CND's Press Round-Up - 8th July 2021
Posted: 9th July 2021
Nuclear Weapons
The IAEA says Iran is engaging in a new form of uranium enrichment whilst U.S. politicians criticise vast nuclear spending.
Iran Uranium Enrichment Diplomacy
The International Atomic Energy Agency has said that Iran is enriching uranium metal, according to the BBC. Iran has told the UN body that the enrichment activity is for a research reactor but has been widely criticised by European countries, who say it imperils the talks in Vienna. Britain, France and Germany issued a joint statement in opposition to the plans. The JCPoA contains clauses banning Iran from possessing or doing research on uranium metal for 15 years. Research-grade uranium metal is generally around 20% purity, compared to the 90% required for a nuclear weapon.
Nuclear Weapons Spending
BusinessInsider has an opinion piece from three former senior U.S. politicians looking at what they called the ‘new nuclear arms race’. They criticise the ongoing nuclear ‘modernization’ efforts in the U.S, specifically the expenditure of ground-based nuclear weapons. According to a 2017 Congressional Budget Office report, they point out, the total cost of all U.S. nuclear weapons programmes over thirty years is $1.2 trillion. The authors adopt what is seen as the compromise position in Congress by calling for a pause in the development of the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent and the extension of the Minuteman III system. One of the piece’s authors, Rep. John Garamendi, has introduced a bill to do this, the ‘Investing in Commonsense Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) Act 2021’.
Anti-war
The aftershocks of U.S. withdrawal in Afghanistan are felt whilst a group of parliamentarians tries to stop UK arms sales to Israel.
War in Afghanistan
The Associated Press carries a report on the suddenness of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. At Bagram Air Base, made notorious for its role in U.S. torture programmes, U.S. forces left in the middle of the night and only handed it over to Afghan security forces after the event. In the window between the two armies, the base was looted by local people. A source from the Afghan army said that the U.S. left 3.5 million items. The base contains a prison holding 5,000 people and is apparently a key military target for the Taliban as it advances.
Arms Sales to Israel
Labour MP Richard Burgon a launched a cross-party effort to introduce legislation that would ban arms sales to Israel, according to the Morning Star.Caroline Lucas, Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville Roberts and the SNP’s Tommy Sheppard are also supporting the Bill. The Leeds East MP said that ‘The British government can’t claim to be supporting peace when it is actively helping to arm Israel’. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign is holding a national lobby of Parliament today.
With best wishes,
Michael Muir
Press and Communications Officer
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
The IAEA says Iran is engaging in a new form of uranium enrichment whilst U.S. politicians criticise vast nuclear spending.
Iran Uranium Enrichment Diplomacy
The International Atomic Energy Agency has said that Iran is enriching uranium metal, according to the BBC. Iran has told the UN body that the enrichment activity is for a research reactor but has been widely criticised by European countries, who say it imperils the talks in Vienna. Britain, France and Germany issued a joint statement in opposition to the plans. The JCPoA contains clauses banning Iran from possessing or doing research on uranium metal for 15 years. Research-grade uranium metal is generally around 20% purity, compared to the 90% required for a nuclear weapon.
Nuclear Weapons Spending
BusinessInsider has an opinion piece from three former senior U.S. politicians looking at what they called the ‘new nuclear arms race’. They criticise the ongoing nuclear ‘modernization’ efforts in the U.S, specifically the expenditure of ground-based nuclear weapons. According to a 2017 Congressional Budget Office report, they point out, the total cost of all U.S. nuclear weapons programmes over thirty years is $1.2 trillion. The authors adopt what is seen as the compromise position in Congress by calling for a pause in the development of the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent and the extension of the Minuteman III system. One of the piece’s authors, Rep. John Garamendi, has introduced a bill to do this, the ‘Investing in Commonsense Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) Act 2021’.
Anti-war
The aftershocks of U.S. withdrawal in Afghanistan are felt whilst a group of parliamentarians tries to stop UK arms sales to Israel.
War in Afghanistan
The Associated Press carries a report on the suddenness of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. At Bagram Air Base, made notorious for its role in U.S. torture programmes, U.S. forces left in the middle of the night and only handed it over to Afghan security forces after the event. In the window between the two armies, the base was looted by local people. A source from the Afghan army said that the U.S. left 3.5 million items. The base contains a prison holding 5,000 people and is apparently a key military target for the Taliban as it advances.
Arms Sales to Israel
Labour MP Richard Burgon a launched a cross-party effort to introduce legislation that would ban arms sales to Israel, according to the Morning Star.Caroline Lucas, Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville Roberts and the SNP’s Tommy Sheppard are also supporting the Bill. The Leeds East MP said that ‘The British government can’t claim to be supporting peace when it is actively helping to arm Israel’. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign is holding a national lobby of Parliament today.
With best wishes,
Michael Muir
Press and Communications Officer
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament