PROTESTERS CONVERGE ON BAGOTVILLE

Call to eliminate all nuclear weapons

BAGOTVILLE, Que. — A busload of protesters from
Montreal, joined by local citizens, demonstrated their opposition
— Oct. 31 to the stationing here of U.S. nuclear weapons on a
Canadian military base.

: Prof. Georges Jakimov, a member of the co-ordinating com-
mittee and representative of the Quebec Peace Council, de-
clared: :
‘The greatest threat to peace is to be found in the production
and stockpiling of nuclear weapons. Demonstrations everywhere
have focussed on the dangers of the unleasing of a nuclear war.
Even here at Bagotville, under the terms of the North American
Airspace Defence agreement between Canada and the USA, we
have a base where weapons are stored that could be launched
from NORAD headquarters in Colorado Springs, USA; and
these kinds of errors, we’ve recently learned, occur on an aver- |
age of twice a week. =
‘“‘Do Quebeckers like the idea that a nuclear war could be
launched even by accident from their territory? Surely not.
‘* Across Canada people are protesting the testing of the Cruise
missile on Canadian soil with the government's permission. This
testing is another nuclear risk.
4 ‘Trudeau has already told the United Nations of the need to

suffocate the nuclear arms race, We agree totally. But what is
: Canada waiting for to eliminate all of its nuclear weapons and
nuclear weapons tests on Canadian soil?

“We believe that the best national defence would be for
Canada to become a nuclear weapons-free zone which in turn
would be a giant step toward world disarmament.

Outside the Bagotville military base in Quebec, protesters call for the
removal of nuclear weapons from Canadian soil.

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TRIBUNE PHOTO — CLAIRE DASYLVA

HAMILTON — Some 200
people took part in an October 30
- rally here, dedicated to disarma-
~ ment under the slogan: No to the
Cruise; Yes to disarmament.

The gathering at Gore Park
heard General Nino Pasti, Italian
_ Senator, and former NATO sup-
_ reme allied vice-commander for
nuclear affairs, who called for ef-

Church, labor speak for peace

As part of the Disarmament
Week activities, the city also
hosted U.S. actress and activist,
Vinie Burrows, who performed at
dates, including Liz Rowley, McMaster University, and spoke
campaigning for alderman in jo public meeting at the YWCA,

along with Dr. Kirsten McEnaney

by the Hamilton Disarmament of Physicians for Social Respon-
sibility.

Peace Council.

forts toward nuclear disarma-
ment, warning that nuclear war
means obliteration of human life.

Other speakers were Father
Gus Smith, Hamilton Roman
Catholic Diocese, Awareness Of-
fice; Harry Greenwood, Presi-
dent, Hamilton District Labor
Council; and John Ball, Hamilton

~ In addition a message was read
from the Cruise Missile Conver-
sion Project in solidarity with the
rally. Three municipal candi-

Ward 5 were present. The pro-
disarmament rally was organized

Coalition.

clear weapons-free zone.”

Chicoutimi.

‘On behalf of Quebec-
kers, who’ve always been
opposed to war, we call on
‘Premier Levesque to press
for Canada to become a nu-

The Bagotville protest
was backed by 35 organiza-
tions and prominent people,
including nine church minis-
ters. It also drew supporters
from near-by Jonquiere and

Kashtan to Trudeau — no Cruise tests |

TORONTO — In a letter to Prime Minister
Trudeau, dated Oct. 27, William Kashtan, leader of
the Communist Party of Canada pointed out the
serious danger in which Canada would be placed
by the federal government’s signing of an agree-
ment to test the Cruise missile in Canada.

The letter noted that U.S. insistence on testing
the nuclear first-strike weapon in this country was
based on the Pentagon's view “‘that the Alberta
terrain is similar to that in the Soviet Union.

“This proposed escalation of confrontation with
the Soviet Union bodes no good to the cause of
peace and disarmament,’* the Kashtan letter said.
“This is part of the U.S. ‘two track’ position
adopted by NATO on the view that this will compel
the Soviet Union to agree to disarmament.

‘*The Soviet Union, however, does not need any |

prodding to agree to disarmament based on equal-
ity and equality of security. It has made many
proposals for disarmament which, had they been
adopted, would have transformed the presently
dangerous international situation. But all were re-

York the Soviet Union weat further with regard to
disarmament when President Brezhnev declared
that his government unilaterally pledged not to be
the first to use nuclear weapons”’, said the letter.

“It is a matter of record that so far the U.S.
Government and other nuclear powers have not
reciprocated. Not only did President Reagan not
reciprocate. His administration reiterated its advo-
cacy of a first strike nuclear strategy, the catas-
trophic concepts of limited and of protracted win-
nable nuclear war.

No Military imbalance
The letter declared further: ‘‘This strategy is
based on the false argument that the USA lags
behind the Soviet Union and must catch up. But
this is a patently false position. No less than the
annual report of the International Institute for
Strategic Studies entitled the Military Balance
1982-83, specifically stated that it is not true that
the Soviet Union is out-stripping the U.S. in the

level of strategic nuclear armaments.

‘*All the facts show there is no military imbal-
ance, that in fact there is overall military strategic
parity between the USA and USSR, the Warsaw
Pact and NATO,” Kashtan stated.

over the Soviet Union and its allies. The Cruise
missile is an integral part of the first strike limited
nuclear strategy embraced by the U.S. administra-
tion. But there can be no such thing as a limited

nuclear war. North America will not escape while
Europe burns.

‘Is there any reason to believe that the Soviet
Union will allow itself to become a sitting duck and
will not in fact take whatever measures are neces-
sary to assure the maintenance of parity and equal-
ity of security?”’ the letter demands.

‘Thus, the ‘two track’ position of the USA and
NATO is merely a cover for an accelerated arms
race with all its dangers to mankind.

Accomplice in War Strategy

“*By not opposing this suicidal and reckless posi-
tion. of the U.S. administration, the Canadian
Government opens Canada and the Canadian
people to a nuclear strategy that cannot be limited.
Indeed should your government sign an agreement
with the U.S. to permit Cruise missile testing in
Canada, it will become an accomplice of the U.S.
adventurist nuclear war strategy,” says the letter.

“The Communist Party urges your government
not to sign the agreement,” it says. ‘‘We urge you
to work instead for a nuclear freeze, for making
Canada a nuclear weapons-free zone. We ask your

| jected by the U.S. and NATO,” the Communist
leader pointed out to the PM. ‘The Cruise Missile as well as the Pershing II are government to call upon all nuclear powers to
“During the UNSSOD II (United Nations Spe- not directed to catch up,’’ the letter went on. pledge, as did the Soviet Union, not to be the first
|| cial Session on Disarmament) Conference in New ‘Their purpose is to achieve military superiority to use nuclear weapons. Not least we urge your

government to withdraw from NATO and
NORAD, from the Defence Production Sharing
Agreement, cut the arms program by 50% and use
the funds so saved for job creating programs.”

oo!

PACIFIC TRIBUNE— NOVEMBER 12, 1982—Page 6