WASHINGTON - March 31 - In response to reports that President Obama and Russian President Medvedev plan to sign an agreement tomorrow pledging to complete a new, nuclear weapons reduction treaty by the end of the year, Peace Action released the following statement from Kevin Martin, executive director:

“Peace Action is encouraged at the prospects for further nuclear arms reductions and look forward to continued progress toward Obama's stated goal, which we share, of a nuclear weapons-free world.

“We also applaud news that Amb. Richard Holbrooke spoke to the Iranian representative at the international conference on Afghanistan, but we remain opposed to President Obama's escalation in Afghanistan and urge him to refrain from leaving residual forces in Iraq.”

The START Treaty will expire at the end of this year.  The group was founded 50 years ago to abolish nuclear weapons.