PRESS RELEASE

21 March 1997

Summit Statement on Nuclear Reductions Follow International Pressure, but Perpetuates Fraud of 'De-targeting' by Keeping Missiles on Hair Trigger

The welcome decision to reduce strategic nuclear forces to 2,000-2,500 a side follows intense international pressure on both Russia and the United States to reduce their nuclear arsenals in advance of the April 7-18 Conference of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in New York. Many states including South Africa and Japan are looking for progress towards the Treaty obligation to eliminate nuclear arms reiterated in 1995 when the NPT was made permanent. The April Conference in New York is to review implementation. Recently 60 generals and Admirals called for rapid progress towards eliminating nuclear arms.

The top priority according to the Generals is to get nuclear arms off alert. The public has been lead to believe that this has occurred through 'de-targeting' but US and Russian weapons can be retargeted in seconds. To make their commitment to de-target real Presidents Yeltsin and Clinton should move to reduce the alert status of nuclear forces.

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