LL:AA: Star Wars - NATIONAL FAX JOHN HOWARD DAY

[FoE Sydney - Nuclear Campaign]

PLEASE DISTRIBUTE  FAR AND WIDE

NATIONAL FAX JOHN HOWARD DAY

SEPTEMBER 5TH

STOP STAR WARS/MISSILE DEFENCE

SAY NO TO STARS WARS:
FAX JOHN HOWARD  SEPT 5TH ON:  6273-4100, 9251-5454

SEND A COPY TO KIM BEAZLEY ON:  6277-8495, 08-9592-1361

  On September 10, John Howard will be meeting with President Bush.

The influential rightwing US based Heritage Foundation has urged that Mr
Howard be approached for assistance in the controversial Missile Defence
program.

Missile Defence would violate the Anti-ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty,
which has served since 1972 as the basis for global strategic stability.
President Bush has announced repeatedly that the US intends to withdraw
from that treaty.  If it does so unilaterally then the entire framework of
nuclear arms limitation and reduction may crumble.  That could return the
world to a situation of unrestrained nuclear arms racing like we had in the
1970s and 1980s, when the world truly stood at the brink of the apocalypse.

Although the Australian Senate has twice passed resolutions rejecting
Missile Defence,  Australia is almost alone in having expressed support for
Missile Defence.

Opinion polls show that over 90% of all Australians want the government to
do more to eliminate nuclear weapons.

The risk that our prime minister could engage Australia in support for
Missile Defence on Sept 10 is quite real.


SEPT 5TH IS NATIONAL FAX HOWARD/MISSILE DEFENCE DAY.

LET JOHN HOWARD KNOW THAT YOU DON'T WANT AUSTRALIAN INVOLVEMENT IN MISSILE
DEFENCE BY FAXING HIM ON :

9251-5454 OR 6273-4100,

Kim Beazley could well be our next Prime Minister.  He thinks that Missile
Defence isn't an issue!
He needs to hear from you on Missile Defence as much as Mr Howard does.

ON SEPTEMBER 5TH LET KIM BEAZLEY KNOW YOU DONT WANT MISSILE DEFENCE/STAR
WARS ON 6277-8595 0R 08-9592-1361.


Tell them:

Australia says 'NO' to Missile Defence
Australia says 'Yes' to deep cuts to nuclear warhead numbers (Bush campaign
promise)
Australia says 'Yes' to taking nuke missiles off hairtrigger alert (Bush
campaign promise)
Australia says 'Yes' to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)
Australia says 'Yes' to the total and unequivocal elimination of nuclear
weapons.

We are trying to get everyone to send faxes on a specific day - September
5th. If you can't do it on that day, do it anyway, but if you possibly can,
FAX THEM ON SEPT 5TH!



You may find the sample letter below useful if you want to write at greater
length:


1)SAMPLE LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER HOWARD
Please re-write this sample letter in your own words, preferably handwritten.
The more creatively  you rewrite this letter the better- it's important
that the letters are not all exactly the same.

If you want to send it by post, send it to:
'The Prime Minister, C/o Parliament House, Canberra, ACT, 2600'

PRIME MINISTER JOHN HOWARD 02-6273-4100, 9251-5454
CC
KIM BEAZLEY 02-6277-8495

Dear Prime Minister John Howard,

I am writing to you with respect to your coming visit to President George
Bush scheduled for September 10.

I am deeply concerned over the United States desire to deploy a missile
defence system and  to abrogate the ABM treaty.

I am particularly worried that if the United States abrogates the ABM
treaty, it may lead to a renewed nuclear arms race.

Australians of all political persuasions will also be worried about this
possibility. A new nuclear arms race should be cause for deep concern from
everyone.

Your government seems to have adopted a policy of supporting Missile Defence.
I urge you to reconsider that policy in the light of its impact on nuclear
weapons levels worldwide.

I urge you very much to press President Bush, when you see him, to proceed
urgently with his election campaign promises of deep cuts to the numbers of
nuclear warheads and to lower the alert status of US nuclear weapons. These
policies should not be made conditional on the elimination or rewriting of
the ABM treaty.  Urge him also to support the Comprehensive Test Ban
Treaty, (CTBT) which Australia worked so hard to bring to fruition.

I urge you when you see President Bush to impress on him the danger of a
renewed global nuclear arms race that abrogation of the ABM treaty might
trigger.

I realize that when you see him you may have vital issues of trade to
discuss as well as other matters. However I am sure that the issue of
Australian support for missile defence is bound to come up.

Over 90%  of  Australians think the government should do more toward the
elimination of nuclear weapons.  We are worried  that Missile Defence will
do just the opposite.

Please tell president Bush that Australia will not support Missile Defence
in any way.

I am also writing to my federal member about this issue,

Yours Sincerely
(your name)


--

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