• "NATO Enlargement: Who is Footing the Bill?", by Alistair Millar and Kirsten Ruecker, Peacework, May 1997, Issue 274. This article, published by the American Friends Committee (AFSC), explores the hidden costs in the US State Department's study on the costs of NATO enlargement. These were shown to include the cost of the US plans for a "no-cost leasing" of F/A 18s to the Czech Republic, and the ability of perspective members to contribute their share.

APRIL 1997

• "If NATO won't aid Albania, how can it help to stabilize Europe?", by Alistair Millar and Kirsten Ruecker, The Washington Times, 15 April 1997. This letter to the editor questions NATO's commitment to preventing conflict and to become involved in peacekeeping operations in Europe. NATO's unwillingness to get involved in Albania is used as a case in point.
  
  

• "NATO and the NPT PrepCom", by Nicola Butler, INESAP Bulletin, April 1997. This article discusses the relevance of NATO enlargement to the NPT Prepcom and outlines the history of NATO nuclear sharing arrangements and the NPT negotiations.
  
  

• "Light Weapons, Heavy Damages", by Geraldine O'Callaghan, Reconciliation International, April 1997. This article provides an overview of the impact of light weapons in regions of conflict. It examines the opportunities to control proliferation at an international, regional, and local level and advocates the destruction of light weapons as an integral part of post-conflict resolution.

MARCH 1997

• "Nuclear Testing is no Bluff", by Stephen Young, The Washington Times, 16 March 1997. This letter to the editor critiquing an op ed piece points out that nuclear testing is not needed to ensure the safety and reliability of US nuclear weapons, and that nuclear weapons are playing a much smaller role in international security.
  
  

• "From Dumdums to Nerve Gas", by Daniel T. Plesch and Natalie J. Goldring, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 March 1997. In anticipation of Senate ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), this article discusses the merits of arms control agreements. It concluded that international security is enhanced by the existence of treaties.
  
  

• "In wake of firebombing, is Poland ready for inclusion in NATO?", by Daniel T. Plesch, The Washington Times, 1 March 1997. This letter raised concerns that classifying Poland as a prime candidate for NATO enlargement could be regarded as rewarding a country with a poor human rights record.
  
  

• "A Look at US Arms Control Policy", by Daniel Plesch and Stephen Young, CDS Bulletin of Arms Control, March 1997. In this paper, the authors comment on the pervasive skepticism toward arms control in Washington, and give a comprehensive outline of present and expected US arms control policy.

FEBRUARY 1997

• Letter to the Editor, by Daniel T. Plesch, The Times, 12 February 1997. This letter calls for a "full debate on NATO expansion" in Britain.
  
  

• "Sharing Secrets", by Nicola Butler, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, January/February 1997. This article reveals details of of the latest US-French Memorandum of Understanding on nuclear weapons cooperation and concluded that the US, France, and the UK are now sharing a larger volume and range of nuclear weapons data.
  
  

• "IFOR in Bosnia: success at all costs", by Sami Fournier and Tasos Kokkinides, Global Defence Review, 1997. In this article, the authors examine the record of the NATO-led force in Bosnia and argue that "the most important task of the international peace implementation effort in Bosnia--the reunification of the country--remains unfulfilled.

BASIC QUOTES

DECEMBER 1997

• "NATO: No Threat Justifies Low Expansion Cost", by Brooks Tigner, Defense News, 15-21 December 1997. This article on the costs of NATO expansion cites BASIC and uses a number of quotes from BASIC Reports of parliamentarians commenting that NATO's study on the costs of NATO expansion should be made public.
  
  

• "How Low Can They Go?", by E.G. Reported by Bruce Crumley/Paris, Dean Fischer/Washington, and Nina Planck/London, Time magazine, 15 December 1997. This article quoted Daniel Plesch on how the costs of NATO expansion are deliberately being underestimated and will increase with time.

NOVEMBER 1997

• "NATO's Stealth Costs", by William D. Hartung, The Nation, 24 November 1997. In this article, BASIC is quoted as likening US arms marketers to drug dealers: "first they give to them for free", and the article continues on the potential risks to US taxpayers and benefits for defense contractors of NATO expansion.
  
  

• "UK softens its stance on Union arms export code", by Mark Turner, European Voice, 21 November 1997. A statement issued by BASIC, in conjunction with Amnesty International, Oxfam, and Saferworld, on the need to tighten up the fine detail of a code of conduct on arms transfers, was featured in this report on current developments in British and EU policies on arms transfers ethics.
  
