From: Kathy Crandall Subject: (abolition-usa) STAR WARS REVIVAL - Legislative Update Date: 01 Mar 1999 10:41:44 -0500 IN THE SENATE: S. 257, The Cochran-Inouye Bill calling for National Missile Defense deployment "as soon as technologically possible," has been pushed back in the schedule. It is most likely that the Senate vote will be the week of March 8 - though it's possible that it would come up this week. PLEASE CONTINUE TO FAX AND CALL YOUR SENATORS - urge them to oppose S. 257 - the National Missile Defense Act of 1999. Senators who need special attention: Feinstein (CA) Graham (FL) Bayh (IN) Landrieu (LA) Edwards (NC) Kerrey (NE) Bryan (NV) Chafee (RI) Jeffords (VT) Kohl (WI) ******************************************************* IN THE HOUSE On Thursday Feb. 25 the House Armed Services Committee voted 50 to 3 for the Spratt (D-SC)-Weldon(R-PA) bill stating: "That it is the policy of the United States to deploy a national missile defense system." The three voting to the right way - opposing the bill, were Allen (ME), Evans (IL), McKinney(GA). The House vote is likely to come up sometime soon this month, stay tuned for details ****************************************************** FOR MORE INFORMATIO & WHAT YOU CAN DO Order your Stop the Star Wars Revival Action & Resource Kits. Contact the Disarmament Clearinghouse. -- DISARMAMENT CLEARINGHOUSE Nuclear Disarmament Information, Resources & Action Tools Kathy Crandall, Coordinator 1101 14th Street NW #700, Washington DC 20005 TEL: 202 898 0150 ext. 232 FAX: 202 898 0172 E-MAIL: disarmament@igc.org http://www.psr.org/Disarmhouse.htm http://www.psr.org/ctbtaction.htm A project of: Friends Committee on National Legislation Peace Action, Physicians for Social Responsibility and Women's Action for New Directions - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: LCNP@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) Pacific Anti-Nuclear Book Launched at UN Date: 01 Mar 1999 22:14:32 EST "Pacific Women Speak Out" $10 plus ($2 p&p) Contact LCNP Tel: (1) 212 818 1861 (email lcnp@aol.com), or WILPF Tel: (1) 212 682 1265. (email flick@igc.apc.org) Mar 1, Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific Day "Pacific Women Speak Out", a book containing the testimonies of 11 Pacific women on nuclear issues, was launched at the United Nations today, the 45th anniversary of the Bravo nuclear test in the Marshall Islands, and the first day of the Commission on the Status of Women meeting, The book launch was dedicated to Darlene Keju-Johnson who died from breast cancer in 1996. In video testimony aired at the launch Darlene spoke about the effects of nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands: "Since the testing there has been a tremendous increase in health problems. The biggest problem we have now, especially amongst women and children is cancers... Now we have this problem of what we call "jelly-fish babies". These babies are born like jelly-fish. They have no eyes. They have no heads. They have no arms. They have no legs. They do not shape like human beings at all. But they are being born on the labour table." Kate Dewes, co-editor of the book, spoke of how important it is to present the testimonies of these women to policy makers internationally. "These women can't afford to travel all the way to the United Nations or other international bodies, but their voices should be heard here. Please take copies with you to give to diplomats, politicians and anyone else who is involved in decisions on our future." Marie Maddison, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Marshall Islands spoke of the effects of the Bravo nuclear explosion on Mar 1, 1954, and noted that the Pacific Islands are now under a new threat of extinction from rising seas as a result of global warming. Tonya Gonnella Frichner, founder of the American Indian Law Alliance, spoke of similar problems from nuclear testing, uranium mining and nuclear waste dumping in the territories of Native American nations in the US. "Some of our communities have unemployment rates approaching 90% and the lowest standard of living in North America. When the US authorities approach us with thousands of dollars in their pockets and ask us to take the waste, it creates incredible difficulties for us." Felicity Hill, Executive Director of the UN Office of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, spoke of the importance of incorporating the experiences and visions of Pacific women into the decisions at the Commission on the Status of Women and the Non Proliferation Treaty Review. The Marshall Islands government, for example, has proposed to the Preparatory Committee Meetings for the 2000 NPT Review that negotiations commence on a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons and that greater assistance be given to communities affected by contamination from nuclear testing. Darlene Keju-Johnson writes in "Pacific Women Speak Out" that "The story of the Marshallese people since the nuclear weapons tests has been sad and painful. Allow our experience, now, to save others such sadness and pain." Tonya Frichner noted that "Our Chiefs are instructed to consider the effects of their decisions on the seventh generation yet unborn." Marie Maddison concluded with an appeal: "Let our children have a nuclear free, clean and peaceful world." - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: LCNP@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) UNSCOM Date: 02 Mar 1999 17:16:27 EST This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --part0_920412988_boundary Content-ID: <0_920412988@inet_out.mail.aol.com.1> Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Has the US destroyed UNSCOM? --part0_920412988_boundary Content-ID: <0_920412988@inet_out.mail.aol.com.2> Content-type: text/plain; name="UNSCOM.WPD" Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable Content-disposition: inline Has the US destroyed UNSCOM? by Jim Wurst, Program Director, Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy The Washington Post reported in a front page article today (2 March) that the United States has "infiltrated agents and espionage equipment for three years" into the UN Special Commission in charge of monitoring Iraq's disarmament. If confirmed, it could be the final blow for the UNSCOM inspection regime. At a news conference today following the publication of the article, Secretary-General Kofi Annan declined to express any personal opinion or speculate on the veracity of the reports. He noted that UNSCOM was the responsibility of the Security Council, not of his office, and said the Council "should draw the right lessons" from this episode. "We went in [to Iraq] to focus on disarmament and to implement the Council' resolutions and we would have preferred for everyone to have keep a tight focus on that." He added, the UN "must determine the steps we have to take to ensure the sanctity of their work." When pressed, he said, "I will not make a demarche" to the US. Iraq has not commented on the reports. Now confirming what it had previously denied, unnamed US officials said their agents were working without the knowledge of senior UN officials, including UNSCOM Chair Richard Butler and his predecessor Rolf Ekeus, and were gathering intelligence on matters far removed from Iraq's programs on weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles, such as Iraqi army troop movements. Butler has not commented on the new allegations. But the Post quotes him addressing the issue in an earlier conversation saying, "I've spent a lifetime of helping build and defend the nonproliferation regimes. Piggybacking in this manner [by US intelligence] can only serve the interests of those who reject meaningful efforts at arms control." The future of multilateral arms control is the issue behind this probable collapse of UNSCOM. Annan noted, "There is no doubt that these allegations will make disarmament regimes... difficult." The commission has always been unique in the history of arms control. The Security Council established UNSCOM to force the disarmament of Iraq after the Gulf War, citing the Charter's Article VII provision for dealing with "acts of aggression." In other words, disarmament by coercion. In contrast, all disarmament treaties require the consent of all parties. Slipping spies into an inspection team where the targeted country has no right of refusal could not happen under NPT, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty or Chemical Weapons Convention, under which nations have the right to reject individual inspectors. Such subtleties could well be lost on opponents of arms control, be they states or unreconstructed Cold Warriors in the US Congress. Also up in the air is the future of IAEA inspections in Iraq. The IAEA operates on a different mandate than UNSCOM and Iraq has always made a distinction between the work of the two agencies. The Post report does not implicate the IAEA in US spying activities. # # --part0_920412988_boundary-- - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Stephen Young Subject: (abolition-usa) A Strategy for the NATO Summit Date: 02 Mar 1999 18:33:29 -0500 Preparing for Future Nuclear Disarmament - The Summit and the Steps Ahead by Daniel Plesch, Director, BASIC and Otfried Nassasauer, Director, BITS March 1999 Throughout 1999 and early 2000 nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation will be at a crossroads. Until the 2000 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, the world faces crucial decisions on both nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, with these areas closely interlocking. If the wrong decisions are made, the existing non-proliferation regime will be substantially weakened, additional nuclear armed powers are likely to emerge, and nuclear weapons will be assigned new tasks within NATO. If the right decisions are made, great opportunities for nuclear disarmament and strengthening the NPT will open up, and nuclear weapons will be devalued as a means of national power. Throughout 1998 steps were taken in a destabilizing direction. India and Pakistan tested nuclear weapons, and began the process of integrating them into their military arsenals. Russia has not ratified START-II, while the US bombed the chance that this would happen in late 1998 with its strikes against Iraq. Both Russia and NATO are independently discussing an increased role for their nuclear weapons. The fate of START II is unsure again, in both Russia and also the US, where the Senate must reexamine the Treaty. Russia considers making first use a part of her military doctrine and argues that her nuclear weapons are needed to outbalance NATO's conventional superiority. The US is pushing NATO into considering whether nuclear weapons should have a role in deterring and fighting all weapons of mass destruction, whether owned by states or non-state actors. NATO has engaged in this debate in the midst of its first real post-cold war strategy review. While the general objective is to move towards global nuclear disarmament by the shortest and quickest route possible, the current situation is that progress is made glacially slow - with the prospect that the pace of 1987-1992 cannot be resumed. The initiative needs to be taken primarily by the US and in addition by its allies. All other parties are in relatively weak positions and have comparably little room to manoeuvre. In general the three Western Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) have cared and continue to care little for the UN disarmament fora and the disarmament provisions of the NPT. Instead, they continue to regard decisions on nuclear weapons as central to their role in the world. NATO's decisions on nuclear weapons (NW) are important to US and UK geo-political strategies. In international fora these NWS are mainly supported by their allies in Europe. However, a gradual erosion of allied support for these NWS in NATO has recently become visible in UN votes, the independent action of some non-nuclear NATO countries in the Conference on Disarmament and during the German initiated debate on NATO reviewing its first use policy. However, both NATO and Russia are also facing strong incentives to take new initiatives on nuclear disarmament and safeguarding the NPT. Russia can no longer finance her nuclear arsenal, neither her strategic weapons nor her tactical ones. Neither the current posture nor the ones envisaged under either START-II or START-III can be maintained, without investing huge resources into their maintenance and modernisation. However, Russia is interested in maintaining parity with the US. Deep cuts into both sides' arsenals are the only way to accomplish Russian aims. The US also has a serious interest in cutting strategic forces to much lower levels for costsaving reasons. In addition, NATO and the US share a strong interest in making Russian tactical nuclear weapons disarmament a treaty obligation and reducing proliferation risks. While Russia is not in a good position to take the initiative, the US and its Western Allies are. The ongoing NATO strategy review is a key opportunity to discuss and agree change for the better among Western nations. NATO can make use of existing opportunities to dramatically reduce the numbers of existing nuclear weapons and help safeguard the NPT. Key decisions should be taken by NATO's April Summit, including on the following issues. 1. NATO's strategy review should contain a statement that the fundamental purpose of NW in the Alliance is to provide a last resort for deterrence purposes. NATO should explain that "last resort" covers only the one case the International Court of Justice (IJC) didn't rule out as illegal, i.e. if the very existence of one or several member states is at stake. The role of NATO's nuclear weapons would be greatly reduced. 2. NATO should eliminate all language on substrategic NW's in its new strategy. (This opens the option to take a decision on elimination of this category of weapons after the Summit, maybe unilaterally by the US.) 3. The US and Russia should conclude work on a politically binding framework (such as the Helsinki framework agreement) for an arms control agreement which covers tactical nuclear weapons and includes a withdrawal of US-owned European-deployed tactical nuclear weapons. This could happen within or outside the START-framework. If such a framework proves impossible, because NATO-Russia relations have deteriorated too much, NATO should agree to unilaterally withdraw all US free-fall bombs from Europe. 4. This would allow the European states to make their own input and declare that they no longer require such weapons during peacetime. It would also likely smoke out secret progress in NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group towards supporting the US in its push for pre-emptive nuclear counter-proliferation preparations, because forward deployed B-61s may form part of that strategy. 5. The Alliance should adopt the new members' standard on nuclear co-operation for all non-nuclear NATO-members. Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic have joined NATO as first class members while accepting that they will be eligible to participate in NATO nuclear planning and consultation agreements. However under current and foreseeable circumstances all new members will neither deploy nuclear weapons on their soil, nor host the infrastructure for doing so, nor train pilots to participate in NATO nuclear operations, nor enter Programs of Cooperation. They have no requirement to deploy nuclear-capable aircraft either. If Poland, NATO’s new 'front-line' state, does not need nuclear arms then clearly there is no need for other countries, such as Greece and Belgium, to prepare to fly nuclear missions. A number of arguments and political developments, outlined later in this paper, support such a change. 6. NATO should issue a separate document on nuclear policy during the Summit. This paper should include statements on nuclear policies agreed earlier by the NWS, such as the 1985 commitment that the NPT is valid under all circumstances or the 1995 commitment entered in the context of the NPT "Principles and Objectives" as well as the statement on the Middle East and on Article VI. Because NATO states have successfully insulated their military policies (and officers) from the NPT commitments they will be reluctant to re-issue these commitments, however refusal will be hard to sustain and extremely damaging to the NPT as it would constitute a revocation of the core political commitments made in the permanent extension of the NPT permanent. The US in particular is keen to dismiss the statement on the Middle East - something Europeans approach differently. 7. NATO should change its first use doctrine. However the change should be put in a different context. No first use is no longer primarily the European security issue that is was when the idea was discussed in the 1980s. Today, NATO should commit itself to a no first use policy in the context of meeting the Alliance's obligations under existing negative security assurances, which NATO would violate in almost all cases if the Alliance ever were to use nuclear weapons first against a non-nuclear weapon state. 8. The Alliance should state that it no longer requires SLBMs to be kept on short notice to fire. This is a concrete means of adding to the de-alerting debate as well as indicating that NATO is willing to implement a no first use policy. The UK has already announced that it can operate its SLBMs at a reduced notice to fire - although it does not call this de-alerting. NATO's fighter bombers are already off quick reaction alert. If the US maintains its forces on alert it should do so without an alibi from Europe. For some five years the PENN Network, working transatlantically, has sought to re-open political debate within Europe on NATO related nuclear weapons issues. Today, this debate has been re-opened. NATO faces challenges over its nuclear policies from a wide variety of perspectives: * NATO members are facing strong demands to meet their commitments on nuclear disarmament * NATO members are being challenged over the political legitimacy and the legality of NATO nuclear sharing under the NPT. Neutral and Non-Aligned States have called on NATO to revoke nuclear sharing arrangements, since they are incompatible with the NPT. * NATO members are likely to face both the risks resulting from future nuclear proliferation and the blame for not having acted in time in making progress on nuclear disarmament and safeguarding the NPT. NATO's nuclear weapon states have tried to avoid the change urgently required. Thus they have risked the future of both nuclear disarmament and the NPT. Since they did not succeed in entirely prohibiting the debate within the Alliance, they are now indicating they might be willing to discuss the nuclear aspects of NATO's strategy after NATO's April Summit within a high level NATO group. However, this position is likely to be changed once NATO has adopted its new strategy during that Summit and - maybe - some minor changes to the nuclear paragraphs have been made. Unless NATO enters a firm and binding commitment to fully revisit the role of nuclear weapons in its strategy and to draw conclusions at its autumn 1999 Ministerials, i.e. in time for the world community to prepare positions for the 2000 NPT Review Conference - NATO's nuclear members are likely to argue that no further change is required for a strategy just adopted after a thorough review. This would close the window of opportunity for fresh momentum to nuclear disarmament existing today and would put the NPT under risk. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: LCNP@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) Marshall Islands correction Date: 03 Mar 1999 17:10:55 EST Dear People, The problem with writing messages late at night is that I sometimes make mistakes. It was the Foreign Secretary not the Foreign Minister of Marshall Islands who participated in the book launch. Sorry Alyn - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Mark Mebane Subject: (abolition-usa) JOB ANNOUNCEMENT Date: 04 Mar 1999 10:11:30 -0500 HIRING PUBLIC EDUCATION COORDINATOR, NUCLEAR ABOLITION PROJECT. Coordinator will implement a new program of national public outreach and education for progressive organizations toward the goal of nuclear weapons reduction and elimination. Three years' experience in policy advocacy or research on nuclear disarmament. For full job announcement email: lgerber@fourthfreedom.org. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) UK has already taken weapons off alert Date: 04 Mar 1999 10:49:34 -0500 > > Dear Friends, As we work on efforts for dealerting, I think it would be useful to make reference to the rarely discussed UK Strategic Defence Review(SDR), July= 1998, which notes that UK Trident warheads "will routinely be at a "notice to= fire" measured in days rather than the few minutes quick reaction alert that we sustained throughout the Cold War". The full report can be found at http://www.mod.uk/policy/sdr/nuclear.htm Below is an excerpt from the SDR. > > NUCLEAR DETERRENT=20 > > - > > =96 The SDR has confirmed that in a changing and uncertain world, Britain= =20 > continues to require a credible and effective minimum nuclear deterrent=20 > based on the Trident submarine force. This has provided Britain's only=20 > nuclear system since the withdrawal of the last of the RAF's free-fall=20 > nuclear bombs earlier this year, performing both the strategic and=20 > sub-strategic role.=20 > > =96 We will therefore continue to maintain a posture of continuous= deterrent=20 > patrols with a total force of four Trident ballistic missile submarines.= =20 > The last Trident submarine, VENGEANCE, will enter service as previously=20 > planned around the turn of the century.=20 > > =96 Our Trident force will continue to be allocated to NATO in both the=20 > strategic and sub-strategic roles. It will however remain operationally=20 > independent and available for use by the United Kingdom alone in a case of= =20 > supreme national need.=20 > > =96 But continuing improvements in the overall international environment= =20 > allow us to maintain our nuclear forces at reduced readiness and to make= =20 > reductions in warhead numbers.=20 > > =96 The SDR has concluded that we can maintain a credible deterrent while= =20 > making the following changes in our nuclear posture:=20 > > a.. the single Trident submarine on deterrent patrol at any time will=20 > carry 48 warheads (the same number as deployed on each Polaris submarine= =20 > when they entered service);=20 > a.. we will maintain a stockpile of fewer than 200 operationally=20 > available warheads;=20 > a.. the submarines will routinely be at a "notice to fire" measured in=20 > days rather than the few minutes quick reaction alert that we sustained=20 > throughout the Cold War;=20 > a.. submarines on patrol will carry out a variety of secondary tasks,=20 > without compromising their security, including hydrographic data=20 > collection, equipment trials and exercises with other vessels;=20 > a.. we plan over time to reduce to single crews for each submarine,=20 > reflecting reduced operational tempo and reducing operating costs.=20 > =96 We have also taken an initiative to increase openness about our= nuclear=20 > capabilities by releasing details of our defence stocks of plutonium and= =20 > highly enriched uranium.=20 > > =96 In parallel, the Government will press for multilateral negotiations= =20 > towards mutual, balanced and verifiable reductions in nuclear weapons.=20 > British nuclear weapons will be included in such negotiations when the=20 > Government is satisfied with verified progress towards the goal of the=20 > global elimination of nuclear weapons.=20 > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ------=20 > > > > > > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Timothy Bruening Subject: (abolition-usa) Nuclear Nightmare Date: 04 Mar 1999 22:48:25 -0800 (PST) Last week, I had a nuclear nightmare. I was sitting in an auditorium when someone said that a nuclear bomb would explode in the auditorium in 15 minutes. I ran north, hid behind a building, and waited for the bomb to explode. After the explosion, I looked south and saw a mushroom cloud and burned rubble. I then continued on north to escape from the fallout. Have you ever had a nuclear nightmare? - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Timothy Bruening Subject: (abolition-usa) Re: memorial ceremony 6. October / new email Date: 04 Mar 1999 22:48:23 -0800 (PST) At 08:32 AM 7/21/98 +0200, you wrote: >To all peace movements: > >We propose that all peace-organisations / -groups in the world make a memorial ceremony the 6. of October =96 this year or in 1999. And make this= to a tradition as long as some countries have atomic weapon. Why October 6? Why not August 6, the day of the Hiroshima nuke? - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) ACTION ALERT: Letter to German Foreign Minister Fischer Date: 05 Mar 1999 09:43:16 -0500 Dear Friends, Our Abolition 2000 colleague in Germany, Xanthe Hall at IPPNW, has requested that US Abolition groups send letters to German Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer, thanking him for his courageous stand in challenging US nuclear policy. He needs to hear from lots of Americans that his actions are popular with us and are supported. Below is a sample letter which you may use to write your own letter. Many thanks for your help with this important initiative. Peace, Alice Slater >To US abolition groups >Please consider signing this letter and sending it to Joschka Fischer. >Thank you > >Xanthe Hall, IPPNW > > >SAMPLE LETTER for Abolition Groups > >To Foreign Minister >Joschka Fischer >Auswaertiges Amt >Adenauer Allee 99-103 >D-53113 Bonn >GERMANY > > >Dear Sir, > >I am writing to thank you for your continued efforts to initiate a debate >on the policy of >first-use of nuclear weapons in the review of the NATO strategic concept, >and to >encourage you to remain vocal on this issue. > >Our organization supports the abolition of all nuclear weapons and the >negotiation of a >treaty to regulate their elimination (Nuclear Weapons Convention). We >belong to the >Global Network for the elimination of nuclear weapons - Abolition 2000 - >which is >supported by over 1300 organizations, and works for the immediate >commencement of >negotiations for a convention to be completed by the year 2000. This >initiative was >started in 1995 at the NPT Review and Extension Conference. > >If nuclear weapons are to be abolished, the present deadlock in >disarmament has to be >broken. The dependence on nuclear weapons to give a false sense of >security has to be >reduced and eventually given up, when it is understood that they make us >less safe and >have nothing to do with our security needs. > >The coalition agreement between the Green and Social Democratic Parties >states that a >new dynamic may be achieved through unilateral disarmament initiatives. It >is our belief >that a clear signal by NATO at this time that they are willing to >significantly reduce the >role of nuclear weapons in the strategic concept, renounce first-use and >even remove the >remaining few US nuclear free-fall bombs based in Europe, would help to >revitalize the >disarmament process. > >As a US non-governmental organization, we wish to express our profound >disappointment at the lack of willingness of the US government to debate >the role of >nuclear weapons in the strategic review. An opinion poll showed majority >of US citizens >(87%) would like to see the US negotiate an agreement to abolish nuclear >weapons, a >desire which is not reflected by the US administration in disarmament >fora. The foreign >policy of the US leads the international community to believe that the >United States is >not in favor of giving up nuclear weapons at all, whereas in actual fact >the majority of >people in the US say they would feel safer knowing that the US and other >countries had >none (84%) and that the US spends too much on its nuclear weapons program. >These >figures are relatively unknown outside of the disarmament community, but >may be of >interest to you in promoting your initiative for the reduction of the role >of nuclear >weapons within NATO. > >I wish you success and courage in the debate on no first-use and encourage >you to >remember that there are many of us in the United States that are looking >to Germany to >continue to take the lead on this extremely important issue. > >Yours sincerely, > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Re: UK has already taken weapons off alert Date: 05 Mar 1999 11:47:42 -0500 >Date: Fri, 05 Mar 1999 16:15:31 -0500 >Subject: Re: UK has already taken weapons off alert >To: aslater@gracelinks.org, abolition-caucus@igc.apc.org >From: acronym@gn.apc.org (acronym@gn.apc.org) > >Thanks to Alice for putting up some sections of the UK Strategic Defence >Review (SDR). I think we need to exercise some caution, however, about >equating the UK announcement with de-alerting, a term the government has >specifically avoided. >For more analysis on what the SDR meant for nuclear policy, you can find >six >short critiques (from a range of perspectives) in Disarmament Diplomacy 28 >(on our website) and some pertinent extracts and documentation from the SDR >and its supporting essays in the same edition. For your interest, I am >copying a couple of paragraphs I wrote on the implications of the 'reduced >day to day alert' status announced, after discussing in more detail during >a >meeting with MOD officials and Frank von Hippel. >In encouraging the other NWS to do likewise, it is perhaps useful to use >the >UK as a positive example of taking the first step, but we should not >congratulate my esteemed government too much, as they specifically ruled >out >taking any of the more substantial or verifiable de-alerting steps that had >been proposed for the SDR. > >EXTRACT FROM DISARMAMENT DIPLOMACY 28 (JULY 1998) ON UK STRATEGIC DEFENCE >REVIEW >'STILL PUNCHING ABOVE OUR WEIGHT' by Rebecca Johnson > >....Significantly, Labour announced that its nuclear forces were on a >"reduced day-to-day alert state", not targeted, and normally at "several >days 'notice to fire'". This appears to be an unverifiable operational >decision, rather than technical de-alerting. It provides a welcome >protection against accidental, hair trigger or unauthorised firing, but >falls a long way short of the kind of confidence-building measures and >operational marginalisation of nuclear weapons that had been called for by >many citizens' groups and analysts. Indeed, Despite the MOD's actual >failure to provide continuous 24-hour patrols during the past decade, >Labour >confirmed the aim of having at least one Trident submarine at sea at all >times. The argument for mothballing the fourth submarine was rejected. >All >four will be brought into service, with the intention of having two in port >while one is on patrol. The implication is that deterrence requires >continuous readiness, if not hair trigger alert. Relying on arguments >about >'surprise attack' and potential misunderstandings, the SDR rejected >proposals for 'de-weaponising' Trident by separating and storing the >warheads on land. On the contrary, it pledges to "ensure that we can >restore a higher state of alert should this become necessary at any time." >Stating that the "credibility of deterrence also depends on retaining an >option for a limited strike that would not automatically lead to a full >scale nuclear exchange", the SDR proposes a 'sub-strategic' role for >Trident, but fails to say what that might look like. > >Although the SDR states that "the Government wishes to see a safer world in >which there is no place for nuclear weapons", it clearly does not envisage >Britain giving them up any time soon: "while large nuclear arsenals and >risks of proliferation remain, our minimum deterrent remains a necessary >element of our security". Elsewhere, the SDR refers to nuclear deterrence >as >"longer term insurance" for NATO........................ > >website address is below. > > > >The Acronym Institute >24, Colvestone Crescent, London E8 2LH, England. >telephone (UK +44) (0) 171 503 8857 >fax (0) 171 503 9153 >website http://www.gn.apc.org/acronym > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) Nuclear Nightmare Date: 05 Mar 1999 11:54:42 EST In a message dated 3/5/99 1:49:17 AM Eastern Standard Time, tsbrueni@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us writes: << Subj: (abolition-usa) Nuclear Nightmare Date: 3/5/99 1:49:17 AM Eastern Standard Time From: tsbrueni@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us (Timothy Bruening) Sender: owner-abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com Reply-to: abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com To: abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com Last week, I had a nuclear nightmare. I was sitting in an auditorium when someone said that a nuclear bomb would explode in the auditorium in 15 minutes. I ran north, hid behind a building, and waited for the bomb to explode. After the explosion, I looked south and saw a mushroom cloud and burned rubble. I then continued on north to escape from the fallout. Have you ever had a nuclear nightmare? >> Oh yes, Timothy - but long ago, just as we entered the nuclear age, back in the late 1940's or early 1950's. Other nightmares since, but only one that was nuclear. The bomb was part of the origin of the "Beats" - time was ending, all things had to be of immediate value (not immediate gratification - somewhat different). David McReynolds - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jan Harwood Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) New brochure Date: 05 Mar 1999 16:46:57 -0800 Our Abolition 2000 Committee (WILPF, Santa Cruz) would like 50 of your brochures. We've reviewed them and think they're a vivid introduction to the subject. Please send them to Jan Harwood, 312 Elm St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Thanks very much, and good work! - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Ross Wilcock" Subject: (abolition-usa) FW: Nuclear Y2K Date: 05 Mar 1999 23:29:45 -0500 STAR/NIRS/BASIC, as a component to the March 8 symposium on Nuclear Y2K in the Cannon Caucus Room, has scheduled an activist meeting on Nuclear Y2K the day before the symposium. The activist meeting will be from 2-5 on Sunday March 7, 1999 at the NIRS office which is located at 1424 16th Street NW, Suite 404. Scott Cullen Counsel STAR (Standing for Truth About Radiation) P.O. Box 4206 East Hampton, NY 11937 (516) 324-0655 fax: 516 324-2203 scott@noradiation.org - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) Bombs Away Date: 06 Mar 1999 23:07:39 -0800 Bombs Away The American handling of atomic weapons in peacetime has been riddled with mishaps. The most spectacular accidents have come in the mere transport of the bombs from one place to another. In early 1958, for example, a B-47 crashed into a fighter plane and jettisoned a nuclear weapon into the sea off Savannah Beach, Georgia. The bomb was never found. Later that year another B-47 accidentally dropped an atomic bomb while flying over Florence, South Carolina. When it hit the ground, an explosion with the power of several hundred pounds of TNT blasted out a crater thirty-five feet deep and spread a ring of plutonium around the area. Local residents preparing for a family picnic heard it coming and barely had time to duck for cover. "It blew out the side and top of the garage just as my boy ran inside with me," said Walter "Bill" Gregg, whose family was injured in the blast. "The timbers were falling around us. There was a green, foggy haze, then a cloud of black smoke. It lasted about thirty seconds. When it cleared up, I looked at the house. The top was blown in and a side almost blown off." The government later dragged Gregg's compensation claims through the courts. He finally won fifty-four thousand dollars, but was left deeply embittered by the experience.[2] In 1961 two more American atomic bombs were dropped over Goldsboro, North Carolina, by a crashing B-52. One deployed a parachute, which eased its fall to earth; the other broke apart on impact. Another B-52 with four hydrogen bombs aboard crashed into an ice floe near Thule, Greenland. The entire plane and its cargo apparently disintegrated, leaving a radioactive hole nearly half a mile long in its wake. With abundant apologies to the Danish government, which rules Greenland, the military was forced to ship 1.7 million gallons of contaminated ice and snow back to the United States for disposal. In January of 1966 yet another B-52 crashed into its refueling tanker and spewed three hydrogen bombs onto the fishing village of Palomares, Spain. A fourth bomb dropped into the Mediterranean. TNT exploded in two of the bombs and spread plutonium over a square mile, forcing the U.S. to destroy local crops and remove tons of radioactive topsoil back to South Carolina for burial. In all, the U.S. military admits to twenty-seven accidents involving nuclear weapons--which it terms "Broken Arrows." Independent critics charge the figure is more like 125.[3] If the handling of nuclear bombs has been less than perfect, so has their production. In 1963, for example, a fire at the AEC's Medina works in San Antonio touched off 120,000 tons of explosives and sent a uranium cloud into the environs of one of Texas's largest cities. At least two major explosions also ripped through the AEC's Burlington, Iowa, bomb-assembly plant. And the AEC's hydrogen-bomb fabrication plant at Pantex, Texas (near Amarillo), was severely damaged by a freak hailstorm, despite its supposed invulnerability to enemy attack.[4] Significant quantities of radiation have also leaked into the environment. In 1974 the operators of the huge Savannah River weapons facility at Aiken, South Carolina, accidentally released some 435,000 curies of radioactive tritium in a single day--the largest single tritium emission ever reported in the U.S. Studies of the local water system show serious contamination, and there are preliminary indications of an escalated cancer rate among people living near the plant.[5] Overall, the American nuclear weapons production program has been plagued with mismanagement, cost overruns, sloppy handling of radioactive materials, and low worker morale. All of which may have found its ultimate expression at the Idaho Nuclear Engineering Laboratory (INEL), a vast outpost where research-and-development projects are conducted for the military, spent nuclear submarine fuel is recycled, and military radioactive wastes are stored. INEL has a bleak history. In 1960 three technicians were killed there when a fuel rod blew out of a small test reactor, piercing the body of one and pinning him to the reactor containment, high above the core. The other two men were hopelessly contaminated, and pieces of their bodies had to be buried in lead caskets. An NRC official later indicated that the "accident" may have been caused deliberately by one of the technicians in a bizarre suicide-murder plot stemming from a love triangle at the plant.[6] In subsequent years INEL has been plagued with sloppy handling of nuclear wastes. Concentrated uranium was accidentally dumped on a nearby road. Far more serious, INEL management from 1952 to 1970 deliberately dumped some sixteen billion gallons of liquid wastes into wells that feed directly into the water table below. Radioactive contamination has been found 7.5 miles away, angering local farmers and raising questions about the long-term fate of the huge Snake River Aquifer, a major underground water source for much of the American Northwest.