An international campaign to demand that leaders of the nuclear weapon states and their allies “reject nuclear deterrence and negotiate without delay a Nuclear Weapons Convention for the phased, verifiable, irreversible and transparent elimination of all nuclear weapons” has been launched by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.
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Nuclear deterrence is a doctrine that is used as a justification by nuclear weapon states and their allies for the continued possession and threatened use of nuclear weapons.
“Nuclear deterrence is the threat of a nuclear strike in response to a hostile action. However, the nature of the hostile action is often not clearly defined, making possible the use of nuclear weapons in a wide range of circumstances,” says this non-profit, non-partisan international education and advocacy organization.
“Nuclear deterrence threatens the murder of many millions of innocent people, along with severe economic, climate, environmental, agricultural and health consequences beyond the area of attack”.
Nuclear deterrence requires massive commitments of resources to the industrial infrastructures and organizations that make up the world’s nuclear weapons establishments, its only beneficiaries, it adds.
“Despite its catastrophic potential, nuclear deterrence is widely, though wrongly, perceived to provide protection to nuclear weapon states, their allies and their citizens.”
Numerous Major Problems
Nuclear deterrence has numerous major problems, according to Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, which initiates and supports worldwide efforts to abolish nuclear weapons, and to strengthen international law and institutions:
1. Its power to protect is a dangerous fabrication. The threat or use of nuclear weapons provides no protection against an attack.
2. It assumes rational leaders, but there can be irrational or paranoid leaders on any side of a conflict.
3. Threatening or committing mass murder with nuclear weapons is illegal and criminal. It violates fundamental legal precepts of domestic and international law, threatening the indiscriminate slaughter of innocent people.
4. It is deeply immoral for the same reasons it is illegal: it threatens indiscriminate and grossly disproportionate death and destruction.
5. It diverts human and economic resources desperately needed to meet basic human needs around the world. Globally, approximately $100 billion is spent annually on nuclear forces.
6. It has no effect against non-state extremists, who govern no territory or population.
7. It is vulnerable to cyber attack, sabotage, and human or technical error, which could result in a nuclear strike.
8. It sets an example for additional countries to pursue nuclear weapons for their own nuclear deterrent force.
Illusions
Its benefits are illusory. Any use of nuclear weapons would be catastrophic, the Foundation underlines.
“Nuclear deterrence is discriminatory, anti-democratic and unsustainable. This doctrine must be discredited and replaced with an urgent commitment to achieve global nuclear disarmament. We must change the discourse by speaking truth to power and speaking truth to each other.”
Before another nuclear weapon is used, nuclear deterrence must be replaced by humane, legal and moral security strategies, says the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, which is comprised of individuals and organizations worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age.
“We call upon people everywhere to join us in demanding that the nuclear weapon states and their allies reject nuclear deterrence and negotiate without delay a Nuclear Weapons Convention for the phased, verifiable, irreversible and transparent elimination of all nuclear weapons.”
To join the urgent call to action launched by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation http://www.wagingpeace.org, which has consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council and is recognized by the UN as a Peace Messenger Organization, go to: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6357/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5786
2011 Human Wrongs Watch
Baher Kamal
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 
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