  

• "The Bizarre", by Ian Mather, The European, 20-26 November 1997. Tasos Kokkinides is quoted in this article on the arms trade emerging in central and eastern Europe. He argued that CEE countries are jeopardizing their chances of EU integration by wasting scarce resources on unnecessary armament for NATO expansion, instead of investing in their domestic infrastructure.
  
  

• " NGOs Voice Opinions on NATO Enlargement Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee" (Wide range of public groups testify on NATO enlargement), by Joseph Mellott, U.S. Information Agency, 6 November 1997. BASIC and CESD are cited as the only two NGOs to have opposed NATO enlargement during Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings in this USIA piece. BASIC argued that the US should focus on global disarmament rather than expanding NATO and endangering US-Russia relations. Daniel Plesch is named as the director of BASIC.
  
  

• Nepszabadsag, 1 November 1997. Alistair Millar was quoted on the question of NATO expansion in an article for this Hungarian newspaper.
  
  

• The International Diplomatic Observer, ? November 1997. Natalie Goldring was quoted in this report on the contrasts between the UN Small Arms and Register panels. She described the different political agendas of the panels, praised the results of the small arms panel, and suggested prospects for improvement in the UN Register.
  
  

• "The Last Empire", by Gore Vidal, Vanity Fair, November 1997 (see page 220). Writing on the dangers inherent in NATO enlargement, Gore Vidal cited the BASIC and CESD's joint report NATO Expansion: Time to Reconsider as a seminal text "for those interested in just how ruinous NATO membership will be for new members."

OCTOBER 1997

• "Paying for Nato: No free launch for the new boys", by David Fairhall, The Guardian, 29 October 1997. In this installment of The Guardian's weekly Analysis report series, BASIC was cited and its research used in this in-depth article on the costs and implications of NATO enlarging into central and eastern Europe.
  
  

• "U.N. Head Seeks Fuller Participation in Arms Register", by Thalif Deen, the Inter Press Service Daily Journal, 27 October 1997, Vol. 5, No. 195. Natalie Goldring was quoted in this article about the UN Register. She cited poor participation in the register by countries in the Middle East. She also praised weapons supplying countries for providing optional information on the actual types of weapons that they transfer.
  
  

• "Defense firms set sights on the world", by Andy Dworkin, The Dallas Morning News, 19 October 1997. In this article, Natalie Goldring was quoted concerning defense exports. She emphasized the risks of US weapons that have been transferred to unstable regimes being used against US military personnel in the future.
  
  

• "US plan to zap satellite with laser criticised as echo of cold war tactics", by Ed Vulliamy, The Guardian, 3 October 1997. This article discussed the implications of the US decision to test a MIRACL laser to disable an orbiting airforce satellite, and it quoted Nicola Butler arguing that such tests encourage others to follow suit. Butler added that the policy is a major gamble for America as the most satellite dependent country.
  
  

• Australian Shooter's Journal, October 1997. Natalie Goldring and Susannah Dyer's work was again cited, as the journal cited recommendations from the UN firearms experts' panel, and contends that several sections, including those dealing with the damage caused by firearms use and the need for firearms control seem "to bear a direct relationship to strategies outlined in a 1996 BASIC document."

SEPTEMBER 1997

• "Meeting With NATO Shows Russia's Unease, Role of US Senator Helms", by Cathryn J. Prince, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 September 1997.This article discussed the impact of Jesse Helms on NATO-Russian relations, and features a quote by Daniel Plesch, saying that Helms "is already having strong influence on this; he is the de-facto secretary of state." "It's a problem because the US will have to hold Helms' hand and Russia's at the same time."
  
  

• "Allies and Russia firm up their security dialogue", by Ian Black, The Guardian, 27 September 1997. In this article on the first Ministerial Meeting of the NATO-Russia Permanent Joint Council, Daniel Plesch is quoted as saying, "At present, NATO and Russia are willing to talk, but their six-guns will be pointed at each other under the table." He added that "Meaningful dialogue between NATO and Russia on serious issues, such as arms control, could go up in smoke if Mr. Helms is allowed to derail this relationship before it is given a chance."
  
  

• " NATO, Russia, Launch Experiment in Cooperation", by Carol Giacomo, Reuters, 26 September 1997. In this report on the first meeting of the Permanent Joint Council in New York, BASIC is cited as critics of NATO expansion. BASIC is quoted as arguing that the PJC Work Plan lacks priorities and fails to address Russian security fears.
  
