BASIC IN THE MEDIA, 2001

BASIC By-Lines | BASIC Quotes | BASIC Interviews

BASIC BY LINES

• "Nuclear Threat Remains as Warhead Numbers Fall", by Ian Davis, The Scotsman, December 5, In this analysis Ian Davis points out that "While the United States is making deep cuts in its nuclear arsenal, it is also keen to ensure that it retains the ability to return to previous force levels should it need to do so in the future."

OCTOBER 2001

• "Nuclear Arms Cuts: It's Time for a Treaty", Wall Street
  Journal, October 31, Letter to the Editor by Christine Kucia.

• "British Backing for US Missile Defence Ill-Advised", by Mark Bromley, The Global Beat, 22 August. "Britain's special relationship with the United States may not be worth maintaining if it means having to support President Bush's national missile defence system."
  
  

• "Reframing the Dabate on Missile Defenses", by Dan Plesch, Foreign Policy in Focus, 14 August. "The modern Republican party has turned its back on the Ronald Reagan motto "Trust but Verify" in favor of "Won't Trust, Can't Verify."
  
  

• "Whatever happened to the Russian threat?", article by Dan Plesch, The Global Beat, 7 August. "In their eagerness to support President Bush's national missile defense, Republicans are willfully ignoring the threat of an arms race with Russia."

• "Exposing Israel's Nuclear Secrets" by Dan Plesch, The Global Beat, 30 July. "The return of a fugitive arms dealer to the United States should trigger a debate on Israel's unacknowledged nuclear weapons program."
  
  

• "Britian doesn't want Star Wars", Letter to the Editor by Mark Bromley, New Statesman, 30 July. Bromley points out that according to a MORI poll, 70 % of the British public think the proposed system will spark a new arms race.
  
  

• "The true anarchist at the G-8 meeting", by Dan Plesch, The Global Beat, 19 July. "By making it clear that he does not feel bound by either treaties or international opinion, President Bush is showing greater disrespect for the rule of law than any of the demonstrators expected in Genoa, Italy this weekend."

• Human Rights Tribune, article by Christina Torsein on the 3rd PrepCom.

• "Bush's missile shield", by Mark Bromley, The Independent, 4 May. Letter to the Editor arguing that the U.S. is seeking to place itself beyond the constraints of international law.

• The Guardian, 6 April, Letter to the Editor by Mark Bromley, commenting on sale of Aegis to Taiwan and current European interest in TMD.

• "Can the pen plug proliferation?" by Christine Kucia, Washington Times, 24 March. This letter to the editor argues that the best way to guarantee national security is by halting nuclear weapons technology proliferations through diplomatic means.
  
  

• "Debate needed on missile defence", by Dan Plesch (and others from Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament), The Times, 18 March. This letter to the editor urges the U.K. government to carry out appropriate debate in Parliament and to finalize a position on US plans for NMD system.

• "Revamp U.S. Nuclear Policy: Broad Review Must Tackle 21st Century Challenges", by Theresa Hitchens, Defense News, 15 February. This op-ed argues that U.S. nuclear policy remains based on outdated Cold War assumptions.

• " Star Wars fails to protect UK", by Tom McDonald and Mark Bromley, The Daily Telegraph, 15 January. This letter to the editor asserts that the proposed US NMD system will make Britain more vulnerable to future aggressors.
  
  

• "Get a Policy, Please", by Theresa Hitchens, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, January/February 2001.

• "Strident about Trident", by Richard Norton-Taylor, The Guardian, December 7. BASIC Research Report "Secrecy and Dependence: the UK Trident system in the 21^st century" is quoted.
  
  

• "Nuclear warning over US stance", by Ian Bruce, The Herald, 3 December. Mark Bromley is quoted "Designing so-called low-yield weaponry lowers the threshold for their use. ... The British taxpayer is entitled to know what the UK government's position is on this and the future of Trident as a whole." BASIC Research Report "Secrecy and Dependence: the UK Trident system in the 21^st century" is quoted and summarized.

• "Could Star Wars be a danger to the West?", by Tim Shipman, The Sunday Express, 16 September. BASIC Paper #38 is quoted "plans to develop new low-yield "mini-nukes" could have a catastrophic effect on proliferation in the very rogue states that missile defence is designed to counter."

