The United States’ announcement today of its withdrawal from the Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty, signed between the US and the USSR in 1972, is disappointing, Disarmament and Arms Control Minister Matt Robson said today.

“The US decision signals that it is moving toward the implementation of the proposed National Missile Defence System, says Matt Robson.

“While we acknowledge the ABM treaty is an imperfect instrument for nuclear disarmament, our fear now is that the US decision holds the potential to see a new form of arms race based on 21st century technology, on earth and in space.

“It is important for all of the nuclear powers to now actively strengthen disarmament and arms control measures through the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which requires the nuclear powers to abolish their nuclear arsenal, so we can eventually eliminate the scourge of nuclear weaponry.

“New Zealand will continue to pursue our nuclear disarmament policies with our New Agenda partners and to make our views known to the nuclear powers,” says Matt Robson.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>