  

• Australian Shooters Journal, September 1997. BASIC's paper "Controlling Global Light Weapons Transfers" by Natalie Goldring and Susannah Dyer is quoted extensively in this article, which considers UN discussions on regulating small arms to be a conspiracy against gun owners. BASIC's position is deemed to be "a savage attack" on "lawful Australian firearm owners".
  
  

• "Looking for Stingers",Life Magazine, September 1997. BASIC research figured prominently in this populist article about Stinger missiles.
  
  

• "Prof. Tom Mason: NRA's Man at the UN", Gun News Digest, fall 1997. Natalie Goldring is quoted and cited extensively in this article, which refers at length to BASIC's support for gun control and international alliances on this issue. It also cites the Goldring/Dyer paper describing the capabilities of opponents of international controls of light weapons transfers.
  
  

• "UN's Disarmament Week: Global Gun Restrictions, Ammo Bans Discussed", Gun News Digest, fall 1997. Natalie Goldring, the Project on Light Weapons, and BASIC are featured prominently, and the article quoted extensively from her presentation on high tech light weapons to the UN Disarmament Week panel in October 1996. The article also cites Associated Press quotes, BASIC Reports issues, and BASIC funders. The article also uses BASIC data without acknowledgement.

AUGUST 1997

• CartaCapital, 20 August 1997. Geraldine O'Callaghan was quoted extensively on the subject of arms sales to Latin America in this in-depth Brazilian journal article.
  
  

• ' America 'flouted test-ban treaty to upgrade its nuclear arsenal'", from Ian Brodie in Washington, The Times, 19 August 1997. This article cited Nicola Butler on the question of nuclear cooperation between the US and UK on stockpile stewardship and the UK Trident warhead.
  
  

• Frankfurter Rudschau, 15 August 1997. This piece provides a complete summary of a paper by BITS and BASIC on the remaining US nuclear weapons in Europe.
  
  

• "U.N. Urged to Help Destroy Surplus Arms", by Thalif Deen, the Inter Press Service Daily Journal, 15 August 1997, Vol. 5, No. 145. Natalie Goldring was quoted, stressing the importance of destroying weapons when conflicts end, rather than allowing them to be recycled from one conflict to another. She also emphasized the importance of increasing the transparency of light weapons transfers.
  
  

• Volksrant, 13 August 1997. Tasos Kokkinides was quoted in this article on recent developments in Cyprus, and the impact of the Greek-Cypriot government's decision to buy Russian-made surface-to-air missiles.
  
  

• " America the Brazen", by James Walsh, Time magazine, 4 August 1997, Vol. 150, No. 5. This article, on U.S. arrogance in the world, quoted Daniel Plesch, who said that European governments were quite angry at America's handling of the numbers question concerning NATO enlargement.
  
  

• "U.S. Groups Support New U.N. Role in Disarmament", by Thalif Deen, the Inter Press Service Daily Journal, 4 August 1997, Vol. 5, No. 136. Susannah Dyer was quoted in an article on UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's UN reform proposal, calling the strong emphasis on disarmament "tremendously encouraging", but warning that "improved UN structures can provide for the foundation for disarmament, but the world's governments must provide the political will."

JULY 1997

• Inter Press Service Daily Journal, 21 July 1997. Stephen Young is quoted, and BASIC's revelation that a new US Committee to Expand NATO is headed by a Lockheed Martin Director is used, in this article on the pressure being placed on newly invited NATO members to buy Western military hardware.
  
  

• "NATO's New Arms Bazaar: U.S. military contractors and diplomats are hawking their wares together", by Bill Mesler, The Nation, 21 July 1997. Tasos Kokkinides and Susannah Dyer were quoted in this in-depth piece on the extensive lobbying efforts of US arms suppliers to bolster NATO expansion, the pressure placed on East European Defense Ministries to buy Western arms and Western governments subsidizing of arms purchases.
  
  

• " Defense contractors woo old foes: U.S. firms see a potential payoff in the billions in central Europe. Defense officials there are looking to upgrade their air fleets. There is a critical drawback", by Michael D. Towle, Philadelphia Inquirer, 18 July 1997. Natalie Goldring's views were quoted in this article on central and eastern European weapons transfers. She criticized the performance of the US military in trying to "hook" CEE countries on US weapons, and questioned the justification for NATO expansion.
  
  

• " Beyond Cold Borders: As NATO Prepares to Invite Three Central European Countries to Join, Russia Can Only Bite its Tongue", by Bruce W. Nelan, Time magazine Cover Story, 14 July 1997, Vol. 150, No. 2. Daniel Plesch was quoted, arguing that America's allies are currently wary of standing up to US assertiveness for fear that it would be misconstrued as a desire for America to withdraw from Europe.
  
