Daisy Alliance - Make the World free from WMD

July 2010

Daisy Alliance is a nonpartisan peace organization that educates the public about the devastation nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons are capable of inflicting and the threat they pose to civilization. We work to improve global peace and security by reducing the threat or use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) through the rule of international law.

Demand a World Without Nuclear Weapons-START Now! Sign the Countdown to Zero petition in support of New START ratification and help reach the goal of 100,000 signatures. Countdown to Zero is a documentary on the national security threat posed by nuclear weapons.

Ratify New START

The New START treaty has been the subject of Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings for the past 8 weeks. There are two things you can do to urge swift Senate ratification of New START. You can contact the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and urge them to present New START for a ratification vote as quickly as possible. You can also contact your Senators by phone, email, snail mail, fax, or in person and urge them to vote in favor of ratification. You can find sample letters, talking points, and additional information on Daisy Alliance's Facebook page.

Mobilization is also important. Treaty ratification requires 67 votes. Help spread the word and encourage everyone you know to contact their Senators. Write an op-ed or letter to the editor. Contact your state legislators and request their support.

A New START for Arms Control

In April, Presidents Obama and Medvedev signed the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), to replace the 1991 START I, which expired last December. The treaty is currently the subject of hearings in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and a vote on ratification is expected sometime in August or September. For the arms control community, the New START represents a significant step in achieving a nuclear weapons free world.

This month's newsletter is devoted to the New START. Although the Obama administration has strong support for the treaty from a bipartisan group of national security figures, including Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, this is an important issue to mobilize around to ensure swift ratification. The New START treaty is an important step in achieving our goal of a world free from the threat of nuclear weapons and in improving U.S. and global security. With all the partisan politics at play right now in Washington, it is time to raise our voices in support of the New START treaty and a new direction in our nuclear policy!

For an overview of the New START treaty requirements and its benefits, check out "A New START for Arms Control."

Features

The articles below provide additional information about the specifics of New START and useful talking points for communication with your Senators.

"U.S. Strategic Forces under New START" and "Russian Strategic Forces under New START" provide detailed information about U.S. and Russian Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs) and strategic bomber reductions required by New START.

In "A Strong Majority for New START," Joe Cirincione, President of Ploughshares Fund, argues that it is time for the Senate to ratify New START and provides strong evidence of support from leading national security figures.

In his recent Atlanta Journal Constitution op-ed, "U.S. Senate Must Ratify New START," Lawrence Korb, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for President Reagan, discusses the international benefits of New START and encourages the Senate to take a page from President Reagan's book and reach across the aisle.