Replacing Trident is ‘morally wrong’

Cardinal Keith O’Brien attacks plans to replace nuclear weapons at Faslane Naval Base

PIC: PAUL McSHERRY

By Ian Dunn

Cardinal Keith O’Brien has launched a fresh attack on plans to replace the Trident nuclear weapon programme at Faslane Naval base on the Clyde, calling such defences ‘morally reprehensible.’
“Rejecting Trident, not in 2024 but right now, will bring economic dividends at home and give moral leadership abroad,” Cardinal O’Brien said. “It would allow us, at last, to stand on the moral high ground and to invite the nuclear-armed nations of the world to join us there.”
The cardinal’s comments come this week at a time when nuclear weapons are increasingly politically unpopular in Scotland and have been deemed cost prohibitive at Westminster.

Nuclear immorality
Cardinal O’Brien, a long-term opponent of Trident, has focused on the immorality of nuclear weaponry. In the debate surrounding the replacement of Trident, ‘financial, diplomatic, military and political arguments’ had been to the fore, he said before adding ‘by contrast we have heard precious little about the moral arguments involved.’
“In any and all circumstances the use of a nuclear weapon would be immoral,” the cardinal said.
“Their first use, under any circumstances whatsoever, would be both immoral and a crime against God and humanity.”
The cardinal went on to say that a retaliatory strike using nuclear weapons would be even more immoral as ‘it would be motivated not by defence but by the hollow and hellish vengeance of the vanquished. It is perhaps no coincidence that one of the British Trident fleet is named HMS Vengeance.”

Duty bound to speak
Cardinal O’Brien that as ‘a Christian Minister, a Catholic bishop and a human being’ who believes in the dignity and sanctity of human life he could not stay quiet on this issue.
“This pro-life message is at the heart of the Catholic Church and is one the Church champions, ‘in season and out of season,’” he said.
“No one can uphold the teachings of Christ unless they speak out in defence of life, and the mass killing of innocent victims at any time and in any place.”
He also stressed that his message came not from him alone ‘but rather from the highest moral authority in the Catholic Church; the Pope and the bishops working together and in Council.’ The Second Vatican Council’s teachings on this subject ran through the decades, according to the cardinal.
“Any act of war aimed indiscriminately at the destruction of entire cities or of extensive areas along with their population is a crime against God and man himself,” he said. “It merits unequivocal and unhesitating condemnation.”

Cost-prohibitive plan
The cardinal’s message comes as a report by senior military figures revealed that scrapping the Trident replacement nuclear deterrent would help fill a growing ‘black hole’ in the defence budget.
The controversial solution to rising costs was put forward by Lord Guthrie, former chief of the defence staff, Lord Ashdown, former head of the Liberal Democrats, and Lord Robertson, the former NATO secretary-general.
The trio of influential figures wrote the report for a ‘national security commission’ put together by the Institute for Public Policy Research think-tank.
It comes after the Ministry of Defence was forced to deny claims that the government had put the £20 billion Trident replacement programme under ‘review’ in an attempt to cut costs.
Tony Blair agreed to Trident’s upgrade, which would involve replacing four nuclear submarines in Scotland, in 2006. Scrapping or downgrading Trident, as was advocated by Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg last week, could save billions of pounds at a time when funds are very limited.
Des Browne, former defence secretary, said this week the Ministry of Defence would have to make cuts somewhere.
“There is an order book which outstrips the department’s capacity to pay for it— that’s no secret,” he said.

Unpopular in Scotland
Meanwhile Alex Salmond, Scotland’s first minister, has said he will continue to fight against Trident being replaced at ‘every opportunity.’
Although military affairs do not fall under the purview of the Scottish Parliament, Mr Salmond said he would continue to campaign against replacing Trident.
“I think that is a perfectly legitimate thing to do,” he said. “The idea that you can base a new generation of nuclear missiles in Scotland, and not talk or listen to the people of Scotland about it, is ridiculous.”
However Conservative leader David Cameron has warned the SNP he would not tolerate the Nationalists obstructing Trident’s replacement if the Conservatives win next year’s general election and go on to form the next Westminster government.

— ian@scottishcatholicobserver.org.uk