  

• Reuters, 8 July 1997. Tasos Kokkinides was quoted in this piece on the conclusion of a Greek-Turkish Non-Aggression agreement. Kokkinides stated that if fully implemented, the agreement marked a breakthrough for security in the region.
  
  

• Asian Age, 7 July 1997. Reprinted the article listed below.
  
  

• "Divisions and doubts overshadow NATO Summit", by Angus MacKinnon, Agence France, 6 July 1997. Tasos Kokkinides was quoted as saying that NATO enlargement would lead to an unnecessary militarization of central Europe and risk destabilizing the region by creating tensions between those admitted and those excluded.
  
  

• Volksrant, 5 July 1997. BASIC research was used in this background piece by Washington correspondent Oscar Garshagen on arms transfers to central Europe.
  
  

• Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 3 July 1997. BASIC was cited as an information source in this article on sub-critical nuclear tests in Nevada.

JUNE 1997

• The New York Times, 20 June 1997. BASIC research was used in this editorial on growing support in the US, EU, and Latin America for a code of conduct over arms sales. It would encourage democracy and reduce military spending in developing countries, and even the watered down code passed by the House of Representatives was welcomed as a success for persistent lobbyists.
  
  

• Knight Rider Tribune Newspaper, 13 June 1997. Following French and Italian objections to limiting NATO expansion to three new countries, Alistair Millar was quoted in an article about NATO being an American driven operation, commenting that "when it comes down to it, there's not going to be any objection."
  
  

• "Diplomats Work To Fill 'Empty' Wassenaar Arrangement", by Jeff Erlich, Defense News, 9-15 June 1997, Vol. 12, No. 23. This article quoted Susannah Dyer on the limitation of the Wassenaar regime, saying "it seems stuck in the Cold War mindset of how many fighters you have on your runway...talking about major weapons transfers...seems out of step with the concerns of the rest of the world."
  
  

• "Britain's big guns let the foreigners shoot it out", by Nick Cohen, The Observer, 8 June 1997. The continuation of double standards between the domestic prohibition and foreign export of handguns under Labour's new government is discussed in this piece. Geraldine O'Callaghan is quoted on the problems surrounding the granting of export licenses to handgun owners and dealers.

MAY 1997

• The Guardian, 28 May 1997. The pitfalls of NATO enlargement, including financial costs, the potential breakdown of relations with Russia, disruption of the START and other nuclear disarmament talks, are examined in detail in this article extensively based on BASIC research.
  
  

• "Clinton Plays to History, With Renewed Panache", by Alison Mitchell, The New York Times, 28 May 1997. This examination of Bill Clinton's foreign policy record quoted Daniel Plesch comparing the current peace in Europe to the time of the Roman Empire. He recommended that this calm climate be consolidated, called for more arms control diplomacy, but refuted that NATO expansion would ensure stability, pointing to the failure of NATO's PfP program to resolve problems in Albania.
  
  

• "Squaring the red circle: First we should drop the cold war mentality", The Guardian, 22 May 1997. This editorial calling for the fine rhetoric of the NATO Russia Founding Act to be translated into practice, cited BASIC research and adopts its recommendation that a review of the 1991 Strategic Concept should be used to push ahead with arms control.

APRIL 1997

• "U.S. Lagging on Treaties Could Hurt Nuclear Progress", by Farhan Haq, the Inter Press Service Daily Journal, 11 April 1997, Vol. 5, No. 58. Daniel Plesch was cited, noting that the nuclear weapon states have no plans to make further reductions in their arsenals besides those to which they have already committed.
  
  

• "South Seeks Commitments to Disarm at NPT Talks," the Inter Press Service Daily Journal, 8 April 1997, Vol. 5, No. 55. In this article about the NPT PrepCom, Daniel Plesch was quoted citing the controversy over the refusal of the Western nuclear-weapon states to supply unambiguous assurances that they will not use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapons states, while headed toward providing a nuclear guarantee to new NATO members.
  
  

• Intellectual Capital, 3 April 1997. An article about NATO expansion cited a BASIC Paper by Gwendolyn Sasse and Tasos Kokkinides, which predicted that NATO expansion would "galvanize nationalism both in Russia and the Ukraine."
  
