Greens launch anti-nuclear warship campaign

While thousands of United States sailors came ashore to make the most of their brief visit to Palma and enjoy the sunshine, the Green party kept up the pressure on the US nuclear powered aircraft carrier Enterprise to leave Majorcan waters. The Green party's member of the Council of Majorca, Miguel Angel Llauger, said “the nuclear warship's visit poses a risk to which there is no protection.” Accompanied by the Balearic Minister for the Environment, Llauger complained that there had been no warning in the Balearics about the ship's visit, although Madrid is under no obligation to inform Palma as was made quite clear earlier this year. He also claimed that as Spain is part of the Atlantic Treaty, nuclear arms are not permitted in Spanish territory. The Greens yesterday called on the Central Government representative to the Balearics, Catalina Cirer, to express their concerns to Madrid and reminded Cirer that Balearic leader Francesc Antich, wrote to Madrid after the USS Washington's troubled visit last year, urging the government to “respect the wishes of the Balearic people.”