Coalition Opposes Bush Administration Plan for New Nuclear Weapons
December 14, 2006

WASHINGTON, DC (December 14, 2006) - This morning, a coalition consisting of religious leaders, citizen organizations, and members of the diplomatic, nuclear weapons, and retired military communities rebuked the Department of Energy's (DOE) Complex 2030 plan. During a press conference at the National Press Club, the group outlined fundamental flaws and dangers associated with the $150 billion proposed plan to rebuild the existing nuclear weapons complex and manufacture a new line of nuclear weapons under the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) program.

The following are excerpts from statements delivered by the speakers during this event:

"Undertaking Complex 2030 would communicate to the rest of the world that even the sole conventional military superpower needs new and improved nuclear weapons for its security, thereby encouraging other nations to acquire them to the detriment of international security. What is required instead is to take actions to diminish the role and utility of nuclear weapons in our nation's security and comply with our nation's obligation to make a good faith effort to work towards the elimination of nuclear weapons."

- Lieutenant General Robert G. Gard, Jr. (USA, Ret.), Senior Military Fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

"I've been a diplomat for many years. It is not a very good sell to talk to a prime minister and say, 'you can't have nuclear weapons, but we can have lots of them.' It is just not the kind of argument you want to have."

- Ambassador Thomas Graham, former Special Representative of the President for Arms Control, Non-Proliferation, and Disarmament (1994-1997);

"The Department of Energy should invest this type of effort not in making new plutonium warheads - that are dangerous to human health, the environment and foreign policy - but in expanding its research and development program in clean, renewable energy research that can benefit all Americans and the rest of the world."

- Dr. Mike McCally, physician, Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility;

"The question is not how much more sophisticated our plants and weapons can become, but how serious we are as a nation to lead the world with an alternative vision which interprets power differently and promotes peaceful coexistence globally."

- Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, Theological Advisor to the Ecumenical Patriarch on environmental issues, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America;

"Los Alamos should not be given further responsibilities in plutonium processing and management until it has fully accounted for the plutonium discrepancies in the waste. A discrepancy of 60 bombs worth of plutonium should be investigated fully in this Environment Impact Statement."

- Dr Arjun Makhijani, President, Institute for Energy and Environmental Research;

"By pursuing complex 2030, the US is engaging in a nuclear arms race with itself."

- Robert Alvarez, former Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary for National Security and the Environment, U.S. Department of Energy (1993-1999);

Today's press conference was organized by the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Union of Concerned Scientists, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and Peace Action.