PEOPLE FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT

TAKING THE TEMPERATURE DOWN ON NORTH KOREA

“We call on both the DPRK and the US to do what is necessary to avoid an outcome that will be catastrophic for the whole world”

People for Nuclear Disarmament and the Human Survival Project have called urgently for the temperature to be taken down over the North Korean missile crisis. If the temperature of the rhetoric is not taken down and if the worst possible outcome takes place, another kind of 'taking the temperature down' (ie a mini nuclear winter) could possibly take place, with catastrophic global climatic consequences.

PND and HSP welcomed remarks yesterday from Julie Bishop and Malcolm Turnbull, Australia's Foreign Minister and Prime Minister, calling for calm and restraint over North Korea.

We urge them to act to restrain President Trump.

According to PND UN Nuclear Disarmament campaigner John Hallam:

“Blind Freddie could predict what is taking place between Donald Trump and the DPRK. Over-the-top rhetoric from one leads to over the top rhetoric from the other, is an escalating spiral that will never stop until there is a catastrophic outcome.”

“But the worst catastrophic outcome right now – and one to which, absent a change in direction, we seem to be heading – is a nuclear exchange between the two.”

“While there is an astounding disproportion between the two nuclear forces – with the US having the second largest nuclear arsenal in the world (largest is Russia), and the most technically advanced one (Russia may be equal), and the DPRK having the worlds smallest and most rudimentary nuclear arsenal – it is wise to assume that the DPRK may still be able to lob a Hiroshima – sized weapon onto west coast US cities. This is not actually a new development – its been wise to assume the DPRK has that capability for at least the last decade. While the US can undoubtedly 'turn the DPRK into a parking lot', and has the capability to incinerate essentially the entire DPRK population, the DPRK will certainly take hundreds of thousands of mainland US citizens with it.”

“At the same time, we need to see this in proportion. It bears repeating that the DPRK has the worlds smallest, least reliable, and most rudimentary nuclear arsenal. Two countries alone – the US and Russia – have the capability to make the world uninhabitable in an hour and a half and to do so by computer error. A third country – China – has the ability to end what we call 'civilisation' with electromagnetic pulse, having the very large warheads needed to do that. The DPRK has none of those capabilities that we know of.”

“The hysteria over DPRK nuclear capabilities has itself become the most dangerous element in the DPRK – US standoff, and is leading to a self- reinforcing escalatory spiral that must be broken. If it is not broken it can lead only to conflict and sooner rather than later to nuclear conflict, with a body count in the millions.”

“At the same time, a little commonsense can break the spiral and lead to sensible solutions. The US and the DPRK must be prepared to talk and to do so with no preconditions whatsoever, by whatever mechanism (e.g. via an intermediary) will work. We must step back from the brink. We call on both the DPRK and the US to do what is necessary to avoid an outcome that will be catastrophic for the whole world”

John Hallam

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

61-411-854-612

61-2-9810-2598