[7] An even more severe accident, however, occurred during the 1978 World Series. With the Yankees leading the Dodgers 7-2, the plant supervisor was engrossed in the game on a portable TV set he had sneaked, against regulations, into the facility. Had he not been so involved in watching New York win yet another World Championship, he might have noticed that an abnormal buildup of radioactivity was occurring in a small uranium-processing column nearby. No one was checking the plant's monitoring devices. One recording chart had run out of paper two weeks earlier. Meanwhile the solution in the processing column was dangerously unbalanced. As the game was getting under way, uranium concentrations in the column were sixty times what they should have been. Suddenly, at 8:45 P.M., high-radiation alarms began ringing around the plant. The panicked supervisor abandoned the Yankees. Operators in the control room fled to a sheltered area.[8] Fortunately the column was brought under control. But official figures showed that at least eight thousand curies of radioactive iodine, krypton, and xenon had been released into the atmosphere, more than enough to threaten the health of anyone downwind.[9] The supervisor was later fired. An investigation of worker alienation and low morale at INEL concluded that the situation was bad, with no easy solutions available. As a health physicist who worked on the study told The Idaho Statesman: "It's a generic question that I have no answer for."[10] 2. Clyde W. Burleson, The Day the Bomb Fell on America (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1978), p. 13. The Savannah Beach incident appears on p. 16. 3. David E. Kaplan, "Where the Bombs Are," New West, April 1981, p. 80. 4. Rapoport, Great American Bomb Machine, pp. 22-23. 5. Robert Alvarez, Report on the Savannah River Plant Study (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Policy Institute, 1980) (hereafter cited as Savannah River Study). 6. Stephen Hanauer, NRC, interview, June 1981. 7. High Country News, February 8, 1980, p. 10, see also, Progressive, October 1980, and J. T. Barraclough, et al., Hydrology of the Solid Waste Burial Ground, as Related to the Potential Migration of Radionuclides, Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Open File Report #76-471 (Idaho Falls: U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, August 1981) (hereafter cited as Hydrology). 8. Idaho Statesman, April 25, April 26, and May 22, 1979. The bulk of the "World Series" story appears in the May 22 edition. 9. DOE, Radioactive Waste Management Information: 1978 Summary and Record-to-Date (Washington, D.C. July 1979), p. 12 (DOE, Nuclear Fuel Cycle Division, Idaho Operations Office, prepared by E.G. & G. Idaho). 10. Idaho Statesman, May 22, 1979. Disaster at Rocky Flats Two decades before that incident a devastating but little-known fire at Rocky Flats laced the Colorado winds with deadly plutonium. Built in the early 1950s at a cost of $240 million, the huge factory produces plutonium triggers for hydrogen bombs. It sprawls at the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, its tall stacks jutting out of the flatlands. Steady winds rush through the canyons and into those plains, often reaching blasts of up to eighty miles per hour--and quite often heading toward Denver, sixteen miles to the east/southeast. In fact the air currents are so powerful that in the late 1970s the Department of Energy chose a patch of land just west of the plutonium plant as its prime national site for testing windmill components. As a key link in the cold war rush to nuclear supremacy Rocky Flats was built under great secrecy. The handling of large quantities of plutonium at the plant was not made public until 1955, two years after it had opened. There was no public input into choosing the site. The military, said Dr. Tony Robbins, former director of the Colorado Department of Health, "made a decision to place a plant with a large quantity of plutonium and a lot of other trace elements pretty much within the Denver metropolitan area." The siting was "clearly a mistake."[11] Approximately 600,000 people live within twenty miles of the plant. A major component of the Rocky Flats operation is the glove box production line. In it lumps of plutonium are measured, machined, milled, and shaped to use in bomb triggers. The material is kept in airtight boxes and manipulated by workers from the outside who use rubber gloves fastened to the boxes, thus avoiding any contact with the toxic metal inside. But plutonium can catch fire spontaneously in air. In the evening of September 11, 1957, some of the "skulls" on the glove box line of Room 180 in Building 771 ignited. The fire was found by two plant production men shortly after 10:00 P.M. The area was designed to be fireproof. But it was soon a radioactive inferno. Firemen switched on ventilating fans, but that backfired, spreading flames to still more plutonium. They then sprayed carbon dioxide into the area. That also failed. Meanwhile the filters designed to trap plutonium escaping up the stacks caught fire. The shift captain and other observers reported a billowing black cloud pouring some 80 to 160 feet into the air above the 150-foot-high stack of Building 771. As the crisis intensified, plant officials struggled to find a solution. They knew water would destroy millions of dollars' worth of complex equipment. They also knew the intense heat might flash the water into enough steam to blast into an explosion and send even more plutonium particles flying toward Denver. But when the carbon dioxide failed, there was no alternative. In the early hours of the morning water began pouring into the blaze. Fortunately it worked. The fire went dead roughly thirteen hours after it began.[12] The damage was extensive. Initial AEC reports contended that there was "no spread of radioactive contamination of any consequence." Seth Woodruff, manager of the Rocky Flats AEC office, told the local media that "possibly" some radiation had escaped. "But if so," he emphasized, "the spread was so slight it could not immediately be distinguished from radioactive background at the plant.[13] But--as at Three Mile Island twenty-two years later--there was no reliable equipment operable at the time to monitor the amount of radiation that actually went out the stacks. Not until a week after the fire were working gauges installed. Then, in a single day, emissions registered sixteen thousand times the permissible level--a full fifty years' worth of the allowable quota. Some fourteen to twenty kilograms were estimated to have burned in the fire, enough to make at least two bombs equivalent to the one dropped on Nagasaki.[14] And that may not have been the worst of it. According to a study based on figures from Dow Chemical, which operated Rocky Flats at the time, some thirteen grams of plutonium were routinely deposited daily on the first stage of filters in Building 771. According to government documents obtained in a lawsuit against the plant, the 620 filters in the building's main plenum had not been changed since they were installed four years before the fire. Thus a pair of local researchers theorized that as much as 250 kilograms of airborne plutonium could have gone out the stacks from the burning filters alone.[15] Such an enormous release of plutonium struck some in the Denver area as beyond plausibility. But a much lower estimate of 48.8 pounds of plutonium--one tenth of the 250-kilogram figure--was calculated as enough to administer each of the 1.4 million people in the Denver environs a radiation dose one million times the maximum permissible lung burden.[16] "I find the high release estimates hard to believe," we were told by Dr. John Cobb of the University of Colorado Medical School. "But even if only one gram of plutonium escaped, as the plant operators say, that would be cause for concern."[17] Nor was plutonium the fire's only by-product. The water used to extinguish it became infused with radioactivity. In this case some thirty thousand gallons of it escaped unfiltered, thus spreading its contamination into local streams and the water table. Through the whole crisis there had been no warning to local schools, health departments, police, or elected officials that something extraordinary and dangerous was happening at Rocky Flats. There were no backup plans for evacuation, no notification to area farmers or ranchers to safeguard their health or that of their animals. And though some of the buildings were heavily contaminated, bomb-trigger production was back under way within a few days. Over the next thirteen months, Rocky Flats's operators recorded twenty-one fires, explosions, spills of radioactive material, and contamination incidents inside the plant.[18] 11. Rocky Flats Action Group, Local Hazard, Global Threat Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant (Rocky Flats Action Group, 2239 E. Colfax, Denver, CO, 1977), p. 3 (hereafter cited as Local Hazard). 12. Carl Johnson, "Comments on the 1957 Fire at the Rocky Flats Plant, in Jefferson County, Colorado," report to the Conference on the Relation of Environmental Pollution to the Cancer Problem in Colorado, at the American Medical Center Cancer Research Center and Hospital in Lakewood, Colorado, September 1980 (hereafter cited as "Comments"); and Rapoport, Great American Bomb Machine, pp. 27-28. 13. Denver Post, September 12, 1957. 14. Johnson,"Comments." 15. For the 250-kilogram estimate, Johnson in "Comments" cites R. W. Woodward, "Plutonium Particulate Study in Booster System No. 3 (Building 771) Filter Plenum" (Golden, Colo.: The Rocky Flats Plant, January 27, 1971); and H. Holme and S. Chinn, "Pre-Trial Statement," Civil Action Nos. 75-M-1111, 75-M-1162, and 75-M-1296 (Denver: U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, 1978). See also, J. B. Owen, "Reviews of the Exhaust Air Filtering and Air Sampling, Building 771," unpublished manuscript, Rocky Flats Plant, Golden, Colorado, March 14, 1963. 16. Rocky Flats Action Group, Local Hazard, p. 3; see also, F. W. Krey and E. P. Hardy, Plutonium in Soil Around the Rocky Flats Plant (New York: AEC Health and Safety Library, 1970), p. 36; Carl Johnson, et al., "Plutonium Hazard in Respirable Dust on the Surface of Soil," Science, August 6, 1979, pp. 488-490; and Jack Anderson, "Colorado Plant Eyed as Radiation Source," Washington Post, March 25, 1979, p. D25. 17. John C. Cobb, interview, May 1981. 18. Rapoport, Great American Bomb Machine, p. 28. More Fires A continent and an ocean away, in countryside that could hardly have been less like the flatland at the foot of the Rockies, Britain was also facing a disaster from bomb production. Amid the cold, deep lakes and lush farmlands of the English north country, fire struck the plutonium production reactor at Windscale in early October 1957--less than a month after the first fire at Rocky Flats. Windscale was designed to produce plutonium for bombs. Rocky Flats made such plutonium--once it was chemically processed--into triggers. On October 7 uranium fuel pellets in the Windscale reactor caught fire. Attempts to quench them failed. Though the plant was a military facility, word of the accident soon spread. The public was told the radiation releases were harmless, and there was no danger of an explosion. Both statements were false. Radiation monitors at the plant site and in the countryside showed high levels of contamination. As at Rocky Flats, carbon dioxide could not extinguish the fire. On its fifth day plant officials prepared to use their last resort--water. At 9:00 A.M. two plant technicians and a local fire chief dragged a hose to the top of the containment dome and aimed it at the flaming core within. Plant workers and firemen ducked behind steel barriers and braced themselves for the worst. As water surged through the hose, radioactive steam poured out the stacks and into the wind. There was no explosion. The core was soon flooded; danger of a meltdown was over. But by Monday, October 14, a ban on the sale of milk had been enforced over a two-hundred-square-mile area. Thousands of gallons of contaminated milk were dumped into the Irish Sea. Hundreds of cows, goats, and sheep were confiscated, shot, and buried. Farmers who slaughtered their animals for meat were told to send the thyroid glands to the government for testing. Workers at the nearby Calder Hall reactor were ordered to scrub down with stiff brushes to remove contamination from their skin. Coal miners working in nearby shafts were replaced with "fresh" workers who had not been exposed to the radiation that had filtered through the mine ventilation systems. And in London, three hundred miles away, radiation monitors noted significantly increased levels. Despite the national emergency that had been proclaimed, British officials told the public it was unlikely "in the highest degree" that anyone had been harmed by the accident.[19] But several months later British officials conceded to a United Nations conference at Geneva that nearly seven hundred curies of cesium and strontium had been released, plus twenty thousand curies of I-131. The admitted iodine dose represented more than fourteen hundred times the quantity American officials later claimed had been released during the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island.[20] Like its ally across the Atlantic, the British government studiously avoided systematic follow-up studies on the health of area residents. When a local health officer named Frank Madge used a Geiger counter to confirm abnormal radiation levels in mosses and lichens, officials from the British Atomic Energy Authority actively discouraged publication of his findings.[21] A study of health data in downwind European countries later indicated a clear impact of the accident on infant-mortality rates. It was, Dr. Ernest Sternglass told us, "as if a small bomb had been detonated in northern Great Britain."[22] Eight years and eight days after the accident at Windscale--on October 15 1965--yet another major fire at Rocky Flats contaminated twenty-five workers with up to seventeen times the maximum permissible dose. In 1968 a truck carrying contaminated soil to an off-site burial ground was found to be leaking, forcing plant operators to repave one mile of road. It was a modest measure at best, considering that the half-life of plutonium is more than twenty-four thousand years, while the "full-life" of asphalt paving is far less.[23] Then, on Sunday, May 11, 1969--at a time when little Kristen Haag was likely to be playing in her sandbox six miles downwind--plutonium stored in a cabinet at Rocky Flats ignited. The flames leapt into the glove boxes of Buildings 776 and 777. At 2:27 P.M., when the fire alarms sounded, the blaze was out of control. According to veteran reporter Roger Rapoport, author of The Great American Bomb Machine: "When company firemen reached [Building] 776-777 they found tons of flammable radiation shielding feeding the blaze. The fire-fighters donned respirators and charged into the dense smoke." Once again plant officials hesitated to use water. But when the carbon dioxide supplies ran out--after ten minutes--they had no choice. At times the smoke billowed so thickly that firemen were "forced to crawl out along exit lines painted on the floor." After four hours the fire was under control. But isolated areas continued to burn through the night. The AEC first estimated the damage at three million dollars. It soon proved to be more like forty-five million dollars, ranking it as the most expensive industrial fire in American history at that time. It would take two years and hundreds of regular and part-time employees to clean up the mess. One regular plant janitor refused to help in the cleanup for fear of radiation poisoning. He was fired. Far from letting a major radioactive fire slow down bomb production, Rocky Flats operators continued full-speed construction of a seventy-four-million-dollar addition designed to increase plant capacity by half.[24] Nor were the fires the only source of contamination. Dow records showed that at least one thousand barrels of contaminated lathe oil were burned in the open air during their operation of the plant, sending unknown quantities of uranium into the air. And despite assurances to the public that no radioactive waste was being stored on site, more than fourteen hundred barrels of it were found there. When AEC officials decided to move those barrels in the spring of 1970, a Dow report confirmed that "ten percent of the drums had holes apparently caused by rust and corrosion. . . . Many of the liquid drums developed leaks during handling or after exposure to air and sun."[25] One Dow study indicated that up to forty-two grams of plutonium had been carried off by winds blowing through the drum storage area.[26] Another Dow report conceded that normal plant operations were resulting in the daily release of millions of individual particles of plutonium, each of which could lodge in a human or animal lung, or be ingested with local-grown food and feed. Such particles are known to cause serious internal damage. DOE monitoring records kept from 1970 to 1977 indicated that levels of airborne plutonium were higher in the Rocky Flats area than at any of fifty other stations around the U.S. Dust samples downwind showed plutonium concentrations 3,390 times what might be expected from fallout. Evidence also surfaced that the nearby town reservoir had been contaminated.[27] Constant mishaps at Rocky Flats led to a growing distrust among area residents. As early as 1969, in the wake of the fire that spring, a group of scientists from local industries and universities asked DOE and the AEC to monitor the soil downwind. Their request was refused. So Dr. Edward Martell, a nuclear chemist working at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, with considerable experience from the bomb-testing era, decided in the fall of 1969 to conduct some tests of his own. His findings confirmed some of the community's worst fears. Abnormal plutonium levels were clearly evident in soil to the east and southeast of the plant. Martell quickly came under attack from plant supporters. But when the AEC did its own study of downwind soil, it also had to admit to significant contamination. "We find his results are accurate," conceded a ranking military spokesman. "We don't disagree with his new data. As far as measurements, sampling techniques, and knowledge of science, we think Martell is a very competent scientist." The AEC did, however, question Martell's health conclusions. "While it is true," they said, "that some plutonium is escaping from the plant, we don't believe it presents a significant health hazard to Denver." Dr. Arthur Tamplin--at the time a leading AEC health researcher--strongly disagreed. The Martell study "shows about one trillion pure plutonium oxide particles have escaped from Rocky Flats," he warned. "These are very hot particles. You may only have to inhale 300 of them to double your risk of lung cancer." Tamplin calculated that if plutonium had been spread as Martell suggested, lung-cancer rates in Denver could rise, over time, 10 percent. An additional two thousand Coloradans could fall victim to Rocky Flats.[28] 19. John G. Fuller, We Almost Lost Detroit (New York: Reader's Digest Press, 1975), p. 86. The Windscale story is told on pp. 71-87. 20. Virginia Brodine, Radioactive Contamination (New York: Harcourt Brace, 1975). 21. Ibid. 22. Ernest Sternglass, interview, October 1980. High cesium levels in people eating fish caught "in the path of the Windscale effluent" are noted in E. D. Williams, et al., "Whole Body Cesium-137 Levels in Man in Scotland, 1978-9," Health Physics Journal 40 (January 1981): 1-4. The contamination seems to be coming from ongoing operations at the Windscale reprocessing facility. 23. Rapoport, Great American Bomb Machine, pp. 31-36. 24. Ibid. 25. Ibid., p. 25. 26. S. E. Hammond, "Industrial-Type Operations as a Source of Environmental Plutonium" (Golden, Colo.: Dow Chemical Company, 1970). 27. Carl Johnson, "Cancer Incidence in an Area Contaminated with Radionuclides Near a Nuclear Installation" (report presented at a session sponsored by the Occupational Health and Safety, Environment, Epidemiology, and Radiological Health sections of the American Public Health Association at the 107th Annual Meeting, New York, November 9, 1979) (hereafter cited as "Cancer Incidence"). For a notation of contamination in the Broomfield Reservoir, see also Rocky Flats Action Group, Local Hazard, pp. 4-5. 28. Rapoport, Great American Bomb Machine, pp. 38-39. A Grim Harvest To Lloyd Mixon, Rocky Flats is an unwelcome newcomer. "I can walk out the back door twenty feet and see where I was born," he told us from his thirty-acre farm in Broomfield. "I was here a long time before that plant was." Six miles to the east, Mixon can see the tall stacks of the plutonium factory, with the winds blowing toward him "right down out of the canyon." In 1975 he told a joint congressional-gubernatorial commission that bizarre problems had begun surfacing among his animals, problems in quantities he had never seen before. There was a calf born hairless with a body full of a watery substance and a liver "three times normal." There were pigs and fowl with mutations. There was another calf born dead with tissue that tested similar to cows exposed to radiation under experimental conditions. Mixon later told the crew from Dark Circle that pigs had been born on his farm whose "nose and mouth [are] twisted, where they're not able to nurse." Some, he added, had been born with five toes instead of the normal four. Others had hips and ears badly deformed, "with eyes that were not like they're supposed to be." "We've had chickens with no eyes," he added, "you break open the shell, they've got beaks like needles." Mixon continued, "We've had them where their legs have been so badly twisted and turned that they were unable to kick out of the shell. We had a chicken hatch with the brains right on top of his head." State health inspectors told Mixon his problems stemmed from poor feed and hygiene. "They brought down what was supposed to be an expert, and he didn't even know how long it took for the eggs of different birds to hatch," said Mixon. But those birds that had allegedly been deformed because of poor food and hygiene had been kept in sanitary wire cages and fed commercial grain. "According to the ticket on the feed we buy, it has everything adequate in it. So it's caused from something else." Inbreeding was also suggested, but in one case "the female came out of Pennsylvania and the male came out of Texas. There's no way they could be related." There were also charges of mismanagement. "I've had livestock ever since I've been three years old," Mixon said. "My people back years and years have had livestock." Mixon's anger was reminiscent of the days when the AEC had scorned sheep farmers whose animals had died in bomb fallout. And his experiences matched those of a growing roster of farmers near nuclear facilities whose animals seemed to serve as a bellwether for bad news to come from radiation. In Pennsylvania, New York State, Vermont, New Hampshire, Arkansas, and Colorado farmers have complained of bizarre deformities, reproductive problems, and unexplained deaths among their animals--problems that seem to have no other possible cause except nearby nuclear facilities. In nearly every case "experts" from state agriculture departments have discounted the claims, blaming other factors ranging from weather to bad feed to inbreeding to mismanagement. But Lloyd Mixon blamed Rocky Flats. "We used to have several different varieties of pheasants," he told Dark Circle. "We got where they wouldn't produce. The eggs were infertile. So we just went out of it. Then we had some lambs born with the guts, or the insides hanging out. [Some would] be alive. We've had some born dead that way. We've had kid goats born with growths on them. . . ." And, he told us, there've been "geese who would walk across the yard and all of a sudden, they'll stiffen up and die. There've been deformities in cats, and they've stopped reproducing the way they should. We've lost a couple of dogs with cancer." The health department, Mixon added, won't release any data on other cases. But Mixon has received numerous calls from neighbors, including one who complained of eleven colts, all born in the same season, all born blind. And there was general agreement that wildlife had disappeared from the area. "You don't see a rabbit around here anymore," he said. "And people that try to raise them . . . they just stop reproducing."[29] Mixon noted that many of his neighbors prefer to keep quiet about what is happening for fear of undercutting the value of their property and their produce. One of his neighbors who did agree to talk with us--anonymously--told us she had lost so many colts to stillbirths and deformities that she went out of the horse-raising business altogether. "The animals aren't what they used to be and nobody's is getting any better," she said.[30] Unfortunately the problems do not seem to be limited to animals. In the late 1970s Dr. Carl Johnson began finding abnormal cancer rates among human beings downwind from Rocky Flats. The stolid, conservative Dr. Johnson is former director of the Health Department of Jefferson County, which encompasses Rocky Flats. He is also an officer with the Army Reserve and maintains a top-secret "Q" clearance. As a public-health officer Johnson became disturbed by the constant malfunctioning of the nuclear industry and began his own studies to confirm or deny what the AEC and DOE were telling--and not telling--the public about Rocky Flats. Dividing the downwind area into four zones and correcting for age, race, sex, and ethnicity, Johnson found male cancer rates in the zone closest to the plant to be 24 percent higher than in the zone farthest away. Intermediate zones showed excess rates of 15 percent and 8 percent. Female cancer rates were 10 percent higher in the near zone as opposed to the farthest one, with intermediate zones showing excesses of 5 percent and 4 percent. The excess cases for both sexes involved cancers of the lung and bronchus, upper respiratory tract, colon, rectum stomach, gonads, liver, thyroid, and brain as well as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. There were other alarming statistics as well. Johnson's studies of people forty-five to sixty-four years of age in eight census tracts near the plant showed a doubled lung-cancer and leukemia death rate over subjects living in "relatively uncontaminated" zones. In essence Johnson found 491 excess cancer cases when the DOE said there would be less than one. A separate study of a large suburban area near Rocky Flats found a congenital malformation rate of 14.5 per 1000 births as opposed to 10.4 per 1000 for the rest of the county, and 10.1 for the state overall.[31] Johnson's findings raised public awareness of Rocky Flats and helped fuel a movement to close the plant. His findings also put him in a difficult political position. Local real-estate interests began applying pressure to have Johnson fired from his job as Jefferson County health director. In May of 1981 they succeeded. Meanwhile autopsy reports on workers at Rocky Flats showed plutonium concentrations in all organs of their bodies. And a study for the EPA by Dr. John C. Cobb of the University of Colorado School of Medicine indicated preliminary evidence of excess plutonium levels among other local human autopsy specimens plutonium that was traceable by its isotope-ratios to Rocky Flats. But in an interview Cobb warned us that plutonium might not necessarily be the chief culprit in any area health problems that might surface. "I'm not sure plutonium is the right thing to look for," he told us. "They also burned thousands of gallons of oil with uranium chips in it out there. A combination of the uranium in the cutting oil might be more important than the plutonium."[32] Whether it was uranium or plutonium, or both, Lloyd Mixon had been directly exposed. "I had some tumors taken off my chest," he told the Dark Circle crew. "I've had my thyroid taken out. I'm tired quite a bit of the time, more than what was usual, and [I've] got a numbness in my left side, my shoulders. They found a growth on my right arm between my elbow and my shoulder. . . . My daughter was born with a hole in her heart," he said. Mixon also noted that his neighbors complained of being perpetually overtired, numbness in their hands, and other inexplicable health problems. There was also talk of "children being born retarded," he told us, "of them with mental problems." Few of his neighbors, he said, would point an accusatory finger at Rocky Flats. But, he asked us, "if it isn't that place, what is it?"[33] For Rex Haag there wasn't much doubt. He had lived within six miles of the plutonium factory, and as a contractor had built another five dozen houses nearby "without the least bit of knowledge of that being a dangerous area."[34] After Kristen Haag's death from bone cancer, the body was cremated. At her father s request, her ashes were sent away for testing. When the results were slow in coming back, Johnson called the laboratory, where a technician told him "there was some problem because there appeared to be a large amount of plutonium 238" in the ashes. And when the official report finally arrived months later, it cited what Johnson termed "rather high" levels of plutonium 238.[35] Rex Haag soon helped organize a business coalition to help close Rocky Flats. People justify the operation of the plant "in the name of national interest, or national security," he said. "But I wonder if the same people who are saying that, if it were their child, if they could actually sit there and say the same thing."[36] Lloyd Mixon had similar questions. "I've been hearing a lot more problems lately," he told us. "In a few years things are gonna get a lot worse."[37] 29. Lloyd Mixon, "Statement," Hearings of Governor Lamm's Task Force on the Rocky Flats Plutonium Facility (Boulder, Colo.: April 1975); in Dark Circle, and interview, May 1981. 30. Anonymous, interview, April 1981. 31. Johnson, "Cancer Incidence"; and Carl Johnson, "Evaluation of Cancer Incidence for Anglos in the Period 1969-1971 in Areas of Census Tracts with Measured Concentrations of Plutonium Soil Contamination Downwind from the Rocky Flats Plant in the Denver Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area," 5th International Congress of the International Radiation Protection Association, Jerusalem, Israel, March 9-14, 1980. 32. John C. Cobb, et al., "Weapons Grade Plutonium in Humans Near Rocky Flats," abstract submitted for a poster session at the AAAS Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada, January 1981; and Cobb, interview, April 1981. 33. Mixon in Dark Circle, and interview. 34. Haag in Dark Circle. 35. Johnson in Dark Circle, and interview, July 1981. 36. Haag in Dark Circle. 37. Mixon interview. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Kathy Crandall Subject: (abolition-usa) Change At Disarmament Clearinghouse/ Position Available Date: 07 Mar 1999 20:15:27 -0500 Dear Abolition Advocates and Friends of the Disarmament Clearinghouse: ENCLOSED PLEASE FIND: 1) Kathy leaves Clearinghouse Position 2) Resource People for You to Contact on Urgent Issues 3) Job Announcement for New Coordinator **************************************************** I am leaving my position as Coordinator for the Disarmament Clearinghouse on Monday March 8, 1999. I will continue to work for a nuclear weapons-free world as the Associate Director for Security Programs at Physicians for Social Responsibility. I hope to continue working with many of you in my new job. The Disarmament Clearinghouse is working hard to find a new Coordinator (see the enclosed job announcement - please distribute it far and wide to any qualified applicants). In the meantime, there will be a break in the news and action alerts posted from from the Disarmament Clearinghouse, and while we will be checking the disarmament@igc.org account occasionally, we won't check it daily -( so I will probably take this account off of the Abolition-USA list at least temporarily.) You may have urgent/ important questions or news to share on some disarmament related topics. These resource people from the sponsoring organizations of the Disarmament Clearinghouse may be useful contacts. ******************************************************************* On STAR WARS (National Missile Defense) & Yes there are votes expected this week: **************************************************************** Bob Tiller at PSR, btiller@psr.org (202) 898 0150 ext. 220 Fran Teplitz at Peace Action, paprog@igc.org (202) 862 9740 ext. 3004 Kimberly Robson at WAND, wand@wand.org (202) 543 8505 ************************************************************** On the CTBT - Nuclear Test Ban Treaty NOW Campaign ************************************************************** If you haven't already done so, subscribe to CTBT-Organize, an interactive list where anyone can post the latest information. (Send a message to disarmament@igc.org this week) Also contact: Marie Rietmann, 20/20 Vision ctbt@2020vision.org, (202) 833 2020 and for information and assistance on the Interfaith Petition Drive contact: Kathy Guthrie, FCNL, kathy@fcnl.org (202) 547 6000 ******************************************************** On De-Alerting and START Moving disarmament progress ******************************************************** Bob Tiller at PSR btiller@psr.org (202) 898 0150 ext. 220 Fran Teplitz & Bruce Hall at Peace Action (Fran) paprog@igc.org, (Bruce) panukes@igc.org , 202 862 9740 (Fran -ext.3004) (Bruce -ext. 3038) **Also don't miss out on the Alliance For Nuclear Accountability's Theme Month Activist Kit on De-Alerting: contact Christina Malecka, ANA, cmalecka@earthlink.net (or Peace Action and PSR can tell you how to get one) ********************************************************* On the Emerging US Nuclear Abolition Campaign and intiatives such as theWoolsey Resolution on a Nuclear Weapons Convention: ********************************************************** Bob Tiller at PSR btiller@psr.org (202) 898 0150 ext. 220 Fran Teplitz & Bruce Hall at Peace Action (Fran) paprog@igc.org, (Bruce) panukes@igc.org , 202 862 9740 (Fran -ext.3004) (Bruce -ext. 3038) *********************************************************** On Stockpile Stewardship Issues - including this year's Markey Resolution to be introduced in the next coming weeks: *********************************************************** Bob Tiller at PSR btiller@psr.org (202) 898 0150 ext. 220 Fran Teplitz & Bruce Hall at Peace Action (Fran) paprog@igc.org, (Bruce) panukes@igc.org , 202 862 9740 (Fran -ext.3004) (Bruce -ext. 3038) *********************************************************** You can best reach me now at (202) 898 0150 ext. 222. The e-mail account is not quite set-up yet. I'll let you all know when I'm officially on line. I cannot fully express my thanks to all of you - who have taught me so much about how to be effective and inspired me with your dedication and hard work. -Kathy **************************************************************** POSITION AVAILABLE DISARMAMENT CLEARINGHOUSE COORDINATOR The Disarmament Clearinghouse is a joint project of major national grassroots membership organizations, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Peace Action, Physicians for Social Responsibility and Women's Action for New Directions. The Clearinghouse provides information, assistance, resources, and action tools to grassroots activists and policy makers working on nuclear disarmament, and develops and coordinates campaigns on nuclear disarmament measures such as the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. ************************************************* We are looking for someone with the following qualifications: ************************************************* 1) Commitment to promoting a nuclear weapons-free word and knowledge of nuclear disarmament issues including the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the nuclear weapons abolition movement, and other nuclear disarmament measures. 2) Strong writing and oral communication skills, especially for an activist audience. 3) Strong organizing skills with at least one year's experience organizing national issue/ policy campaigns and experience working with peace activists. 4) Knowledge of the legislative process and key policy makers on nuclear weapons issues. 5) Computer skills - Familiarity with e-mail list maintenance, word processing, desk top publishing, database management, and basic web design. 6) Ability to work efficiently and carry-out several projects simultaneously 7) Ability to work effectively in coalitions, and be accountable to the Steering Committee organizations. 8) Ability to work independently. 9) B.A./B.S. degree is required. Advanced degree in international or public policy helpful **************************************************** The tasks of the Coordinator will include: **************************************************** 1) Provide via e-mail, mailings, fax, phone, and web postings timely news and analysis of nuclear disarmament issues to grassroots activists and policy makers. 2) Produce educational and organizing resources such as sample letters to the editor, flyers,action alerts, news letters, resource kits etc. 3) Maintain and develop two web sites (CTBT Action Site, Disarmament Site). 4) Inform, mobilize, and coordinate national, and regional events such as call-in days, strategysummits. 5) Maintain and build a database of over 500 activists, organizations, and policy maker contacts. 6) Coordinate Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Now (CTBT) activities - includes maintaining lists of key contacts, maintaining a calendar of activities, maintaining the interactive e-mail list "CTBT-Organize" and assisting to develop strategy for the field campaign. 7) Respond to daily requests for information and assistance. 8) Working with the Steering Committee to prepare funding proposals and progress reports for funders. 