Scots Oppose Scrapping of ABM Treaty

Six months ago, on 13th December 2002, President Bush announced his country's withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, to take effect on 13th June 2002. The following day, work will begin on the construction of underground silos in Alaska for missile inceptors and associated communications systems, thus heralding the start of the US's highly controversial National Missile Defence (NMD) programme.

Withdrawal from the ABM Treaty will give the US military the freedom to explore the use of advanced radar technologies which will be required for very early warning of any missile launch, anywhere in the world. These technologies will also give the US the capability to launch a decapitating 'first strike'. The early warning station called Fylingdales on the north Yorkshire Moors is likely to be drawn into a deployed missile defence system and will need major upgrading work. To date, the UK Government has taken no position on this issue.

Scottish CND are holding a press conference at the Scottish Parliament to launch a Scotland wide campaign against the US Star Wars programme at 2 pm in Committee Room 2, on Wednesday 12th June. Speakers at the Press Conference will include:

· Brian Quail, Secretary of Scottish CND
· John McAllion MSP
· Lloyd Quinan MSP
· Morag Ross, vice convenor of the Church and Nation Committee, Church of Scotland
· Alan Mackinnon, co-ordinator of the Scottish Stop Star Wars Campaign

This weekend Scottish activists will be travelling to the Fylingdales Early warning Base in North Yorkshire to join CND's national demonstration against Star Wars on Saturday 15th June. Wednesday 12th June will also be the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Faslane Peace Camp. Last week activists from Scotland set up a new peace camp outside of the Fylingdales base.

In an opinion poll commissioned by Scottish CND from System Three in March 2001, 54 per cent of Scots asked said they were opposed to US Missile Defence plans whilst only 29 per cent said they supported it.