Chirac, a nuclear crusader?

Mr. Chirac's statement that the French government has decided to resume nuclear tests at the Mururoa Atoll starting this coming September should not surprise anyone. What is surprising is that so far (as far as could be gathered from local newspapers) not one single French green or environmentalist group has raised its voice against the decision. Why the silence? Because protesting would be an exercise in futility? Or maybe because they just do not know the environment has no boundaries.

The question now is what actually is a nation's purpose for developing nuclear weapon capability? Military security? Prestige? In the past, Force des Frappes was established reputedly to enable France to deal with any eventuality coming from anywhere. That is what was then called the Tous Asimuts policy.

However, since U.S. failure to use the atomic bomb in Indochina in the late sixties (proposed reportedly by the then U.S. combined chief of staff), nuclear weaponry has proved to have a deterrent value only. Pre-emptive nuclear attack would be senseless if the enemy could retaliate with nuclear missiles. Mutual assured destruction, an important element in strategic arms limitation talks, strongly implies that in future nuclear conflicts, civilians could not and would not be spared.

It requires a certain degree of magnanimity for France to follow the example of the United Kingdom which so far (hopefully forever) has forgone nuclear testing and maintained its present nuclear status. UK low profile nuclear policy seems to have contributed much to the constructive role it plays in Europe as well as to the effective and respected leadership in the Commonwealth.

A decision by the French Government not to resume nuclear testing would certainly gain the sympathy of many nations. Playing a more constructive and bigger role in aid to developing nations, in combating world poverty and ignorance, in promoting education and culture would befit the image of France as the cradle of democracy and high erudition. Conducting nuclear tests in stubborn defiance of the strong protests of many nations in the Pacific would leave an indelible blemish on France and bitter memories for the peoples living in the vicinity of the atoll.

Perhaps French leaders believe that the present uneasy peace is not la paix pour cent ans, to quote Edouard Daladier's comment after he returned from Munich in 1938. Be as it may, France would better serve the cause of world peace by abandoning the planned nuclear tests.

SOEGIO SOSROSOEMARTO

Jakarta