9) Conduct meetings of the Clearinghouse Steering Committee, including agendas and minutes. Terms: Full-time position. Salary in mid -$20,000 range depending on experience, with health coverage, and annual leave. Start date - Early May Please send resume, cover letter and brief (no more than 1-4 pages) writing sample by March 26th to: Disarmament Clearinghouse Search 1101 14th Street NW #700 Washington DC 20005 Via FAX: (202) 898 0172 Via E-mail: disarmament@igc.org NO phone calls please An Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply. -- DISARMAMENT CLEARINGHOUSE Nuclear Disarmament Information, Resources & Action Tools Kathy Crandall, Coordinator (Until March 8, 1999) 1101 14th Street NW #700, Washington DC 20005 TEL: 202 898 0150 ext. 232 FAX: 202 898 0172 E-MAIL: disarmament@igc.org http://www.psr.org/Disarmhouse.htm http://www.psr.org/ctbtaction.htm A project of: Friends Committee on National Legislation Peace Action, Physicians for Social Responsibility and Women's Action for New Directions -- DISARMAMENT CLEARINGHOUSE Nuclear Disarmament Information, Resources & Action Tools Kathy Crandall, Coordinator 1101 14th Street NW #700, Washington DC 20005 TEL: 202 898 0150 ext. 232 FAX: 202 898 0172 E-MAIL: disarmament@igc.org http://www.psr.org/Disarmhouse.htm http://www.psr.org/ctbtaction.htm A project of: Friends Committee on National Legislation Peace Action, Physicians for Social Responsibility and Women's Action for New Directions - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) REPORT: Global Crisis Solutions Conference on behalf of Global Peace Walk 2000 Date: 07 Mar 1999 22:53:43 -0800 The Global Crisis Solutions Conference at UC Berkeley Alumni House on March 1, 1999, was a successful conclusion to three days of events to help the Global Peace Walk with its international efforts to unite all survival issue messages in the prayer for "Global Peace Now!" as a universal human resolve --- the first step towards redirecting human and natural resources away from war, and the preparations for war, to the known but ignored solutions to today's global social and environmental emergency. Although the attendance at the conference was only a portion of capacity, the program was an unprecendented collaboration of so many and varied survival issues and it was professionally videotaped so that it can be viewed by a wider audience in the future. Copies of the six hour conference videotape documentary are available for a nominal donation to help cover conference expenses and support our work. For a summary of the speakers and messages with details on ordering the tape see http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/gcsc2video.html For future projects and events, check back regularly for updates at: http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000 ********************************************************* Global Emergency Alert Response: GEAR2000 David Crockett Williams 661-822-3309 20411 Steeple Court, Tehachapi CA 93561 USA ********************************************************* CAMPAIGN for a BETTER AMERICA with General Agency Services ********************************************************* UNITED NATION Global Peace Walk 1999: 22apr Taos, NM, ---> Santa Fe 26apr Global Peace Walk 2000: 15jan San Francisco --> New York 24oct 16sep Washington, DC ONE HUMAN FAMILY: Love All, Serve All. GLOBAL PEACE NOW !! Help Now !!! ********************************************************* http://www.egroups.com/list/global-peace-walk - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: swesterly Subject: (abolition-usa) Three American Activist Murdered in Columbia Date: 09 Mar 1999 09:59:02 -0700 http://www.ran.org/info_center/aa/uwa_update.html On the Murders of Three American Activists in Colombia Urgent Action Alert: February 1999 Ministry to Decide on Oil License for U'wa Land in Colombia As early as Friday, February 26, 1999 the Colombian Minister of the Environment will announce his decision on Occidental Petroleum's application for a drilling license for the Samor=E9 Block located on the U'wa people's traditional territory. ACT NOW! Please use the fax letter system below to send an immediate message to the Minister urging him to deny Occidental Petroleum's permit and protect the U'wa and their rainforest homeland. Under Colombian law, the Ministry of the Environment's granting a drilling license requires a prior "consultation" with the local indigenous peoples, which in the case of the U'wa, who are opposed to the project, is clearly lacking. However, according to anonymous officials inside the Ministry, the decision on this particular drilling permit will be a political one. For this reason it is critical that the Colombian government know that the U'wa have many supporters internationally who remain vigilant to the case. Background The sustained U'wa resistance on the ground and swelling of international support have paralyzed the 2-billion barrel Samor=E9 oil project which California-based Occidental Petroleum hopes to push forward in Colombian rainforest. The U'wa, a traditional people numbering some 5,000, are adamantly opposed to the project and have threatened to commit collective suicide if Occidental moves forward with oil drilling. Once again in December 1998, the U'wa people reaffirmed their opposition to oil development on their traditional territory through a communique released following their fifth Congress. "More than one thousand times in more than one thousand distinct forms we have told the white man that the Earth is our mother, that we cannot sell her, but it appears that he does not have the ability to understand...." The U'wa's position has gained additional support in Colombia in recent months. On the 25 of October, 1998, the Presidents of 28 farming unions from the surrounding Sarare area unanimously declared, "We are not in agreement, we will not help, nor share in the project of oil exploration or exploitation within the Samor=E9 block... To let this project go forward would be to take part in the destruction of our ecosystem that is fragile..." For Occidental's part, the company continues with plans to drill, even if against the will of the U'wa people. While the company relinquished 75 percent of the oil block last year, in the final quarter of 1998 the company also submitted its environmental impact report to the Ministry of the Environment for exploration drilling in the last 25 percent which falls within the U'wa's ancestral territory. While the government is expected to approve the report, giving a green light to the project, the new Pastrana administration also appears to be more open to a meaningful dialogue with the U'wa to resolve this protracted conflict. Both the U'wa and the Colombian government are still engaged in a third party resolution process being spearheaded by the Organization of American States (OAS). Occidental, on the other hand, remains in violation of the OAS's first recommendation for resolution issued more than a year ago and which calls on the oil company to suspend all operations during the mediation process. The U'wa struggle is at a crucial phase where any exploration activity within the Samore block could ruin the fragile environment of mutual trust and understanding that is beginning to be built between the U'wa and the Colombian government. What You Can Do! Send a fax NOW to the Colombian Ministry of the Environment. Below is sample leter in Spanish. Or, please write your own in English covering the following points: Deny Oxy's permit as the area where they wish to drill falls within the U'wa traditional homeland. The U'wa have not been consulted on the project and have repeatedly expressed their adamant opposition to the project. There is significant international support for the Minstry to make a decision in support of environmental protection and indigenous right= s. You and other international observors and organizations will be monitoring the Ministry's moves. To send the letter, follow these steps: 1.Enter your personal information. Your email address is required. 2.Enter a subject for your message. We have provided a default, but feel free to change it. 3.Write your letter. We have provided a sample letter which you can send as-is or edit the text if you wish. Please don't forget to sign your name. Personal information: Your Email Address: REQUIRED Real Name: (optional) Subject Fax Recipient: Ministro Juan Mayr Maldonado Photo: Terence Freitas * * * * * * * Suzanne Westerly Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety 107 Cienega Santa Fe, NM 87501 505-470-2017 swesterly@earthlink.net - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) =?iso-8859-1?Q?Fwd:_JRL_3081_#3_Russia=EDs_Relevance?= Date: 09 Mar 1999 12:03:13 -0500 >Date: Sun, 07 Mar 1999 18:45:46 -0500 >Subject: JRL 3081 #3 Russia=EDs Relevance >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca >X-FC-Forwarded-From: rwilcock@pgs.ca >From: abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca) > > >JRL 3081 #3 >Washington Post >March 7, 1999 >[for personal use only] >Russia's Relevance >By Fred Hiatt >The writer is a member of the editorial page staff. >So loose nukes may be rolling through the taiga, the ruble may be in ruins, >tuberculosis flares in Siberia. >Who cares? >Not so long ago it was assumed that Russia's health was essential to world >stability. Then Russia's troubles slid from bad to worse, and the rest of >the world hardly seemed to notice. Now some in Washington are suggesting >that maybe Russia didn't matter so much after all. >Certainly many Russian politicians believe that the United States has >written them off. (Most of the rest believe the United States is out to >destroy them.) Proof, for them, is everywhere. When President Clinton >launched Desert Fox on the eve of his impeachment, for example, Republicans >in Congress smelled one rat, Russians another. It was also the eve of a >scheduled Duma vote on the START II arms control treaty. The U.S. military >action doomed the vote. So if Clinton really cared about relations with >Russia, many Russians reasoned, he would have postponed his bombing >campaign. >But it's not just Russians who suspect the Clinton administration has given >up. "The U.S.-Russian relationship has, in the last eight years, gone from >a strategic partnership," Republican Sen. Dick Lugar said recently, "to a >pragmatic one, to a relationship of benign neglect, to one that is lurching >toward malign neglect." >Administration officials feed this perception when they advocate, in Deputy >Secretary of State Strobe Talbott's words, a policy of "strategic patience >and persistence," or when Clinton visits Moscow and seems to have no idea >what to do once he arrives. >In fact, most administration officials have not concluded that Russia >doesn't matter. They still believe, as Talbott also said, that "the stakes, >for us, are huge." They just aren't sure what to do about it. >Here's one way to look at their dilemma. As Russia's post-Communist >transition has stalled, the nation in fact has lost much of its ability to >influence the world-at least in a positive way. Its economy now accounts >for >something like one percent of world output. Russia remains the world's >biggest country, but territory has long since ceased to be a key indicator >of power. It holds vast stores of oil and mineral wealth, but in a global >economy based increasingly on knowledge and technology, those, too, are of >dwindling value. >Russia's declining population of 150 million is too impoverished to tempt >many companies as a consumer market. And despite a high level of >education, >its value as a labor pool is dimmed by the crime and uncertain laws and >taxes that keep most foreign companies away. >So Russia's potential influence is mostly negative. It can scare the world >with the consequences of collapse: untended nuclear weapons, degraded >missile-launch computers, the export of crime and pollution and contagious >disease. >U.S. policy has evolved in two ways as a result. Not surprisingly, most of >its aid is aimed at averting the bad, not promoting the good. >Three-quarters of U.S. assistance dollars, Secretary of State Madeleine >Albright said last fall, "are devoted to programs that diminish the threat >of nuclear war and the danger that weapons of mass destruction will fall >into the wrong hands." >And, as Russia has moved "from the core of the international system to the >periphery," as the Carnegie Endowment's Michael McFaul said, it has also >moved to the periphery of U.S. foreign policy. On issue after issue-Kosovo, >Iraq, Iran, NATO expansion, anti-missile defense-the message from the >administration is that Russia matters, but not enough to derail U.S. >policy. >Excluded from policymaking, Russia then emphasizes even more its spoiler >role: shipping dangerous technology to Iran, encouraging Serbian >aggression, >tweaking the United States wherever possible. And so the two nations find >themselves in an unhealthy downward cycle-a long way from the strategic >partnership envisioned at the opening of this decade. >This, it should be stressed, is mostly Russia's fault. Until Russia gets >its >reforms on track, its influence will continue to diminish. A foreign policy >that indulges Russian nostalgia and wishful thinking, as the United States >did with its great-power summitry and its premature transformation of the >G-7 into a G-8, can't change the reality. It's more likely, in fact, to >bruise feelings and delay reform by convincing Russia that normal rules >won't apply to it. >Yet "strategic patience" isn't sufficient either. Russia does matter. If >it takes its place as a democratic, free-market economy, pulling its >neighbors in the same direction through force of successful example, one >kind of world will result. If it implodes or grows hostile, the world will >be very different, and far more dangerous. >That understanding motivates those who continue to search for a U.S. policy >that will speak to Russia's potential and not just its pathologies. >U.S.-Russian relations need "a new and dramatic high-profile program," >Lugar >says. His proposal: a U.S. commitment to help Russia produce 10,000 >masters >of business administration and 10,000 certified public accountants. >Inside the administration, some officials seek ways to turn >ballistic-missile defense, at the moment one of the greatest irritants in >the relationship, into something positive by proposing a cooperative >undertaking. And many arms control specialists continue to urge unilateral >U.S. steps to reduce the nuclear arsenal and take it off trigger alert. >This could encourage Russia to follow suit but would be free of the >coercion >and preaching that seem counterproductive these days. >Some say all of this must wait-until a spent Boris Yeltsin and a U.S. >administration identified with failed policies both pass from the scene. >Perhaps so. But two years in modern Russian history is a long time. The >next U.S. administration may find itself with even fewer, and less >attractive, options than those available today. >=20 Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) Global Peace Walk 1999-2000 Date: 09 Mar 1999 15:09:52 -0800 I spent a week in the San Francisco area during our recent events and was able to consult in more detail with the Global Peace Walk project's initiator, Rev. Yusen Yamato, regarding his suggestions for strategy for conducting next year's Global Peace Walk 2000 and preparatory activities this year including the annual Global Peace Walk from Taos to Santa Fe, New Mexico, April 22-26. The general goal of the Global Peace Walk project is to instill the prayer for "Global Peace Now!" as a universal human resolve. This is the first necessary step towards redirecting global resources from war and the preparations for war to programs to solve today's social and environmental crises (including global warming, ozone layer depletion, etc.) before it is too late to save life on Earth from the otherwise certain destruction that we are witnessing on an increasing scale in these times. The inspiration for the initiation of Global Peace Walk 2000 from San Francisco to Washington, DC, and to the New York United Nations 55th anniversary, comes from the report from Proposition One for Nuclear Disarmament in Washington, DC, to the Nulear Abolition 2000 Coalition, which called for a cross country peace walk in the year 2000 as part of the global campaign to abolish nuclear weapons. With this lead issue in mind the Global Peace Walk seeks to unite in this prayer all survival issue messages and carry them to the public and the governments with Global Peace Walk 2000 which will end on October 24th, shortly before the US national elections. The Global Peace Walk is a continuation of the "walking as a prayer for peace" spiritual practice adopted by Mahatma Gandhi and utilized in various ways by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, the US Continental Walk for Social Justice and Disarmament of 1976, the American Indians' Longest Walk of 1978, the Long Walk for Survival of 1980, the World Peace March of 1982 which started in Japan and walked around the world ending with five routes across the US converging on the United Nations Second Special Session on Disarmament with a million people gathering in Central Park in New York, and the many walks since then across the US and around the world inspired by the late most venerable Nichidatsu Fujii whom Gandhi called his revered teacher (Guruji). With the threat of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction growing now even greater since the end of the "cold war", and with the increasing effects of global climate change rendering untold damage and suffering (as predicted by the Hopi and other spiritual prophecies being voiced to deaf ears over the past five decades and explained as consequent to errors in human thinking) it is past time now to take immediate and decisive action to correct human thinking into harmony with the natural law and order before it is too late to save all life on Earth. For this reason we call upon all who understand this message to collaborate with us now to mobilize local Global Peace Walks in communities across the US and around the world, immediately, on a regular and increasing basis to heal this affliction which has come upon humanity. Even a one hour per week regular local Global Peace Walk event in many communities, even if only walking one mile from the library to city hall, if done with determination and increasing numbers each week, will soon have an impact on reaching the public and government policymakers with the known but suppressed solutions to today's global crises. If we recognize that all problems have the same root, this error in human thinking, it will be easier to unite all survival issue messages into an effective movement to correct thinking and resolve all the obstacles to global peace and prosperity. Historically, changes of this scope have only occured resultant from massive public demonstrations as inspired and exemplified by India's successful nonviolent spiritual revolution under Gandhi's leadership. To this end we must make these local peace walks a popular activity and venue for the effective presentation of details on survival issue messages and the nature and scope of today's global crisis solutions. Thusly can we begin to develop a culture of peace. Not one person should doubt that we can have true global peace, justice and prosperity for less than half the cost of present day wars and preparations for wars. Even if you cannot join one of the Global Peace Walk 2000 routes converging next Summer on St. Louis to walk together to Washington, DC, or be at the end of the walk for the rededication of the Washington Monument as a symbol of peace (with perhaps more than a million people), you can help support this effort by your networking and commitment to conduct regular local Global Peace Walks in your community. To help you in this regard we can make available copies of the many peace messages, letters of support, and proclamations that we have received since 1995 from city mayors, other government officials, community and religious leaders (including messages from the US President, Vice President, and US representative to the United Nations). Some of these are gradually being posted on the website below including the most recent proclamations of support from the mayors of Oakland and Berkeley, California. With this documentation you can secure a Global Peace Walk Day and/or Global Peace Zone proclamation from your city mayor as has been issued by so many others already. In this way the resolve for "Global Peace Now!" may be propagated all this year for a worldwide Global Peace Zone 2000. The proposal for a Global Peace Walk 1999 route to start this year at the United Nations in New York City on the day its General Assembly convenes, September 15th, to arrive in Washington, DC, on United Nations Day, October 24th, will only be successful if activists in communities along the route soon take the initiative to mobilize coordinated regular local peace walks which can be then connected on a schedule this Fall along this route. Our focus on the United Nations is to bring attention to the goals of its original purpose to "remove the scourge of war from the future generations" and to offer the way to eliminate the need for its continued involvement in belligerent confrontations around the globe. Please let me know directly if you will help coordinate these efforts in your community. For more information on this project, how you can help, and the video documentary of our March 1st Global Crisis Solutions Conference at UC Berkeley, see http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000 ********************************************************* Global Emergency Alert Response: GEAR2000 David Crockett Williams 661-822-3309 20411 Steeple Court, Tehachapi CA 93561 USA ********************************************************* CAMPAIGN for a BETTER AMERICA with General Agency Services ********************************************************* FOR A UNITED NATION, One Nation Under God Global Peace Walk Annually: 22apr Taos, NM, ---> Santa Fe 26apr 1999: 15sep New York -> Washington DC 24oct 2000: 15jan San Francisco --> New York 24oct 15sep Washington, DC ONE HUMAN FAMILY: Love All, Serve All. GLOBAL PEACE NOW !! Help Now !!! ********************************************************* http://www.egroups.com/list/global-peace-walk - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Kathy Crandall Subject: (abolition-usa) URGENT STAR WARS VOTE Date: 10 Mar 1999 18:16:20 -0500 A quick ALERT to let you all know that it is very likely that the SENATE STAR WARS VOTE IS LIKELY TOMORROW AFTERNOON (THURS. MARCH 11) The Senate Cochran-Iouye Bill calling for "deployment of National Missile Defense (STAR WARS) as soon as technologically possible" is opposed by all nuclear disarmament advocates The intial vote will be on whether to debate/ consider the bill (Cloture). Proponets of the measure must have 60 votes in order for considertion to proceed. (Last year we were able to win twice by blocking further consideration of the bills, but we only one by one vote each time.) Of course nothing is ever definite in the Senate until its over . . . but It appears that there is an Unanimous Consent Agreement on the Ed-Flex bill that will mean that votes on this bill are concluded tomorrow morning, and the Star Wars Bill is next on the agenda. PLEASE FAX AND PHONE YOUR SENATORS TONIGHT AND TOMORROW Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224 3121 FOR MORE INFORMATION/ ASSISTANCE CONTACT: Bob Tiller, PSR (202) 898 0150 ext. 220 btiller@psr.org Fran Tepllitz, Peace Action (202) 862 9740 ext. 3004 fteplitz@peace-action.org Kimberly Robson, WAND (202) 543 8505 wand@wand.org ********************************************************** -- DISARMAMENT CLEARINGHOUSE Nuclear Disarmament Information, Resources & Action Tools 1101 14th Street NW #700, Washington DC 20005 TEL: 202 898 0150 FAX: 202 898 0172 E-MAIL: disarmament@igc.org http://www.psr.org/Disarmhouse.htm http://www.psr.org/ctbtaction.htm A project of: Friends Committee on National Legislation Peace Action, Physicians for Social Responsibility and Women's Action for New Directions - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) URGENT-STAR WARS Date: 10 Mar 1999 18:57:18 -0500 Dear Friends, SON OF STAR WARS IS COMING UP FOR A FIRST VOTE TOMORROW. (see below). If this system goes through, we can kiss nuclear abolition good-by for another generation!! It will violate the ABM treaty, provoke the Russian Duma to dig in its heels for good on further cuts in bombs, send a signal to the whole world that a new arms race is beginning. Please be sure to contact your Senators tomorrow and tell them to oppose STAR WARS. Spread this message far and wide. They need to hear from thousands of us. Activate your networks. It's probably the single most important thing we can do right now to get rid of nuclear weapons!! FIND YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS (go to http://www.vote-smart.org/ce/) Peace, Alice Slater >Subject: Firmer schedule of votes on missile defense >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: jdi@clw.org >From: jdi@clw.org (jdi@clw.org) > >The schedule for the congressional votes on national missile defense >deployment has become even clearer. > >Majority Leader Trent Lott announced on the Senate floor at about 2:00 P.M. >today that the Cochran missile defense bill is next up on the Senate floor >after completion of the Education Flexibility bill. He announced his plan >while trying to reach a unanimous consent agreement on the "EdFlex" bill. > >The unanimous consent agreement has now been reached (shortly after 3:00 >P.M.) providing for debate and votes on defined list of 10 amendments to >the education bill. Those amendments will be debated through this evening, >followed tomorrow morning by votes on the amendments and final passage. > >Thus it is likely that some time tomorrow, the Cochran bill will be up, >with the first vote expected on whether or not to proceed to the bill >(cloture). > >Following the Cochran bill, Lott announced he hopes to bring up the fiscal >1999 supplemental appropriations bill and the fiscal 2000 budget resolution >in the next two weeks before the Senate Easter/Passover recess scheduled to >begin on March 26. > >In the meantime, it looks more and more likely that the House will take up >the Weldon-Spratt (H.R. 4) missile defense bill on Thursday, March 18. The >House leadership first hopes to host the Rumsfeld commission on missile >defense threats in a closed briefing for House members. > >When the Weldon-Spratt bill comes up, Rep. Tom Allen plans to offer a >substitute measure -- subject to approval by the House Rules Committee -- >that places conditions on any national missile defense deployment. > >John > >John Isaacs, President >Council for a Livable World >110 Maryland Avenue, NE - Room 409 >Washington, D.C. 20002 >(202) 543-4100 x.131 >FAX (202) 543-6297 >www.clw.org > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Sally Light" Subject: (abolition-usa) Fw: De-Alert Nuclear Weapons/Action month! Date: 10 Mar 1999 18:12:06 -0000 ---------- > From: marylia > To: marylia@earthlink.net > Subject: De-Alert Nuclear Weapons/Action month! > Date: Wednesday, March 10, 1999 5:17 PM > > De-Alert Nuclear Weapons in 1999? Here's How You Can Help > > from Tri-Valley CAREs' March 1999 newsletter, Citizen's Watch > > Tri-Valley CAREs joins the nationwide Alliance for Nuclear Accountability > in designating this month as "Back from the Brink: Nuclear Weapons > De-Alerting Action Month." We ask you to join us in efforts to educate > ourselves and the public about the urgent need to de-alert the nuclear > arsenal. > > It's 1999, and still the U.S. and Russia remain ready to launch more than > 5,000 nuclear warheads on less than half-an-hour's notice. This > hair-trigger alert policy leaves the world at grave risk from nuclear war > by accident or miscalculation. > > We have developed an action kit to provide steps that you can take right > away to help on this important issue. Through this focused effort we hope > to raise public awareness about the potential for accidental nuclear war > and pressure President Clinton to de-alert U.S. weapons and request that > other nuclear weapons states take reciprocal actions this year. > > We will have action kits at our March 25th meeting. For those residing > outside the San Francisco Bay Area, and those who cannot come to our > meeting, you may obtain action kits by responding to this message with a > request and your snail mail address. You may also ask to be added to the > mailing list for our monthly newsletter, Citizen's Watch. > > And, please mail the four new postcards inside this month's Citizen's > Watch. (Note: the postcards soon will be posted as a JPEG file and > downloadable from the Tri-Valley CAREs web site! Address at the end of this > message!) > > Time to De-Activate Nuclear Weapons > > by Beatrice Brailsford, Snake River Alliance > > from Tri-Valley CAREs' March 1999 newsletter, Citizen's Watch -- > offered as part of "Back From the Brink: De-Alerting Nuclear Weapons Action > Month" > > Nuclear war is less than fifteen minutes away. Far-fetched? In 1995 we came > within four minutes. When Russian radar picked up a U.S. science rocket > launched from Norway, the "black suitcase" that Boris Yeltsin would use to > launch an attack was activated for the first time in history. It took > Russian decision-makers eight minutes, operating in high emergency mode, to > realize the launch was not part of a surprise strike by the U.S.-less than > four minutes before their "launch-on-warning" deadline for ordering a > nuclear response. > > Launch-on-Warning > > Throughout the Cold War, both superpowers understood that their militaries' > command-and-control centers would probably be destroyed when the first bomb > fell. So if retaliation (as opposed to first strike) was going to occur at > all, it had to occur after an enemy launch but before the first bomb fell. > This hair-trigger posture is called launch-on-warning, and it remains in > effect today. (The U.S. and Russia both say their weapons are now aimed out > to sea. But it takes only seconds to return a missile to its original > target.) > > Re-targeted, nuclear-armed missiles can travel between Russia and the U.S. > in about 25 minutes. It takes about 15 minutes to detonation if they're > launched from off shore submarines. All in all, the U.S. and Russia are > ready this evening to launch more than 5,000 nuclear warheads in half an > hour. In the best case, the time needed for detection, communication, and > command leaves a handful of minutes for the exercise of the judgment and > integrity that might save the world. > > De-Alert Nuclear Weapons > > De-alerting, or deactivating, nuclear bombs increases the time needed to > launch them-by hours, days, weeks, months, or even years. Physically > altering bombs so they cannot be immediately launched can greatly reduce > the risk of war by miscalculation and eliminate first strike threats and > the risk of accidental nuclear war-even if a de-alerted bomb might stay in > a country's arsenal for now. > > There are a wealth of verifiable steps that can be taken to make the world > a safer place as we move toward disarmament. A sequence of steps can > steadily increase the time it takes to launch a warhead. Pinning open > firing switches on missiles is a relatively easy way to de-alert them, but > it's also difficult to verify and easy to reverse. > > Storing warheads separately from their delivery systems at locations remote > from them under multilateral monitoring would be more difficult to reverse > because there would be political as well as technical barriers. The > distance between a warhead and its missile can be increased as the world > grows more confident that de-alerting lessens the nuclear danger. > De-alerting, though, should not impede or replace nuclear disarmament. > Instead, it can be carried forward in parallel with it and would be a > concrete demonstration of the nuclear powers' commitment to the complete > disarmament required by Article 6 of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, > which the U.S. has signed. > > Post-Cold War Catastrophe > > Nuclear war by accident or miscalculation has always been a real > possibility. For instance, in 1979 and 1980, false alarms swept U.S. > nuclear forces because of computer chip failure and human error. They could > have led to a mistaken launch. > > We are closer to inadvertent nuclear war today than we ever were during the > Cold War. Russia is politically unstable, and its economy is in shambles. > Its infrastructure continues to deteriorate, including its early warning > and nuclear command systems as well as its nuclear forces and equipment. > > Russia's current situation is not just Russia's problem. In the winter of > 1995, Russia's detection and command systems, though stretched very thin, > did not snap. If they had, the U.S. would have compounded a mistaken launch > with one of its own. We would have had a nuclear war, not because of > political conflict, but because of mutually reinforcing miscalculation-made > in minutes. > > The danger of accidental devastation may be increased considerably by the > potential effects of Year 2000 computer problems on military radar and > nuclear weapons command and control systems worldwide. This potential is > only months away. > > A Compelling Precedent > > Today's nuclear dangers cry for bold steps now. There is a compelling > precedent that the first step can be taken by the U.S. > > In September 1991, when the Soviet Union was falling apart, President > George Bush ordered a stand-down of U.S. strategic bombers, which had, for > decades, been prepared to take off in minutes. Their bombs were later > unloaded and stored. Some missiles were taken off alert in just a few days, > and orders for some new weapons were canceled. > > President Bush took these dramatic actions unilaterally, without even > consulting Congress. They allowed President Mikhail Gorbachev to > reciprocate within the week and garrison the Soviet Union's rail-based > missiles, de-activate submarines, and lower the alert level of his > country's strategic bombers. Within months, both nations had withdrawn most > of their tactical weapons from forward positions (though the U.S. remains > the only nation with nuclear bombs on foreign soil). A time of turmoil was > made safer by two leaders' unilateral, reciprocal moves. > > Let Reason Prevail > > Last September, Tom Daschle (D-SD) posed this question to his colleagues in > the U.S. Senate: "Reasonable people can only ask the obvious question: with > the Soviet Union dissolved and the Cold War over for nearly seven years, > how can the U.S. and Russia continue to be one bad call away from a nuclear > disaster?" > > The answer, too, is obvious. We can't. It's time to make the next move, and > the U.S.-with the most powerful military on earth-can lead the way. All > nations must begin de-alerting their nuclear weapons immediately. Every > weapon in every arsenal must be subjected to at least one effective > de-alerting measure as soon as technically feasible, certainly as far > before the Year 2000 as possible. > > > ++++ Please note that my email address has changed to > on 3/1/99 ++++ > > Marylia Kelley > Tri-Valley CAREs > (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment) > 2582 Old First Street > Livermore, CA USA 94550 > > - is our web site, please visit us there! > Our web site will remain at this location. Only my email address has > changed on 3/1/99. > > (925) 443-7148 - is our phone > (925) 443-0177 - is our fax > > Working for peace, justice and a healthy environment since 1983, Tri-Valley > CAREs has been a member of the nation-wide Alliance for Nuclear > Accountability in the U.S. since 1989, and is a co-founding member of the > international Abolition 2000 network for the elimination of nuclear > weapons. > > - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Norm and Karen Cohen Subject: (abolition-usa) UNPLUG SALEM RALLY 3/27, 1-3 PM SALEM NUKES Date: 11 Mar 1999 09:51:44 -0500 Please forgive the inevitable duplications that will occur since I'm sending this to so many lists. Please come on out to either our rally or the events at Three Mile Island and support these campaigns to shut down dangerous nuke plants.=20 Feel free to forward this annoucnement to your lists. Flyers are available, please email back & we'll send you some. Carpooling available too, please let us know. We've got a great line-up and musicians and speakers, come on out on March 27th! Thanks Norm Cohen Executive Director, Coalition for Peace and Justice South Jersey Coordinator, UNPLUG Salem Campaign > COALITION FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE > PO BOX 2344, CAPE MAY, NJ 0820= 4 > 609-886-7988/889-8667 = norco@bellatlantic.net > > Date: 03/05/99 > For Immediate Release: UPDATED with new information > > ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS ADDED TO UNPLUG SALEM NO-NUKES RALLY ON MAR= CH 27 > The UNPLUG Salem Campaign added three speakers to the roster of p= articipants in the rally at the Salem Nuclear Plant, to be held Saturday,= March 27th, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, at the access road leading to the A= rtificial Island Complex. the new speakers included: John Guinan, Energy = Advocate for New Jersey PIRG, Richard Mandelbaum, organizer for CATA, a f= armworkers organization active in Southern New Jersey, and Rev. Robert Mo= ore, who organized the first press conference at Three Mile Island in 197= 9 following the meltdown there. UNPLUG Salem also added radio personality= Bonnie Hart as the rally=92s emcee. > The rally is to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Three Mile= Island Partial Meltdown, and to continue to build momentum for the UNPLU= G Salem Campaign aim: to shut down the two dangerous Salem Nukes. The UN= PLUG Salem Campaign aims to make this rally the largest rally at the Sale= m Nuclear Plants in the last 20 years. The Salem Nuclear Plants are in Lo= wer Alloways Township, near Salem, NJ, just across the Delaware Memorial = Bridge from Wilmington, Delaware. > Free bus rides to the rally will be provided from Cape May and Cu= mberland Counties. Call 609-886-7988 to reserve a seat or to arrange car = pooling from other areas of the region. > Confirmed speakers at the rally now include: Wenonah Hauter, Direc= tor of Citizen Action's Critical Mass Energy Project (Citizen Action is o= ne of Ralph Nader's groups); Joe Mangano, Associate Director of the Radia= tion Public Health Project (national coordinator for the Tooth Fairy Proj= ect); Norm Cohen, Executive Director of the Coalition for Peace and Justi= ce, and South Jersey Coordinator for UNPLUG Salem; Jane Nogaki, NJ Enviro= nmental Federation; Madelyn Hoffman, Green Party Organizer; Tony Totah, M= arine Biologist for Clean Ocean Action; Melissa Medford and Bernard Augus= t, area coordinators for the =93Tooth Fairy Project=94, Alan Muller, Dire= ctor of Green Delaware; John Guinan, NJ PIRG Energy Advocate; Rev. Robert= Moore, Executive Director, Coalition for Peace Action, and no-nukes orga= nizer at TMI 20 years ago; and Maya van Rossum, Delaware Riverkeeper. Mu= sicians at the rally include blues singer Dennis Donnelly, folk singers G= ood Friend, and the Eco-Chorale. The event will now be emceed by radio pe= rsonality Bonnie Hart. We will also have a solar power demonstration area= , featuring members of the Philadelphia Solar Power Association. > The UNPLUG Salem Campaign urges concerned citizens from Delaware, N= ew Jersey, and Eastern Pennsylvania to join with us in making this rally = the biggest demonstration at Salem in the last 20 years. This is an impor= tant time to keep up the pressure on PSE&G and our legislators. Investiga= tions of the NRC are going on in Congress, and deregulation in New Jersey= will be making it harder for nuke plants to be profitable. Add to this t= he recent TMI-like accident at Salem II, followed by last weeks personnel= error at Salem II that led to the loss of alarms for over two hours, fol= lowed by a recent battery failure at Salem II, and now a hot shutdown at = Salem I due to low oil pressure (once again personnel error), and the tim= e is right to demand to PSE&G that they decommission the two Salem nukes = now. > The UNPLUG Salem Campaign is composed of 55 state, regional and loc= al organizations, with the NJ Sierra Club being the latest addition to th= e Campaign.. Other organizations in the Campaign include: New Jersey Envi= ronmental Federation, NJ PIRG, Pennsylvania Environmental Network, Green = Delaware, SEAC-13 (student environmental groups in the Mid-Atlantic), EAG= LE, Clean Ocean Action, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Coalition f= or Peace and Justice, CATA, CHORD, Delaware Valley Peace Action, Glassbor= o Environmental Organization, Coalition Against Toxics, Fish Unlimited, S= tockton Peace Action, the Salem Quaker Quarter (7 Quaker Meetings) and ma= ny more. > For directions to the rally site, to volunteer to help out, if = you are a musician who wishes to volunteer to perform, or for more inform= ation, please contact: Norm Cohen, PO Box 2344, Cape May, NJ 08204; 609-8= 86-7988/889-8667 > > CONTACT: Norm Cohen 609-886-7988 > Speakers: Jane Nogaki: 609-767-1110; Maya van Rossum: 215-369-1188; To= ny Totah: 609-729-3383; Madelyn Hoffman: 973-252-0797; Melissa Medford:= 609-935-1277; Wenonah Hauter: 202-546-4996; Joe Mangano: 718-857-9825, B= ernard August: 302-234-0708; Alan Muller: 302-834-3466; John Guinan: 609-= 394-8155; Bill Smith: 800-621-1964; Phila. Solar: 215-844-4196; Rev. Robe= rt Moore: 609-924-5022; Richard Mandelbaum: 609-881-2508. > > - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Nukes in Question Period Date: 11 Mar 1999 13:46:53 -0500 >Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 11:33:49 -0500 >Subject: Nukes in Question Period >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca >X-FC-Forwarded-From: brobinson@ploughshares.ca >From: abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca) > >Hansard, 10 March 1999 > >NUCLEAR WEAPONS=20 > >Mr. Svend J. Robinson (Burnaby=97Douglas, NDP): Mr. Speaker, my question is >for the >Minister of Foreign Affairs.