• "Bush plans 'space bomber'", by Ed Vulliamy, The Observer, 29 July. Dan Plesch is quoted "They [the U.S.] are now engaged in a grossly militarized foreign policy, which seems to be their only reaction to global politics."
  
  

• "Dr Strangelove Rides Again", by Peter Beaumont, The Observer, June 15. In an article condemning the 'Big Dog' diplomacy of George W. Bush, Dan Plesch is quoted commenting an 1999 exchange between NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, General Wesley Clark and Mike Jackson, the British general given the job of leading NATO's troops into Kosovo. Plesch said "What the incident between Clark and Jackson showed was just how ready people in the US were to get into a potential shooting match with the Russians even before Bush came into power. They were not bothered about the risk of engaging the Russians because as the world's only remaining superpower, it was a shooting match they assumed that they would inevitably win."
  
  

• "Transatlantic Tensions", Congressional Quarterly Researcher, 13 July. Dan Plesch is quoted several times commenting on the U.S. nuclear policies and EU Rapid Reaction Force.

• "Britain leads with cash to curb illegal weapons", Special report: the arms trade, by Richard Norton-Taylor, The Guardian, June 11. Michael Crowley is quoted saying "Bolton's red lines are in fact red lights, halting effective international action on small arms and endangering the success of the conference."
  
  

• "Bush flies into a firestorm", by Julian Borger and Ian Black, The Guardian, June 9. Dan Plesch is quoted in article on Bush's visit to Europe saying "There is a rare air of toxicity [...] These are the most severe transatlantic disagreements since Suez."

• "Will Son of Star Wars expose loyal Britain as a target for the daddy of all nuclear strikes?", by Tim Shipman, Sunday Express, May 6. Dan Plesch is quoted saying that America is the rogue state, "It is an attempt at military domination that would give America a nuclear first-strike capability".
  
  

• "U.S. Allies Resigned to Missile Shield, Seeks Talks", Reuters, 2 May. Dan Plesch is quoted saying "[The United States] reject the use of international regulation and law to govern nuclear weapons. They don't want the ABM treaty. They don't want any more treaties with Russia. No one is talking about treaties with China. Rejection of law is the definition of anarchy."
  
  

• "Bush to bury arms treaty in favour of missile shield" , by Martin Kettle, The Guardian, 1 May. Dan Plesch is quoted saying that "Mr. Bush appears to be on the threshold of unleashing nuclear anarchy".

• "Size doesn't matter", by Richard Norton-Taylor, The Guardian, 25 April. This article on mini-nukes refers to Theresa Hitchens saying: "... a five-kiloton warhead dropped on London might only destroy Islington. But it would kill thousands of people and make thousands more victims of burns, radiation sickness, and blindness".

• "Expert Urges U.S. to Restructure Defense Trade", by Amy Svitak, Defense News, 26 February. This article quotes Theresa Hitchens "Not only does [European export reform] provide an opportunity for success in terms of limiting exports of high-technology, it also assists in avoiding the creation of a Fortress Europe..."
  
  

• PAX, 15 February. An article in the journal of the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society (in Swedish), extensively quotes Theresa Hitchens on the dangers of U.S. interest in mini-nukes.
  
  

• The Guardian, 12 February. An article by Richard Norton-Taylor on UK involvement in NMD quotes Dan Plesch on issue of cost. If shield were extended to UK "the price tag would likely be in the order of billions of pounds."

• "Farewell to arms control", by Debora MacKenzie, New Scientist, 18 January. Tom McDonald is quoted in this article discussing the negative aspect of the US pushing forward with NMD, despite such a system being prohibited by the 1972 ABM Treaty. "The U.S. no longer wants to be vulnerable, or deterred."
  
  

• "Export Strictures Could Hamper U.S. Missile Transfers to Allies", by Barbara Opall-Rome, Defense News, 29 January. Theresa Hitchens is quoted saying that efforts on the part of the U.S. government to exempt material related to TMD from MTCR restrictions could critically injure arms control efforts. "All these interceptor missiles are MTCR-covered items, regardless of whether or not they are intended for defensive or offensive use."

• News 24 BBC World, 12 December, Mark Bromley was interviewed and talked about President Bush's possible withdrawal from the ABM Treaty.

