"It is not an issue for which the Scottish Government has any interest at all" - thus, speaking on Radio Scotland this morning, and with all the legal and political weight he could muster, Sir Malcolm Rifkind referred to the continued and renewable presence of Trident at Faslane.
In formal terms of limited devolved powers he is, of course, quite right and furnishes (does he realise it?) one of the strongest arguments for Scottish independence and support for the SNP, pledged, as it is, to get rid of Trident as soon as possible.
In more ordinary usages of the word "interest" it is hard to see how any government of Scotland would not find the presence of nuclear weapons in Scottish waters and on Scottish soil of intense and dreadful interest to its citizens as part of the "essential" defences of the UK (as perhaps, Guantanamo is essential to the defence of the US?).
Once again, we've got to try to call things by their proper names. Nuclear weapons are in no sense defensive. They exist, in a supposed reaction to other threats, to outbid them in threatening destructive capacity. In political terms, as they proliferate they provide for themselves an appalling self-supportive logic: the more there are the more they are needed. The balance they are supposed to provide is in permanent disequilibrium: international tension calls for government to retain or acquire them, and their existence ratchets up the tension.
There can be only one end to this process. If it is to be stopped - no easy task - there may well be a key part to play for such a country as Scotland, for the sake of its own people, but also - and yes, in the present uncomfortable circumstances - for the sake of all the inhabitants of this uneasily and so ill-defendedly United Kingdom.
Christopher Small, Park, Isle of Lismore, Oban, Argyll.
I very much welcome the SNP's initiative to hold an anti-Trident summit in Scotland. This summit can also be viewed as the culmination of the 365 peaceful protest by more than 100 groups from around the world opposing Trident.
Opposition leader in Scotland Wendy Alexander MSP makes plenty of the fact that this is a reserved matter. But can I just remind Ms Alexander that, as recorded in votes at Westminster and Holyrood, an overwhelming majority of Scottish MPs and MSP opposes the replacement of Trident. So the Scottish Government has a responsibility to put this issue on the agenda.
First Minister Alex Salmond has the majority views of the Scottish people behind his actions, seeking observer status at future "Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty" meetings. It is outrageous that we have WMD on our soil, yet no representative.
Contrary to the views of opposition politicians in Scotland, the new Scottish Government is endeavoring to give Scotland a voice in the international arena and this is probably the biggest issue.
Catriona C Clark, 52 Hawthorn Drive, Banknock, Falkirk.
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