=20 > >Today, former U.S. defense secretary Robert McNamara is in Ottawa urging >that Canada push >within NATO for a no first use policy on nuclear weapons. While the >minister has called for a >review of NATO nuclear policy, he has refused to say where he stands on >present NATO policy. >When will the minister show leadership and join former secretary McNamara >and others in clearly >calling on NATO to change its dangerous cold war, Reform supported policy >and adopt a clear >policy of no first use of nuclear weapons?=20 > >Hon. Lloyd Axworthy (Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I >can certainly give >you the last part of that question. I had a very informative meeting with >the former U.S. secretary of >defense along with the former head of the strategic air command. They were >very helpful in >supplying information about what is happening in the United States.=20 > >I would like to remind the hon. member that once a committee tables a >report, the Government of >Canada has a responsibility to table its response. That response is now >being worked on. We have >150 days. It is part of the cabinet process. As soon as the timetable is >met, we will be tabling a >report. I am sure the hon. member will be very interested in the result.=20 > >--=20 >Bill Robinson, Project Ploughshares, >Conrad Grebel College, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G6 >Phone: 519 888-6541 x264 Fax: 519 885-0806 >E-mail: brobinson@ploughshares.ca >http://www.ploughshares.ca > >Project Ploughshares is a member of the Canadian Network to Abolish >Nuclear Weapons (http://watserv1.uwaterloo.ca/~plough/cnanw/cnanw.html) >=20 Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "NGO Comm. on Disarmament" Subject: (abolition-usa) Ladies and Gentlemen... Date: 11 Mar 1999 17:30:14 -0500 I got some good news, I got some bad news. THE 1999 NPT PREPCOM WILL TAKE PLACE IN NEW YORK, MAY 10-21. States Parties will be notified officially tomorrow. It seems relatively certain that the NGO oral presentations will be scheduled for the afternoon of Tuesday, May 11. Regarding other NGO panels, workshops and other events, please inform the NGO Committee on Disarmament as soon as you are clear about any plans to organize such events. Please excuse me if you receive this message more than once. Peacefully, Roger Smith * * * * * * * Roger Smith Network Coordinator NGO Committee on Disarmament 777 U.N. Plaza #3B, New York, NY 10017, USA tel 1.212.687.5340 fax 1.212.687.1643 disarmtimes@igc.apc.org http://www.peacenet.org/disarm/ - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Action Alert-Letter to Germany Date: 11 Mar 1999 17:14:13 -0500 Dear Friends, Our Abolition 2000 colleague in Germany, Xanthe Hall at IPPNW, has requested that US Abolition groups send letters to German Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer, thanking him for his courageous stand in challenging US nuclear policy. He needs to hear from lots of Americans that his actions are popular with us and are supported. Below is a sample letter which you may use to write your own letter. Many thanks for your help with this important initiative. Peace, Alice Slater >To US abolition groups >Please consider signing this letter and sending it to Joschka Fischer. >Thank you > >Xanthe Hall, IPPNW > > >SAMPLE LETTER for Abolition Groups > >To Foreign Minister >Joschka Fischer >Auswaertiges Amt >Adenauer Allee 99-103 >D-53113 Bonn >GERMANY > > >Dear Sir, > >I am writing to thank you for your continued efforts to initiate a debate >on the policy of >first-use of nuclear weapons in the review of the NATO strategic concept, >and to >encourage you to remain vocal on this issue. > >Our organization supports the abolition of all nuclear weapons and the >negotiation of a >treaty to regulate their elimination (Nuclear Weapons Convention). We >belong to the >Global Network for the elimination of nuclear weapons - Abolition 2000 - >which is >supported by over 1300 organizations, and works for the immediate >commencement of >negotiations for a convention to be completed by the year 2000. This >initiative was >started in 1995 at the NPT Review and Extension Conference. > >If nuclear weapons are to be abolished, the present deadlock in >disarmament has to be >broken. The dependence on nuclear weapons to give a false sense of >security has to be >reduced and eventually given up, when it is understood that they make us >less safe and >have nothing to do with our security needs. > >The coalition agreement between the Green and Social Democratic Parties >states that a >new dynamic may be achieved through unilateral disarmament initiatives. It >is our belief >that a clear signal by NATO at this time that they are willing to >significantly reduce the >role of nuclear weapons in the strategic concept, renounce first-use and >even remove the >remaining few US nuclear free-fall bombs based in Europe, would help to >revitalize the >disarmament process. > >As a US non-governmental organization, we wish to express our profound >disappointment at the lack of willingness of the US government to debate >the role of >nuclear weapons in the strategic review. An opinion poll showed majority >of US citizens >(87%) would like to see the US negotiate an agreement to abolish nuclear >weapons, a >desire which is not reflected by the US administration in disarmament >fora. The foreign >policy of the US leads the international community to believe that the >United States is >not in favor of giving up nuclear weapons at all, whereas in actual fact >the majority of >people in the US say they would feel safer knowing that the US and other >countries had >none (84%) and that the US spends too much on its nuclear weapons program. >These >figures are relatively unknown outside of the disarmament community, but >may be of >interest to you in promoting your initiative for the reduction of the role >of nuclear >weapons within NATO. > >I wish you success and courage in the debate on no first-use and encourage >you to >remember that there are many of us in the United States that are looking >to Germany to >continue to take the lead on this extremely important issue. > >Yours sincerely, > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) STAR WARS-trouble brewing Date: 11 Mar 1999 18:53:24 -0500 China, Russia Discuss Missile Plan http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/i/AP-China-Russia-US.html March 11, 1999, Associated Press BEIJING (AP) -- China and Russia have held talks about a proposed U.S. anti-missile umbrella and are united in their opposition to the system, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said today. Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao gave no details on the Chinese and Russian ``consultations'' about the proposed Theater Missile Defense system. He also refused to say what if any action the two countries would take in future. But the Japanese news agency Kyodo, quoting an unnamed Russian government source, reported Wednesday from Moscow that security experts from the foreign and defense ministries of China and Russia have been meeting every two months to exchange information about the anti-missile system. The talks began late last year at China's request, and the two sides will likely end up making a decision on a united approach, possibly jointly asking that the United States and Japan terminate development of the program, Kyodo's source said. Zhu, the Chinese spokesman, said the two sides held talks ``because this issue has bearing on global and regional security and stability and affects the security interests of many countries.'' China fears the system, also known as TMD, could spark a costly arms race. It also is determined to ensure that any anti-missile umbrella is not extended to cover Taiwan, the island that China regards as part of its territory. ``China and Russia have both indicated and made clear their opposition to TMD,'' said Zhu. ``Russia is opposed to TMD and we have also expressed our strong opposition to this, so the two sides share a position on this issue.'' The United States has rebuffed Chinese concerns, saying it is still studying the system and has not decided yet whether to use it. _______ Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: NATO NUCLEAR FLASH 99-14 Date: 11 Mar 1999 20:17:25 -0500 Dear Friends, Below are some news stories about NATO. As you can see, things are heating up and the non-nuclear NATO states' (except for Turkey) challenge to US nuclear policy at the UN continues. All the more reason to show up at the NATO CITIZEN"S SUMMIT, April 23, in Washington, DC, 10:00 am, on the mall, corner of 14th St and Constitution Ave., the first day of the NATO 50th Anniversary meeting of NATO governments. HELP US TO SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE: DE-NUKE NATO and widen the breach between the US and NATO allies on the pace of nuclear abolition. Peace, Alice Slater >Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 17:24:53 -0500 >Subject: NATO NUCLEAR FLASH 99-14 >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: abolition-caucus@igc.apc.org >Cc: abolition-2000@agoranet.be >From: pol@motherearth.org (pol@motherearth.org) > >X-Sender: hkristensen@nautilus.org >X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 3.0.5 (32) >Date: Wed, 10 Mar 1999 14:47:33 -0800 >To: NNNNlist@nautilus.org >From: NNN-Net@nautilus.org (NNN-Net) >Subject: NATO NUCLEAR FLASH 99-14 >X-Unsubscribe: To leave, send 'leave NNNNlist' to NNN-Net_mgr@nautilus.org > > >NATO NUCLEAR FLASH 99-14 >************************** >(March 10, 1999) > > >Table of Contents: > >1. NATO Expansion Highlights Problems, Success. >2. Rumors About Nuclear Language. >3. Solana Address to the Royal United Services Institute. >4. U.S. Military Chief Remarks on "The Transatlantic Commitment". >5. NATO Conference Opens in London in Run-up to Jubilee Forum. >6. On Eve of Joining NATO, Czech Foreign Minister Pledges No Nuclear >Weapons. > > >------------------- > >1. NATO Expansion Highlights Problems, Success. > >March 10, 1999 - Ceremonies on Friday celebrating the adoption of three new >members into NATO are meant to celebrate the allies' ability to change with >the times, drawing old adversaries into a reunited, secure and free Europe. >But the occasion is expected to be an anti-climax, which will serve to >underscore problems dogging the United States and Europe six weeks before >NATO's 50th anniversary summit in Washington. > >NATO has no intention of withdrawing the remaining 100-150 U.S. tactical >nuclear weapons from Europe, but it is seeking a way to satisfy German and >Canadian interest in at least discussing possible future changes in nuclear >doctrine. > >* The full report is available at: >http://www.nautilus.org/nnnnet/news/031099reuters.txt > > >2. Rumors About Nuclear Language > >March 10, 1999 - With the date for the April NATO Summit approaching, >rumors continue to circulate about the timeline and proposal language of >the nuclear paragraphs of the Strategic Concept. Some officials believe >the language may be finalized by the middle of this week, while others feel >there is little chance for a conclusion at this point. > >German embassy sources feel confident that there will be an agreement for a >post-Summit task force to deal with nuclear policy issues, but does not >expect the mandate finalized until perhaps the first week of August. > >* For the full report, go to: >http://www.nautilus.org/nnnnet/news/young030999.txt > > >3. Solana Speech at the Royal United Services Institute. > >March 9, 1999 - In a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) >in London, NATO Secretary General Javier Solana said that the NATO Summit >will take a "fresh look" at the risks and challenges facing the Atlantic >community today and into the next century, and set the new security agenda. >Although not mentioning nuclear issues specifically, he said that the >Summit will launch an initiative to enhance NATO's role in coping with the >spread of weapons of mass destruction. > >* The full speech is available at: >http://www.nato.int/docu/speech/1999/s990309a.htm >For a text-only version, go to: >http://www.nautilus.org/nnnnet/speeches/solana030999.txt >For a Tass news report about the speech, go to: >http://www.nautilus.org/nnnnet/news/030999tass.txt > > >4. U.S. Military Chief Remarks on "The Transatlantic Commitment". > >March 8, 1999 - NATO should broaden the current definition of collective >defense to better meet the challenges of the 21st century, U.S. Chairman of >the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Henry H. Shelton said in his address to >the "NATO at 50 Conference" sponsored by the Royal United Services >Institute in London. > >"Tomorrow's alliance must not only defend NATO's enlarged borders, it must >also, as President Clinton has said, "defend against threats to our >collective security from beyond those borders -- the spread of weapons of >mass destruction, ethnic violence, and regional conflict." > >* Shelton's full speech is available at: >http://usa.grmbl.com/s19990309c.html >For a text-only version, go to: >http://www.nautilus.org/nnnnet/speeches/shelton030999.txt > > >5. NATO Conference Opens in London in Run-up to Jubilee Forum. > >March 8, 1999 -- A NATO conference pegged to the upcoming celebrations >marking the 50th anniversary of the North Atlantic Alliance opened in >London on March 8. The participants in the conference will try to assess >the past and the future of the Alliance with a focus on the current >situation in such trouble spots as Kosovo. > >* The full report is available at: >http://www.nautilus.org/nnnnet/news/030899tass.txt > > >6. On Eve of Joining NATO, Czech Foreign Minister Pledges No Nuclear >Weapons. > >March 7, 1999 - "Provided that world peace is not threatened, no nuclear >weapons will be deployed in the Czech Republic," the Czech Republic Foreign >Minister Jan Kavan said during a televised debate on NATO membership, >essentially declaring a "Nordic" nuclear policy. > >General Jiri Sedivy, Czech Army Chief of General Staff, rejected concerns >about nuclear weapons deployment as unreasonable and groundless, stating >that there are "no immediate plans" to deploy nuclear weapons in the >country. But Chairman of the Czech Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, >Michael Zantovsky, added that no official measures had been adopted that >define the conditions for a potential deployment of NATO nuclear weapons in >the Czech Republic. > >* The full report is available at: >http://www.nautilus.org/nnnnet/news/030799ct1.txt > > >END > >NOTE: Visit the Non-Nuclear NATO Network web site at: >http://www.nautilus.org/nnnnet/index.html for the full text of these and >many other documents about the debate over NATO's nuclear policy. The web >site also contains previous NATO NUCLEAR FLASH messages, and is >continuously updated with links to new and older documents. > > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Produced by the Nautilus Institute >with contributions from the Fourth Freedom Forum and BASIC. > >For further information contact: > >Hans M. Kristensen, The Nautilus Institute > hkristensen@nautilus.org >Alistair Millar, Fouth Freedom Foundation > amillar@fourthfreedom.org >Stephen Young, BASIC > syoung@basicint.org >Tim Savage, The Nautilus Institute > tsavage@nautilus.org >Wade Huntley, The Nautilus Institute > whuntley@nautilus.org >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >- > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Sally Light" Subject: (abolition-usa) LLNL's Plutonium Facility - Press Release Date: 11 Mar 1999 19:15:03 -0000 Hello: I apologize that the press release that follows loses all its formatting and its fancy typefaces when emailed. Still, I think you will find it readable and of interest... Peace, Marylia Contact: Marylia Kelley, Executive Director, (925) 443-7148 Sally Light, Program Analyst, (925) 443-7148 or (510) 527-2057 For Release 3/11/99 Livermore Lab's Plutonium Facility -- A Ticking "Time Bomb"? Community group calls on Energy Secretary to close plutonium facility; conduct immediate investigation of filter problems. Formerly secret documents form basis for group's demand. On March 11, 1999, Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment) will send a letter to Energy Secretary Bill Richardson demanding that he immediately shut down operations in the main plutonium building at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) while a thorough, open investigation of the problem-riddled facility is carried out. The main plutonium facility at LLNL, called Building 332, houses 880 pounds of plutonium, enough for nearly 100 modern nuclear bombs. Tri-Valley CAREs, the Livermore-based environmental "watchdog" over the weapons laboratory, has recently received documents from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in response to its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for information concerning LLNL's High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters in its plutonium facility. The documents were not provided until Tri-Valley CAREs, after waiting almost nine months for a response to its April 1998 request, filed a FOIA lawsuit against DOE, the Livermore Lab's parent agency. These formerly secret documents, which total approximately 500 pages, can be made available to reporters upon request at Tri-Valley CAREs' office. They are the basis for the group's urgent letter to Secretary Richardson. Several documents are excerpted below. The DOE documents reveal a long history of serious problems with Bldg. 332's HEPA filters, which are supposed to protect Lab workers and the public by preventing the release of plutonium into the air. Plutonium, a radioactive material derived from neutron bombardment of uranium 238, is used in the making of nuclear weapons. Plutonium 239, the weapons grade isotope oft used at Livermore Lab, has a "half-life" of over 24,000 years. Among the documents are many memos from LLNL's own filter experts outlining serious technical concerns about Bldg. 332's filter system and containing chilling warnings about potential and actual failures. Other documents describe accidents that spread plutonium around Bldg. 332, which includes many rooms and, in its entirety, covers most of four acres. Excerpt from FOIA-ed memo of 6/6/90: "I hope it doesn't take a release like we had in late 1979 - early 1980 to spring the money necessary to solve the current problems." -- James S. Johnson, LLNL to Chuck Folkers, LLNL "The records indicate that measurable plutonium releases to the outside air occurred in 1979-80 due to HEPA filter failure," stated Sally Light, Tri-Valley CAREs' Nuclear Program Analyst. "According to these documents," Light continued, "at least one type of Bldg. 332's HEPA filters is not totally qualified for nuclear applications. Further, the documents show that these filters, which are made by hand from glass paper and glue, may fail when wet, hot, cold or under too much air pressure, as well as when too old. Livermore Lab experts state in the documents we received that HEPA filters should remain in service for only 8 years maximum. Knowing this, the Lab has continued to use some of the filters in the plutonium facility for 20 to 30-plus years!" Excerpt from FOIA-ed memo of 3/6/95: "Old filters should be discarded or only used in non-critical applications because aged filters are structurally weak." -- Werner Bergman, LLNL to Ray Kahle. And, on 2/16/95: "LLNL has stored filters to 10 years prior to use and has functioning filters with 32 years of service." -- HEPA Filter Studies, by Werner Bergman, LLNL Light went on to say that there is a risk of major plutonium releases if a fire -- always a possibility with plutonium -- occurs in Bldg. 332, causing the "blow out" of plutonium-laden filters when fire sprinklers turn on. "We are extremely concerned about this possibility, because a major plutonium fire and HEPA 'blow out' has already actually happened at another DOE facility, Rocky Flats, in Colorado," she said. Excerpt from FOIA-ed memo of 3/6/95: "As stated in all three documents, the most important issue is the potential for HEPA filter blow out during fire conditions." -- Werner Bergman, LLNL to Ray Kahle According to Marylia Kelley, Executive Director of Tri-Valley CAREs, HEPA filters work similarly to a filter in a coffee pot, which doesn't prevent numerous small coffee particles from passing through. "Even when the HEPA filter is working perfectly, it does not capture 100% of the plutonium. If the filters are allowed to get old, crusty, brittle and failure-prone, as the ones in Bldg. 332 have, then this may show one possible pathway by which plutonium made its way into the surrounding community, including Big Trees Park," Kelley explained, referring to the recent "plutonium in the park" controversy. Community concern continues to rise as elevated levels of plutonium were discovered for a third time at Big Trees Park, just one half mile west of the Lab and next to an elementary school. Kelley also stated that some of the DOE documents include Lab memos describing the long-standing inadequacy of funding for research into both filter problems and their remedies. A recent memo shows a Livermore Lab employee trying hard to juggle and stretch what little DOE funding there was in order to even partially address existing filter problems. Excerpt from FOIA-ed memo of 3/21/98: "I no longer have any support for HEPA filter tasks and cannot charge my other projects... Because of the serious accusations regarding these filters and the potential consequences to Bldg. 332 and the Lab, I quickly conducted a series of tests (using about 100k dollars of my DOE monies initially intended for other filter tasks) to mitigate the most serious questions regarding the closed filters." -- Werner Bergman, LLNL to Tim Roberts, LLNL "Historically, there's been very little guidance from DOE as to the filters for the entire nuclear weapons complex. Instead, each facility has been left largely on its own," Kelley said. Excerpt from FOIA-ed document of 2/16/95: "DP [Dept. of Energy's Defense Programs] facilities have many old HEPA filters because there is no guidance and no disposal site" -- HEPA Filter Studies, by Werner Bergman, LLNL "We will continue to monitor the serious HEPA conditions at Livermore Lab's plutonium facility, as well as the other problems there, including the epidemic of plutonium criticality safety violations that resulted in the months-long shut down of Bldg. 332 during 1997-98," said Sally Light. "As a priority, we are urging the community to join us in writing the Secretary of Energy, as well as Representative Ellen Tauscher, to demand that Bldg. 332 be closed while an immediate, thorough and open investigation of these serious risks to public health and the environment is undertaken." -30- A copy of the letter to Secretary Richardson is available by fax on request. ++++ Please note that my email address has changed to on 3/1/99 ++++ Marylia Kelley Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment) 2582 Old First Street Livermore, CA USA 94550 - is our web site, please visit us there! Our web site will remain at this location. Only my email address has changed on 3/1/99. (925) 443-7148 - is our phone (925) 443-0177 - is our fax Working for peace, justice and a healthy environment since 1983, Tri-Valley CAREs has been a member of the nation-wide Alliance for Nuclear Accountability in the U.S. since 1989, and is a co-founding member of the international Abolition 2000 network for the elimination of nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Kathy Crandall Subject: (abolition-usa) The REAL STAR WARS UPDATE Date: 12 Mar 1999 09:32:50 -0500 STAR WARS UPDATE Just passing this on from John Isaacs, Council for a Livable World: Please continue to generate calls and faxes to your Senators today, over the weekend and Monday, Capitol Switchboard (202) 224 3121 If you have questions, want to know more about what you can do, please contact Bob Tiller at PSR (202) 898 0150 ext. 220 btiller@psr.org Fran Teplitz at Peace Action (202) 862 9740 fteplitz@peace-action.org ******************************************************* The latest on the Senate schedule -- Majority Leader Trent Lott has just announced (around 6:00 P.M. on Thursday) that the Cochran National Missile Defense bill will in fact come up next week, the week of March 15. The Senate has one more vote on the education bill Thursday evening; there are no Senate votes on Friday or Monday. Senator Lott also announced that there will no cloture vote on the Cochran bill, S.257, but rather that the Senate will proceed directly to the bill and to debate thereon. This announcement comes after a negotiated agreement with Senator Daschle and other Democrats, but the details are not clear at this point. Reminder: The House is still expected to take up the Weldon-Spratt (H.R.4) missile defense bill on Thursday, March 18. The House leadership first hopes to host the Rumsfeld commission on missile defense threats in a closed briefing for House members. When the Weldon-Spratt bill comes up, Rep. Tom Allen plans to offer a substitute measure -- subject to approval by the House Rules Committee -- that places conditions on any national missile defense deployment. John John Isaacs, President Council for a Livable World 110 Maryland Avenue, NE - Room 409 Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 543-4100 x.131 FAX (202) 543-6297 www.clw.org -- DISARMAMENT CLEARINGHOUSE Nuclear Disarmament Information, Resources & Action Tools 1101 14th Street NW #700, Washington DC 20005 TEL: 202 898 0150 ext. 232 FAX: 202 898 0172 E-MAIL: disarmament@igc.org http://www.psr.org/Disarmhouse.htm http://www.psr.org/ctbtaction.htm A project of: Friends Committee on National Legislation Peace Action, Physicians for Social Responsibility and Women's Action for New Directions -- - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: McNamara encourages review Date: 12 Mar 1999 15:46:59 -0500 >Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 15:29:42 -0500 >Subject: McNamara encourages review >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca >X-FC-Forwarded-From: brobinson@ploughshares.ca >From: abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca) > >Former Cold Warrior encourages review of NATO nuclear policy >JEFF SALLOT >03/09/99 >The Globe and Mail >Metro >Page A8 > > >Ottawa -- Robert McNamara, a former U.S. defence secretary and Cold >Warrior, plans to tell a >parliamentary committee tomorrow that Canada should administer badly >needed "shock >treatment" to Washington to alert it to the dangers and immorality of >nuclear weapons. > >"I don't think you'll accomplish a damn thing in Canada in relation to >U.S. nuclear policy, unless >you engage in what I call shock treatment and are willing to pay some >price," Mr. McNamara >said yesterday. > >Mr. McNamara, a Vietnam War-era hawk who has become a dove, is scheduled >to appear >before a special joint Senate-House committee on foreign affairs to urge >Canada to take a leading >role in forcing a review of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's >nuclear-weapons policy. > >"If that [a full-scale review] were done, there's no question in my mind >but that the policy would >be changed," he said in an interview. > >Mr. McNamara was the chief architect of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam >War under presidents >John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson in the 1960s. He had his finger on the >nuclear button >during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, one of the most dangerous episodes >of the Cold War. > >His appearance in Ottawa will be an unusual event. Even when they are in >vocal opposition to >current Pentagon policy at home, former U.S. defence officials rarely >criticize those policies >before foreign parliaments. > >Canadian peace groups say Mr. McNamara's appearance will give the Liberal >government some >room to manoeuvre politically on the nuclear issue without facing charges >from the Reform Party >and others that it is anti-American. > >Mr. McNamara's appeal will be supported before the committee by three >other former senior >U.S. arms-control and military officials, including retired general Lee >Butler, who was the >commander of U.S. strategic nuclear forces when the Soviet Union collapsed >in 1991. The four >are also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Foreign >Affairs Minister Lloyd >Axworthy. > >Mr. McNamara said it is not likely that NATO will abandon its so-called >first-use nuclear policy >at its summit meeting next month in Washington, an event that will include >ceremonies marking the >alliance's 50th anniversary. > >But he said it would be a major step forward if Canada and the other >non-nuclear NATO >countries could at least keep President Bill Clinton from opposing a >policy review, if not actually >initiating it. > >Current NATO policy leaves open the possibility of the alliance making >first use of nuclear >weapons in a conflict. Left unchanged, Mr. McNamara said, that policy will >continue to irritate >Russia and undermine efforts to renew the Nuclear Non-proliferation >Treaty. > >He said many senior U.S. military figures disagree with NATO's >"irresponsible" and "morally >repugnant" nuclear policy. He predicted that top military officers in the >United States would >actually welcome a review of nuclear policy, because "they know damn well >you can't use these >weapons against a nuclear-equipped opponent -- and against a >non-nuclear-equipped opponent >they don't need them." > >Mr. McNamara is also critical of U.S. plans to try to develop a >ballistic-missile defence system to >protect North America from so-called rogue states. > >"The idea that the North Koreans would have a missile that would launch a >weapon on the U.S. >or Canada anytime soon is absurd." > >And even if North Korea did develop long-range missiles, he said, "the >better defence would be >to take it out" with direct bombing, rather than set up a missile defence >that almost certainly would >not work. > > >-- >Bill Robinson, Project Ploughshares, >Conrad Grebel College, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G6 >Phone: 519 888-6541 x264 Fax: 519 885-0806 >E-mail: brobinson@ploughshares.ca >http://www.ploughshares.ca > >Project Ploughshares is a member of the Canadian Network to Abolish >Nuclear Weapons (http://watserv1.uwaterloo.ca/~plough/cnanw/cnanw.html) > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Globe on McNamara/Butler Date: 12 Mar 1999 16:07:14 -0500 Dear Friends, The good news below from our neighbors to the North requires a strong response from our Campaign. One way to respond, is to show up for the Citizens Summit to De-Nuke NATO on April 23 in Washington DC, 10:00am, on the Mall, Constitution and 14th St. If you're too far away, urge your friends in the DC area to attend. We're on a roll! Let's keep the momentum going. Peace, Alice Slater >Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 15:24:40 -0500 >Subject: Globe on McNamara/Butler >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca >X-FC-Forwarded-From: brobinson@ploughshares.ca >From: abolition@watserv1.UWaterloo.ca (abolition@watserv1.UWaterloo.ca) > >Canada targets nuclear warheads >Government, impressed by arguments of former hawks, will lobby to destroy >weapons >JEFF SALLOT >03/11/99 >The Globe and Mail >Metro >Page A4 > >Ottawa -- The Liberal government wants nuclear-weapons states to get rid >of all of their >warheads, Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy said yesterday. > >It's just a matter of how and when this goal can be accomplished, he said >in an interview after a >meeting with prominent U.S. Cold Warriors who now oppose Washington's >nuclear weapons >policy. > >He said the federal government's ultimate objective is to try to wean its >nuclear allies -- the United >States, Britain and France -- and other nuclear-weapons states like Russia >and China from >dependence on nuclear weapons in their defence strategies. > >For Canada, "the question is how best to influence" the nuclear weapons >debate, he said, adding >that the cabinet will soon take up the issue. > >Mr. Axworthy said he was impressed by the arguments of former U.S. defence >secretary Robert >McNamara and retired U.S. Air Force general Lee Butler, hawks who have >turned doves. > >The pair testified at a parliamentary committee yesterday, urging Canada >to confront Pentagon >orthodoxy and take the lead in forcing a review of NATO's nuclear policy. > >"These are very, very serious and experienced guys" and their arguments >against the nuclear >weapons policies of their own government and the North Atlantic Treaty >Organization carry a lot >of weight, Mr. Axworthy said. > >The elimination of nuclear weapons is moving to the centre of the >political agenda in Ottawa and >in other NATO countries as the alliance reviews its strategic doctrine in >preparation for a 50th >anniversary meeting in Washington next month. The Clinton administration >says there is no need to >change NATO nuclear policy. > >The Commons foreign affairs committee recommended recenly that NATO review >its policy, >which leaves open the possibility that the alliance might be the first to >use nuclear weapons in a >conflict. > >Gen. Butler, who was the officer in charge of all U.S. strategic nuclear >forces when the Cold War >ended, said the committee's report is a helpful reminder to Americans of >the importance of >morality in defence policy. "This is a report my government should have >written many years ago," >he said. > >Mr. McNamara, who had his finger on the U.S. nuclear trigger during the >Cuban missile crisis in >1962, said the committee's "superb" report could have gone even further >and specifically called >for a NATO no-first-use policy. > >Reform Party foreign-policy critic Bob Mills said the witnesses were naive >to believe that nuclear >weapons could ever be eliminated. "We must accept the fact there will >always be the risk of >nuclear proliferation" and thus NATO should keep its own warheads as a >deterrent. > >Mr. McNamara called for an unequivocal political commitment by all the >nuclear powers to the >goal of total abolition of those weapons. This would be followed >immediately by the removal of all >nuclear weapons from alert status, the physical removal of warheads from >missiles, and a >declaration that the countries would never be the first to use nuclear >weapons and would never >use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states. > >"We can indeed put the genie back in the bottle," Mr. McNamara said. "If >we do not, there is a >substantial and unacceptable risk that the 21st century will witness a >nuclear holocaust." > >-- >Bill Robinson, Project Ploughshares, >Conrad Grebel College, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G6 >Phone: 519 888-6541 x264 Fax: 519 885-0806 >E-mail: brobinson@ploughshares.ca >http://www.ploughshares.ca > >Project Ploughshares is a member of the Canadian Network to Abolish >Nuclear Weapons (http://watserv1.uwaterloo.ca/~plough/cnanw/cnanw.html) > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Timothy Bruening Subject: (abolition-usa) McNamara encourages review of NATO nuclear weapons policy Date: 13 Mar 1999 01:41:45 -0800 (PST) I understand that McNamara will urge Canada to push for a review of NATO's first use of nuclear weapons policy. Would he be in favor of Canada imposing sanctions against the US? - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Timothy Bruening Subject: (abolition-usa) Nuclear Disarmament Actions Date: 13 Mar 1999 01:41:47 -0800 (PST) I have read that there will be a big anti-nuclear rally in Washington, D.C. in June 2000. Why not have such a rally this June? - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Sally Light" Subject: (abolition-usa) New Stuff on Tri-Valley CAREs' Web Site Date: 13 Mar 1999 10:49:05 -0000 New! Cool! Free! Must See! All that and antinuclear, too! Announcing new stuff on Tri-Valley CAREs' web site! (http://igc.org/tvc) ** The latest, very cool postcard calling on President Clinton to de-alert nuclear weapons. It is ready for you to download, e.g. in jpeg format. The graphic shows the earth being cradled in safe hands. The text (in semi-circles around the graphic) says: Make the world a safer place... Take nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert. CHECK IT OUT. GET YOURS TODAY. (And, if for any reason you have trouble downloading the postcard and want a camera ready template sent to you by snail mail, just send me a note with your address -- which you can do directly from the web site.) ** Our March 1999 newsletter, Citizen's Watch is on the web now with: (1) news on plutonium filter failures and other problems at the Dept. of Energy's Livermore Lab. This information was dragged out of DOE via a Freedom of Information Act request and, ultimately, a lawsuit when the agency tried to stonewall. This information on HEPA filter problems has relevance to other nuclear sites around the country! (2) everything you need to participate in the country-wide grassroots campaign to de-alert the U.S. nuclear arsenal by the Year 2000! Download the article and the postcard. Order an action kit. Pass the word on to others. (3) a calendar of events -- including the Good Friday (April 2) morning observance and demonstration at the gates of Livermore Lab. This year the theme is "Confessing the Idolatry of Our Nuclear Weapons." All people of peace are welcome. Also, get details about a Public Meeting - March 18 at 6 PM - on the Livermore Lab's site 300 cleanup, the Tri-Valley CAREs' meeting on March 25 and more. (4) an article on "Site 300: