NUNN- LUGAR WEAPON REDUCTION INITIATIVE
The sixtieth anniversary of the dropping of Atomic
bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
is a time for prayer and reflection on the horrific
devastation caused by the awesome power and energy
released by those weapons of mass destruction. It
was an instant hell on earth; suffering in the aftermath
unimagined for those who lived to tell about it.
The present stockpiles of advanced and powerful nuclear
weapons in the arsenals of Russia and United States
can decimate the world many times over and make this
planet uninhabitable for millions of years. This is
a sobering thought and image to contemplate. It is
frightening that other nations, some not so responsible,
are now openly or secretly in overdrive to join the
exclusive nuclear club of states that possess such
weapons.
In light of this, the courageous initiative and important
work of Senator Richard Lugar and former Senator Sam
Nunn is worthy of note. The Nunn-Lugar Cooperative
Threat Reduction program has, since 1991, eliminated
6500 nuclear and thousands of chemical, and biological
weapons and delivery systems from the arsenals of
Russia and the U.S. Accelerating this weapon dismantling
process agreed upon between the two countries with
additional resources and urgency is critical before
any weapons get into wrong hands or the window of
understanding may close under a less-friendly Russian
regime. The world does not need another Hiroshima
and Nagasaki to be convinced that the use of nuclear
weapons will be a threat to the entire planet and
every living being.
Kanwal Prakash "KP" Singh
Indianapolis, Indiana USA
