PSR Statement on New START

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet in Munich on Saturday, February 5th to exchange the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) documents as the final step prior to the treaty entering into force. This treaty represents the most significant arms control treaty in a decade and has opened the door to new possibilities for nuclear disarmament.

PSR believes that the progress embodied in New START is not sufficient to address the nuclear dangers we face but does provide the foundation from which we can make the urgent changes needed. We urge President Obama to pursue the swift ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), further cuts in our bloated nuclear arsenals, including tactical nuclear weapons, and increased rates of dismantlement of non-deployed weapons.

Now is not the time for timid steps.  The magnitude of the threats facing us require that we act in bold new ways to secure our health and safety.  If fully understood, the reality of these horrific weapons compels us to take immediate action to reduce the danger.  PSR knows that the only way these weapons will not eventually be used is if they are abolished completely worldwide.

We urge all those reading this statement to consider what they can do to make the world a safer place and consider joining our new campaign at 1more4zero.org.

PSR wants the citizens of our nation and the world to understand that the catastrophic medical consequences of nuclear weapons demand a sense of urgency often missing in the public debate. The seven year timeline for implementation of New START is far too slow and the parties to the treaty can and must work to fulfill their treaty obligations much more quickly. 

PSR will launch a campaign to secure resolutions in support of our issues from several state medical associations in 2011.  We urge you to contact us if you would like to join this important effort. 

PSR is proud to be the US affiliate of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW).  The follow up steps after New START are a significant concern for many leaders around the world.  Please see their impressive statement here.