Risks and Remedies," about the importance of cleaning up radioactive and toxic waste at Livermore Lab's high explosives testing range, located between Livermore and Tracy, California. (5) more!!! Address follows... ++++ Please note that my email address has changed to on 3/1/99 ++++ Marylia Kelley Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment) 2582 Old First Street Livermore, CA USA 94550 - is our web site, please visit us there! Our web site will remain at this location. Only my email address has changed on 3/1/99. (925) 443-7148 - is our phone (925) 443-0177 - is our fax Working for peace, justice and a healthy environment since 1983, Tri-Valley CAREs has been a member of the nation-wide Alliance for Nuclear Accountability in the U.S. since 1989, and is a co-founding member of the international Abolition 2000 network for the elimination of nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) Nuclear Disarmament Actions Date: 13 Mar 1999 14:09:05 EST In a message dated 3/13/99 4:42:31 AM Eastern Standard Time, tsbrueni@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us writes: << Subj: (abolition-usa) Nuclear Disarmament Actions Date: 3/13/99 4:42:31 AM Eastern Standard Time From: tsbrueni@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us (Timothy Bruening) Sender: owner-abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com Reply-to: abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com To: ldazey@igc.org, wslf@igc.apc.org, abeier@igc.org, planevada@aol.com, wiednerb@aol.com, iio1@pge.com, pasacramento@igc.org, abolition- usa@lists.xmission.com I have read that there will be a big anti-nuclear rally in Washington, D.C. in June 2000. Why not have such a rally this June? >> Timothy, I have questions even about June 2000 - I think some of the discussions have been a little unreal, but this year? It is already mid-March, and a massive event of this kind requires a full year in the making - or some very terrible event to galvanize us (such as the Kent State shootings back in the Vietnam period or the Three Mile Island event). If there was an accidental Russian missile drop on NYC, or an accidental US missile drop on Paris, then I think it could be done this June. But otherwise it isn't possible. Funding. Buses and trains reserved. Coalition endorsements. Negotiations with the police. However . . . this is one of those things, like a revolution itself, where I'd love to be proven entirely too pessimistic. Peace, David McReynolds - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) DC Nuclear Disarmament Actions Date: 13 Mar 1999 12:25:16 -0800 One kind of event which can effect more rapid mobilization is the peace walk. What do folks think of the idea of starting a Global Peace Walk 1999 for Y2K motivated nuclear weapons "stand-down" or "de-alert" (as a first step to Abolition 2000) starting the walk at the United Nations in NY on its opening day September 15 (UN Int'l Day of Peace) and walking to Washington DC to arrive on October 24th United Nations Day (54th anniversary) in order to bring out the logic that the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is a crime against humanity according to numerous UN resolutions interpreting its original charter and in support of Anne Fagan Ginger's legal arguments that a 1996 World Court Opinion renders nuclear weapons illegal under international law. Details on her position referenced at GEAR2000 website below. Two organizations are already planning Oct24 events at the Capitol which would be supportive, the March for Peaceful Energy (http://www.peacefulenergy.org) and the Rally to End Secrecy http://www.endsecrecy.com . It would seem that the potential Y2K threat of accidental nuclear war may be enough in these times to replace the need for a Kent State type motivation. Six months to plan such event with all the organizations already mobilizing around the Y2K apprehensions, etc., could be plenty of time to rally a large group at the Washington Monument -- US Capitol area, if such decision can be consensed to on this list soon, then the ball can get rolling quickly on many levels. Isn't it about time for manifesting a nonviolent American Spiritual Resolution? (what is a revolution but an effect of human resolve) http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000 ********************************************************* Global Emergency Alert Response: GEAR2000 David Crockett Williams 661-822-3309 20411 Steeple Court, Tehachapi CA 93561 USA ********************************************************* CAMPAIGN for a BETTER AMERICA with General Agency Services ********************************************************* UNITED NATION Global Peace Walk Annually: 22apr Taos, NM, ---> Santa Fe 26apr 1999: 15sep UN in NY to Washington, DC 24 Oct 2000: 15jan San Francisco --> New York 24oct 16sep Washington, DC Ceremony rededicating Washington Monument as a symbol of peace, September 16, 2000 ONE HUMAN FAMILY: Love All, Serve All. GLOBAL PEACE NOW !! Help Now !!! ********************************************************* http://www.egroups.com/list/global-peace-walk -----Original Message----- >In a message dated 3/13/99 4:42:31 AM Eastern Standard Time, >tsbrueni@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us writes: > ><< Subj: (abolition-usa) Nuclear Disarmament Actions > Date: 3/13/99 4:42:31 AM Eastern Standard Time > From: tsbrueni@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us (Timothy Bruening) > Sender: owner-abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com > Reply-to: abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com > To: ldazey@igc.org, wslf@igc.apc.org, abeier@igc.org, planevada@aol.com, >wiednerb@aol.com, iio1@pge.com, pasacramento@igc.org, abolition- >usa@lists.xmission.com > > I have read that there will be a big anti-nuclear rally in Washington, D.C. > in June 2000. Why not have such a rally this June? > > >> > >Timothy, >I have questions even about June 2000 - I think some of the discussions have >been a little unreal, but this year? It is already mid-March, and a massive >event of this kind requires a full year in the making - or some very terrible >event to galvanize us (such as the Kent State shootings back in the Vietnam >period or the Three Mile Island event). If there was an accidental Russian >missile drop on NYC, or an accidental US missile drop on Paris, then I think >it could be done this June. But otherwise it isn't possible. Funding. Buses >and trains reserved. Coalition endorsements. Negotiations with the police. >However . . . this is one of those things, like a revolution itself, where I'd >love to be proven entirely too pessimistic. > >Peace, >David McReynolds > >- > To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" > with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. > For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send > "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. > - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Presentation on Weapons in Space Date: 15 Mar 1999 13:03:20 -0500 --=====================_12817760==_ Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/plain"; boundary="=====================_12817760==_.REL" --=====================_12817760==_.REL Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable >Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 11:11:25 -0500 >Subject: Presentation on Weapons in Space >To: aslater@gracelinks.org >From: kgrossman@hamptons.com (kgrossman@hamptons.com) > > =20 > The following is a condensed version of a speech given by Karl >Grossman >at a seminar on =93Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space=94 organized= by the Women=92s >International League for Peace and Freedom held at the United Nations >Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland on March 10 and at the Darmstadt >University of Technology in Germany at a conference on =93Space Use and= Ethics" on >March 4. =20 > Professor Grossman of the State University/College at Old Westbury >is a member of the Commission on Disarmament Education, Conflict Resolution and >Peace of the United Nations and the International Association of University >Presidents, and author of =93The Wrong Stuff: The Space Program=92s Nuclear >Threat To Our Planet=94 and writer and narrator of the TV documentaries= =93Nukes In >Space: The Nuclearization and Weaponization of the Heavens=94 and the just-released >=93Nukes In Space 2: Unacceptable Risks.=94 The full text is appended at= the end as an attached file, or can be obtained from kgrossman@hamptons.com. =20 =20 The U.S. military is seeking to =93control space=94 and the Earth >below, to base weapons in space--and we must all join to stop this. Here=92s the plan: the United States Space Command=92s "Vision For >2020" report, issued last year. Look at the cover of the report: laser weapons >shooting their beams down from space zapping targets below. And, the report >goes on, in wording laid out like in the start of the Star Wars movies: =93= US >Space Command--dominating the space dimension of military operations to >protect US interests and investment. Integrating Space Forces into warfighting >capabilities across the full spectrum of conflict.=94 This was not written= in >Hollywood; it=92s an official U.S. military publication. > =20 Here=92s the plan: General Joseph Ashy, commander-in-chief of the U.S. Space Command--its motto =93Master of Space=94--speaking in =93Aviation= Week and >Space Technology=94 in an article headlined: =93USSC [U.S. Space Command] >Prepares for Future Combat Missions in Space.=94 General Ashy talks of= =93space >control,=94 the U.S. term for control of space, and =93space force= application,=94 the U.S. >military=92s definition of control of Earth from space. Says General Ashy: >=93We=92ll expand into these two missions because they will become= increasingly >important. We will engage terrestial targets someday--ships, airplanes, >land targets--from space. We will engage targets in space, from space.=94 =93It=92s politically sensitive, but it=92s going to happen,=94 says the >general. =93Some people don=92t want to hear this, and it sure isn=92t in= vogue, >but--absolutely--we=92re going to fight in space. We=92re going to fight= from >space and we=92re going to fight into space=85.That=92s why the U.S. has development >programs in directed energy and hit-to-kill mechanisms.=94 Here=92s the plan: =93Space-Based Laser Readiness Demonstrator=94 are the >words on top on this poster of a laser weapon in space, with a U.S. flag >waving in space above it. (I didn=92t know U.S. flags were able to wave in space.) >=93Preparing Today To Protect Tomorrow,=94 say the words below, next to a= seal >of the =93team=94 involved in the project, a contract for which was signed= last >year:TRW, Boeing, the U.S. Air Force and the Ballistic Missile Defense >Organization, the new name for the U.S. Star Wars operation.=20 >Here=92s the plan: Guardians of the High Frontier, the publication of the= Air >Force Space Command, proclaiming: =93Air Force Space Command Vision: >Defending America through the control and exploitation of space.=94 >Here=92s the plan: Phillips Laboratory, the Air Force research and >development facility, describing itself: =93Phillips Laboratory supports= the >war fighter=85Phillips Laboratory is helping control space for the United >States.=94 > =20 Here=92s the plan: Asst. Secretary of the Air Force for Space Keith >Hall, who=92s also director of the National Reconnaissance Office (which= has a $6.8 >billion annual budget, nearly three times the CIA=92s), declaring: =93With >regard to space dominance, we have it, we like it, and we=92re going to= keep it.=94 Here=92s the plan: in =93Time=94 magazine last month. The headline: =93Star >Wars: The Sequel, Hey, what ever happened to arms control? Well, here >comes the new Bill Clinton, Star Warrior.=94 The article began: =93Disregar= d previous >orders. It=92s back to the future after Clinton this month sent Congress a military >budget proposing to pump $6.6 billion into development of a national >missile-defense shield by 2005 Missile defense? Examining the new Clinton Son of Star Wars drive >in context, it sure appears that what=92s up the sleeves of the U.S.= military >is in large part not defense but offense=85. Here=92s the plan: =93The Future of War: Power, Technology & American World >Dominance in the 2lst Century=94 is the name of the book. It is written by >U.S.=93defense experts=94 and consultants, George and Meredith Friedman.= The book=92s >thrust: =93Just as by the year 1500 it was apparent that the European >experience of power would be its domination of the global seas, it does not take much >to see that the American experience of power will rest on the domination of >space,=94 the Friedmans write. =93Just as Europe expanded war and its power= to >the global oceans, the United States is expanding war and its power into space >and to the planets,=94 they say. =93Just as Europe shaped the world for a= half a >millennium=94--by the Britain, France and Spain dominating the oceans with >their fleets--=93so too the United States will shape the world for at least that >length of time.=94 "The Future of War: Power, Technology & American World Dominance >in the 2lst Century"--as do various government reports--see as critical to the new >weapons the U.S. seeks to deploy in space, nuclear power in space. >As =93New World Vistas: Air And Space Power For The 2lst Century,=94 a >U.S. Air Force board report, states: =93In the next two decades, new technologies >will allow the fielding of space-based weapons of devastating effectiveness to >be used to deliver energy and mass as force projection in tactical and >strategic conflict=85These advances will enable lasers with reasonable mass= and cost to >effect very many kills.=94 But, notes the report, =93power limitations= impose >restrictions=94 on such-based weapons systems making them =93relatively >unfeasible=85.A natural technology to enable high power,=94 it goes on, =93= is >nuclear power in space.=94 =93Setting the emotional issues of nuclear power aside, this technology >offers a viable alternative for large amounts of power in space,=94 it goes= on. > Weapons in space. Nukes in space=85. What about the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, the =93basic framework on >international space law?=94--as notes the United Nations in describing the >landmark treaty now signed by 91 nations. The U.S., the United Kingdom and >former Soviet Union were its initiators. What about the declaration of the Outer Space Treaty that space shall be used =93for peaceful purposes=85The exploration and use of outer space, >including the moon and other celestial bodies, shall be carried out for the benefit >and in the interest of all countries?=94 What about the provision of the= Outer Space Treaty that nations shallnot =93place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons >or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction?=94 Meanwhile, the U.S.= is >speaking about, =93in the next two decades=85the fielding of space-based >weapons of devastating effectiveness,=94 as =93New World Vistas=94 states. >Already the U.S. is in outright violation of the Outer Space >Treaty=92s provision that =93states shall be liable for damage caused by= their space >objects.=94 In 1991, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration >and the U.S. Department of Energy entered into a Space Nuclear Power Agreement to >cover its nuclear space flightsincluding the current Cassini= plutonium-fueled >space probe mission--with the Price-Anderson Act. This is a U.S. law which limits >liability in the event of a nuclear to $8.9 billion for U.S. domestic >damage and just $100 million for damage to all foreign nations. Thus if the =93inadverent reentry=94 of Cassini back into the Earth=92s >atmosphere which NASA is concerned could occur on Cassini=92s planned= August >1999 Earth =93flyby=94 does happen, and a part of Europe or Africa or Asia= or Latin >America is impacted, all the nations and all the people affected could >collect in damages--despite the amount of land left contaminated, the= number of >people left with cancer--would be $100 million=85. And we=92re speaking of potentially huge damage. NASA intends to send the Cassini space probe and= its 72.3 pounds of >plutonium dioxide fuel hurtling at Earth at 42,300 miles per hour for a >=93gravity assist=94 or =93slingshot=94 maneuver--to give it additional= velocity >so it can reach its final destination of Saturn. It=92s supposed to buzz= the Earth >at 496 miles high this coming August 18. > =20 But, says NASA its =93Final Environmental Impact Statement for the >Cassini Mission,=94 if the probe does not come in at 496 miles high, if it= dips down >after hundreds of millions of miles in space into the Earth=92s 75-mile= high >atmosphere--and makes an =93inadverent reentry=94--it will break up, the= =93Final >Environmental Impact Statement=94 concedes. Plutonium will be released.= And, >says the =93Final Environmental Impact Statement,=94approximately 5 billion= of the >estimated 7 to 8 billion world population at the time=85could receive 99 >percent or more of the radiation exposure.=94 > =20 =85.And even if the Cassini Earth =93flyby=94 is not scuttled and Cassini= not >redirected in coming monthsas it can and should--to fly into the sun and be >consumed, but goes ahead and works, NASA is planning eight more plutonium >space probe shots in coming years, according to a report issued last year= by the >U.S. General Accounting Office. With a 12% failure rate already in the use= by >the U.S. (and also the Soviet Union and now Russia) of nuclear power in space, >accidents--and disaster--are inevitable. And U.S. liability will be >shielded under the Price Anderson Act, in violation of the Outer Space Treaty. >What the government of my country, the United States of America, is >involved in in space is in violation of international law. It gravely >endangers life on this planet. It pushes us toward nuclear catastrophe. > The military use of space being planned by the U.S. is in total >contradiction of the principles of peaceful international cooperation that >the U.S. likes to espouse. The aim is to develop a world in which it would >literally be USA uber alles. This flies in the face of the spirit, the= ideals of the United >States of America. It denigrates those courageous men and women who came to this >continent and fought the horrific evil of fascism in World War II. >It pushes us--all of us--toward war in the heavens. >George Friedman, co-author of =93The Future of War: Power, Technology & >American World Dominance in the 2lst Century,=94 claims that the U.S. can dominate the >Earth for centuries ahead because of its technological prowess. He says >other nations--he names Russia, Japan and China--are just =93passing= blips=85to >compete with the U.S.=94=20 > I=92ve been to Russia; I=92ve been to Japan; I=92ve been to China.= They >are no passing technological =93blips.=94 And if the United States moves to= arm the >heavens, to utilize space as what one high U.S. military officer calls the >=93ultimate high ground,=94 other nations will follow--leading to a new= arms >race--and ultimately war--in space. > This all must be stopped before it gets completely out of hand. >Stopped=85and now! =20 =20 a81ce2.jpg Speech AD.doc=20 --=====================_12817760==_.REL Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="a81ce2.jpg"; x-mac-type="4A504547"; x-mac-creator="4A565752" Content-ID: <4.0.2.19990315123349.00af84a0@204.141.205.3.0> Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Disposition: inline; filename="a81ce2.jpg" /9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wBDAAEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEB AQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQH/2wBDAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEB AQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQH/wAARCAAgACADASIA AhEBAxEB/8QAHwAAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQFBgcICQoL/8QAtRAAAgEDAwIEAwUFBAQA AAF9AQIDAAQRBRIhMUEGE1FhByJxFDKBkaEII0KxwRVS0fAkM2JyggkKFhcYGRolJicoKSo0NTY3 ODk6Q0RFRkdISUpTVFVWV1hZWmNkZWZnaGlqc3R1dnd4eXqDhIWGh4iJipKTlJWWl5iZmqKjpKWm p6ipqrKztLW2t7i5usLDxMXGx8jJytLT1NXW19jZ2uHi4+Tl5ufo6erx8vP09fb3+Pn6/8QAHwEA AwEBAQEBAQEBAQAAAAAAAAECAwQFBgcICQoL/8QAtREAAgECBAQDBAcFBAQAAQJ3AAECAxEEBSEx BhJBUQdhcRMiMoEIFEKRobHBCSMzUvAVYnLRChYkNOEl8RcYGRomJygpKjU2Nzg5OkNERUZHSElK U1RVVldYWVpjZGVmZ2hpanN0dXZ3eHl6goOEhYaHiImKkpOUlZaXmJmaoqOkpaanqKmqsrO0tba3 uLm6wsPExcbHyMnK0tPU1dbX2Nna4uPk5ebn6Onq8vP09fb3+Pn6/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwD+sr9p r9vP9hrX/AP7Qf7N+hftnfsoa1+0RrXhD4r/AAQ0f4C6T+0V8INR+NGrfGjUdF1/wHp/wh0z4W2f jCbxxf8AxQv/ABxND4MsvAFroUviu68Vyx+HYNJk1eRbM5/iP4s/8EX/AAd/wn//AAl3xM/4Jg+F f+FUfECz+E/xS/4SPxn+ynof/CtfinqP/Ca/2f8ADTx//aepWv8Awh3xAv8A/hWvxF+x+DfEX9ne I7r/AIQHxr5Gmv8A8Irrv2D+dj9vX44Sfsn/ALcfxz8VeFPCnhbU9C8Ff8FULO+8F+APFehte/s/ eGvif44/4IzaL+0J4N+K3xp8K6bq3hyz0b4H/DT9uDxVpX7dP7RHjnSbi08Q+Dde8MfED9pzSnu/ i7ottrVx8UeG/iRqviTxh4A+C37L3gjxr43+JH7VP7Pv/BK/49/B/wCL/wAYvCOq+MviLa+NtO+I v/BQzxrP4z+I3jP4Vzal4ul+Onxm8cfHS3+JP7c+s+CdA8V+I/iZ+wBpv/BUzxXBqD69bQTaz9/D gVzwNDM3mbhgpYDJMbiak8FFVKKzKpN5gqNNY1rEUMnwdP63XryqYeVb2lGkqFH2jqR/kPE/Srjh +Ks24HjwPTxHFFDizxP4YyTCYfiirLBZnLgnBYKHCMsyxsuGIVMmzTxI4kx0OHsryqhg85pZY8Jm WPlmeZfVYYPEf2H+FvFH/BMf4o6JpPib9n74cfsoftR+HNW8QeI/Ca+IP2ZPCH7P3xt0Sw8VeFNI 8O+INd8M6nqvgq41CwtfEFhoPivQdbudGFxJqNrpGpWepXltbWV5ZzXP5Qfss/8ABVj9nX9hnXvh D8Cvjr+3r+zf8Xv2e/i9p/hOx0TW779pH4XeJPjj+wr8cfElnpw8VfAz45+FT40v/HEP7N8Pji/v 9C8O+ItdsP7X/ZK1f/ikvFvk/syQxyfsj/qb8D/2f9E/Zn+HvwP8GfB+38eXl94A+2z/ABW8X/EX SfjdrHxN+PmvHRvAPhSDx18Yvip4X+CfhTU/if8AEDVPCvw58J6bq/iHxJ4atrOKw8MeEvC6aLqH g7w1pmiReNf8FQbfxEP+CPP/AAVJ1XxULddZ8R/s7fH3WriO00zx/pNrEr/CbTtOWO2tfiRpum+I Bbg6axhSFbnRrSMrp2ky29tZDTbD4OooKpNUpTnSU5KnOpBU6koJvklOnGpVjTnKNnKEatRRbcVU mlzP+tMJLFzwuGnj6OHw2Onh6MsZh8JiamNwtDFypxeIo4bGVsJgK2Lw9Ks5wo4mrgMFUr04xqzw mGlN0YeXftj/APBMLxZ4k+IH7av7SHiP9oXw1e/s5/FjVdE/aS+JX7OFl8DdStfiL4quvgL+zV8F /h+PhJefHu/+Nur+Bbz4NfFub9m3w3p/xk8Ia/8Asx6/J4y+E3jj4mfCn+0rBvEVh400XA/ZY/4J VeOP2RtV+Cem/F741eGv2nNK/Zu+Bek/Cb4BWfhH9mTxf8NdC8OM+h6J4E1n4j/EDRfE8X7b3hfx X8ZbXwN4JtfB/gTx74Lu/g1rPgjwd8Tfj94XutC1/wANfF6OHRf2l/aa0PxN4n/Zu/aD8NeCvDWo eM/GXiH4IfFfQ/CXg/Sb7w9pmq+K/E2reA9fsNB8NaZqXi7W/DXhTT9Q13Vbi00uyvvE/iPw/wCH rS5uo7jWtb0rTY7m/g+MP+G2v23P+kNn7YH/AIkj/wAE1P8A6NWvYlxJns8FLLpZpi3gZZfQyp4b 2lqTy7DYt46jhLJK1GGLk61k05SdpuUUon5vQ8FfCnDcTU+M6HAnD8OKaXGGa8f088+qOWPjxnnX D1LhTM+IfaznJPMMTw9RpZZzyi6dGjHnw9OlXlKq/Qv+ES/6kn/zF/8A+Q3Xy/8A8FQtO/sz/gjP /wAFKoP7L/snf+y98e5vs39g/wDCO793w22ef9i/4VT8H/N3eX5f2r/hGr7f5Xlf27c+R9g0z0bW v2uf2vfEtrHY+I/+CKH7VGv2UVwl3FZ618fv+CY+q2sV1HHLClzHb337Z08KXCQzzxJMqCRY5pUD BZHDfJH7bvjD9t39pT9h79q39lP4Y/8ABHD9pD4ba58fvgf8Tvhz4f1af48f8E1LHwrpvirxl4Sv ND0rVfEFr4f/AGyftf8AZ/2v+z4dVvrKyv8AUbfTozNbWOoy2sNjN4h+oH//2Q== --=====================_12817760==_.REL-- --=====================_12817760==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. --=====================_12817760==_-- - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Space Views Newsletter Date: 16 Mar 1999 13:17:58 -0500 >Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 18:34:49 -0500 >Subject: Space Views Newsletter >To: decker@asis.com, alf@dc.seflin.org, julalf@juno.com, > kobrina@fiu.edu, aslater@gracelinks.org, ahnelson@aol.com, > antonjsf@aol.com, aungiira@motherearth.org, > barbara.reed@worldnet.att.net, wiednerb@aol.com, > reporter@magicnet.net, infini@videotron.ca, berylls@laplaza.org, > bdiluglio@aol.com, lynch@bc.sympatico.ca, bevred@sover.net >From: globenet@afn.org (globenet@afn.org) > > >GLOBAL NETWORK SPACE VIEWS NEWSLETTER No. 4 March 15, 1999 > >1) GLOBAL NETWORK MEETING A SUCCESS: The 8th General Membership Meeting >of >the Global Network (GN) was held in Darmstadt, Germany on March 5-6. >People >came from six different countries for the event. Just prior to our >business >meeting, a conference (March 3-5) called "Space Use & Ethics" was held at >the >Darmstadt Technology University, organized by IANUS (Interdisciplinary >Research Group on Science, Technology and Security) and German peace >groups. >The European Space Agency (ESA), which was supposed to send three >representatives to the space ethics conference, canceled at the last >minute. >Informed speculation was that NASA had asked ESA to pull out. The U.S.A.F. >Space Command did send a team of representatives though, and they sat >through >and participated in two days of stimulating and vigorous discussions on a >wide >range of space issues. A representative also came from the German >Ministry of >Defense. If you would like to see a copy of the GN general membership >meeting minutes please send us an e-mail request. > >2) GLOBAL NETWORK BOARD: The GN membership elected a new Board of >Directors >for 1999-2000. They are as follows: Karl Grossman from New York >(Convener); >Dave Webb from England (Treasurer); Bruce Gagnon from Florida >(Secretary/Coordinator); Regina Hagen from Germany; Bill Towe from North >Carolina; Aurel Durat from Romania; Dr. Michio Kaku from New York; and >Catherine Euler from England. > >3) JUNE 12 CASSINI ACTIONS: At the GN meeting it was agreed that the call >for June 12 protest actions against the Cassini fly-by should be encouraged >and supported worldwide. Groups in England and Germany as well as the U.S. >pledged to hold solidarity actions with the one being planned for Cape >Canaveral on June 12. If you plan to organize an action in your community >please let us know (globenet@afn.org) so we can pass the word to other >organizers and the media. Cassini is set to do its Earth fly-by on August >17, >1999. > >4) MEETING REQUESTED WITH KSC: The GN has sent a letter to the Director >of >the Kennedy Space Center asking for a meeting to discuss the Cassini >mission >as well as the larger issue of weapons and nuclear power in space. Along >with >the letter a list of "Space Objective & Demands" was sent. Copies of the >letter from the GN were sent to major media outlets. A second letter to >religious leaders in the space coast community of Florida, asking them to >discuss the moral/ethical implications of U.S. space policy in their >religious >communities, will be sent out next. > >5) UNISPACE III: The United Nations Space Commission meets this July >19-30 >in Vienna, Austria to discuss international space issues. A delegation >from >the GN will attend and attempt to present papers at the event. Plans are >also >underway for the GN to have a display at the conference and to pass out >statements to the delegates. It will be a major goal of the GN in the >coming >year to influence U.N. space policy. We are deeply concerned that the U.S. >will break the Outer Space Treaty (1967) with its deployments of the >Ballistic >Missile Defense System (BMD) and Anti-Satellite weapons (ASATS). Also of >concern is the Moon Treaty (1979), which the U.S. never signed, but forbids >any nation from claiming ownership or putting military installations on the >moon. Visit the U.N. web site at: www.un.or.at/oosa/unisp-3/progenda.html > >6) LASER TESTS FUNDED: The U.S. Pentagon on February 9 awarded an >aerospace >industry team made up of Boeing, Lockheed Martin and TRW a contract to >work on >a $3 billion space-based laser experiment. The so-called "defensive" BMD >laser test program will consist of ground, flight and space experiments. >Our >concern is that any so-called "defensive" weapon in space could easily be >used >for offensive purposes thus fueling an arms race in space. > >7) INT’L GREENS SUPPORT: Dr. Joan Russow, the national leader of the >Canadian Green Party, has submitted a Cancel Cassini fly-by resolution to >the >Canadian Prime Minister. Dr. Russow has also presented the resolution to >the >International Green Party Conference in New Delhi, India. > >8) PROSPACE LOBBY: On March 21-26 members of the group ProSpace America >will >descend on Washington D.C. lawmakers to push a policy agenda that promotes >privatizing space operations and giving tax breaks to aerospace >corporations. > >9) KODIAK LAUNCH SITE: Lockheed Martin and NASA are in final negotiations >for a series of launches to begin in 2000 from the new spaceport at Kodiak >Island, Alaska. The launch site, being in an extremely remote location, is >forcing speculation as to the kinds of launches that NASA plans there in >the >years ahead. > >10) GN MEMBERSHIP DUES: Membership dues were set for 1999-2000 at the >Global >Network general meeting in Germany. Groups and individuals are encouraged >to >pay what they can best afford within the sliding scale of $10 - $100. >Those >groups that join the GN will be listed on our organizational letterhead. >Please send your dues check to the GN at PO Box 90083, Gainesville, Fl. >32607, >USA as soon as possible if you wish to have your organization listed on >the >letterhead. > >11) NEXT GN MEETING: The next meeting of the GN will be held in >mid-April, >2000 in Washington D.C. Events being considered will include a street >protest, a one day educational conference, a general membership business >meeting, and a lobby day. More details later. > >Bruce K. Gagnon (Secretary/Coordinator) > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) URGENT ALERT: STAR WARS Date: 16 Mar 1999 13:31:06 -0500 Dear Friends, The Democrats are starting to fold on STAR WARS!! Akaka of Hawaii, Ernest F. Hollings of South Carolina and Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut have already said they would vote for it!! Please get to your Senators today and tell them to oppose this folly. If you live in Ct., Hawaii, or South Carolina make a special effort to mobilize your members to tell those Senators to change their mind before the vote. If STAR WARS goes through, it will set back nuclear abolition for generations. Regards, Alice 6. Senate to Debate Missile Defense By Tom Raum Associated Press, Monday, March 15, 1999 http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WAPO/19990315/V000440-031599-idx.html WASHINGTON (AP) -- Seeing support growing for missile-defense legislation, Senate Democratic leaders are dropping an effort to block the measure. Instead, they are searching for a compromise to keep it from becoming a 2000 campaign liability. Missile tests by North Korea and Iran, and reports of possible Chinese espionage at the Los Alamos, N.M., nuclear weapons laboratory, are being cited by sponsors as even more justification to move quickly. ``North Korea has demonstrated there is a threat of a ballistic missile attack that puts at risk some of the territory of the United States,'' said Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss. ``Lack of a threat is no longer an excuse for voting against a bill of this kind.'' The Senate opens debate today on the measure by Cochran and Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, to commit the Pentagon to fielding a system to protect the 50 states from a ballistic missile attack as soon as technologically possible. Democrats used procedural tactics last May and September to keep the measure, subject of a White House veto threat, from even coming up. This year, they're not even trying. ``We obviously have more support on the Democratic side than we had last year,'' Cochran said in an interview last week. Democrats concede the point. ``We just don't know what the final vote would be,'' said Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the bill's principal opponent. Instead, Levin said he will work for passage of substitute legislation designed to give the Clinton administration a little more flexibility while seeking to work with Russia on modifications to the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Russian officials claim the Cochrane-Inouye bill violates the ABM treaty's restrictions on anti-ballistic-missile defense systems. ``I'm hopeful we can modify this language so we don't threaten to rip up this treaty,'' Levin said. Adding to the changed atmosphere, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., and Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., are expected to name a bipartisan delegation this week to meet with members of the Russian parliament to try to find a voluntary way around the ABM problem. A national system for shooting down incoming missiles was once almost universally derided by Democrats, denounced as ``Star Wars'' when first proposed by President Reagan in 1983. But little political advantage can be gained these days from opposing a missile defense, Senate Democratic officials suggest. The bill is supported by all 55 Senate Republicans and at least three other Democrats besides Inouye: Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, Ernest F. Hollings of South Carolina and Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut. Two other Democrats, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, have hinted they might support it with some modifications. A similar bill, by Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., and Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., will be brought next week before the House, where it has wide support. The legislation is at the center of a GOP attack on the administration's national security policies. Republicans contend that lax policies and technology transfers have helped China modernize its missile system. Simple in its wording, the Cochran-Inouye bill would commit the United States to deploy ``as soon as technologically possible'' a system against ``limited ballistic missile attack.'' But the White House says the measure could require a crash program for developing an untrustworthy system. National security adviser Sandy Berger -- under attack from Republicans for not doing more to thwart Chinese efforts to buy or steal American missile technology -- says he'll recommend a veto if the legislation passes as drafted. ``We have not changed our position. We think that, simply put, the Cochran bill is too simplistic a formula,'' said P.J. Crowley, a White House spokesman. Clinton proposed $6.6 billion for a missile defense system over the next five years in the budget he submitted last month. But he put off a decision on whether to field such a system until June 2000. Republicans -- and some Democrats privately -- suggested that timing principally benefits Vice President Al Gore, and they see no reason to delay a decision until the middle of presidential campaign year. There's one thing on which both supporters and critics of such a system agree: It won't come cheap. Some $40 billion has already been spent over the past 7 Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) Russian Surprise Attack Risk? Date: 16 Mar 1999 12:00:48 -0800 I am curious as to what those more knowledgeable than I think about the following report forwarded from another list, regarding whether these fears of war on the US by Russia have valid basis in facts: Russia and China Prepare for War -- Part 4 Russia May Launch a Surprise Attack Against US Christopher Ruddy March 12, 1999 Russia May Launch a Surprise Attack Against US Since 1917, "capitalist warmongers" in the US and Europe have been the principal targets of hatred by Russians and the Chinese. