(1) The Geneva Accords (to which the U.S. is a party) specify that during any war, although international law allows targeting and killing combatants, nations are prohibited from using weapons that do not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Using nuclear weapons would certainly violate international law. Also, I remember that in 1996 the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion stating that while merely possessing nuclear weapons is not illegal, actually using them would be illegal.
(2) Thus far, 69 nations (but none of the 9 nations owning nuclear weapons) have ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Nuclear weapons – in fact, any activities supporting them – are illegal in those 69 nations. It went into effect after the 50th nation ratified it. Let’s keep promoting the TPNW to urge more nations to ratify it.
Since the late 1960s Glen Anderson has devoted his life to working as a volunteer for peace, nonviolence, social justice, and progressive political issues. He has worked through many existing organizations and started several. Over the years he has worked especially for such wide-ranging goals as making peace with Vietnam, eliminating nuclear weapons, converting from a military economy to a peacetime economy, abolishing the death penalty, promoting nonviolence at all levels throughout society, and helping people organize and strategize for grassroots movements to solve many kinds of problems. He writes, speaks, and conducts training workshops on a wide variety of topics. Since 1987 he has produced and hosted a one-hour cable TV interview program on many kinds of issues. Since 2017 he has blogged at https://parallaxperspectives.org He lives in Lacey near Olympia WA. You can reach him at (360) 491-9093 glen@parallaxperspectives.org
