Star Wars missile test draws international opposition

The Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space is 
organising an international effort on September 13-15 to oppose the 
revitalised Star Wars plans of the Clinton administration and the US 
Congress.

Calling it the Star Wars International Call-In Days, activists around the 
world will be speaking out in opposition to the Pentagon's plans for a 
Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) test over the Pacific Ocean.

Congress has voted to allow the BMD system to move forward as "soon as 
technically feasible".

The Clinton administration is now beginning to consider circumventing the 
1972 US-Soviet Treaty on Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) systems. That treaty 
outlaws the development of weapons systems like the BMD.

Clinton is scheduled to make a final deployment decision on the BMD in 
June, 2000.

According to Global Network Coordinator Bruce Gagnon, "With Democrats and 
Republicans recently voting to allow early deployment of BMD, the door has 
been opened wide for the deployment of space-based weapons.

"We are talking about moving the arms race into space! The cost in tax 
dollars will be staggering and the threat to world peace will be enormous.

People understand that putting lasers in space is an offensive strategy. We 
are organising a global response to this craziness."

Global Network organisers are calling on the public to contact the US 
Embassy with the message: No BMD, No Star Wars.

The Star Wars International Call-In Days will mark the beginning of a year 
long campaign being organised by the Global Network.

Throughout 2000 a series of events will target the Star Wars issue. 
Included in these actions will be a demonstration at the US Treasury 
Department on April 14 highlighting the $100 billion that has been spent on 
Star Wars development so far and an International conference on the 
subject the following day.

On October 7, 2000, an International Day of Protest to Stop the 
Militarisation of Space will be held.