SNP ROBERTSON TO OPEN MAJOR ANTI-NUCLEAR CONFERENCE IN EDINBURGH.

SNP ROBERTSON TO OPEN MAJOR ANTI-NUCLEAR CONFERENCE IN EDINBURGH.

”TIME IS RIGHT” TO LIFT NUCLEAR SHADOW.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) says “the time is right” to remove Trident missiles from Scotland only hours before the UK Government launches a new policy paper on the future of Nuclear weapons.

Opening a major conference in Edinburgh [tomorrow] entitled “Trident and International Law: Scotland’s Obligations” Westminster SNP leader Angus Robertson MP will say that “The time is perfect for Scotland to play its part in reducing global nuclear stockpiles by getting rid of weapons of mass destruction stationed on our shores”.

The Conference to be held tomorrow [Tuesday] at Edinburgh’s Dynamic Earth is being attended by leading world legal experts including the former vice-president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Judge Christopher Weeramantry.

In recent days senior British military figures have described Trident as “completely useless”, Russia has halted the stationing of missiles around Kaliningrad and President Barack Obama has launched a review of the Pentagon's controversial missile defence shield in central Europe.

SNP Foreign Affairs and Defence spokesman Angus Robertson MP said:

“This conference in Scotland underlines our commitment to a safer world, by ridding ourselves of weapons of mass destruction. Majority opinion in Scotland is opposed to the Trident weapons system that is based on the Clyde.

“The efforts of the Scottish Government to support a genuinely ethical foreign policy are to be welcomed. This has been boosted in recent weeks by senior British military figures who have questioned the case for the Trident system.

“In a letter to the Times newspaper on 15 January 2008, the former head of UK armed forces Field Marshal Lord Bramall and Generals Lord Ramsbotham and Sir Hugh Beach, denounced Trident and described it as "irrelevant" and “completely useless”, and referred to its influence and effectiveness as a deterrent as, “a fallacy”.

“Meanwhile other countries including the United States and Russia have made significant signals towards reducing nuclear tensions. Moscow has halted the stationing of missiles around Kaliningrad and President Barack Obama has launched a review of the Pentagon's controversial missile defence shield in central Europe.

“The UK Government is launching a discussion paper entitled “Lifting the Nuclear Shadow: Creating the Conditions for Abolishing Nuclear Weapons”.

“Scotland can help lift the nuclear shadow by deciding to end the presence of Trident weapons.”