Up in arms

Technicians prepare for Mururo (Credit: AP /PTI)EVEN as the Greenpeace docks its 20-
boat strong protest flotilla at the
'Mururoa and the Fangataufa atolls -
the sites for the series of nuclear weapon
tests that France proposes to conduct in
the South Pacific - NewZealand, along
with Australia, has come up with a new
strategy to thwart the French.

It has decided to take the "offender"
to court. It has asked the international
Court of justice to reexamine a 1974
nuclear-test case against France. It was
France's avowed intention to halt
nuclear testing in the atmosphere that
resulted in the Court dropping the twin
cases brought by New Zealand in 1973.
Even though the upcoming French test
will be underground, New Zealand is
basing its latest move on its 1973 complaint.

France, meanwhile, is acting tough.
Particulady sore about the muted
response of these countries to China's
continuing tests, it has issued an official
statement declaring that it would not
look kindly on Australia and New
Zealand reacting more harshly to
France's upcoming nuclear tests than to
China's August 17 explosion.