  

• "National Rifle Association Is Turning to World Stage to Fight Gun Control", by Katharine Q. Seelye, The New York Times, 2 April 1997. Natalie Goldring was quoted that the NRA's true agenda was "to create and preserve an unlimited global market for American weapons." She also defended Japanese participation in the UN small arms experts' panel, and accused the NRA of trying to incite anti-Japanese sentiment.
  
  

• "Concerns Grow as NRA Plans Global Expansion", by Katharine Q. Seelye, International Herald Tribune, 2 April 1997. Also ran the above article.

MARCH 1997

• "NATO plans draw arms contractors: Expansion offers new markets", by David L. Marcus, the Boston Globe, 23 March 1997. Daniel Plesch was quoted in an article about how NATO enlargement is opening markets for arms contractors in eastern Europe.
  
  

• "Nato's eastward expansion could cost British taxpayers 2 billion", by Michael Evans, The Times, 12 March 1997. This article was based on BASIC's estimate of the costs of expansion.
  
  

• "Cost of Nato expansion", by Edward Mortimer, Financial Times, 12 March 1997. This article was based on Basic's estimate of the costs of expansion.
  
  

• "Very enlarged NATO bill", The Guardian, 12 March 1997. This article was based on BASIC's estimate of the costs of expansion.
  
  

• "Nato growth to cost 20bn", by Tony Barber, The Independent, 12 March 1997. In this article based on BASIC's analysis of the costs of NATO enlargement to Britain, Daniel Plesch was quoted as saying, "The question for Kenneth Clarke and Gordon Brown is, will the 200 million pounds a year for NATO expansion be paid for by cutting other defense items, or by cutting domestic spending, or by increasing public borrowing?"
  
  

• "Bigger Nato 'will cost Britain 2.5 billion'", Press Association, 11 March 1997. This report highlighted BASIC's analysis of the costs of NATO enlargement to Great Britain.
  
  

• "Poland's government officials have condemned anti-Semitism", by Konstanty Gebert (Dawid Warszawski, pen name) and Stanislaw Krajewski, The Washington Times, 4 March 1997. The authors wrote in response to Daniel Plesch's 1 March letter to the editor, contending that Plesch misrepresented the truth in his comments about Poland being a virulent case of anti-Semitism and in arms sales to rogue states.
  
  

• Gun Digest, March 1997. Natalie Goldring's paper for the UN Small Arms Panel was cited in an article highlighting the NRA's concerns regarding the increasing international trend towards increased domestic gun control.

FEBRUARY 1997

• Athens News, February 26, 1997. Tasos Kokkinides was quoted on the financial costs of NATO expansion for Agency Greece.
  
  

• "NATO Treaty Revamp Gains Mixed Reviews", Defense News, 24 February-2 March 1997, Vol. 12, No. 8. Daniel Plesch was cited opposing NATO's revamping of the CFE, stating that it was a "classic Cold War gambit".
  
  

• Toronto Globe, 20 February, 1997. Natalie Goldring was quoted on a prospective NATO members selling arms to rogue states. She emphasized the ready access to Cold War surplus material, the dangers of selling arms to unstable states, and the fiscal pressures to dispose of this equipment.
  
  

• Associated Press, 19 February, 1997. Natalie Goldring was quoted on a story of an army engineer who reportedly gave classified information to the Israelis. She discussed problems with Israeli transfers of US weapons technology to third parties.
  
  

• Kathimerini (a Greek Daily), 9 February, 1997. In an article highlighting the transfer of Russian missiles to Cyprus, Tasos Kokkinides criticized Western weapons transfers to the region and said "Western protestations against Russian transfers are hypocritical."
  
  

• "US sells arms while lamenting the lack of peace and goodwill", by Ian Williams, The European, 6-12 February 1997. Tasos Kokkinides was quoted in this article about US arms transfers to Southeastern Europe. He commented on the hypocrisy of the US policy, saying "The Americans have sent the weapons they consider to be destabilizing to the most unstable region in the area."
  
  

• Tanya Metaska,American Rifleman, February 1997. BASIC was cited by the author, chief lobbyist for the NRA, asserting that BASIC's support for improved domestic gun control, as a means of controlling sales to rogue nations, demonstrated how important it was for the NRA to get involved in the international debate.
  
  

• "Le Loup dans la Bergerie", Avancees, February 1997. Natalie Goldring was quoted extensively in a full page article on the NRA and the UN. She warned of the NRA's capabilities and power, its connections with Congress, and its attempts to intimidate the members of the panel.

JANUARY 1997

• "Over 100 Nations Sign CTBT", Scientists for Global Responsibility Newsletter, 25 January, 1997. This article cited BASIC Reports and BASIC as a source on information on the test ban treaty.
  
