October 23, 2001

The Honorable George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

The campaign against terrorism is raising new and important questions about the role and future of nuclear weapons in the global security framework of the 21st century. We would like to share with you our thinking on this matter.

First, we note that some of your advisors inside and outside of government favor using nuclear weapons against terrorist enclaves and against states that possess no nuclear weapons. Some advocate use of nuclear weapons in response to attacks by chemical and biological weapons. This would reverse the long-standing U.S. policy of using nuclear weapons primarily as a tool to deter other nuclear-weapon states. We believe that the policy of the United States should be no first use of nuclear weapons against any state, nuclear or non-nuclear, or against any other adversary at any time under any circumstance. We believe that such first use would be immoral and would constitute a crime against humanity. We also believe that nuclear weapons should never be used in response to an attack by biological and chemical weapons.

Second, we note that in January 2001 the Russia Task Force chaired by Howard Baker and Lloyd Cutler stated: "The most urgent unmet national security threat to the United States today is the danger that weapons of mass destruction or weapons-usable material in Russia could be stolen and sold to terrorists or hostile nation states and used against American troops or citizens at home." The September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States emphasize the importance of this finding. Therefore, we believe that a substantial portion of anti-terrorist funds should go for full implementation of the Baker-Cutler report. In terms of relative priority, we suggest that funds be transferred from the missile defense budget to this and other urgent non-proliferation initiatives.

Third, we believe that the improved relationship between the United States and Russia because of mutual concern over terrorism should be treated as an opportunity to make substantial progress in improving the security of deployed nuclear weapons and dismantling the nuclear arsenals still in place more than a decade after the Cold War ended. Specifically we ask you to implement your campaign promise to work with Russia to de-alert and stand down the respective nuclear arsenals and to achieve deep cuts in strategic nuclear weapons. Not only will this enhance the security of the United States and Russia by lowering the possibility of accidental launch, it will also reduce the danger that a renegade group could gain control of nuclear weapon delivery vehicles and use them for terrorist attack on the United States.

We urge you to carry out these recommendations as a means of achieving a safer and more peaceful world in the 21st century.

Sincerely yours,

Representatives of religious organizations listed below:

James Matlack, Director
Washington Office
American Friends Service Committee

Ken Sehested, Executive Director
Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America

Greg Davidson Laszakovits, Coordinator
Church of the Brethren Washington Office

Tiffany Heath
Washington, D.C. Legislative Office
Church Women United

Rev. Joel J. Heim, Ph.D.,
Moderator Disciples Peace Fellowship

David Culp, Legislative Representative
Friends Committee on National Legislation

The Rev. Mark B. Brown
Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Stan De Boe, OSST, Director
Office of Justice and Peace
Conference of Major Superiors of Men

Brenda Girton-Mitchell, Associate General
Secretary for Public Witness
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA

Marie Dennis
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Howard W. Hallman, Chair
Methodists United for Peace with Justice

(Ms.) Rabia Terri Harris, Coordinator
Muslim Peace Fellowship

Kathy Thorton, RSM, National Coordinator
NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby

Bishop Walter Sullivan, President
Bishop Tom Gumbleton, Former President
Dave Robinson, National Coordinator
Pax Christi USA

Rev. Elenora Giddings Ivory, Director
Washington Office
Presbyterian Church (USA)

Mark J. Pelavin, Associate Director
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

Andrew Greenblatt, Coordinator
Religious Leaders for Sensible Priorities

Sr. Ann Rutan, President
Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace

Rev. Meg A. Riley, Director
Washington Office for Faith in Action
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations

James Winkler, General Secretary
General Board of Church and Society United Methodist Church

This letter was facilitated by:

Howard W. Hallman
Chair, Methodists United for Peace with Justice
1500 16th Street
NW, Washington, DC.
Phone/fax: 301-896-0013
Email: mupj@igc.org