AUGUST 2001

• Hungarian National Radio "World Watch", 19 August, Christine Kucia spoke was interviewed and spoke about Washington's plans for U.S. missile defense development. She commented on the lack of clarity from the Bush administration, which may indicate an internal division among Bush and his key advisors on how to proceed. She also spoke about U.S. threats to breach the ABM treaty and the potential impact on U.S. allies and Russia.

JULY 2001

• BBC TV News 24, 25 July, Michael Crowley was interviewed on the US rejection of biological verification protocol.
  
  

• Voice of America, Talk to America, 24 July, Michael Crowley participated in a post UN 2001 analysis with Herb Calhoun from the US States Dept. This aired on TV, the internet and radio.
  
  

• BBC TV News 24, July 21, Dan Plesch was interviewed on the G8 summit and Bush -Putin meeting. "Bush has sought to wrap himself in Churchill's mantle. He seems to be one of those Americans who want to make up for being late for two world wars by showing they are ready for the third. // Coming to the G8 Bush stands alone in wanting to tear up every Treaty he can get his hands on from the ABM to Kyoto and now the UN talks on small arms. // His wholesale rejection of internatonal legal norms makes him a far more dangerous anarchist than the thugs on the streets of Genoa. He is turning the US into a rogue superpower.
  
  

• BBC Radio 4 Today, July 18, The British Missile Defense Working Group opinion poll by MORI was featured and Dan Plesch was interviewed. Plesch said: "The poll shows the overwhelming view of the British people that the President's plan will cause an arms race, make Britain a target and make nuclear disarmament even more difficult. Tony Blair has no mandate from the British people to make the greatest change in UK defense policy in half a century."

JUNE 2001

• National Public Radio "Market Place", June 14, Dan Plesch commented on Bush's policy at the NATO summit saying that the Administration's rejection of Treaties to control nuclear weapons was a policy of the "Law of the Jungle" which the Administration apparently considered suited U.S. interests as the U.S. saw itself as "King of the Beasts."
  
  

• Austrian English Language Radio, June 13, Interview with Dan Plesch on President Bush's visit to Europe and Allies' fears about the undermining of multilateral arms control.
  
  

• BBC Radio 4, June 13, Dan Plesch interviewed on missile defense saying there is no need for any new form of missile defence shield.
  

• BBC World Television, June 7, Interview with Dan Plesch on US-European relations. "The Americans gave the unfortunate impression that, having been late for two world wars, they now wanted to be early for a third."

MAY 2001

• Free Speech Radio News, May 23, Dan Plesch interviewed on Missile Defense. Emphasized nuclear anarchy and a new phrase "a second amendment nuclear policy?"
  
  

• Voice of America, May 2, Dan Plesch interviewed on Europe/Missile Defense, saying that the threat from rogue states doesn't really exist.
  
  

• BBC Radio 4 News, May 1, Dan Plesch interviewed on ABM and NMD. Said that Bush rejection of nuclear treaties was unleashing nuclear anarchy.
  
  

• CNN International, May 1, Dan Plesch interviewed on Q&A: "Would a Proposed U.S. Missile Defense System Lead to a New Arms Race?" To read the transcript of the interview click here.
  
  

• BBC World Service radio, May 1, Dan Plesch interviewed on ABM and NMD and again stresses that President Bush has proclaimed nuclear anarchy.

APRIL 200 1

• BBC-2 Television "Newsnight", 3 April, Dan Plesch interviewed on the US-China dispute - "Many people now see United States as a rogue superpower..."

MARCH 2001

• KPFK Radio (L.A.), 19 March, Kathleen Miller interviewed on fighting in Macedonia and the Balkans.
  
  

• BBC World News, 19 March, Kathleen Miller interviewed on NATO policy in Macedonia and the Balkans.

FEBRUARY 2001

• Channel 4 News, 23 February, Dan Plesch interviewed on UK and NMD - "The UK hopes that by delaying, it [NMD] will go away."
  
  

• BBC Radio 4 Today, 16 February, Dan Plesch was interviewed with Iain Duncan Smith on NMD.
  
  

• KPFA Radio's (Berkley) Morning Show, 15 February, Theresa Hitchens interviewed on National Missile Defense and its potential to start an arms race.

JANUARY 2001

• CNN en Espanol, 3 January, Tom McDonald interviewed on NMD, EU Rapid Reaction Force and transatlantic relations with the new administration.

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