  

• "Europe's Military Balance At Stake in Vienna Talks", by Paul Mann, Aviation Week & Space Technology, 20 January 1997. Tasos Kokkinides was quoted on the future of the CFE negotiations. He said: "As a result of NATO's enlargement, a share of the former Warsaw pact's arms quota would be added to the existing arsenal of the alliance, therefore undermining the balance of conventional forces established by the treaty."
  
  

• Reuters, 14 January 1997. Responding to the concern of Western allies about the build-up of arms in both Greece and Turkey, Tasos Kokkinides said that the best way to ease tension in the Mediterranean was for Western Countries to "stop fueling the regional arms race." He was further quoted as saying, "The countries that are now so upset and worried by the risks of conflict over Cyprus have been transferring thousands of pieces of heavy equipment to the area."
  
  

• The Sunday Telegraph, 12 January 1997. As Russian military advisors announced their decision to train Greek Cypriot forces in the use of their new anti-aircraft system, Tasos Kokkinides was quoted saying "the danger of the conflict spreading to the Aegean to engulf Greece and Turkey is real."

BASIC INTERVIEWS

DECEMBER 1997

• KPFA Radio San Francisco, 26 December 1997. Daniel Plesch was interviewed on current events in Bosnia.
  
  

• Pacifica Network News, 22 December 1997. Daniel Plesch was interviewed on current events in Bosnia.

NOVEMBER 1997

• "Destruction of weapons cuts violence", The Washington Times,17 November 1997. This extensive a Q & A piece with Natalie Goldring was on the subject of small arms and light weapons,and formed part of a series of three articles on light weapons. She stressed the importance of the issue, in human and security terms, as well as proposing ways to help resolve the problem.
  
  

• Hungarian Television's "European Magazine" program, 13 November 1997. Alistair Millar was interviewed on the topic of NATO enlargement. He mentioned the uncertainty of the Western partners' commitment to Article V, the danger of nuclear facilities becoming bomb targets, and the social welfare cost shortfall.
  
  

• Hungarian National Radio, 1 November 1997. In this discussion of the Clinton administration's interpretation of NATO's Article V, Alistair Millar was quoted as saying that the security guarantee "is not iron-clad and Hungarians should question if they are getting what they pay for."

OCTOBER 1997

• Hungarian National Radio, 31 October 1997. Alistair Millar was interviewed on the costs of NATO expansion.
  
  

• National Public Radio, 27 October 1997. Natalie Goldring was interviewed on light weapons issues. She emphasized the importance of breaking the circle of violence by preventing the recycling of weapons from one conflict to another. BASIC research was also used as background material for the show.
  
  

• BBC-TV 9 O'Clock News, ? October 1997. Daniel Plesch was interviewed, saying that the "US Anti-Satellite Test is destabilizing and a bad precedent".
  
  

• The Talk Radio News Show, 10 October 1997. Alistair Millar was interviewed by Ellen Ratner and he discussed the economic problems that NATO membership will create for CEE countries, noting that guns taking priority over butter will weaken their young market economies and cause instability in the region.

SEPTEMBER 1997

• Pacifica Radio, 29 September 1997. Daniel Plesch was interviewed, discussing the NATO-Russia Permanent Joint Council and the signing of an accord on anti-ballistic missiles, ostensibly designed to encourage further moves toward future nuclear disarmament.
  
  

• WBAI (New York) show "Talkback", ? September 1997. Natalie Goldring and Frank Smyth appeared live on this call-in radio show, and they commented on the proposed provision to allow the import of up to 2.5 million weapons, many of which could easily be converted to automatic fire.
  
  

• BBC Radio 4 program "The World Tonight", 26 September 1997. Kate Joseph discussed British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook's decision to halt the sale of APCs and rifles to Indonesia. She talked about the growing trend towards "ethical" arms transfer policies in the US.

AUGUST 1997

• Pacifica Radio, 27 August 1997. Dan Plesch discussed current events in Bosnia.
  
  

• Pacifica Radio, 18 August 1997. Nicola Butler was interviewed about whether development of new or modified nuclear weapons by the US breaches the CTBT Treaty.
  
  

• Radio 702, South Africa, 5 August 1997. Geraldine O'Callaghan was interviewed live on her views toward the export of weapons to Saudi Arabia. She expressed concern about Saudi Arabia's human rights record, and emphasized the importance of an international code of conduct governing arms transfers.

