CND press Roundup Tuesday 15th March, 2022

Posted: 15th March 2022

War in Ukraine

In part-two of Red Pepper Magazine’s interview with CND stalwarts Kate Hudson and Bruce Kent, Kate speaks about building links with Russian peace activists in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. On building solidarity she says: “There is a huge groundswell of public opinion against the war there. We need to be in solidarity with them, not seeing them all as the enemy. That would be a disaster and completely counter to everything that the peace movement stands for. Our first strategic objective is the prevention and cessation of wars in which nuclear weapons may be used. We’ve tried to prevent this war by arguing for diplomatic solutions, for negotiations — writing to the government and urging them to use diplomatic means. That has failed and now we’re in the stage of working for cessation. This is our priority, because we’re an anti-nuclear campaign.”
The Daily Mail writes on panic-buying of iodine tablets in the US over fears of a nuclear war with Russia. The rush has seen many stores run out with the $14 packs now selling for $149 on e-market websites like EBay. This has prompted the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) to warn that taking too many of the anti-radiation pills could in itself be deadly. Those who joined last week’s CND webinar on what a nuclear war would look like, may remember Medact’s Dr Michael Orgel saying that iodine pills only prevent radiation of the thyroid but this doesn’t prevent radiation of other parts of the body.
Germany has announced that it will buy Lockheed Martin’s nuclear-capable F-35 Lightning II combat jet, amid the rising tensions over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The US-made warplane will replace Germany’s ageing fleet of Tornado aircraft, the only ones currently in Germany’s possession that can deliver a nuclear weapon. Germany’s fighter replacement saga has been seen as a political football in recent years, but Russia’s invasion has seen a reorientation towards more enthusiastic military spending. “After looking thoroughly into all available options, I decided to initiate the purchase of F-35 aircraft as replacement for the Tornado in the role of nuclear sharing,” Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said during Monday’s statement.

Trident

Indy100 reports on a new position opening up at the Ministry of Defence – warhead nuclear threat reduction programme manager – at what the MoD calls a “genuinely exciting time to join.” The £40,000 per annum role is attached to the Defence Nuclear Organisation (DNO), set up in 2016, and the successful applicant will be “responsible for supporting Defence Nuclear Organisation’s NTR work programme and meeting [the] UK Government’s need to reduce a range of threats.”

AUKUS

Australia will host US and British nuclear submarines at its naval bases as, part of the tri-national AUKUS military alliance. Prime Minister Scott Morrison made the announcement on Tuesday, giving the nuclear powers a firmer foothold in the Pacific and Indian oceans. The subs will initially be based on the remote west coast but Morrison said he hoped they would eventually be based on the east coast as well. Under the AUKUS alliance, Australia will become the first non-nuclear country to have nuclear-powered submarines as part of its arsenal, with a choice on designs expected later this year.

Iran Nuclear Deal

Russian government spokesperson Dimitri Peskov has warned that Russian economic interests in Iran should be protected, if the US and other western governments hope to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. “The sanctions against Russia directly affect the interests of our country in the context of that deal…So the sanctions must be taken into account,” Peskov said. It comes as Iran’s foreign minister met his Russian counterpart in Moscow on Tuesday, with Sergei Lavrov praising the strength of Russian-Iranian relations :“I am convinced that perspectives are even more impressive considering that the agreement on reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is on the home straight.”

UK Nuclear Energy

Writing in The Telegraph, Boris Johnson calls for “a series of big new bets” on nuclear energy as part of the UK’s strategy to rid itself of energy reliance on Vladimir Putin’s Russia. While renewables will be a key part of this shift, Johnson says a base load supply of energy is needed for when the sun isn’t shining nor the wind blowing. Taking aim at the previous Labour government’s: “In 1997, the Labour manifesto said there was “no economic case” for more nuclear – even though nuclear is in fact safe, clean and reliable. It is time to reverse that historic mistake, with a strategy that includes small modular reactors as well as the larger power stations. It was the UK that first split the atom. It was the UK that had the world’s first civilian nuclear power plant. It is time we recovered our lead.”
The Chair of the Nuclear Free Local Authorities has written to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak calling for big investment in the upcoming mini-budget to insulate cold and draughty homes as part of efforts to curb spiralling energy costs while also supporting the environment. The NFLA is opposed to new nuclear developments and instead promotes clean renewable energy sources, energy storage solutions, and investing in measures that improve energy efficiency like insulation.
The UK is looking to extend the life of the Sizewell 2 nuclear reactor by 20 years, meaning the plant will be in operation until 2055. It comes as Boris Johnson announced that a grand energy strategy will be unveiled to tackle rising energy costs.

With best wishes,

Pádraig McCarrick

Press and Communications Officer
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament