Brussels -Luxembourg, December 29th 2005 - Forty-seven mayors of Luxembourg have recently joined the emergency call for action launched by the Mayor of Hiroshima to eliminate all nuclear weapons by 2020. Following the failure of the latest NPT Review Conference a growing number of mayors seem receptive to the problem of nuclear proliferation linked with the lack of progress towards complete disarmament.
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On 22 December 2005 five lawyers from IALANA Italy (International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms) filed a lawsuit at the Civil Court in Pordenone, Italy. The Summons was filed against the  U.S. Government, in the person of Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. 

Read the summons

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The construction of foreign military bases in Afghanistan and Iraq; the cases of torture at the bases in Guantanamo and Diego Garcia; the construction of new bases in Okinawa; the "realignment" of military alliances in Asia; and the dramatic increase of joint military exercises as part of the so-called "global war against terror" have highlighted how foreign military bases, other forms of  military presence, and militarization of whole societies are used to secure certain states' and corporations' interests at the cost of democracy, justice, and sovereignty around the world.

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As you may know, West Berkshire Council at their last planning meeting (23/11/05) deferred their consideration of the Ministry of Defence's Notice of Proposed Development (NoPD) for the "Replacement" laser facility (ref. 05/02003/RESMAJ), because the committee had not all seen a Strategic Sustainability Appraisal and Site Development Context Plan submitted by AWE Aldermaston (this plan appears to be their response to a request for an Environmental Impact Assessment, which they still have not done.

Download a model letter (.pdf) (More)

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The use of a Trident nuclear missile, or its successor, would breach international law, the government is warned today. Even the threat to use nuclear weapons is unlawful, ministers are warned in a legal opinion by leading human rights lawyers.

From: The Guardian
View complete opinion (.pdf, 150kb)

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Text of the Nobel Lecture delivered by Mohamed ElBaradei in Oslo on December 10th 2005.
Mohamed ElBaradei and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace:
"for their efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way"

The award has been criticised by some anti-nuclear groups as the IAEA also has a role in promoting nuclear power. This technology has led to environmental damage and the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

See also: Greenpeace Action in Oslo
Many other groups have also issued responses to the award of the prize to the IAEA, including: International Peace Bureau, Mouvement de la Paix, GRACE, Greenpeace
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The two excerpts below are replies by the Netherlands Minister of Defence Kamp to NATO nuclear weapons related questions by member of parliament Krista van Velzen (Socialist Party - left-wing opposition party).
This formed part of the annual defence budget debate.

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Today 10 anti-Trident activists were each fined a total of £300 for being the crew of a
large model nuclear weapon submarine which blocked the street outside the Scottish
Parliament in Edinburgh on March 10th.
From: Trident Ploughshares
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