ANGUS Robertson's resolution on SNP defence policy suggests two conditions for continued Nato membership ("SNP reveals plans for policy shift on Nato", The Herald, July 17).
The first is the earliest possible removal of nuclear weapons from Scotland. This means in effect the end of the present UK's nuclear capacity since there is nowhere else for Trident to go and these weapons are assigned to Nato. The second condition is the continued acceptance by Nato that members have no obligation to participate in wars not sanctioned by the UN. Since the resolution also says that the SNP reiterates its commitment to non-nuclear defence and international law, there should be one other essential condition – that Nato members take serious action to fulfil their obligations under Article 6 of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which states that the existing nuclear powers should "pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament". If this were a condition of membership, it would focus the debate on the failure of Nato members to initiate a convincing programme for nuclear disarmament despite their legal obligations as NPT signatories.
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