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, those campaigns of hate subsided briefly, and authoritarian communists stepped out of the spotlight. Today, with Russia reported in desperate economic straits, the Russian people are again being told, "it's the fault of America and Europe." Brutal communist leaders are again publicly talking, dissent is again being banned, and hatred against the West is soaring. During the past year, my concerns about Russia have been greatly increased as a result of an interview I conducted with Jeffrey Nyquist -- an independent researcher on Russia and author of The Origins of the Fourth World War. Nyquist believes Russia has been planning a surprise nuclear attack against the United States, and that this attack will come sooner rather than later -- quite possibly within the next year if the US continues on its present reckless course. I would have scoffed at such suggestions had Nyquist not made such a convincing case and demonstrated such a powerful intellect. During our conversations, Nyquist listed signs that would indicate a Russian attack was being planned. NYQUIST'S STARTLING PREDICTIONS In early 1998, Nyquist predicted that authorities in Russia would deliberately implode their own economy to advance their political and military agendas. There were several reasons. First, that would divert attention from the theft of billions of dollars by government officials from "privatized" companies, and provide a convenient explanation why none of them were making any money. Second, by engendering Russia's economic collapse and blaming the West, the necessary psychological atmosphere for war against the US would be created. Another outcome of Russia's economic collapse, Nyquist said, would be the emergence of a series of progressively stronger and more militarist Russian leaders. Primakov -- Yeltsin's Prime Minister -- perfectly fits Nyquist's prediction. He's a former hard-line, anti-American KGB general. Nyquist also predicted that Russia would ally with China. That, too, has now taken place, as you'll see below. Finally, Nyquist predicted that Russia would stockpile huge quantities of food and other supplies for war, and begin moving their nuclear weapons on to their naval ships where they are much more difficult to monitor and deter. All of this has occurred. SPY WARNS OF RUSSIAN WAR PLANS Nyquist is not the only astute observer of Russia who believes Russia may be preparing for war against the US. Stanislav Lunev -- the highest-ranking GRU (Russian military intelligence) officer ever to defect from Russia -- also warns that Russia is preparing for war against the United States. Lunev's book Through the Eyes of the Enemy (published last summer by Regnery) states categorically that the Cold War is not over and that Russia continues to plan for a nuclear war. "Russia remains terrified of the power of America, and Russian military intelligence does everything it can prepare for a war that it considers inevitable," he wrote. This war, Lunev details, would employ nuclear, biological and chemical weapons against America. RUSSIAN PLANS: KILL US LEADERS; USE BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS ALREADY IN US Lunev explains war would begin with the infiltration of Russian special operations troops into the US, who would kill top political and military leaders. Lunev also warns that Russian GRU (military intelligence) agents have already deposited, near key water reservoirs, deadly poisons and toxins which would result in millions of civilians being ravaged by disease. Lunev says, for instance, that the Russians have determined that they could wipe out a significant part of the population of Florida by polluting water sources in the Carolinas. Another part of Russia's plan, according to Lunev, is to deploy suitcase nuclear bombs at strategic points throughout the US. Lunev says he personally scouted a site in the Hudson Valley just above New York City for one such suitcase nuke. Lunev has also told me that the democracy movement in Russia was a charade and part of "a plan" to get the West disarm -- achieving through deception what the Soviet Union was never able to achieve militarily. Lunev explained that China was pursuing parallel policies, absorbing as much Western aid and technology as possible before a final confrontation, which Lunev regarded as imminent. RUSSIA'S ECONOMIC COLLAPSE INCREASES RISK OF WAR The collapse of Russia's economy greatly increased the chances of war with the West. With 29 times Finland's population, Russia's budget barely matches theirs. According to news reports, millions of ordinary Russians are now struggling just to stay alive, selling family heirlooms and chopping up their furniture for kindling. Russia's political leaders and economic czars, of course, will never admit that they and their failed totalitarian system are responsible for this widespread misery, and increasingly the West is being blamed. This is particularly dangerous, because despite economic desperation, Russia continues is still a nuclear superpower. Victor Olove, director of Moscow's Center for Policy Studies, told the Los Angeles Times, "People who have nuclear warheads in their hands have not gotten their salaries for three or four months and are literally hungry." Some press reports show how close to war we have already come. Britain's Panorama news program reported that in 1995 the Yeltsin government came within minutes of a full nuclear attack on the United States after Russian defense systems failed. US DETROYS NUCLEAR ARSENAL, RUSSIAN ARSENAL EXPANDS Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has been systematically destroying its nuclear arsenal. In 1991, the US had approximately 30,000 strategic and tactical nuclear weapons. Under Clinton, that arsenal has fallen nearly 60%. In 1997, the United States had only 12,500 (tactical and strategic) nuclear weapons. Of these, only 8,750 were active, 2500 more were on reserve, and 1,250 were slated to be destroyed. Moreover, our nuclear arsenal has a limited "shelf life," and year by year, more and more weapons become unusable. The Clinton administration has only recently taken belated steps to produce tritium, a necessary component for the maintenance of nuclear weapons. In contrast, the Russians may now have as many as 50,000 strategic and tactical nuclear weapons -- ranging from small suitcase bombs to large warheads suitable for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM's). The lion's share of these weapons remain targeted at the US. And Russia is quickly building even more weapons. Never before has the strategic nuclear balance been so greatly in Russia's favor. From a military standpoint, this creates a unique window of opportunity for Russia to launch a successful first-strike against the United States at minimal cost to themselves. "USE IT OT LOSE IT" Like America's nuclear arsenal, Russia's is degrading as it gets older and requires expensive, periodical servicing. The Russian government is well aware of this problem. In a recent report to the Duma (Russia's Congress), First Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Masluyokov (a former Soviet military-industrial planner) states that because of obsolescence, Russia's nuclear arsenal will decline quickly, and Russia may "be able to field only 800 to 900 nuclear warheads seven years from now." Because of Russia's economic problems, Russia may never again enjoy the huge strategic advantage it now has over its old enemies in the West. For die-hard communists, the huge, but temporary, military advantage may represent an irresistible opportunity to "use them before we lose them." Indeed, Bruce Blair, a well-known liberal from the Brookings Institution, stated last summer in The National Interest, "Russia's conventional forces have declined ... and into this vacuum has rushed a growing reliance on nuclear weapons -- including their first use in any serious conventional conflict." Recognizing the limited shelf-life of Russia's nuclear arsenal, Blair adds, "The nuclear forces themselves have become vulnerable.... Consequently Russia today faces far stronger pressures to ?use or lose' its nuclear arsenal than at any time since the early 1960s." Y2K BUG MAY BE "TRIPWIRE" FOR WAR Coinciding with the continuing degradation of Russia's nuclear weapons are military problems they will soon experience as a result of the Y2K (Year 2000 or Millennium) computer bug. Like all modern strategic weapons, Russia's nuclear arsenal is critically dependent upon computer technology. At the latest, by January 2000 -- less than one year from now -- the millennium bug may render that technology largely useless. Briefly, the problem is that two digit year codes used by most computer software will cause computers to misread the year 2000 as "00" or "1900." It sounds minor, but this computer glitch could lead to widespread failure of many high-tech weapons systems, including nuclear weapons, aircraft carriers, radar and even tanks. Even worse, the millennium bug is in billions of "embedded" microprocessors buried deep inside missiles, tanks, satellites, and nuclear reactors. (Imagine the cost of taking a satellite "into the shop" for repairs or sending someone inside a nuclear reactor to locate a defective chip!) The US military is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to correct its own huge Y2K problem. Russia, however, has neither the money nor the manpower to correct millions of lines of faulty code and replace millions of chips. Their official policy is "fix on failure;" that is, they plan to do NOTHING to repair their systems until they fail. My soon-to-be-published special report -- Y2K and Russia: Impetus For Nuclear War? -- details the enormous Y2K risks Russia is facing -- and Y2K's implications for you. Another frightening possibility is that on January 1, 2000, Russia's radar screens and early warning system could go blank or falsely report incoming missiles. That could lead Russian military leaders to believe the US has initiated an attack, and launch a counterattack. The Y2K-related failure of Russia's early warning system could even result in an automatic attack against the US. Most people in the West don't realize it, but Russia has long had a "doomsday defense system." This system is designed to enable Russia to survive a US nuclear first strike and to launch a devastating retaliation even if no commanders are left alive in Russia to issue the orders. This system is designed to automatically launch nuclear missiles at the US if an event occurs that the computer interprets as a Western attack -- such as a loss of satellite and radar systems. The default target of thousands of Russian strategic missiles are cities in the United States and Europe. Well aware of this problem, US military officials have recommended that the US and Russia place observers in each others' nuclear control rooms next December, to prevent an accidental launch. RUSSIA PREPARES FOR A FIRST STRIKE An even more disturbing possibility has not been reported by the press: That is the possibility that the Russian general staff -- which is well aware of their Y2K and economic problems -- may have already decided to strike the United States before their defense systems fail on January 1, 2000. Thus, in an extremely ominous sign, on December 17, 1997, President Yeltsin, issued a 37-page policy statement, reneging on previous pledges not to use nuclear weapons first. --------------- APFN EMAIL CHANGE: PLEASE DELETE: - apfn@netbox.com - ADD: apfn1@vegasnet.net To removed from APFN EMAIL LIST: Hit reply and put REMOVE in subject line. American Patriot Friends Network [HOME PAGE] http://esotericworldnews.com/apfn.htm - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) China Red Herring Date: 16 Mar 1999 16:15:52 -0500 Dear Friends, Here's a letter I wrote to the NY Times editor. Whatever information we= have about collaboration between the weapons labs would be appreciated to= document the fact that the nukeheads in our government are stirring the pot on a non-issue. Regards, Alice March 15, 1999 Editor, New York Times BY FAX: 556-3622 The new stories about China stealing US nuclear secrets from Los Alamos is just another red herring to divert public debate on the critical issue at= hand--how to fulfill our Non-Proliferation Treaty promise to move to the elimination= of nuclear weapons. China has repeatedly stated its support for a treaty to= ban the bomb, most recently at the 1998 NPT Preparatory Committee Meeting, which broke up in a shambles at midnight of the last day, because the US refused= to consider a proposal merely to discuss nuclear disarmament. Anti-nuclear activists have been well aware of the strange collaboration of the nuclear club=92s weapons designers with their frequent visits to each others labs. Your own report of March 12 revealed, that last year, 277 Chinese,= 364 Russians and 115 Indian nationals visited or worked at Los Alamos, of whom= 88 were allowed access to secure areas. Our own Dr. Strangeloves have made frequent visits to the Chinese and Russian weapons labs, presumably trading information about their design prowess and new discoveries. And despite= all the alarm expressed about China stealing our secrets, on March 12, the Washington Times reported that, =93the Pentagon said=85 that disclosures= about Chinese spying at a US nuclear laboratory will not alter plans to bring a group of People's Liberation Army officers to a similar laboratory in New Mexico this year.=94 As a number of distinguished panels have concluded, including the National Academy of Sciences and the Canberra Commission, the very possession of nuclear weapons by any one nation, is an invitation to other nations to acquire= them.=20 It=92s time to realize the promise of the cold war=92s end and begin= negotiations on a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons, just as the world has done for chemical and biological weapons. Nuclear design =93know-how=94 is out and h= as been shared liberally all over the world. The only thing that can now insure our security against Chinese missiles, is to take the Chinese up on their offer to negotiate a treaty. Russia has been sending countless signals that they= don=92t want their large arsenal any longer. We should also follow China=92s lead= in declaring a policy of =93no-first-use=94 of nuclear weapons, which are NATO= allies are now calling for. Why is China=92s rational nuclear policy, compared to= US cold war nuclear saber rattling, not discussed in the background stories on this issue? Sincerely, Alice Slater, President Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) Russian Surprise Attack Risk? Date: 16 Mar 1999 16:23:32 EST I think this is essentially nonsense - conspiracy theory run riot. David McReynolds - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Stephen Young Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) Russian Surprise Attack Risk? Date: 16 Mar 1999 18:54:37 -0500 The text is a combination of lies, distortions, half-truths, and "facts" that do not bear out under any circumstances. Perhaps the most critical error is stating that Russia is moving its nukes to naval forces. In fact, Russia at present can only deploy one or two submarines at sea at any time (versus 8 to 11 for the US at all times, with 1,500 to 2,000 warheads). In fact, you can make a much stronger case that the US is preparing to launch a disarming first strike against Russia. This does not mean that the situation is not dangerous, and that current US policy is not pushing Russia toward a more nationalistic/anti-West policy. But the idea that Russia is planning a massive attack before 2000 is ludicrous. Stephen Young BASIC David Crockett Williams wrote: > I am curious as to what those more knowledgeable than I think about the > following report forwarded from another list, regarding whether these fears > of war on the US by Russia have valid basis in facts: > > Russia and China Prepare for War -- Part 4 > Russia May Launch a Surprise Attack Against US > > Christopher Ruddy > March 12, 1999 > > Russia May Launch a Surprise Attack Against US > > Since 1917, "capitalist warmongers" in the US and Europe have > been the principal targets of hatred by Russians and the Chinese. > Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, those campaigns of hate > subsided briefly, and authoritarian communists stepped out of the > spotlight. Today, with Russia reported in desperate economic > straits, the Russian people are again being told, "it's the fault of > America and Europe." Brutal communist leaders are again publicly > talking, dissent is again being banned, and hatred against the West is > soaring. > > During the past year, my concerns about Russia have been greatly > increased as a result of an interview I conducted with Jeffrey > Nyquist -- an independent researcher on Russia and author of The > Origins of the Fourth World War. > > Nyquist believes Russia has been planning a surprise nuclear attack > against the United States, and that this attack will come sooner > rather than later -- quite possibly within the next year if the US > continues on its present reckless course. I would have scoffed at > such suggestions had Nyquist not made such a convincing case and > demonstrated such a powerful intellect. > > During our conversations, Nyquist listed signs that would indicate a > Russian attack was being planned. > > NYQUIST'S STARTLING PREDICTIONS > > In early 1998, Nyquist predicted that authorities in Russia would > deliberately implode their own economy to advance their political > and military agendas. There were several reasons. First, that would > divert attention from the theft of billions of dollars by government > officials from "privatized" companies, and provide a convenient > explanation why none of them were making any money. Second, by > engendering Russia's economic collapse and blaming the West, the > necessary psychological atmosphere for war against the US would > be created. > > Another outcome of Russia's economic collapse, Nyquist said, > would be the emergence of a series of progressively stronger and > more militarist Russian leaders. Primakov -- Yeltsin's Prime > Minister -- perfectly fits Nyquist's prediction. He's a former > hard-line, anti-American KGB general. > > Nyquist also predicted that Russia would ally with China. That, too, > has now taken place, as you'll see below. > > Finally, Nyquist predicted that Russia would stockpile huge > quantities of food and other supplies for war, and begin moving > their nuclear weapons on to their naval ships where they are much > more difficult to monitor and deter. All of this has occurred. > > SPY WARNS OF RUSSIAN WAR PLANS > > Nyquist is not the only astute observer of Russia who believes > Russia may be preparing for war against the US. Stanislav Lunev -- > the highest-ranking GRU (Russian military intelligence) officer ever > to defect from Russia -- also warns that Russia is preparing for war > against the United States. > > Lunev's book Through the Eyes of the Enemy (published last > summer by Regnery) states categorically that the Cold War is not > over and that Russia continues to plan for a nuclear war. "Russia > remains terrified of the power of America, and Russian military > intelligence does everything it can prepare for a war that it considers > inevitable," he wrote. This war, Lunev details, would employ > nuclear, biological and chemical weapons against America. > > RUSSIAN PLANS: KILL US LEADERS; USE BIOLOGICAL > WEAPONS ALREADY IN US > > Lunev explains war would begin with the infiltration of Russian > special operations troops into the US, who would kill top political > and military leaders. Lunev also warns that Russian GRU (military > intelligence) agents have already deposited, near key water > reservoirs, deadly poisons and toxins which would result in millions > of civilians being ravaged by disease. Lunev says, for instance, that > the Russians have determined that they could wipe out a significant > part of the population of Florida by polluting water sources in the > Carolinas. > > Another part of Russia's plan, according to Lunev, is to deploy > suitcase nuclear bombs at strategic points throughout the US. Lunev > says he personally scouted a site in the Hudson Valley just above > New York City for one such suitcase nuke. > > Lunev has also told me that the democracy movement in Russia > was a charade and part of "a plan" to get the West disarm -- > achieving through deception what the Soviet Union was never able > to achieve militarily. Lunev explained that China was pursuing > parallel policies, absorbing as much Western aid and technology as > possible before a final confrontation, which Lunev regarded as > imminent. > > RUSSIA'S ECONOMIC COLLAPSE INCREASES RISK OF > WAR > > The collapse of Russia's economy greatly increased the chances of > war with the West. With 29 times Finland's population, Russia's > budget barely matches theirs. According to news reports, millions of > ordinary Russians are now struggling just to stay alive, selling family > heirlooms and chopping up their furniture for kindling. > > Russia's political leaders and economic czars, of course, will never > admit that they and their failed totalitarian system are responsible > for this widespread misery, and increasingly the West is being > blamed. > > This is particularly dangerous, because despite economic > desperation, Russia continues is still a nuclear superpower. Victor > Olove, director of Moscow's Center for Policy Studies, told the Los > Angeles Times, "People who have nuclear warheads in their hands > have not gotten their salaries for three or four months and are > literally hungry." > > Some press reports show how close to war we have already come. > Britain's Panorama news program reported that in 1995 the Yeltsin > government came within minutes of a full nuclear attack on the > United States after Russian defense systems failed. > > US DETROYS NUCLEAR ARSENAL, RUSSIAN ARSENAL > EXPANDS > > Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has been > systematically destroying its nuclear arsenal. In 1991, the US had > approximately 30,000 strategic and tactical nuclear weapons. Under > Clinton, that arsenal has fallen nearly 60%. In 1997, the United > States had only 12,500 (tactical and strategic) nuclear weapons. Of > these, only 8,750 were active, 2500 more were on reserve, and > 1,250 were slated to be destroyed. Moreover, our nuclear arsenal > has a limited "shelf life," and year by year, more and more weapons > become unusable. The Clinton administration has only recently > taken belated steps to produce tritium, a necessary component for > the maintenance of nuclear weapons. > > In contrast, the Russians may now have as many as 50,000 > strategic and tactical nuclear weapons -- ranging from small suitcase > bombs to large warheads suitable for intercontinental ballistic > missiles (ICBM's). The lion's share of these weapons remain > targeted at the US. And Russia is quickly building even more > weapons. > > Never before has the strategic nuclear balance been so greatly in > Russia's favor. From a military standpoint, this creates a unique > window of opportunity for Russia to launch a successful first-strike > against the United States at minimal cost to themselves. > > "USE IT OT LOSE IT" > > Like America's nuclear arsenal, Russia's is degrading as it gets older > and requires expensive, periodical servicing. > > The Russian government is well aware of this problem. In a recent > report to the Duma (Russia's Congress), First Deputy Prime > Minister Yuri Masluyokov (a former Soviet military-industrial > planner) states that because of obsolescence, Russia's nuclear > arsenal will decline quickly, and Russia may "be able to field only > 800 to 900 nuclear warheads seven years from now." > > Because of Russia's economic problems, Russia may never again > enjoy the huge strategic advantage it now has over its old enemies > in the West. For die-hard communists, the huge, but temporary, > military advantage may represent an irresistible opportunity to "use > them before we lose them." Indeed, Bruce Blair, a well-known > liberal from the Brookings Institution, stated last summer in The > National Interest, "Russia's conventional forces have declined ... > and into this vacuum has rushed a growing reliance on nuclear > weapons -- including their first use in any serious conventional > conflict." > > Recognizing the limited shelf-life of Russia's nuclear arsenal, Blair > adds, "The nuclear forces themselves have become vulnerable.... > Consequently Russia today faces far stronger pressures to ?use or > lose' its nuclear arsenal than at any time since the early 1960s." > > Y2K BUG MAY BE "TRIPWIRE" FOR WAR > > Coinciding with the continuing degradation of Russia's nuclear > weapons are military problems they will soon experience as a result > of the Y2K (Year 2000 or Millennium) computer bug. > > Like all modern strategic weapons, Russia's nuclear arsenal is > critically dependent upon computer technology. At the latest, by > January 2000 -- less than one year from now -- the millennium bug > may render that technology largely useless. > > Briefly, the problem is that two digit year codes used by most > computer software will cause computers to misread the year 2000 > as "00" or "1900." It sounds minor, but this computer glitch could > lead to widespread failure of many high-tech weapons systems, > including nuclear weapons, aircraft carriers, radar and even tanks. > > Even worse, the millennium bug is in billions of "embedded" > microprocessors buried deep inside missiles, tanks, satellites, and > nuclear reactors. (Imagine the cost of taking a satellite "into the > shop" for repairs or sending someone inside a nuclear reactor to > locate a defective chip!) > > The US military is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to > correct its own huge Y2K problem. Russia, however, has neither > the money nor the manpower to correct millions of lines of faulty > code and replace millions of chips. Their official policy is "fix on > failure;" that is, they plan to do NOTHING to repair their systems > until they fail. My soon-to-be-published special report -- Y2K and > Russia: Impetus For Nuclear War? -- details the enormous Y2K > risks Russia is facing -- and Y2K's implications for you. > > Another frightening possibility is that on January 1, 2000, Russia's > radar screens and early warning system could go blank or falsely > report incoming missiles. That could lead Russian military leaders to > believe the US has initiated an attack, and launch a counterattack. > > The Y2K-related failure of Russia's early warning system could > even result in an automatic attack against the US. Most people in > the West don't realize it, but Russia has long had a "doomsday > defense system." This system is designed to enable Russia to > survive a US nuclear first strike and to launch a devastating > retaliation even if no commanders are left alive in Russia to issue > the orders. This system is designed to automatically launch nuclear > missiles at the US if an event occurs that the computer interprets as > a Western attack -- such as a loss of satellite and radar systems. > The default target of thousands of Russian strategic missiles are > cities in the United States and Europe. > > Well aware of this problem, US military officials have > recommended that the US and Russia place observers in each > others' nuclear control rooms next December, to prevent an > accidental launch. > > RUSSIA PREPARES FOR A FIRST STRIKE > > An even more disturbing possibility has not been reported by the > press: That is the possibility that the Russian general staff -- which > is well aware of their Y2K and economic problems -- may have > already decided to strike the United States before their defense > systems fail on January 1, 2000. > > Thus, in an extremely ominous sign, on December 17, 1997, > President Yeltsin, issued a 37-page policy statement, reneging on > previous pledges not to use nuclear weapons first. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > --------------- > APFN EMAIL CHANGE: > PLEASE DELETE: - apfn@netbox.com - ADD: apfn1@vegasnet.net > > To removed from APFN EMAIL LIST: Hit reply and put REMOVE in subject line. > > American Patriot Friends Network [HOME PAGE] > http://esotericworldnews.com/apfn.htm > > - > To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" > with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. > For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send > "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) Best Missile Defense System Date: 16 Mar 1999 16:02:09 -0800 Advocates for the abolition of nuclear weapons feel that if the legislation now under consideration for a US ballistic misslile defense system is implemented that this will severely set back negotiations for the complete abolition of nuclear weapons. Examples are cited of rapid Soviet reciprocation to President Bush's unilateral reduction in US nuclear weapons following the end of the cold war as a precedent to indicate that the best path towards ameliorating the threat of nuclear war is not a ballistic missile defense system but for the US to take the initiative in renouncing the use of nuclear weapons entirely. After all it was only the United States which has ever used nuclear weapons against human beings and has continually since then threatened the first strike use of these weapons, in violation of the UN charter and several UN resolutions since which clearly spell out the UN position that the use of nuclear weapons is a violation of the UN charter and a crime against humanity. The Soviet nuclear buildup was in direct response to this continued threat of the US and it is only logical to think that any effective plan for the abolition of nuclear weapons must start with further moves on our part to eliminate this threat. A far more effective strategy than a ballistic missile defense system would be to stop all nuclear testing (even the current so-called sub-critical tests) and to renounce this first-strike policy. The next step would be to follow President Bush's example of incremental and continued deactivation of US nuclear weapons with monitored reciprocal deactivation of Russian nuclear weapons as an example to the rest of the world to follow on the pathway to Nuclear Abolition 2000. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) NY Times, 3.16 (Tuesday) Date: 16 Mar 1999 23:30:38 EST Thomas L. Friedman has a very important Op Ed piece in today's N.Y. Times for those who have it or can get it from the web. Friedman argues that while we worry about a handful of missiles that China has, we are paying no attention to the 7,000 warheads the Russians have which can hit the U.S. He notes that NATO expansion wrongly took priority (if it was needed at all - I'm among those bitterly opposed to that expansion) over dealing with the fundamental security issues of the nuclear missiles. Not noted by Friedman, who is a sober journalist but not a peacenik, is that the Russians (and for that matter the Chinese and others) will not easily help solve this problem until the U.S. makes clear that it is willing to move toward a nuclear free world. However don't let me try to summarize Friedman - his column merits a look. Peace, David McReynolds - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Coalition for Peace Action Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) NY Times, 3.16 (Tuesday) Date: 17 Mar 1999 11:09:46 -0500 David, I couldn't agree more that Friedman was right on target. Even in terms of plain common sense, it's stupid to focus on Chinese nukes when Russia's (and our) arsenals are the only ones with massive overkill that could wipe out life on earth. We have an acceptance in principle form Sen. Bob Kerry to come and speak at our annual Dinner on this subject--but Friedman would be an excellent alternative. Have you ever heard him speak. By the way, I got a nice invitation to your retirement party on May 1, but we have our Spring Concert for Peace that same night. Wish you the best, and hope we'll continue to be in touch. Peace, Bob -- Rev. Robert Moore, Executive Director, Coalition for Peace Action 40 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, NJ 08542 (609) 924-5022 voice, (609) 924-3052 fax cfpa@cyberenet.net - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) China: Balking at Security/Nuclear Labs Date: 17 Mar 1999 12:29:30 -0500 --=====================_183589748==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Dear Friends, Here's more evidence in a Newsday story that the China spying story is a red herring. Alice Slater > > Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 12:07:31 -0500 > Subject: Balking at Security/Nuclear Labs > To: aslater@gracelinks.org > From: dianehatz@gracelinks.org (dianehatz@gracelinks.org) > > > Balking at Security / Nuclear labs, academics called lax in > preventing spying > > By Knut Royce. WASHINGTON BUREAU > > > Washington - Virtually ignored in the political uproar over the > Clinton administration's allegedly tepid response to China's reported > theft of U.S. nuclear secrets is that national security agencies have > been aware of China's aggressive campaign to pilfer classified > information from U.S. weapons labs for more than two decades. > But federal agencies charged with nuclear security, including the > CIA, the FBI and the Energy Department, which oversees nuclear weapons > research at two national labs, have been unable to stop the espionage > because the "free-spirited scientific types" who design the bombs have > historically balked at security steps that limit open academic exchanges > with foreign counterparts, a senior adminstration official acknowledged > yesterday. > The two top weapons labs, the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New > Mexico and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, are > operated by the University of California at Berkeley, which critics say > has been lax in enforcing counterintelligence measures already on the > books. > An intelligence official familiar with how the labs are run said > that until recently even scientists with the most sensitive clearance > for nuclear secrets, something known as Q-clearance, routinely violated > security standards by not informing superiors of contacts with > foreigners. And unlike their counterparts in the Defense Department or > CIA who hold similar top-security clearances, the laboratory scientists > were never administered spot polygraph examinations and were not > required to complete financial statements intended to track unusual > spikes in income. > Instead, a climate of openness and scientific freedom continued even > after the disclosure in 1990 that China had stolen secrets to build a > neutron bomb, which kills soldiers but spares buildings, from Lawrence > Livermore in the mid-1980s. > Widely publicized complaints by the FBI that China was attempting to > recruit U.S. nuclear scientists also went unheeded in the late 1980s, > said U.S. officials. In 1988, for instance, the FBI's chief of > counterintelligence in Los Angeles, Harry Godfrey III, told the Los > Angeles Times that China had "attempted to recruit people at our > research facilities at Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore." > Still, there has been a wide gap between knowing about China's > recruitment efforts and the ability of the FBI, the primary agency > responsible for combating espionage within the United States, to thwart > them. First, the lab scientists have not always complied with security > measures. And the Chinese themselves have adopted espionage tactics > significantly different from those employed by agents from the former > Soviet Union, which the FBI understood very well, according to > administration officials and a published report by Nicholas Eftimiades, > a Defense Intelligence Agency China specialist. > Chinese operatives, unlike Soviet KGB officers, seldom recruited > U.S. scientists as paid agents, preferring instead to limit the contacts > to seemingly inocuous scientific exchanges between the U.S. scientists > and Chinese technicians and theoreticians. > Useful information was gleaned during official tours of the weapons > labs by Chinese delegations. Information also was obtained when lab > scientists traveled to China as honored guests of the Chinese scientific > or academic communities. Much of the critical data flowed through > conversations rather than through documents, making the espionage more > difficult to stop, officials said. > The most recent case, involving a Taiwanese-born scientist at Los > Alamos who in the mid-1980s allegedly provided China with the know-how > to build miniaturized bombs, has triggered a top-to-bottom review of > what went wrong and an executive order for the labs to implement > stringent counterintelligence measures. > Discovery that China had cloned America's miniaturized W-88 bomb, a > staple of the submarine nuclear fleet and land-based missiles with > multiple warheads, came after China in 1995 tested a device whose > "signatures" were similar to those of the U.S. bomb. > The CIA, FBI and Energy Department all launched investigations, > sometimes sharing their findings, and in 1996 the suspect at Los Alamos > was tentatively identified. The FBI kept close tabs on the scientist, > Wen Ho Lee, for nearly two years, but even today has been unable to get > sufficient evidence to bring any charges. > With the FBI's probe virtually at a standstill and sharp criticism > coming from Republicans in Congress, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson > fired Lee last week. And while the action sparked charges the Clinton > administration's response was too little too late, the White House says > it has been monitoring and taking proper action from the beginning. > National security officials received their first full briefing of > the alleged Los Alamos theft in the summer of 1997. By February, 1998, > President Bill Clinton issued a classified presidential directive > ordering stringent counterintelligence measures at the weapons labs, and > in April of that year a respected former FBI counterintelligence agent, > Edward Curran, was appointed to enforce them. > The CIA, meanwhile, announced yesterday that it has formed an > interagency team for a top-to-bottom review of what China has gleaned > from the weapons labs over the past two decades. That team is scheduled > to submit its findings at the end of the month. > > > Copyright 1999, Newsday Inc. > > Balking at Security / Nuclear labs, academics called lax in preventing > spying., > 03-16-1999, pp A06. > > http://library.newsday.com/getdoc.cgi?id=127700638x0y16113&OIDS=1Q001D000&Fo > > rm=RL&bp= > > > > Diane Hatz > Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) > 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 > New York, NY 10010 > tel: (212) 726-9161 > fax: (212) 726-9160 --=====================_183589748==_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii"
Balking at Security / Nuclear labs, academics called lax in
preventing spying

By Knut Royce. WASHINGTON BUREAU


    Washington - Virtually ignored in the political uproar over the
Clinton administration's allegedly tepid response to China's  reported
theft of U.S. nuclear secrets is that national security agencies have
been aware of China's aggressive campaign to pilfer classified
information from U.S. weapons labs for more than two decades.
    But federal agencies charged with nuclear security, including the
CIA, the FBI and the Energy Department, which oversees nuclear weapons
research at two national labs, have been unable to stop the espionage
because the "free-spirited scientific types" who design the bombs have
historically balked at security steps that limit open academic exchanges
with foreign counterparts, a senior adminstration official acknowledged
yesterday.
    The two top weapons labs, the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New
Mexico and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, are
operated by the University of California at Berkeley, which critics say
has been lax in enforcing counterintelligence measures already on the
books.
    An intelligence official familiar with how the labs are run said
that until recently even scientists with the most sensitive clearance
for nuclear secrets, something known as Q-clearance, routinely violated
security standards by not informing superiors of contacts with
foreigners. And unlike their counterparts in the Defense Department or
CIA who hold similar top-security clearances, the laboratory scientists
were never administered spot polygraph examinations and were not
required to complete financial statements intended to track unusual
spikes in income.
    Instead, a climate of openness and scientific freedom continued even
after the disclosure in 1990 that China had stolen secrets to build a
neutron bomb, which kills soldiers but spares buildings, from Lawrence
Livermore in the mid-1980s.
    Widely publicized complaints by the FBI that China was attempting to
recruit U.S. nuclear scientists also went unheeded in the late 1980s,
said U.S. officials. In 1988, for instance, the FBI's chief of
counterintelligence in Los Angeles, Harry Godfrey III, told the Los
Angeles Times that China had "attempted to recruit people at our
research facilities at Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore."
    Still, there has been a wide gap between knowing about China's
recruitment efforts and the ability of the FBI, the primary agency
responsible for combating espionage within the United States, to thwart
them. First, the lab scientists have not always complied with security
measures. And the Chinese themselves have adopted espionage tactics
significantly different from those employed by agents from the former
Soviet Union, which the FBI understood very well, according to
administration officials and a published report by Nicholas Eftimiades,
a Defense Intelligence Agency China specialist.
    Chinese operatives, unlike Soviet KGB officers, seldom recruited
U.S. scientists as paid agents, preferring instead to limit the contacts
to seemingly inocuous scientific exchanges between the U.S. scientists
and Chinese technicians and theoreticians.
    Useful information was gleaned during official tours of the weapons
labs by Chinese delegations. Information also was obtained when lab
scientists traveled to China as honored guests of the Chinese scientific
or academic communities. Much of the critical data flowed through
conversations rather than through documents, making the espionage more
difficult to stop, officials said.
    The most recent case, involving a Taiwanese-born scientist at Los
Alamos who in the mid-1980s allegedly provided China with the know-how
to build miniaturized bombs, has triggered a top-to-bottom review of
what went wrong and an executive order for the labs to implement
stringent counterintelligence measures.
    Discovery that China had cloned America's miniaturized W-88 bomb, a
staple of the submarine nuclear fleet and land-based missiles with
multiple warheads, came after China in 1995 tested a device whose
"signatures" were similar to those of the U.S. bomb.
    The CIA, FBI and Energy Department all launched investigations,
sometimes sharing their findings, and in 1996 the suspect at Los Alamos
was tentatively identified. The FBI kept close tabs on the scientist,
Wen Ho Lee, for nearly two years, but even today has been unable to get
sufficient evidence to bring any charges.
    With the FBI's probe virtually at a standstill and sharp criticism
coming from Republicans in Congress, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson
fired Lee last week. And while the action sparked charges the Clinton
administration's response was too little too late, the White House says
it has been monitoring and taking proper action from the beginning.
