| |
||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Citizens' Inspection of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Press Release Inspection Notification Letter to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Director The Iraq Crisis and International Law Citizen Inspections Background Nonviolence Guidelines Sponsoring Groups
|
|  |
for a pdf flyer for this event click here What: On Veterans Day a model citizens weapons inspection team will demand United Nations inspections of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), a U.S. facility involved in the research, design, development and testing of weapons of mass destruction. You can be part of a delegation to rally in support of international weapons inspections. When and Where: On Monday, November 11, 2002 (Veteran's Day), we will gather at 11:45 am on the corner of East Ave. and Vasco Rd. (take Vasco Rd. off of I-580 and go South about 2 miles), and proceed to the West Gate of Livermore Lab on Vasco Rd. The delegation will arrive at the West Gate of Livermore Lab at noon. Who: Student groups, peace, social justice, and environmental groups and any peace loving, interested people are invited. To be included in the program you must form a delegation and RSVP to Tara (925) 443-7148 or taradorabji@yahoo.com. Heads of delegations will be given 1-2 minutes in the program to describe their group and why they believe these inspections are important. Delegations may also choose to create a symbolic item from their group and attempt to present it to the Lab. Delegations must RSVP. Please include the number of people in your group and tell us if your delegation would like to co-sponsor ($50-$100) or endorse ($25) the event. Bring/Wear: Badges, banners, clipboards, cameras, weapons inspector jackets (light blue preferred), uniforms (if you are in the military), robes (if you are in a religious order), or other appropriate props and apparel. Call to find out about availability of badges and weapons inspector jackets. All participants in this action are asked to abide by NONVIOLENCE GUIDELINES (see below). Questions? Contact Tri-Valley CAREs (925) 443-7148, Western States Legal Foundation (510) 839-5877, or Livermore Conversion Project (510) 663-8065, California Peace Action (510) 849-2272.
The Bush Administration is pushing to invade Iraq regardless of UN weapons inspections. We support the return of inspectors to Iraq, and we call for all states either known or suspected of having nuclear weapons to accept inspections of their own facilities on the same terms. This includes the United States. The design, testing, development and use of weapons of mass destruction is prohibited under International Law. No nation should be allowed to hide its weapons programs from full and open inspection by the United Nations. The University of California manages the United States' two principal nuclear weapons labs Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Allowing weapons inspections would promote international peace, transparency, democracy and equality. The University of California claims to stand for democratic principles, academic openness, freedom of expression and positive contributions to human well being. We call on the University to live up to these claims, and to support our demand for international weapons inspectors at LLNL and LANL. Treaties are the "supreme law of the land" under Article VI, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution. The United Nations Charter is the highest treaty in the world. The United States is a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which became law in 1970. Article VI states: "Each of the Parties to the Treaty undertakes to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control." In 1996 the International Court of Justice, the highest court in the world on questions of international law, issued an authoritative interpretation of Article VI. The judges unanimously concluded that: "there exists an obligation to pursue in good faith and BRING TO A CONCLUSION negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all aspects under strict and effective international control."
There is ample
evidence, which indicates that the U.S. is in fact continuing to develop
weapons of mass destruction. For example: Nuclear weapons, which represent the ultimate form of violence, can not and should not be eliminated through the use of force. They must be abolished through a multilateral negotiating process. We call upon our government to renew its commitments to the United Nations Charter and the values it embodies by undertaking positive, diplomatic approaches to conflict resolution, by renouncing the threat, use or possession of nuclear weapons, and by embracing a universal, nondiscriminatory compliance regime. From the Livermore Conversion Project:
As participants we agree to abide by
the following nonviolent discipline in all our actions: *The term opponent is borrowed from Gandhi and is meant to indicate one with whom one is in opposition but whom one does not consider an enemy.
Sponsors: Tri-Valley CAREs (925) 443-7148
www.trivalleycares.org
| ||||||