JULY 1997

• KPFA Radio San Francisco 12 July 1997. Dan Plesch argued that "The British Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, should be congratulated for his efforts in apprehending war criminals in Bosnia.
  
  

• Connecticut Public Radio, 11 July 1997. Daniel Plesch was interviewed for 30 minutes on the subject of NATO expansion. Plesch postulated that "The logic of the [US] administration's position is that NATO will include every country up to the Chinese border."
  
  

• Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 9 July 1997. This interview featured Tasos Kokkinides, who discussed the results of the NATO Summit and the prospects for NATO-Russian relations.
  
  

• BBC World Service (Greek Section), 8 July 1997. Tasos Kokkinides was interviewed on the NATO Summit and the future of NATO-Russian relations.
  
  

• WRC-TV (NBC-4) Washington news program, 8 July 1997. Dan Plesch was on discussing how Congress can understand Europe when only 60% of its members have passports.
  
  

• Pacifica Network News, 8 July 1997. Dan Plesch discussed how NATO expansion is destabilizing Europe, and that the only beneficiaries are U.S. defense contractors.
  
  

• CBS Radio, 8 July 1997. Dan Plesch discussed how only American arms manufacturers will benefit from NATO expansion.
  
  

• Antenna Radio, 7 July 1997. Prospects for the NATO Summit were featured in this interview with Tasos Kokkinides.
  
  

• Channel 4 News (UK), 7 July 1997. Tasos Kokkinides was interviewed in this feature on planned weapons sales to Central Europe.
  
  

• Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 4 July 1997. Tasos Kokkinides was interviewed on the prospects for the NATO Summit, NATO-Russia relations, and the dangers of selling offensive weapons to the newly independent states.

JUNE 1997

• BBC-2 Television, "The Midnight Hour", 16 June 1997. Geraldine O'Callaghan participated in an expert panel which also included Harry Cohen, MP; Keith Simpson, MP; and Rear Admiral Richard Cobbold. O'Callaghan argued that the Defense Review should examine ways to reduce threats through non-military means.
  
  

• Pacifica Radio, 12 June 1997. Susannah Dyer discussed the passage of the Code of Conduct in the U.S. House of Representatives. Citing the positive momentum created by the UK government support for the UK Code and the signing of an international code, she said that "the US Senate and the Clinton administration now have an opportunity to take the lead role in controlling arms transfers."

MAY 1997

• Press briefing at CDI, 30 May 1997. BASIC held this with Admiral Sir James Eberle concerning NATO after the Paris Summit.
  
  

• NETS Television, "Morning View" program, 29 May 1997. Alistair Millar debated the issue of NATO expansion against Steve Camborne of CSIS.
  
  

• WPFW Pacifica Radio, 28 May 1997. Alistair Millar commented on the Marshall Plan and the question of NATO expansion.
  
  

• UBN "Newsmakers", 28 May 1997. Natalie Goldring was on this live nationally syndicated radio call-in show. She and the callers discussed domestic and international gun control issues, including the proposed one gun a month legislation, and recent UN efforts to increase firearms controls.
  
  

• Bloomberg Business News Radio, 27 May 1997. Susannah Dyer was interviewed regarding the upcoming signing of an international Code of Conduct by more than a dozen Nobel Peace Laureates. She said that supplier governments must now respond to the growing international consensus in favor of more responsible controls on the international weapons trade by adopting national and regional codes of conduct.
  
  

• Australian Breakfast Radio, 19 May 1997. Daniel Plesch was interviewed on NATO, Nuclear Alert, and the cost of NATO enlargement.
  
  

• BBC World Service (Greek Section), 14 May 1997. Tasos Kokkinides was interviewed on the NATO-Russia Accord. He asserted that while it would be premature to make a final judgement, it appeared that the accord represented a defeat for Russian diplomacy.
  
  

• BBC World Service (Greek Section), 9 May 1997. Tasos Kokkinides was interviewed on NATO expansion and the Alliance's relations with Russia.
  
  

• BBC World Service (Ukrainian Section), 5 May 1997. Tasos Kokkinides was interviewed on the condition of NATO-Ukrainian relations.

APRIL 1997

• Voice of America, 23 April 1997. Dan Plesch participated in a live 1 hour debate on nuclear disarmament within the context of a VOA phone-in with Amb. Thomas Graham, Special Assistant for Nuclear Proliferation Policy to President Clinton.
  
  

• BBC Radio (Thames Valley), 22 April 1997. Tasos Kokkinides was interviewed about NATO expansion in light of the British election. He said that the decision to expand NATO will have enormous consequences for British defense and security and he criticized all political parties for failing to address the issue.
  
  

• WUNM Radio, 22 April 1997. Natalie Goldring was interviewed on the Sandia conference and the relationship between international and domestic gun control.
  
  

• KCPW Radio in Tulsa, 2 April 1997 Natalie Goldring was interviewed about the international weapons trade, featuring her analysis of light weapons transfers and proposed transfers to central and eastern Europe. She stressed the economic and human costs of these programs, and the importance of destroying surplus weapons and weapons remaining when the conflicts end.
  
  

• Pacifica Radio, ? April 1997. Nicola Butler was interviewed on the NPT and the upcoming PrepCom.
  
  

• CBS Radio, ? April 1997. Daniel Plesch was interviewed by Moses Schonfield on nuclear proliferation.

MARCH 1997

• KGNU Radio, 25 March 1997. Natalie Goldring discussed current trends in both light and major conventional transfers, the risks of those transfers, and proposals for policy change.
  
  

• KPFA Pacifica Radio San Francisco, 19 March 1997. Natalie Goldring was interviewed on conventional issues at the Clinton-Yeltsin summit. She discussed the costs to taxpayers of NATO expansion, the prospects for and importance of further conventional force reductions, and the importance of constructing post-Cold War military budgets.
  
  

• WBAI (New York) show "Talkback", 13 March 1997. Natalie Goldring, with Michael Beard (Coalition to Stop Gun Violence) and Michael Klare (Hampshire College), discussed the differences in gun violence in the US and other countries, and important links between domestic and international gun control.
  
  

• BBC World Service, (Ukrainian Section), 12 March 1997. Tasos Kokkinides was interviewed on the NATO-Ukraine relationship and the possibility of a NATO-Ukraine charter similar to the NATO-Russian charter.
  
  

• BBC World Service (Greek Section), 12 March 1997. Tasos Kokkinides was interviewed on the costs of NATO expansion for Britain and Greece.

FEBRUARY 1997

• The Derek McGinty Show, 27 February 1997. Natalie Goldring, along with Rep. Cynthia McKinney and Jonathan Landay (Christian Science Monitor) discussed transfers of light weapons and major conventional weapons. She stressed the importance of light weapons in current conflicts, the adverse consequences of the Clinton administration's open-ended arms transfer policies, and proposed alternative policies.
  
  

• WPKN Radio, 24 February 1997. Daniel Plesch was interviewed for a 30 minute program on NATO expansion.
  
  

• National Public Radio, 23 February 1997. Natalie Goldring said that NATO "wanna-bes" are being pressured by the US and other NATO arms suppliers to buy their weapons. Suppliers may be selling their older weapons to rogue states in order to raise money to buy Western weapons.
  
  

• BBC World Service, 18 February 1997. Natalie Goldring was interviewed on Ukrainian weapons transfers. She discussed the potential emergence of Ukraine as a significant weapons supplier, and their supplying of surplus former Soviet stocks to rogue regimes.
  
  

• Public radio station KDSU in North Dakota, 3 February 1997. Natalie Goldring gave a 20 minute live interview on the need for both domestic and international gun control. She stressed the extent of the problem, as well as ways for people at the grassroots level to increase public awareness of the issues.
  
  

• Antenna Radio, 1 February 1997. Tasos Kokkinides gave a 20 minute live interview on NATO expansion, NATO-Russian relations, and the need for a public debate on the subject.

JANUARY 1997

• Radio Austria, Vienna, 25 January 1997. Daniel Plesch talked about the deadlock in the Conference on Disarmament and the obstructive role played by the US.
  
  

• "The World", a co-production of BBC, Public World International, and WGBH in Boston, 22 January 1997. Natalie Goldring was interviewed regarding a proposed South African arms deal with Syria. Goldring was quoted as saying: "Any time the US Government wants to go on record in opposition to another country's weapons transfers, the US Government really ought to take a close look at its own."
  
  

• WBEZ (Chicago-based NPR affiliate) Radio, 16 January 1997 radio interview with Natalie Goldring on the proposed loosening of US arms transfer restraint policies in Latin America, supporting the resumption of denial of high-tech transfers and criticizing the administration's weapons trade policies.
  
  

• "Belida Report on Proposed South African Arms Deal with Syria", Natalie Goldring speaking with John Pitman, World Report, segment A-1, VOA Newsroom, 12 January 1997. Natalie Goldring criticized the proposed South African sale of sophisticated tank fire control systems to Syria, but also pointed out that the US's lack of restraint on weapons transfers gave us little leverage.

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