Anti-nuclear bill

Press, 24 December 1985, Page 16

Anti-nuclear bill

Sir, — If the United States chooses to take the stand it has over the nuclear-armed ship visits ban, that is its business. It is New Zealand’s business to decide whether nuclear weapons can safely be allowed here or not There are two important matters which must affect our attitude to the A.N.Z.U.S. issue. First, no-one has convincingly demonstrated the identity of the enemies against whom we need to be defended by nuclear weapons. American propaganda against Russia is not a reliable guide. Second, as the United States persists in its military build-up (particularly 5.D.1.), thus lessening the likelihood of a rapprochement with the Russians, then clearly America is an unreliable ally and we would do well to distance ourselves from them. Your leading article of December 18 bemoans the Government stance, but you seem to favour letting New Zealand become a doormat for misguided United States foreign policy. I prefer the road we are taking, however quixotic it may seem to you. — Yours, etc. COLEY BURROWS. December 18, 1985.

Sir,—After your excellent editorial on A.N.Z.U.S., is it not interesting to reflect upon how quickly Yank-bashers such as D. J. O’Rourke, M. Creel and others forget, or are ignorant of, just how much we owe them militarily, regardless of those correspondents’ personal feelings about their

cuddliness? They, 'like -the Australians, are very competent allies.— Yours, etc., LLOYD HABGOOD. December 19, 1985.