    National security officials received their first full briefing of
the alleged Los Alamos theft in the summer of 1997. By February, 1998,
President Bill Clinton issued a classified presidential directive
ordering stringent counterintelligence measures at the weapons labs, and
in April of that year a respected former FBI counterintelligence agent,
Edward Curran, was appointed to enforce them.
    The CIA, meanwhile, announced yesterday that it has formed an
interagency team for a top-to-bottom review of what China has gleaned
from the weapons labs over the past two decades. That team is scheduled
to submit its findings at the end of the month.


Copyright 1999, Newsday Inc.

Balking at Security / Nuclear labs, academics called lax in preventing spying., 03-16-1999, pp A06.



Diane Hatz
Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE)
15 East 26th Street, Room 915
New York, NY 10010
tel:  (212) 726-9161
fax:  (212) 726-9160 --=====================_183589748==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. --=====================_183589748==_-- - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) 1st in 25yrs, Interview, antidote to human problems, Sri Sathya Sai Baba Date: 17 Mar 1999 18:21:55 -0800 All of the problems of humanity, society, and the environment may be attributed to an error in human thinking. Whether it is abolishing nuclear weapons, stopping wars, violence, covert drug trade, changing laws for greater justice, or healing our atmosphere to ameliorate climate change and ozone layer depletion before it is too late to save all life on Earth, the solutions to ALL of these problems created by an error in human thinking is to correct the mind of humankind into accord with the natural law and order by which all of physical reality operates, the fundamental law of causation by which even God must operate in the world, the law that Einstein envisioned with his dream of a unified field theory, the inviolable law that human beings have been ignoring to the detriment of their well being and the health of our planet. No matter saint or sinner, all human beings are motivated by the desire to attract true respect and love to themselves. By the mistaken belief that these can be acquired by the acquisition of material wealth or fame, mankind has missed the real opportunity to advance human capabilities. Following these introductory remarks is an interview. No more classic example exists in today's world of how the consciousness of divinity manifest in human form exemplifies these advanced human capabilities than the life of the World Teacher of today's times, Sri Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi, India. His students and followers of all faiths and religions accept that He has come to fulfill the prophecies about manifesting lasting peace and properity around the globe by instilling the deeper wisdom of humanity's divine nature in all peoples. Hindu's see Him as the reincarnation of the Rama and Krishna avatars. Moslems see Him as the Mehdi predicted to come and bring peace. Jews see Him as the manifestation of their awaited Messiah. Christians see Him as the embodiment of the teaching about the return of Jesus Christ. Buddhists see Him as the predicted Maitreya, the incarnate Buddha of these times. Over his life of now 74years He has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to change His normal physical form to correspond to any form needed to fulfill His spiritual mission to see the physical manifestation of a Golden Age of true peace, harmony among all life and free natural abundance as paradise on Earth. By recognizing and accepting the truth of this message one may help accelerate the pace of today's global spiritual reawakening, of humankind to its innate divine relationship to all life as one family, the only real pathway to global peace and justice. ------------------ Interview to group of Journalists from Mumbai [Bombay] (Published in The Times Of India - 12th March, 1999) Sai Baba has not given an interview to a journalist in the past 25 years. But, recently, He spoke to S. Balakrishnan and a group of journalists from Mumbai : (Reproduced verbatim from The Times Of India - 12th March, 1999) ---- Sri Sathya Sai Baba is easily one of the most popular spiritual leaders of contemporary India. He has attracted a following which runs into crores [millions]cutting across barriers of caste, language, region and nation. He shot into fame because of the miracles performed by him, specifically his ability to materialise the holy ash and other material things from out of thin air. The rationalists consistently targeted him. But, Baba, as he is referred to both of reverence and affection by his devotees, only emerged stronger from these controversies. Today, the 74-year-old Baba is known for working out miracles of a different kind. Miracles in the form of a super speciality hospital where free treatment is given or a massive drinking water scheme in the parched hinterland of Andhra Pradesh or a massive educational complex. The high and the mighty of the land touch his feet and seek his blessings, so do ordinary people from all walks of life. Baba gives them all the same message of love. He has never given an interview to a journalist in the past 25 years. But, recently, he spoke to S. Balakrishnan and a group of journalists from Mumbai in a small room at his ashram in Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh. How do you relate yourself to Saibaba of Shirdi? "This body has not seen him." Indians are increasingly turning to godmen and godwomen. Is this a sign of growing insecurity within them? Or is it something else? "This is basically a search for God. The divine is there within each person . The search is for this divinity. God realisation cannot be seen as a sign of insecurity. It is a positive aspiration to be one with God. It is a good sign." Even as mankind is relentlessly searching for God, he finds himself engulfed by more and more misery. What is the reason for this state of affairs? "Attachment to the body is the root cause of all suffering and misery. Once this attachment ends, then one can experience divine bliss. There is no doubt about that. Since God does not have any bodily attachment, he does not attach any importance to the suffering of His body." What is the best way to serve God? "Serve the poor, the weak, the downtrodden and the underprivileged. There is divinity in each of us, hence love and serve fellow human beings selflessly. Give those around you pure love. Religion can be best pursued through the axiom 'Dil mein Ram, Haath mein Kaam'. There is only one religion -- the religion of love; one caste -- the caste of humanity; one language -- the language of the heart; one law -- the law of Karma and there is only one God -- He is omnipresent. All of us should remember these simple yet profound truths. These truths lead us to God." Is there no escape from human misery? "It is all karma. The need is to adopt the path of righteousness. One should surrender oneself to the Almighty." Why do you perform miracles like materialising a ring, a medallion, a necklace, vibhuti and other objects? What are you trying to prove by performing these miracles? "Chamatkaar or miracle is a cheap word for what I do. A magician performs his tricks to earn a livelihood and worldly fame. But, I materialise these talismans as my visiting cards, as evidence that divinity can transform earth into the sky and vice versa. To doubt this is to betray an inability to grasp the grandeur of the universe. I get lot of satisfaction while gifting these talismans to my devotees." The suffering millions flock to you. They want to pass on their problems and suffering to you. How much of these suffering can you take on? "I am only performing a divine mission." How do you spend your day? "My day begins with granting darshan to my devotees, interviews to people, bhajans, attending to all projects taken up for human welfare. Same cycle is repeated from post noon till evening. Although I know the contents of all letters which I receive, I read all of them for the trupti or satisfaction of my devotees." "I avoid milk, green fruits, dry fruits, sweets, ghee, butter, tea, coffee, etc. I take a skimpy meal of ragi and green grams. For the past 60 years my weight has remained unchanged at 108 pounds. When the world sleeps, I go to my devotees, give them my vision, comfort them, console them and solve their problems. I willingly take on the sufferings of my devotees on myself." Have you gone abroad any time? "Yes, only once -- to East Africa, that too because of the pure love of a devotee, who is no more now. I did not go at the invitation of the government." Do you have any plans to visit foreign nations and spread your message? "No. Where there is sugar, the ants come there; the sugar does not go chasing after the ants. My first task is to clean up our own country first, then go to other countries." You wield enormous influence over the top politicians of the country. Why don't you impress on them the need to inculcate values in public life? If this is done, India will be a much better place. "Politicians have a choice to pursue good or bad governance; they do covet power with a frenzy. But I tell them that politics without principles, science without humanity, education without character and commerce without morality are not only useless but can prove to be positively dangerous and harm people at large." Do you read newspapers? "I never read them. Even though I do not read any newspaper, I am aware about everything that is happening round the globe. What is necessary today is that the newspapers should be more careful and responsible in their reporting. Publishing of sensational and baseless news must be avoided. No negative and baseless reporting, specially of those at the helm of affairs of the country, should be done since it has lot of repercussions abroad. If there are any doubts, then they should be cleared after free and frank discussions with the persons concerned. Truth should not be compromised under any circumstance." You are the chancellor of the Sathya Sai University and you attach tremendous importance to education. Why do you think that education in India has now become a mechanical exercise? "This is because that education has been divorced from values. Education bereft of values is meaningless. The need is to restore values to education." What are your views on different political parties in India? "All parties do good work as well as bad; the problem lies with ourselves. We should insist on principles." Who will lead the Sathya Sai movement after you? "My devotees. God will continue to guide them." --------------- [above interview and photo at http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/9158/inter031999.html ] For more information on Sri Sathya Sai Baba, see http://www.sathyasai.org/ Also http://www.maikon.net/prom/index.htm and http://www.sainet.org/ For the actual photograph of Jesus Christ materialized by Sai Baba on several different occasions, and for a story about one of these occasions see http://www.1heart.com/saibaba.html For the story of this writer's month-long visit to Sai Baba's ashram in 1996 and his group interview on the September 28, 1996, Shirdi Baba birthday anniversary, see http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/india96.html ---------------- FOR ONE HUMAN FAMILY: Love All, Serve All Global Emergency Alert Response gear2000@lightspeed.net http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000 ********************************************************* GENERAL AGENCY SERVICES David Crockett Williams 661-822-3309 20411 Steeple Court, Tehachapi CA 93561 USA ********************************************************* The Global Peace Walk 1999-2000 Annually: 22APR Taos, NM, ---> Santa Fe 26APR 1999: 15 SEP* UN NY ---> Washington DC 24OCT 2000: 15JAN San Francisco --> New York 24OCT 20SEP* Washington, DC, Ceremony Rededicating The Washington Monument as a Symbol of Peace. *3rd Wednesday of September is annual opening of UN General Assembly & International Day of Peace October 24th is United Nations Day "GLOBAL PEACE NOW!" Global Peace Zone2000 Remove the scourge of war from future generations http://www.egroups.com/list/global-peace-walk - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) ALERT Nuclear Abolition, Dedication to Peaceful Energy, and the Global Peace Walk Date: 17 Mar 1999 20:40:16 -0800 During my visit last Fall to Washington, DC, to speak at the March for Peaceful Energy rally at the Capitol, I visited once again my friends Ellen and Wm Thomas of the White House Peace Park anti-nuclear vigil and Proposition One for conversion of nuclear weapons funding to peaceful purposes. http://www.prop1.org Thomas read me his report of suggestions to the Nuclear Abolition 2000 Coalition in which he mentioned the recommendation for a cross country peace walk in the Year 2000 as a mechanism to bring international attention to this cause. I took the idea back to California and after proposing it to Rev. Yusen Yamato, initiator of the Global Peace Walk project initiated in 1995 for the UN50th anniversary (walking New York to San Francisco), he has also enthusiastically taken up the proposal (to carry this and ALL survival issue messages) and he has joined the call for a internationally coordinated Global Peace Walk 2000 from San Francisco to Washington, DC, to New York City for the United Nations 55th anniversary, October 24, 2000, with a ceremony en route on the day of the opening of the UN, the UN international Day of Peace, to rededicate the Washington Monument as a Symbol of Peace with perhaps more than a million people in attendance. This will be an enormous undertaking with the expected participation of international volunteers as well as those from across America, empowered by local Global Peace Walks in communities around the globe. Already Rev. Yamato has traveled to Japan for two weeks in February and rallied people who have committed to join this walk for its last three months, all the time that is possible on routine travel visas. During my visit to San Francisco last month I met a small handful of folks there who have already committed to walk all the way. They all need our support to make their efforts succeed. I have mentioned this project a few times on these lists over the past couple of months with hardly any response yet from any of the folks on these lists by way of supportive feedback or offers of collaboration and support. I am accumulating a list of organizations and individuals who offer their names as endorsers of this project and soon we will develop a program for those who wish to co-sponsor this Global Peace Walk 2000. Please let me know that you are interested in this walk which as usual will get at least good local media coverage at each stage along the route and, with enough support from you, may get regular national media coverage for this message and other survival issue messages carried by GPW2000 and the proposed 1999 route this year from New York to Washington, DC, inspired by the second March for Peaceful Energy rally at the Capitol Mall, October 24, 1999. http://www.peacefulenergy.org It was out of respect for the nature and depth of the commitment of the Prop1 folks, described in the following recent article from Reuter's News Service, that I accepted this idea from Thomas and have asked for your help in executing this route of the Global Peace Walk. If you have not already seen this article, please read it and see if the depth of their devotion to this cause inspires you to join us in helping to organize and coordinate these Global Peace Walk routes. Efforts this year will also be focused towards a Y2K multilateral nuclear weapons stand-down or de-alert as the first step towards Nuclear Abolition 2000, as well as bringing into mainstream public awareness the other survival issue messages such as those presented at our recent Global Crisis Solutions Conference at UC Berkeley; see http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/gcsc2video.html Please call, write, or email (off list) asap with your feedback and ideas of support. --------------------- PROTESTERS ON CONSTANT VIGIL NEAR WHITE HOUSE By Mark Weinraub [and Teri Schultz, TV reporter] Reuters - March 14, 1999 [Einstein's birthday --- dcw] http://infoseek.go.com/Content?arn=a0919LBY477reulb-19990313&qt=%2Bhomeless& sv=IS&lk=noframes&col=NX&kt=A&ak=news1486 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - They have outlasted U.S. presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, and they plan on outlasting President Clinton too. The protesters that maintain a constant vigil against nuclear weapons just across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House have been on the job for the past 18 years and do not plan on going anywhere. The vigil, consisting of four upright wooden signs, has become a staple of Lafayette Park. The signs welcome visitors to ``Peace Park,'' call for ``wisdom and honesty'' from world leaders, and depict the devastation of war. Even a late-winter storm this week that dumped eight inches (20 centimeters) of snow on the nation's capital could not dislodge those who maintain the vigil 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from their posts. ``I think that there's more to life than just seeking pleasure and comfort,'' vigil worker William Thomas says. FINDING A FOCUS Thomas, 52, who co-founded the vigil in 1981, says he originally did not come to protest nuclear weapons. ``I think I'm a realist,'' says Thomas, his long beard covered in snowflakes. ``I believe in truth, justice, freedom and equality and I feel that the value system of this country is dollars and cents.'' The group is indefinite in number as members assist at the site on a now-and-again basis. Thomas says he came to the White House to make himself available to other people to test his perception of reality. He changed his focus after a friend advised him that his goal was too abstract because, ``all people care about is their ass and their pocketbook.'' Nuclear weapons fit that description, Thomas says. ``If they don't use them, which they swear they don't want to do, then they just wasted all that money. And if they do use them, they're going to cause a real good problem,'' he said. Keeping the vigil up and running requires a lot of coordination because of the laws forbidding living in the park, which is patrolled by federal officers. But the protesters bristle at the suggestion the park is their home. ``This is a vigil,'' protester Ellen Thomas says. ``My living accommodations are my personal business,'' Ellen, 52, married William Thomas in the park shortly after joining the vigil in 1984. A Minnesota native, she says she is used to the cold. The protesters must be careful not to stray too far from the vigil because they say if they wander more than three feet away, it could be designated as an abandoned structure and torn down. JAIL TIME FOR SOME Ellen says she has been arrested many times and has spent some time in jail for camping in the park. The protesters website (http://prop1.org/) lists more than 30 court cases that they have been involved in during their stay at the park. And the protesters claim that the lawmakers keep changing the rules to try and force them off, noting that when they started the vigil it was on the sidewalk right in front of the north lawn of the White House. It since has been bumped across the street. Bundled up in a large blue coat and hood against blustery mid-March winds, Concepcion Picciotto passes out leaflets, trying to raise awareness about the dangers of nuclear weapons. Picciotto, another charter member of the vigil, has slept in the park every night since 1981 except when she is in jail on camping charges. To protect herself from the weather, Picciotto sometimes crawls under a plastic tarp that also covers her belongings. On most any other city street, the humble accommodations would be called home by the homeless. But they insist this is their job, not their home. ''I'm not homeless,'' Picciotto says. ``I'm here for a cause. If I want to I can get out of here.'' The protesters try to collect signatures from the tourists and other passers-by in the park on a petition calling for ''disarmament of nuclear weapons and the conversion of the nuclear and other arms industries to provide for human and environmental needs,'' according to their website. The protesters say they have been successful enough to get their proposition passed as a Washington, D.C., ballot initiative and that D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives calling for the elimination of all nuclear weapons. Ellen Thomas tries to ignore the occasional comments of people who tell her to get a job, saying that she already has a full time one. ``We're working people. We just don't work for money.'' -----end article--- Thanks for your consideration and support of this project. david williams ---------------- FOR ONE HUMAN FAMILY: Love All, Serve All Global Emergency Alert Response gear2000@lightspeed.net http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000 ********************************************************* GENERAL AGENCY SERVICES David Crockett Williams 661-822-3309 20411 Steeple Court, Tehachapi CA 93561 USA ********************************************************* The Global Peace Walk 1999-2000 Annually: 22APR Taos, NM, ---> Santa Fe 26APR 1999: 15 SEP* UN NY ---> Washington DC 24OCT 2000: 15JAN San Francisco --> New York 24OCT 20SEP* Washington, DC, Ceremony Rededicating The Washington Monument as a Symbol of Peace. *3rd Wednesday of September is annual opening of UN General Assembly & International Day of Peace October 24th is United Nations Day "GLOBAL PEACE NOW!" Global Peace Zone2000 Remove the scourge of war from future generations http://www.egroups.com/list/global-peace-walk - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) 1st in 25yrs, Interview, antidote to human problems, Sri ... Date: 18 Mar 1999 00:19:37 EST Can I respectfully suggest this belongs on some other list. I promise not to use this list to preach my perfect method if you will do the same. Peace, David McReynolds << Subj: (abolition-usa) 1st in 25yrs, Interview, antidote to human problems, Sri Sathya Sai Baba Date: 3/17/99 11:44:38 PM Eastern Standard Time From: gear2000@lightspeed.net (David Crockett Williams) Sender: owner-abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com Reply-to: abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com To: abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com (Abolition 2000 USA) All of the problems of humanity, society, and the environment may be attributed to an error in human thinking. Whether it is abolishing nuclear weapons, stopping wars, violence, covert drug trade, changing laws for greater justice, or healing our atmosphere to ameliorate climate change and ozone layer depletion before it is too late to save all life on Earth, the solutions to ALL of these problems created by an error in human thinking is to correct the mind of humankind into accord with the natural law and order by which all of physical reality operates, the fundamental law of causation by which even God must operate in the world, the law that Einstein envisioned with his dream of a unified field theory, the inviolable law that human beings have been ignoring to the detriment of their well being and the health of our planet. >> - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: nukeresister@igc.org (Jack & Felice Cohen-Joppa) Subject: (abolition-usa) CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT GROWS FOR ISRAELI WHISTLE BLOWER Date: 18 Mar 1999 06:31:00 -0700 FOR RELEASE AT 9 AM, EST, Thursday, March 18, 1999 CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT GROWS FOR ISRAELI WHISTLE BLOWER WASHINGTON, March 18--Flanked by the American parents of an Israeli prisoner of conscience, Rep. Lynn Rivers [D-MI] today called on President Clinton to urge Israel to free their son on humanitarian grounds. Thirty-five House members supported her request. The subject of her appeal is 44-year old Mordechai Vanunu, who has spent 12 1/2 years of an 18-year old sentence for blowing the whistle on Israel's unacknowledged nuclear weapons reactor at Dimona, where he once worked as a technician. Accompanying her at Capitol Hill news conference were a St. Paul, MN couple, Nicholas and Mary Eoloff, who have adopted Vanunu under a Minnesota law that permits adoption of adults by adults. The Eoloffs have six other grown children. "We believe that Mordechai Vanunu has suffered enough for his crime of conscience," said Representative Rivers, quoting from a letter to Clinton signed by 35 House members, most of them fellow Democrats. "Mr. Vanunu stands for the ideal that every child has the right to live in a world that is free from nuclear destruction," the letter said. The Eoloff's Congressional Representative, Bruce Vento added, "Mr. Vanunu's commitment to global peace and living in a world free from the threat of nuclear devastation should be commended, not condemned. Yet ironically, Mr. Vanunu's commitment to human rights has cost him his freedom. He has paid too high a price for his act of conscience. It is time to right the scales of justice by allowing for his immediate release and return to his adopted home of St. Paul." Vanunu, after resigning from the Israeli nuclear weapons program, gave his story, without pay, to the London Sunday Times in 1986. While being interviewed by the paper, Israeli agents lured him from Britain and abducted him from Rome to Israel. There, he was convicted of espionage and treason at a closed door trial. He spent 11 1/2 years in a 6' by 9' isolation cell. Last May he was denied parole after serving two-thirds of his term. A worldwide campaign for Vanunu's release is supported by Amnesty International, the Federation of American Scientists, the Jewish Peace Fellowship, former President Jimmy Carter and parliamentarians from Israel, Britain, Canada, Norway, Australia and New Zealand. The thirty-five Congressional co-signers of the Lynn Rivers letter almost tripled the number who signed a similar letter two years ago. ************************************************* - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Senator Poy on nukes & Y2K Date: 18 Mar 1999 11:04:51 -0500 >Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 10:15:19 -0500 >Subject: Senator Poy on nukes & Y2K >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca >X-FC-Forwarded-From: brobinson@ploughshares.ca >From: abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca) > >Debates of the Senate (Hansard) > >1st Session, 36th Parliament, >Volume 137, Issue 121 > >Wednesday, March 17, 1999 > >... > >Nuclear Weapons and Year 2000 Problems > >Hon. Vivienne Poy: Honourable senators, there are 35,000 nuclear weapons >in the world today. >Combined, these weapons have a destructive power 650,000 times as great as >the bomb that >destroyed Hiroshima. Like most computer systems, the systems that control >nuclear weapons are >not immune to Y2K problems. > >One of the biggest fears is that the "millennium bug" could cause an >accidental launch of a ballistic >missile. Other fears centre around the possibility that terrorists could >exploit Y2K if the security >systems of nuclear arms become unstable. > >It is widely acknowledged that Y2K computer problems could bring down the >radar and >telecommunications networks that are used to detect foreign launches. The >computer bugs could set >off nuclear system test patterns that are difficult to halt. Once these >test patterns are initiated, the >computers which control them cannot easily be accessed. At that point, >erroneous information could >lead to an extremely dangerous situation. A false signal could set off a >retaliatory nuclear missile >launch. > >The U.S. Department of Defence has spent about $2 billion U.S. addressing >Y2K problems in their >computer systems, but officials concede that it is impossible to know >whether they have found all the >glitches. The scale of the task is enormous. In the U.S. alone, it >involves debugging about 25 million >lines of computer code. > >Russia's situation is more difficult to assess. A Russian defence official >recently noted that 74 control >centres of Russia's strategic nuclear forces were judged last August to be >in critical condition >because they were not ready for the year 2000. In the midst of an economic >crisis, Russia has >earmarked only $6 million to fix Y2K problems in its nuclear defences. > >There is one sure way to guard against potential nuclear disaster. All >nations with nuclear weapons >could disable their warhead delivery systems during the transition to the >year 2000. > >Last December, the House of Commons Committee on Foreign Affairs and >International Trade >completed a two-year review of Canada's nuclear weapons policies. The >committee recommended >that the Government of Canada endorse the concept of de-alerting all >nuclear weapons. It >specifically highlighted the need to take precautions to ensure nuclear >stability as we reach the new >millennium. These recommendations are consistent with public opinion. > >Canadians overwhelmingly support this government assuming an international >leadership role in >banning nuclear weapons. Canada has a strong position as a peace-loving >nation. Next month's >NATO meeting in Washington will be an opportunity for Canada to take a >leading role, working >together with non-nuclear states, to convince nuclear powers to take their >weapons off alert status in >the transition to the year 2000. > >Nothing short of a Canada-led multilateral approach will be effective in >convincing nuclear powers >to take this precaution. The spectre of a Y2K-provoked nuclear disaster >makes immediate action >imperative. > > >-- >Bill Robinson, Project Ploughshares, >Conrad Grebel College, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G6 >Phone: 519 888-6541 x264 Fax: 519 885-0806 >E-mail: brobinson@ploughshares.ca >http://www.ploughshares.ca > >Project Ploughshares is a member of the Canadian Network to Abolish >Nuclear Weapons (http://watserv1.uwaterloo.ca/~plough/cnanw/cnanw.html) > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Robert Kinsey" Subject: (abolition-usa) The New Maginot Line Date: 18 Mar 1999 11:33:01 -0700 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_009E_01BE7133.1463ACE0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable 18 March 1999 It should perhaps be no surprise that the only nation-state on the = planet to vaporize two cities with nuclear weapons, the only = nation-state on the planet with a declared first-strike nuclear weapons = policy, the only nation-state on the planet to refuse to talk about = steps to eliminate nuclear weapons at the latest Non-Proiliferation = Treaty Conference, the only nation-state on the planet to spend $4.5 = billion a year on developing and maintaining its nuclear arsenal, the = nation-state which markets 55% of the arms sales on the planet, the = nation-state which has not paid its appropriate dues to the United = Nations and now ignores any disagreements from that body about its = actions, a nation-state which consumes over half the planet's resources = though it is only 6% of the planet's population, a nation-state whose = people on average are over -fed and under-educated, the nation-state = whose Space Command announces its mission to "dominate space to protect = its investments" (in order to keep its giant share of the planet's = wealth), should believe it necessary to now spend $60-400 billions more = to build a missile "shield" for itself. The fact that this new Maginot = Line will be next to useless and will continue to rob its own citizens = and those of the rest of the planet of resources that could be used to = enhance human life and save its environment is irrelevant to the = psychology of those who know they are the just targets of the poor.=20 The surprise is that it continues to write "In God We Trust" on its = coins and to repeat "One Nation, Under God" in its oaths. What God is = that? Mars? Certainly not the God of the peaceful man who hung on a = cross on Good Friday. _________________________________________________________________________= ____________________________________ Bob Kinsey, Peace and Justice Task Force United Church of Christ, Rocky Mountain Conference bkinsey@peacemission.org 303-425-0348 "Two paths lie before us. One leads to death, the other to life." = Jonathan Schell "Faith has need of the whole truth" Teilhard de Chardin "Jesus was non-violent. Shouldn't Christians be? ------=_NextPart_000_009E_01BE7133.1463ACE0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; boundary="=====================_183589748==_"; charset="iso-8859-1"

18 March 1999

It should perhaps be no surprise that the only nation-state on the = planet to=20 vaporize two cities with nuclear weapons, the only nation-state on the = planet=20 with a declared first-strike nuclear weapons policy, the only = nation-state on=20 the planet to refuse to talk about steps to eliminate nuclear weapons at = the=20 latest Non-Proiliferation Treaty Conference, the only nation-state on = the planet=20 to spend $4.5 billion a year on developing and maintaining its nuclear = arsenal,=20 the nation-state which markets 55% of the arms sales on the planet, the=20 nation-state which has not paid its appropriate dues to the United = Nations and=20 now ignores any disagreements from that body about its actions, a = nation-state=20 which consumes over half the planet's resources though it is only 6% of = the=20 planet's population, a nation-state whose people on average are over = -fed and=20 under-educated, the nation-state whose Space Command announces its = mission to=20 "dominate space to protect its investments" (in order to keep = its=20 giant share of the planet's wealth), should believe it necessary to now = spend=20 $60-400 billions more to build a missile "shield" for itself. = The fact=20 that this new Maginot Line will be next to useless and will continue to = rob its=20 own citizens and those of the rest of the planet of resources that could = be used=20 to enhance human life and save its environment is irrelevant to the = psychology=20 of those who know they are the just targets of the poor.

The surprise is that it continues to write "In God We = Trust" on its=20 coins and to repeat "One Nation, Under God" in its oaths. What = God is=20 that? Mars? Certainly not the God of the peaceful man who hung on a = cross on=20 Good Friday.

__________________________________________________________= ___________________________________________________
Bob=20 Kinsey, Peace and Justice Task Force
United Church of Christ, Rocky = Mountain=20 Conference
bkinsey@peacemission.org
= 303-425-0348
"Two=20 paths lie before us.  One leads to death, the other to =20 life."  Jonathan Schell
"Faith has need of the whole=20 truth"  Teilhard de Chardin
"Jesus was = non-violent. =20 Shouldn't Christians be? 
