After reports  that the United States has begun the transfer of nuclear weapons stationed in Turkey to the Deveselu air base in Romania, campaigners have condemned the decision and said such a move is illegal under international law. Kate Hudson, CND general secretary, said: “Let’s be clear, if reports are true, this move is both illegal and very dangerous. Article one of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) specifically prohibits the transfer of nuclear weapons to non-nuclear-weapon states. So what the United States government has sanctioned is illegal, and article two of the NPT makes clear that it would be illegal for Romania to accept these weapons….”

NB If you haven’t already, there’s still time to donate to help fund CND’s newspaper advert, and we’ll add your name to our statement against Trident replacement.
August Drone Campaign News: https://dronecampaignnetwork.wordpress.com

The Campaign Against the Arms Trade have postponed the activity planned for Saturday but remind us that this week, as peace talks over the Yemen conflict collapsed, Saudi forces unleashed a fresh wave of shocking and indefensible destruction on the people of Yemen. Ever since the conflict began, the Saudi bombing has been indiscriminate and illegal. UN experts have accused Saudi forces of “widespread and systematic” attacks on civilians. These attacks have driven the country further into crisis: over 21.2 million people require humanitarian assistance and one in three under-fives is suffering from acute malnutrition.

The monthly vigil sponsored by the Scottish Peace Network will take place at Dewar’s statue in Glasgow city centre on Thursday, August 25, from 5 to 6pm. We have shifted from the fourth Wednesday of the month to the fourth Thursday to avoid conflicting with a weekly vigil at Faslane every Wednesday. The Network will also be sponsoring a white poppy day on 28th October in both Edinburgh and Glasgow.

SNP CND are organising a conference which is open to all SNP members. This will take place on: Saturday, 3 September 2016 from 10:00 to 17:00
The STUC Conference Centre 333 Woodlands Road G3 6NG Glasgow

Scottish WILPF and Wool Against Weapons  have their Exhibition at the Scottish Story Telling Centre 9th September to 1st October 2016. 43 – 45 High Street, EH1 15R. It has a lovely café. Launch 6.30 pm Friday September 9th 2016. All welcome, please bring friends further details to follow. Play ‘Chrystal and The General’ , 21st September Tickets available from the Scottish Story Telling Centre. All welcome.If you are able to distribute publicity postcards can you please contact Scottish WILPF at scottishwilpf@yahoo.co.uk

THE CND AGM & POLICY CONFERENCE is ON SATURDAY 22ND OCTOBER
AND THE CND OPEN CONFERENCE ON SUNDAY 23RD OCTOBER. Amendments to motions are to be submitted by 9th September. http://www.cnduk.org/about/cnd-conference/item/1647-conference-registration-page

The UN Open Ended Working group on nuclear disarmament (OEWG) adopted a recommendation to the United Nations General Assembly in October to initiate negotiations on a legal instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading to their elimination. In a recorded vote on the proposal, 62 countries supported (all non-nuclear states), 27 countries opposed (mostly NATO countries plus South Korea), and 8 countries abstained (among them were Sweden, Switzerland and Japan).
Albuquerque –  the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a scathing 65-page critique of plans prepared over the past four years by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), its contractor Los Alamos National Security (LANS), and the Department of Energy (DOE), for what DOE currently estimates will be $6 billion (B) in plutonium-related construction at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). See http://www.lasg.org/MPF2/first_page.html. The Group also applauded the OEWG talks (see above)

Australia: The Walkatjurra Walkabout started last week: This year the group consists of about 50 walkers who have travelled from all over the country and world to ‘walk away from uranium’. Updates are available on the first 2 weeks activity/progress