Danger increases with 'usable' nuclear weapons -- Akahata editorial, September 22The U.S. Bush administration has recently conducted a subcritical nuclear test.
In announcing the test, the U.S. Department of Energy stated that the test was aimed at maintaining the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Under its strategy of preemptive attacks and unilateral use of nuclear weapons, the Bush administration is developing small nuclear weapons. Subcritical nuclear tests are part of such development.
The test is in outrageous defiance of international calls for all nuclear weapons to be eliminated from the world.
World falling to hell
In subcritical nuclear tests, explosives are ignited to trigger nuclear explosions and stop them just before the chain reaction of nuclear fission in an nuclear explosion starts. Such tests are intended to maintain, improve, and develop nuclear weapons.
The Bush administration has carried out seven subcritical nuclear tests in the last three years to develop small nuclear weapons with an explosive power equivalent to less than 5 kilotons of trinitrotoluene (TNT), the aim being to obscure the divide between small nuclear weapons and conventional weapons. This means that the danger of nuclear weapons actually being used will be greater than ever.
In its budget for FY 2003, the Bush administration has appropriated funding for the development of powerful ground-penetrating nuclear weapons. It is also preparing to resume underground nuclear tests.
Nuclear weapons states, including the United States, in the Review Conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 2000 promised to eliminate their nuclear arsenals.
The Bush administration has publicly announced that it would attack other countries militarily in the name of the need to counter terrorism or weapons of mass destruction. Breaking its own promise to the international community, it is persistently maintaining its enormous stockpiles of nuclear weapons, and is developing so-called usable nuclear weapons.
A United Nations under-secretary-general criticized the development of "usable" nuclear weapons as opening the gates of hell onto the world. This means that other countries and terrorists may be tempted into actually using nuclear weapons if the United States breaks the bind of recognizing nuclear weapons as deterrence and proceeds to declare their practical use.
Mohamed El Baradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), critically stated, "The U.S. government demands that other nations not possess nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, it is arming itself." His statement represents the anger of many non-nuclear states.
What cannot be overlooked is Japanese Koizumi Cabinet's attitude.
Even though it is the only atomic-bombed country in the world, Japan's government has never protested against U.S. subcritical nuclear tests, and is rather moving to get itself more deeply involved in the preemptive strike strategy of the U.S. Bush administration.
Recently, advocating the need to "review Japan's foreign policy," an advisory body to Foreign Minister Kawaguchi Yoriko published a report. Concerning the ban on the bringing-in of nuclear weapons to Japan by U.S. forces, the report openly called for the Three Non-Nuclear Principles to be interpreted as "two-and-a-half principles," under the pretext that the U.S. understanding is that transit port-calls by U.S. military vessels at Japanese ports are excluded from the ban.
Apparently, this proposal came as a quick response to the U.S. nuclear policy which openly calls for redeploying U.S. warships loaded with nuclear weapons in contingencies, including a dangerous plan to use Japan as a sortie base for U.S. nuclear wars.
As the only nuclear-bombed nation
The U.S. Bush administration is under international criticism, and its reckless aim of maintaining hegemony is failing as shown by the growing opposition to the situation in Iraq.
The Japanese people, who experienced firsthand tragedies of nuclear weapons, cannot condone the development of "usable" small nuclear weapons.
The mayor of Nagasaki City has sent a letter to U.S. President Bush in protest against the latest U.S. subcritical nuclear test. Hibakusha, citizens, and peace and democratic organizations have expressed their anger at the test.
The JCP severely criticizes the subcritical nuclear test and strongly demands that nuclear weapons be eliminated. (end)