Press Contact: Reva Patwardhan (office) 510-849-2272, ext. 112 (Cell) 510-681-7075
rpatwardhan-at-peaceactionwest-dot-org

Berkeley, CA – In a few days, Jim Lehrer will conduct the first presidential debate, which will focus on foreign policy. Thousands of people have joined Peace Action West in requesting that just one critical question about peace be on the list: "This is the first time in American history that both major party presidential candidates have endorsed the vision of a nuclear weapons free world. What are the specific steps you would take as president to get us there?"

Both candidates have made statements in support of the goal of reducing the US nuclear arsenal, and both positions indicate a departure from Bush administration policies. Peace Action West, however, seeks greater detail outlining how the candidates will approach the issue.

From Jon Rainwater, Peace Action West's Executive Director:

"How Senators Obama and McCain answer the nuclear question is crucial. The next president will need a visionary and concrete approach to get American leadership on track towards a safer world.

"There is an emerging consensus, supported by people like Henry Kissinger and former Sen. Sam Nunn, that America needs bold action towards the elimination of nuclear weapons. Failure to provide that leadership could mean a new nuclear era of weakening international controls on the spread of nuclear weapons, increasing the likelihood of terrorists obtaining nuclear material and technology. In this new era, the US nuclear weapons stockpile would be unlikely to deter attacks from decentralized terrorist networks, with no clear borders and no clear leadership centers.

"America and the world face great challenges, and we'll need bold American leadership as well as an unambiguous commitment to international cooperation to secure loose nuclear material, reduce the world's arsenals, and work towards eliminating the nuclear threat. For instance, we need to know if the candidates would halt efforts to develop new breeds of nuclear weapons, encourage Senate ratification of a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, work towards a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty, and lead in accelerating international efforts to clean up loose nuclear material."

Peace Action West is asking supporters to take action before Friday here: http://capwiz.com/peaceactionwest//issues/alert/?alertID=11944681

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Peace Action West advocates for a foreign policy that embodies the best values of the American people. As a membership organization with close to 50,000 supporters, we foster broad-based civic activism to create a strong voice for peaceful and pragmatic solutions to global problems. Our activities serve as a bridge between the public and the officials who make decisions that affect the lives of millions of people. More information on the organization and its campaigns is available at http://www.peaceactionwest.org, and at Peace Action West's blog, http://www.GroundswellOnline.org.