OPPOSE PERSHING-2 AND CRUISE IN EUROPE! The deadline is fast approaching for U.S. plans to station new nuclear missiles in Europe by the end of this year. If no agreement is reached, and the 108 Pershing-2 and 464 ground-launched Cruise missiles are deployed, the fragile nuclear balance under which Europe and the world have lived for more than 30 years may be irrevocably shattered. Contrary to NATO protestations, the new Euro- missiles are not merely a balanced response to the ‘‘unprecedented’’ deployment of Soviet SS-20s tar- geted on western Europe. Rather, they constitute a serious initiative from the American side, one which threatens the USSR with a swift and devastating first strike. The Soviet SS-20 is not a qualitatively new type of weapon. It is an updated version of the SS-4, which has been stationed in the western USSR in some numbers for more than 20 years. This is because since the early 1960s the Soviet Union has been forced to confront not only the strategic intercontinental nuclear forces of the United States, but: also, increasingly, the growing nuclear arsenals of neighboring states such as France and Britain, as well as the forward-based ‘“‘tactical’’ nu- clear systems of the U.S. The United States has faced no similar pressures. In addition, China has nuclear weapons directed at the Soviet Union. To deal with these localized threats, the Soviets evolved acategory of medium-range missiles, capable of striking western Europe or China from bases inside the USSR, but not able to hit the U.S. In the mid-1970s, at least partly in response to the growth and development of NATO nuclear systems, the Soviets began to modernize these medium-range forces. In Europe, they replaced some 600 ageing SS-4s and SS-5s with 243 of the new triple-warhead missile known as the SS-20. The SS-20 is undoubtedly an improved weapon, and the number of deliverable warheads was marginally increased, but it is simply inconceivable that its introduction could have serious- ly disturbed the long-standing nuclear balance in the Euromissiles would ‘shatter’ balance European theater. It is the NATO side which, using the SS-20 program as a pretext, has sought to under- mine the balance and drive for superiority. American officials have argued that the U.S. must “offset”? the SS-20s by placing in Europe an equal number of American medium-range missiles. The so-called ‘‘zero option’’ proposal said, in effect, that deployment of Pershing and Cruise missiles could only be stopped if the Soviets would unilaterally dis- mantle all of the SS-20s. This is something quite new. Ever since the Cuban missile crisis, the United States has recognized the Soviet right to counter regional nuclear threats with medium-range missiles, provided that such weapons did not pose a strategic threat to the U.S. Now the Americans are aiming to create a Cuban- missile-crisis-in-reverse by stationing strategic, first-strike-capable medium-range missiles close to the Soviet border. They appear to have forgotten that the SS-20s are there, in the first place, not to menace the U.S. but to offset the considerable nuclear poten- tial of the British and French forces, as well as the sizeable forward-based U.S. forces already in place. NATO propagandists have been reduced to plead- ing that the British and French nuclear arsenals should not be included in the European balance be- cause they are ‘‘independent.”’ Or, it is claimed, they are too puny to be of any consequence and they are strictly ‘‘defensive’’ in nature. It is difficult not to see the Soviet point of view on this question. Britain and France, between them, dis- perse enough submarine, bomber and land-based nu- clear warheads to turn atleast the western USSR intoa desert. Moreover, both countries are upgrading their nu- clear forces at an astonishing rate: Britain will nearly triple its deliverable warheads in the next five years as it moves, at great expense, to new first-strike-capable Trident missiles. France has recently accelerated its ballistic-missile submarine building program, and is also advancing to MIR Ved (multi-warhead) missiles. By 1995, it is estimated, Britain and France will have more than 5,000 nuclear warheads capable of beingdeliveredagainstthe USSR—anenormous force by any standard one chooses! Clearly, no meaningful balance canever be struck in Europe ifit does not, from the outset, take into account the substantial British and French forces that are available to NATO. The Soviet bargaining position over past months has become progressively more flexible. Most recent- ly, Soviet leader Andropov offered to reduce Soviet medium-range missiles down to the exact level of British and French arsenals, and to count warheads rather than launchers — a move which voluntarily negates any advantage the USSR might have been accused of gaining from the multiple-warhead nature of the SS-20. On the matter of calculating British and French forces into the European nuclear balance, however, the Soviets have not offered to compromise. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine the Soviet Union making any concessions whatsoever on this point, since to do so would be to implicitly accept the principle of per- manent, combined NATO superiority in the Euro- pean theatre. If the U.S. proceeds with the deployment of Persh- ing and Cruise missiles later this year, the his- torically-evolved nuclear balance in Europe will be hopelessly ruptured. But that is not the worst of it. The stationing of 108 superaccurate Pershing-2s within six minutes of vital Soviet targets will seriously destabilize the already precarious strategic balance between the U.S. and the USSR, and lead to unimaginable consequences. Soviet leaders have already hinted that they may be forced to go to a “‘launch on warning’’ posture — nuclear confrontation with a hair-trigger. They have also indicated that they would find a way to put the United States in an ‘‘analogous position.” What that might mean is hard to say. The only thing that can be stated with certainty is that if the U.S. insists upon overturning the balance by deploying Pershing-2 and Cruise missiles in Europe, there are terrifying times ahead for us all. — Humanity at ‘crucial crossr¢ world meet urges unity for p From June 21-26 of this year, 3,625 _ Participants from 132 countries came to- | 8ether in Prague, Czechoslovakia, for a : World Assembly dedicated to peace and fe and against nuclear war. Included Were 73 Canadians — 49 from English- ‘Peaking Canada and 24 from Quebec. unanimous consent, the participants adopted the following appeal: Humanity stands at a crucial cross- Toad of history. One step in the wrong rection — and the world could be ir- T€vocably thrown into the abyss of a Nuclear war. ' Never before has the arms race, espe- Cally the nuclear arms race, reached Such threatening proportions as today. ! negotiations for the limitation and Teduction of armaments are in fact being locked. New military programs are being approved. Additional weapons of Mass destruction are being designed. ttempts are made to impose on people the idea of the ‘acceptability’ of nu- lear weapons, of the possibility of Carrying out a ‘‘limited’’ or Protracted’’ nuclear war. Explosive situations exist in various Parts of the world, above all in the Mid- le East, Central America, Southern Tica, South-East Asia and Far East. &gressions are committed against SOVereign states. Military conflicts be- ‘Ween different countries are provoked OM outside, thus hindering peoples in their just aspirations for political and economic independence, national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and endangering world peace. The network of military bases on foreign territories is expanding. An especially acute danger is rep- resented by plans to deploy new first-strike nuclear missiles in Western Europe. The realization of these plans will sharply increase the danger of a nu- clear conflict. Such a conflict will not be limited to the continent of Europe, but will lead to a global holocaust. It is ur- gent to stop the deployment of missiles in Europe, to reduce all nuclear arms on. the European continent and to work for the total elimination of all nuclear weapons throughout the world. Being extremely concerned by the increasing danger of nuclear war and realizing our great responsibility to safeguard peace, we have gathered at the World Assembly for Peace and Life, against Nuclear War from June 21-26 in Prague, the capital of Czecho- slovakia. We are citizens of 132 coun- tries of the world, peoples of various races and nationalities, of different philosophical views, religions and poli- tical positions. We represent 1,843 na- tional organizations, trade unions, peace, women’s, youth and students movements, political parties and churches, 108 international non- governmental organizations. Represen- ian . ms ete ma 4),- More than 200,000 called for disarmament in Prague at the beginn ing of the World Assembly for Peace in which 3,625 delegates participated. tatives of 11 inter-governmental organ- izations also took part in the Assembly. We declare: Preparation for a nuclear war is the most serious crime against humanity. But war is not inevitable. It is not yet too late to prevent a nuclear holocaust. Sal- vation is in the hands of the people themselves, of each man and woman, resolutely standing together for peace. The mass movement for peace is a powerful force, a determining factor in the international situation, capable of influencing the practical policies of governments in the direction of peace. The strength of this broad and diversified peace movement lies in its ability to act together. Whatever differ- ences on other issues exist between us, we are strongly convinced that nothing must divide us in the face of our com- mon purpose — to save peace and life, to prevent nuclear war. We appeal to all peoples: Let us not allow 1983 to become yet another springboard to a new and mor- tally-dangerous round of the arms race, to further intensification of confronta- tion! Let us concentrate our efforts to achieve the most urgent demands of the peoples of the world. No to new missiles in Europe! Yes to real negotiations on the reduction of all types of nuclear weapons in Europe! Freeze all nuclear arsenals now! No to nuclear weapons in the west or in the east, around the world! Stop the arms race, nuclear and conven- tional! Yes to nuclear weapons-free zones! For general and compléte disarmament! Peaceful political negotiations, not milit- ary confrontation! The world’s resources for peace and life! Peace, freedom, independence and pros- perity for all nations! A WORLD WIDE NUCLEAR WEAPONS FREEZE!