------=_NextPart_000_009E_01BE7133.1463ACE0-- - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) Story of The Century Date: 18 Mar 1999 10:59:48 -0800 Please see http://www.hia.com/pcr as a starting point for information on today's most important story about the future of science and human consciouness in the 21st century. Links there will introduce you to the cutting edge scientific research, taking the fiction out of science fiction, represented by Dr. Jack Sarfatti, physicist and President of the Internet Science Education Project, in collaboration with leading scientists on the verge of implementing real-life "Star Trek" technologies, some of whose implications offer the way to clean up our minds, societies and planet for a future of global peace and prosperity. Studying credible scientific and technological concepts that will lead to propulsion breakthroughs and paradigm changes in physics needed for practical interstellar travel, IESP research includes the fundamental physics of space-time, motion, forces, and energy exchange; possible coupling between electromagnetism, inertia, gravitation and consciousness; creation or modification of general relativistic spacetime toplogies; Zero Point Energy properties of the quantum vacuum that may prove to be useful for propulsion, energy generation and neutralizing radioactive wastes. (ZPE was just last year publicly acknowledged by the DOE in its Comprehensive National Energy Strategy {CNES} introduced to Congress by President Clinton). ISEP is applying this new knowledge to understanding the fundamental nature of space-time and beyond, the fundamental physical nature of consciousness, elimination of disease and extension of human life, development of practical interstellar travel, elimination of human related environmental damage, development of non-polluting, inexhaustible energy sources, and the development of practical nanotechnology leading to the evolution of conscious post-quantum computers. Website excerpts: The great synthesis, already intuited by Roger Penrose is the precise connection between consciousness and the gravitational field. The clue is in the anomalous acceleration of our apparently ever-expanding universe, and [Sarfatti's] discovery of how this expansion of 3D space at the cosmological scale generates our conscious experiences at the mesoscopic and nanoscale via the post-quantum back-reaction equation T(Orch) = 1/HN H = Hubble's constant N = the entanglement complexity number of the sentient post-quantum computing network The practical deployment of post-quantum physics into nano-engineering will literally "make Star Trek real" with "practical propellantless propulsion" (http://www.stardrive.org) of our vehicles "Ad Astra" and beyond. "Make it so." [link to this amazing site from above url after review] [clip] Sarfatti's Cave is the name I'll give to the Caffe Trieste in San Francisco, where Jack Sarfatti, Ph.D. in physics, writes his poetry, evokes his mystical, miracle-working ancestors, and has conducted a several-decade-long seminar on the nature of reality... to a rapt succession of espresso scholars. He sings Gilbert and Sullivan songs. With ample charm and boyish smiles he issues nonnegotiable demands ... It's Jack Sarfatti against the world, and he is indomitable. One of his soaring theories is that things which have not happened yet can cause events in the present .... Obviously this has consequences for prediction, the nature of causality, our conceptions of logic. ... He has published papers in respectable physics journals. His poetry is widely photocopied. His correspondence with the great in several fields is voluminous, recorded on computer disks. Cornell University BA., University of California Ph.D., his credentials are impeccable. Following is a quotation from a lecture given to a San Francisco State University physics seminar: CAUSALITY-VIOLATING QUANTUM ACTION AT A DISTANCE? by Dr. Jack Sarfatti ... the universe is created by intelligent design but the Designer lives in our far future and has evolved from us ... Perhaps all of the works of cultural genius, from the music of Mozart to the physics of Einstein, have their real origin in the future. The genius may be a real psychic channeler whose mind is open to telepathic messages from the future. The genius must be well trained in his or her craft and intellectually disciplined with the integrity of the warrior in order to properly decode the quantum signals from the future. The purpose of our existence would then be to ensure, not only the creation of life on earth, but the creation of the big bang itself! We obviously cannot fail since the universe cannot have come into existence without us in this extreme example of Borgesian quantum solipsism. Existentialism is wrong because it is an incorrect extrapolation of the old physics. Breton's surrealism, with its Jungian idea of meaningful coincidence, is closer to the truth. This would then be the final secret of the Illuminati - that charismatic chain of adepts in quixotic quest of their "Impossible Dream" of the Grail. Enough of my subjective vision. Now on to the objective physics.... [end excerpts] Thank you for considering these few ramifications of this Story of The Century, David Williams ---------------- FOR ONE HUMAN FAMILY: Love All, Serve All Global Emergency Alert Response gear2000@lightspeed.net http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000 ********************************************************* GENERAL AGENCY SERVICES David Crockett Williams 661-822-3309 20411 Steeple Court, Tehachapi CA 93561 USA ********************************************************* The Global Peace Walk 1999-2000 Annually: 22APR Taos, NM, ---> Santa Fe 26APR 1999: 15 SEP* UN NY ---> Washington DC 24OCT 2000: 15JAN San Francisco --> New York 24OCT 20SEP* Washington, DC, Ceremony Rededicating The Washington Monument as a Symbol of Peace. *3rd Wednesday of September is annual opening of UN General Assembly & International Day of Peace October 24th is United Nations Day "GLOBAL PEACE NOW!" Global Peace Zone2000 Remove the scourge of war from future generations http://www.egroups.com/list/global-peace-walk - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) Re: Story of The Century Date: 18 Mar 1999 11:33:49 -0800 I sort of thought I might get a response like this so I should explain very briefly why I think this information is important to the nuclear abolition issue. Very simply, most of the impetus for tensions among nations is due to the vigorous competition over seemingly limited resources, especially energy related resources. With a vision of the future containing continued economic competition in this regard, it will continue to be hard to achieve nuclear and general disarmament. If such vision includes the availability of these new unlimited energy resources then the need for this kind of aggressive competition vanishes and mutual cooperation, peace, and disarmament becomes a logical consequence. This may be a bit hard to grasp at first and in any case, given your personal response, I will in future keep my posts limited to more clear and direct focus on abolition of nuclear weapons. -----Original Message----- >May I suggest that this is not an appropriate item for the abolition >list-serve. > >Shalom, >Bob Tiller > > > > > >David Crockett Williams wrote: >> >> Please see http://www.hia.com/pcr as a starting point for information on >> today's most important story about the future of science and human >> consciouness in the 21st century. Links there will introduce you to the >> cutting edge scientific research, taking the fiction out of science fiction, >> represented by Dr. Jack Sarfatti, physicist and President of the Internet >> Science Education Project, in collaboration with leading scientists on the >> verge of implementing real-life "Star Trek" technologies, some of whose >> implications offer the way to clean up our minds, societies and planet for a >> future of global peace and prosperity. >> >> Studying credible scientific and technological concepts that will lead to >> propulsion breakthroughs and paradigm changes in physics needed for >> practical interstellar travel, IESP research includes the fundamental >> physics of space-time, motion, forces, and energy exchange; possible >> coupling between electromagnetism, inertia, gravitation and consciousness; >> creation or modification of general relativistic spacetime toplogies; Zero >> Point Energy properties of the quantum vacuum that may prove to be useful >> for propulsion, energy generation and neutralizing radioactive wastes. (ZPE >> was just last year publicly acknowledged by the DOE in its Comprehensive >> National Energy Strategy {CNES} introduced to Congress by President >> Clinton). >> >> ISEP is applying this new knowledge to understanding the fundamental nature >> of space-time and beyond, the fundamental physical nature of consciousness, >> elimination of disease and extension of human life, development of practical >> interstellar travel, elimination of human related environmental damage, >> development of non-polluting, inexhaustible energy sources, and the >> development of practical nanotechnology leading to the evolution of >> conscious post-quantum computers. >> >> Website excerpts: >> >> The great synthesis, already intuited by Roger Penrose is the precise >> connection between consciousness and the gravitational field. The clue is in >> the anomalous acceleration of our apparently ever-expanding universe, and >> [Sarfatti's] discovery of how this expansion of 3D space at the cosmological >> scale generates our conscious experiences at the mesoscopic and nanoscale >> via the post-quantum back-reaction equation >> >> T(Orch) = 1/HN >> H = Hubble's constant >> >> N = the entanglement complexity number of the sentient post-quantum >> computing network >> >> The practical deployment of post-quantum physics into nano-engineering will >> literally "make Star Trek real" with "practical propellantless propulsion" >> (http://www.stardrive.org) of our vehicles "Ad Astra" and beyond. "Make it >> so." >> [link to this amazing site from above url after review] >> >> [clip] >> Sarfatti's Cave is the name I'll give to the Caffe Trieste in San Francisco, >> where Jack Sarfatti, Ph.D. in physics, writes his poetry, evokes his >> mystical, miracle-working ancestors, and has conducted a several-decade-long >> seminar on the nature of reality... to a rapt succession of espresso >> scholars. He sings Gilbert and Sullivan songs. With ample charm and boyish >> smiles he issues nonnegotiable demands ... It's Jack Sarfatti against the >> world, and he is indomitable. >> >> One of his soaring theories is that things which have not happened yet can >> cause events in the present .... Obviously this has consequences for >> prediction, the nature of causality, our conceptions of logic. ... >> >> He has published papers in respectable physics journals. His poetry is >> widely photocopied. His correspondence with the great in several fields is >> voluminous, recorded on computer disks. Cornell University BA., University >> of California Ph.D., his credentials are impeccable. >> >> Following is a quotation from a lecture given to a San Francisco State >> University physics seminar: >> >> CAUSALITY-VIOLATING QUANTUM ACTION AT A DISTANCE? >> by Dr. Jack Sarfatti >> >> ... the universe is created by intelligent design but the Designer lives in >> our far future and has evolved from us ... >> >> Perhaps all of the works of cultural genius, from the music of Mozart to the >> physics of Einstein, have their real origin in the future. The genius may be >> a real psychic channeler whose mind is open to telepathic messages from the >> future. The genius must be well trained in his or her craft and >> intellectually disciplined with the integrity of the warrior in order to >> properly decode the quantum signals from the future. The purpose of our >> existence would then be to ensure, not only the creation of life on earth, >> but the creation of the big bang itself! We obviously cannot fail since the >> universe cannot have come into existence without us in this extreme example >> of Borgesian quantum solipsism. Existentialism is wrong because it is an >> incorrect extrapolation of the old physics. Breton's surrealism, with its >> Jungian idea of meaningful coincidence, is closer to the truth. This would >> then be the final secret of the Illuminati - that charismatic chain of >> adepts in quixotic quest of their "Impossible Dream" of the Grail. Enough of >> my subjective vision. Now on to the objective physics.... >> >> [end excerpts] >> >> Thank you for considering these few ramifications of this Story of The >> Century, >> >> David Williams >> >> ---------------- >> FOR ONE HUMAN FAMILY: Love All, Serve All >> Global Emergency Alert Response >> gear2000@lightspeed.net >> http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000 >> ********************************************************* >> GENERAL AGENCY SERVICES >> David Crockett Williams 661-822-3309 >> 20411 Steeple Court, Tehachapi CA 93561 USA >> ********************************************************* >> The Global Peace Walk 1999-2000 >> Annually: 22APR Taos, NM, ---> Santa Fe 26APR >> 1999: 15 SEP* UN NY ---> Washington DC 24OCT >> 2000: 15JAN San Francisco --> New York 24OCT >> 20SEP* Washington, DC, Ceremony Rededicating >> The Washington Monument as a Symbol of Peace. >> *3rd Wednesday of September is annual opening of >> UN General Assembly & International Day of Peace >> October 24th is United Nations Day >> "GLOBAL PEACE NOW!" Global Peace Zone2000 >> Remove the scourge of war from future generations >> http://www.egroups.com/list/global-peace-walk > - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) Story of The Century Date: 18 Mar 1999 19:06:02 EST Again, vital as this material may be to some people, it doesn't belong on the Abolition list. If you want to tell folks that you would be happy to send them material on this kind of thing, OK. But this list just isn't the place. We have wide disagreements. It would be very much the same as if I posted a long post on why an understanding of Das Kapital (which in honesty I haven't read) was crucial. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but there are other lists for that. Peace, David McReynolds - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Ross Wilcock" Subject: (abolition-usa) General Lee Butlers Text on speaking to the CNANW Date: 19 Mar 1999 07:53:33 -0500 General Lee Butler (rtd) has read and approved this text of his March 11th address to the CNANW. It is now officially available at http://www.pgs.ca/pages/a2/lbut9903.htm With thanks to Robin Collins who I believe did the original transcription. Robert McNamara's words in Canada are also available as published via http://www.pgs.ca/pages/a2000.html With thanks and appreciation, Ross Wilcock rwilcock@pgs.ca http://www.pgs.ca/ - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: General Lee Butlers Text on speaking to the CNANW Date: 19 Mar 1999 11:18:54 -0500 >Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 07:53:33 -0500 >Subject: General Lee Butlers Text on speaking to the CNANW >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca, pgs-priv-l@list.web.net >Cc: abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com, abolition-caucus@igc.org >X-FC-Forwarded-From: rwilcock@pgs.ca >From: abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca) > > >General Lee Butler (rtd) has read and approved this text of his March 11th >address to the CNANW. >It is now officially available at http://www.pgs.ca/pages/a2/lbut9903.htm > >With thanks to Robin Collins who I believe did the original transcription. > >Robert McNamara's words in Canada are also available as published via >http://www.pgs.ca/pages/a2000.html > >With thanks and appreciation, > >Ross Wilcock >rwilcock@pgs.ca >http://www.pgs.ca/ > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Missile Defense and Nuclear Space Danger Date: 19 Mar 1999 11:20:05 -0500 >Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 07:49:49 -0500 >Subject: Missile Defense and Nuclear Space Danger >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: abolition-caucus@igc.apc.org >From: noflyby@nonviolence.org (noflyby@nonviolence.org) > > U.S. Senate and House passes missile defense bills > >WASHINGTON - The Senate voted overwhelmingly 17 March 1999 to approve a >bill >calling for a nationwide defense against a limited ballistic missile >attack. >The legislation won approval only after President Clinton and most Senate >Democrats dropped their long-standing opposition to it Tuesday. On a 97-3 >vote, the Senate adopted the bill committing the military to deploy a >national missile as soon as ''technologically possible.'' The House passed >its own version of a missile-defense bill on 18 March 1999. Story in >Washington Post: >http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/daily/march99/missile18.htm > >Opponents have said the measures violate the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile >(ABM) Treaty, are a waste of billions of tax dollars, and threaten the >environment with more Plutonium contamination. The only way these bills can >be stopped is by President Clinton's veto.=20 > >President Clinton can be contacted by mail:=20 > >The White House; 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.; Washington, D.C. 20500 > >by Phone: (202) 456-1414 Fax: (202) 456-2461=20 > >or you can send a fax by sending an Email with your message to: > > > >and by E-mail to > > > **************************************************** > > >Speech by Karl Grossman: =93Space Use and Ethics" 4 March 1999 >http://www.nonviolence.org/noflyby/karl/ethics.htm > >The following is a condensed version of a speech given by Karl Grossman at >a >seminar on =93Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space=94 organized by the >Women=92s International League for Peace and Freedom held at the United >Nations Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland on March 10 and at the >Darmstadt University of Technology in Germany at a conference on =93Space= Use >and Ethics" on March 4. =20 > >Professor Grossman of the State University/College at Old Westbury is a >member of the Commission on Disarmament Education, Conflict Resolution and >Peace of the United Nations and the International Association of University >Presidents, and author of =93The Wrong Stuff: The Space Program=92s Nuclear >Threat To Our Planet=94 and writer and narrator of the TV documentaries >=93Nukes >in Space: The Nuclearization and Weaponization of the Heavens=94 and the >just-released >=93Nukes In Space 2: Unacceptable Risks.=94=20 >=20 >The U.S. military is seeking to =93control space=94 and the Earth below, to >base >weapons in space--and we must all join to stop this. Here=92s the plan: the >United States Space Command=92s "Vision For 2020" report, issued last year. >Look at the cover of the report: laser weapons >shooting their beams down from space zapping targets below. And, the report >goes on, in wording laid out like in the start of the Star Wars movies: =93= US >Space Command--dominating the space dimension of military operations to >protect US interests and investment. Integrating Space Forces into >warfighting capabilities across the full spectrum of conflict.=94 This was >not >written in Hollywood; it=92s an official U.S. military publication. > =20 >Here=92s the plan: General Joseph Ashy, commander-in-chief of the U.S.= Space >Command--its motto =93Master of Space=94--speaking in =93Aviation Week and= Space >Technology=94 in an article headlined: =93USSC [U.S. Space Command]= Prepares >for >Future Combat Missions in Space.=94 General Ashy talks of =93space= control,=94 >the >U.S. term for control of space, and =93space force application,=94 the U.S. >military=92s definition of control of Earth from space. Says General Ashy: >=93We=92ll expand into these two missions because they will become= increasingly >important. We will engage terrestial targets someday--ships, airplanes, >land >targets--from space. We will engage targets in space, from space.=94 It=92s >politically sensitive, but it=92s going to happen,=94 says the general.= =93Some >people don=92t want to hear this, and it sure isn=92t in vogue, >but--absolutely--we=92re going to fight in space. We=92re going to fight= from >space and we=92re going to fight into space. That=92s why the U.S. has >development programs in directed energy and hit-to-kill mechanisms.=94 > >Here=92s the plan: =93Space-Based Laser Readiness Demonstrator=94 are the= words >on >top on this poster of a laser weapon in space, with a U.S. flag waving in >space above it. (I didn=92t know U.S. flags were able to wave in space.) >=93Preparing Today To Protect Tomorrow,=94 say the words below, next to a= seal >of the =93team=94 involved in the project, a contract for which was signed= last >year: TRW, Boeing, the U.S. Air Force and the Ballistic Missile Defense >Organization, the new name for the U.S. Star Wars operation.=20 > >Here=92s the plan: Guardians of the High Frontier, the publication of the= Air >Force Space Command, proclaiming: =93Air Force Space Command Vision: >Defending >America through the control and exploitation of space.=94 Here=92s the= plan: >Phillips Laboratory, the Air Force research and >development facility, describing itself: =93Phillips Laboratory supports= the >war fighter=85Phillips Laboratory is helping control space for the United >States.=94 > =20 >Here=92s the plan: Asst. Secretary of the Air Force for Space Keith Hall, >who=92s also director of the National Reconnaissance Office (which has a= $6.8 >billion annual budget, nearly three times the CIA=92s), declaring: =93With >regard to space dominance, we have it, we like it, and we=92re going to= keep >it.=94 Here=92s the plan: in =93Time=94 magazine last month. The headline:= =93Star >Wars: The Sequel, Hey, what ever happened to arms control? Well, here comes >the new Bill Clinton, Star Warrior.=94 The article began: =93Disregard= previous >orders. It=92s back to the future after Clinton this month sent Congress a >military budget proposing to pump $6.6 billion into development of a >national missile-defense shield by 2005 Missile defense? Examining the new >Clinton Son of Star Wars drive in context, it sure appears that what=92s up >the sleeves of the U.S. military is in large part not defense but offense= =85. >=20 >Here=92s the plan: =93The Future of War: Power, Technology & American World >Dominance in the 2lst Century=94 is the name of the book. It is written by >U.S.=93defense experts=94 and consultants, George and Meredith Friedman.= The >book=92s thrust: =93Just as by the year 1500 it was apparent that the= European >experience of power would be its domination of the global seas, it does not >take much to see that the American experience of power will rest on the >domination of space,=94 the Friedmans write. =93Just as Europe expanded war= and >its power to the global oceans, the United States is expanding war and its >power into space and to the planets,=94 they say. =93Just as Europe shaped= the >world for a half a millennium=94--by the Britain, France and Spain= dominating >the oceans with their fleets--=93so too the United States will shape the >world >for at least that length of time.=94 "The Future of War: Power, Technology= & >American World Dominance in the 2lst Century"--as do various government >reports--see as critical to the new weapons the U.S. seeks to deploy in >space, nuclear power in space. > >As =93New World Vistas: Air And Space Power For The 2lst Century,=94 a U.S.= Air >Force board report, states: =93In the next two decades, new technologies= will >allow the fielding of space-based weapons of devastating effectiveness to >be >used to deliver energy and mass as force projection in tactical and >strategic conflict=85These advances will enable lasers with reasonable mass >and >cost to effect very many kills.=94 But, notes the report, =93power= limitations >impose restrictions=94 on such-based weapons systems making them= =93relatively >unfeasible=85.A natural technology to enable high power,=94 it goes on, =93= is >nuclear power in space.=94 =93Setting the emotional issues of nuclear power >aside, this technology offers a viable alternative for large amounts of >power in space,=94 it goes on. Weapons in space. Nukes in space=85. > >What about the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, the =93basic framework on >international space law?=94 --as notes the United Nations in describing the >landmark treaty now signed by 91 nations. The U.S., the United Kingdom and >former Soviet Union were its initiators. What about the declaration of the >Outer Space Treaty that space shall be used =93for peaceful purposes=85The >exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial >bodies, shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interest of all >countries?=94 What about the provision of the Outer Space Treaty that= nations >shallnot =93place in orbit around the Earth any objects >carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass >destruction?=94 >Meanwhile, the U.S. is speaking about, =93in the next two decades=85the >fielding >of space-based weapons of devastating effectiveness,=94 as =93New World= Vistas=94 >states. Already the U.S. is in outright violation of the Outer Space >Treaty=92s provision that =93states shall be liable for damage caused by= their >space objects.=94 > >In 1991, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the >U.S. >Department of Energy entered into a Space Nuclear Power Agreement to cover >its nuclear space flights including the current Cassini plutonium-fueled >space probe mission--with the Price-Anderson Act. This is a U.S. law which >limits liability in the event of a nuclear to $8.9 billion for U.S. >domestic >damage and just $100 million for damage to all foreign nations. Thus if the >=93inadverent reentry=94 of Cassini back into the Earth=92s atmosphere= which NASA >is concerned could occur on Cassini=92s planned August 1999 Earth =93flyby= =94 >does >happen, and a part of Europe or Africa or Asia or Latin America is >impacted, >all the nations and all the people affected could >collect in damages--despite the amount of land left contaminated, the >number >of people left with cancer--would be $100 million=85. And we=92re speaking= of >potentially huge damage. NASA intends to send the Cassini space probe and >its 72.3 pounds of plutonium dioxide fuel hurtling at Earth at 42,300 miles >per hour for a =93gravity assist=94 or =93slingshot=94 maneuver--to give it >additional velocity so it can reach its final destination of Saturn. It=92s >supposed to buzz the >Earth at 496 miles high this coming August 18. > =20 >But, says NASA its =93Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Cassini >Mission,=94 if the probe does not come in at 496 miles high, if it dips= down >after hundreds of millions of miles in space into the Earth=92s 75-mile= high >atmosphere--and makes an =93inadverent reentry=94--it will break up, the= =93Final >Environmental Impact Statement=94 concedes. Plutonium will be released.= And, >says the =93Final Environmental Impact Statement,=94approximately 5 billion= of >the estimated 7 to 8 billion world population at the time=85could receive= 99 >percent or more of the radiation exposure.=94 > =20 >=85.And even if the Cassini Earth =93flyby=94 is not scuttled and Cassini= not >redirected in coming months as it can and should--to fly into the sun and >be >consumed, but goes ahead and works, NASA is planning eight more plutonium >space probe shots in coming years, according to a report issued last year >by >the U.S. General Accounting Office. With a 12% failure rate already in the >use by the U.S. (and also the Soviet Union and now Russia) of nuclear power >in space, accidents--and disaster--are inevitable. And U.S. liability will >be shielded under the Price Anderson Act, in violation of the Outer Space >Treaty. What the government of my country, the United States of America, is >involved in in space is in violation of international law. It gravely >endangers life on this planet. It pushes us toward nuclear catastrophe. > >The military use of space being planned by the U.S. is in total >contradiction of the principles of peaceful international cooperation that >the U.S. likes to espouse. The aim is to develop a world in which it would >literally be USA uber alles. This flies in the face of the spirit, the >ideals of the United States of America. It denigrates those courageous men >and women who came to this continent and fought the horrific evil of >fascism >in World War II. > >It pushes us--all of us--toward war in the heavens. George Friedman, >co-author of =93The Future of War: Power, Technology & American World >Dominance in the 2lst Century,=94 claims that the U.S. can dominate the= Earth >for centuries ahead because of its technological prowess. He says other >nations--he names Russia, Japan and China--are just =93passing blips=85to >compete with the U.S.=94=20 >I=92ve been to Russia; I=92ve been to Japan; I=92ve been to China. They are= no >passing technological =93blips.=94 And if the United States moves to arm= the >heavens, to utilize space as what one high U.S. military officer calls the >=93ultimate high ground,=94 other nations will follow--leading to a new= arms >race--and ultimately war--in space. This all must be stopped before it gets >completely out of hand. Stopped=85and now! =20 > > ******************************************** > >Please consider showing the new video by EnviroVideo called "Nukes in Space >2: Unacceptable Risks" this Earth Day. Contact NoFlyby, if interested in a >copy to review. Information on the video is posted at >http://www.nonviolence.org/noflyby/ref/nuk2ord.htm > > ********************************************* > >The dangers of the Cassini space probe is only the tip of a real threat to >humankind.=20 >The time is now to rise up and demand the banning of all weapons in space >and dangerous technologies that threaten the mass destruction of life.=20 > >There is only 97 days left to redirect NASA's plans to accelerate the >Cassini space craft toward Earth from Venus. > > > ********************************************* > >Please let us know if you received this NoFlyby Alert by mistake and wish >to >be removed from our list. Just reply with "remove" in the subject field. To >subscribe from another address to the NoFlyby list, write "subscribe" in >the >subject field. > >Also, email us if you're interested in receiving the "NoFlyby Feedback" >updates, which are more frequent and less formal emails coming and going >from the NoFlyby site. If you want to get these, just reply with "subscribe >noflyby feedback." > >*************************************** > >Action Site to Stop Cassini Earth Flyby=20 >http://www.nonviolence.org/noflyby >P.O. Box 1999 >Wendell Depot, MA 01380 USA > =20 Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Stockpile Stewardship Resolution Date: 19 Mar 1999 13:13:17 -0500 Dear Friends, Below is a call for help on the Marky resolution which I am forwarding to you. Please call your congresspeople below and ask them to sign up again for the Markey and Woolsey resolutions. Markey's resolution to cut off funding for new nuclear weapons development has no number, but they have to be signed on by Tuesday if they are to be listed as sponsors. Ask that they call Jeff Duncan in Markey's office. Woolsey's is HR 82, calling on Clinton to negotiate a treaty. Ask them to call Mark Dooley in Woolsey's office. Most of the people listed below sponsored both resolutions before in the last session of Congress, but the resolutions have to be reintroduced in this new session and we have to ask them to sign on again. If your Congressperson is not listed below, it would still be a good idea to try to reach them. Many thanks. Alice >Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 12:35:13 -0500 >Subject: Stockpile Stewardship Resolution >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: bhall@peace-action.org, fteplitz@peace-action.org, wand@wand.org, > securityana@lists.speakeasy.org >From: maureene@earthlink.net (maureene@earthlink.net) > >Markey's office just called. They will be dropping the resolution on >Wednesday, March 24 and have requested help getting co-sponsors. Below is >a list of people who either co-sponsored last year or have expressed some >interest in the resolution. If you can place a call into any of these >offices before Wednesday, that would be a great help. Also, can someone >please forward this to Kathy Crandall and others working on this? I still >don't have my email address list fully updated and can't find everyone. >Thanks, >M > >p.s Please get back to me if you hear anything from these offices. Please >also feel free to call others not on this list. > > >Target List: >Name Staff Phone >Barbara Lee (D-CA) Linda White 225-2661 >Lois Capps (D-CA) AliciaMayfield 225-3601 >Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA) Henry Dixon 225-7924 >Bob Filner Richard Patrick 225-8045 >Jerry Nadler (D-NY) John Doty 225-5635 >Carolyn Malony (D-NY)Mike Fisher 225-7944 >Nita Lowy (D-NY) Karen Dunn 225-6506 >Major Owens (D-NY) Sudafi Henry 225-6231 >Gary Ackerman (D-NY) Hillary Jockmans(sp?)225-2601 >Lynn Rivers (D-MI) Tim Reeger 225-6261 >Cynthia McKinny (D-GA)Peter Hickey 225-1605 >Tom Allen (D-ME) Todd Stein 225-6116 > > >Those already on the resolution: >Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) >Anna Eshoo (D-CA) >George Miller (D-CA) >Jim McGovern (D-MA) >John Tierney (D-MA) >Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) >Diane DeGette (D-CO) >Frank Pallone (D-NJ) >Tom Barrett (D-WI) > > > >Maureen Eldredge >Program Director >Alliance for Nuclear Accountability > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Andrew Lichterman Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) Russian Surprise Attack Risk? Date: 19 Mar 1999 10:30:34 -0800 The author of this story is probably best known for his extensive investigation questioning the conclusion that the death of Clinton aide Vince Foster was a suicide. A selection of his work can be found at http://www.triblive.com/ruddy/ Take a look and draw your own conclusions. David Crockett Williams wrote: > > I am curious as to what those more knowledgeable than I think about the > following report forwarded from another list, regarding whether these fears > of war on the US by Russia have valid basis in facts: > > Russia and China Prepare for War -- Part 4 > Russia May Launch a Surprise Attack Against US > > Christopher Ruddy > March 12, 1999 > > Russia May Launch a Surprise Attack Against US > > Since 1917, "capitalist warmongers" in the US and Europe have > been the principal targets of hatred by Russians and the Chinese. > Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, those campaigns of hate > subsided briefly, and authoritarian communists stepped out of the > spotlight. Today, with Russia reported in desperate economic > straits, the Russian people are again being told, "it's the fault of > America and Europe." Brutal communist leaders are again publicly > talking, dissent is again being banned, and hatred against the West is > soaring. > > During the past year, my concerns about Russia have been greatly > increased as a result of an interview I conducted with Jeffrey > Nyquist -- an independent researcher on Russia and author of The > Origins of the Fourth World War. > > Nyquist believes Russia has been planning a surprise nuclear attack > against the United States, and that this attack will come sooner > rather than later -- quite possibly within the next year if the US > continues on its present reckless course. I would have scoffed at > such suggestions had Nyquist not made such a convincing case and > demonstrated such a powerful intellect. > > During our conversations, Nyquist listed signs that would indicate a > Russian attack was being planned. > > NYQUIST'S STARTLING PREDICTIONS > > In early 1998, Nyquist predicted that authorities in Russia would > deliberately implode their own economy to advance their political > and military agendas. There were several reasons. First, that would > divert attention from the theft of billions of dollars by government > officials from "privatized" companies, and provide a convenient > explanation why none of them were making any money. Second, by > engendering Russia's economic collapse and blaming the West, the > necessary psychological atmosphere for war against the US would > be created. > > Another outcome of Russia's economic collapse, Nyquist said, > would be the emergence of a series of progressively stronger and > more militarist Russian leaders. Primakov -- Yeltsin's Prime > Minister -- perfectly fits Nyquist's prediction. He's a former > hard-line, anti-American KGB general. > > Nyquist also predicted that Russia would ally with China. That, too, > has now taken place, as you'll see below. > > Finally, Nyquist predicted that Russia would stockpile huge > quantities of food and other supplies for war, and begin moving > their nuclear weapons on to their naval ships where they are much > more difficult to monitor and deter. All of this has occurred. > > SPY WARNS OF RUSSIAN WAR PLANS > > Nyquist is not the only astute observer of Russia who believes > Russia may be preparing for war against the US. Stanislav Lunev -- > the highest-ranking GRU (Russian military intelligence) officer ever > to defect from Russia -- also warns that Russia is preparing for war > against the United States. > > Lunev's book Through the Eyes of the Enemy (published last > summer by Regnery) states categorically that the Cold War is not > over and that Russia continues to plan for a nuclear war. "Russia > remains terrified of the power of America, and Russian military > intelligence does everything it can prepare for a war that it considers > inevitable," he wrote. This war, Lunev details, would employ > nuclear, biological and chemical weapons against America. > > RUSSIAN PLANS: KILL US LEADERS; USE BIOLOGICAL > WEAPONS ALREADY IN US > > Lunev explains war would begin with the infiltration of Russian > special operations troops into the US, who would kill top political > and military leaders. Lunev also warns that Russian GRU (military > intelligence) agents have already deposited, near key water > reservoirs, deadly poisons and toxins which would result in millions > of civilians being ravaged by disease. Lunev says, for instance, that > the Russians have determined that they could wipe out a significant > part of the population of Florida by polluting water sources in the > Carolinas. > > Another part of Russia's plan, according to Lunev, is to deploy > suitcase nuclear bombs at strategic points throughout the US. Lunev > says he personally scouted a site in the Hudson Valley just above > New York City for one such suitcase nuke. > > Lunev has also told me that the democracy movement in Russia > was a charade and part of "a plan" to get the West disarm -- > achieving through deception what the Soviet Union was never able > to achieve militarily. Lunev explained that China was pursuing > parallel policies, absorbing as much Western aid and technology as > possible before a final confrontation, which Lunev regarded as > imminent. > > RUSSIA'S ECONOMIC COLLAPSE INCREASES RISK OF > WAR > > The collapse of Russia's economy greatly increased the chances of > war with the West. With 29 times Finland's population, Russia's > budget barely matches theirs. According to news reports, millions of > ordinary Russians are now struggling just to stay alive, selling family > heirlooms and chopping up their furniture for kindling. > > Russia's political leaders and economic czars, of course, will never > admit that they and their failed totalitarian system are responsible > for this widespread misery, and increasingly the West is being > blamed. > > This is particularly dangerous, because despite economic > desperation, Russia continues is still a nuclear superpower. Victor > Olove, director of Moscow's Center for Policy Studies, told the Los > Angeles Times, "People who have nuclear warheads in their hands > have not gotten their salaries for three or four months and are > literally hungry." > > Some press reports show how close to war we have already come. > Britain's Panorama news program reported that in 1995 the Yeltsin > government came within minutes of a full nuclear attack on the > United States after Russian defense systems failed. > > US DETROYS NUCLEAR ARSENAL, RUSSIAN ARSENAL > EXPANDS > > Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has been > systematically destroying its nuclear arsenal. In 1991, the US had > approximately 30,000 strategic and tactical nuclear weapons. Under > Clinton, that arsenal has fallen nearly 60%. In 1997, the United > States had only 12,500 (tactical and strategic) nuclear weapons. Of > these, only 8,750 were active, 2500 more were on reserve, and > 1,250 were slated to be destroyed. Moreover, our nuclear arsenal > has a limited "shelf life," and year by year, more and more weapons > become unusable. The Clinton administration has only recently > taken belated steps to produce tritium, a necessary component for > the maintenance of nuclear weapons. > > In contrast, the Russians may now have as many as 50,000 > strategic and tactical nuclear weapons -- ranging from small suitcase > bombs to large warheads suitable for intercontinental ballistic > missiles (ICBM's). The lion's share of these weapons remain > targeted at the US. And Russia is quickly building even more > weapons. > > Never before has the strategic nuclear balance been so greatly in > Russia's favor. From a military standpoint, this creates a unique > window of opportunity for Russia to launch a successful first-strike > against the United States at minimal cost to themselves. > > "USE IT OT LOSE IT" > > Like America's nuclear arsenal, Russia's is degrading as it gets older > and requires expensive, periodical servicing. > > The Russian government is well aware of this problem. In a recent > report to the Duma (Russia's Congress), First Deputy Prime > Minister Yuri Masluyokov (a former Soviet military-industrial > planner) states that because of obsolescence, Russia's nuclear > arsenal will decline quickly, and Russia may "be able to field only > 800 to 900 nuclear warheads seven years from now." > > Because of Russia's economic problems, Russia may never again > enjoy the huge strategic advantage it now has over its old enemies > in the West. For die-hard communists, the huge, but temporary, > military advantage may represent an irresistible opportunity to "use > them before we lose them." Indeed, Bruce Blair, a well-known > liberal from the Brookings Institution, stated last summer in The > National Interest, "Russia's conventional forces have declined ... > and into this vacuum has rushed a growing reliance on nuclear > weapons -- including their first use in any serious conventional > conflict." > > Recognizing the limited shelf-life of Russia's nuclear arsenal, Blair > adds, "The nuclear forces themselves have become vulnerable.... > Consequently Russia today faces far stronger pressures to ?use or > lose' its nuclear arsenal than at any time since the early 1960s." > > Y2K BUG MAY BE "TRIPWIRE" FOR WAR > > Coinciding with the continuing degradation of Russia's nuclear > weapons are military problems they will soon experience as a result > of the Y2K (Year 2000 or Millennium) computer bug. > > Like all modern strategic weapons, Russia's nuclear arsenal is > critically dependent upon computer technology. At the latest, by > January 2000 -- less than one year from now -- the millennium bug > may render that technology largely useless. > > Briefly, the problem is that two digit year codes used by most > computer software will cause computers to misread the year 2000 > as "00" or "1900." It sounds minor, but this computer glitch could > lead to widespread failure of many high-tech weapons systems, > including nuclear weapons, aircraft carriers, radar and even tanks. > > Even worse, the millennium bug is in billions of "embedded" > microprocessors buried deep inside missiles, tanks, satellites, and > nuclear reactors. (Imagine the cost of taking a satellite "into the > shop" for repairs or sending someone inside a nuclear reactor to > locate a defective chip!) > > The US military is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to > correct its own huge Y2K problem. Russia, however, has neither > the money nor the manpower to correct millions of lines of faulty > code and replace millions of chips. Their official policy is "fix on > failure;" that is, they plan to do NOTHING to repair their systems > until they fail. My soon-to-be-published special report -- Y2K and > Russia: Impetus For Nuclear War? -- details the enormous Y2K > risks Russia is facing -- and Y2K's implications for you. > > Another frightening possibility is that on January 1, 2000, Russia's > radar screens and early warning system could go blank or falsely > report incoming missiles. That could lead Russian military leaders to > believe the US has initiated an attack, and launch a counterattack. > > The Y2K-related failure of Russia's early warning system could > even result in an automatic attack against the US. Most people in > the West don't realize it, but Russia has long had a "doomsday > defense system." This system is designed to enable Russia to > survive a US nuclear first strike and to launch a devastating > retaliation even if no commanders are left alive in Russia to issue > the orders. This system is designed to automatically launch nuclear > missiles at the US if an event occurs that the computer interprets as > a Western attack -- such as a loss of satellite and radar systems. > The default target of thousands of Russian strategic missiles are > cities in the United States and Europe. > > Well aware of this problem, US military officials have > recommended that the US and Russia place observers in each > others' nuclear control rooms next December, to prevent an > accidental launch. > > RUSSIA PREPARES FOR A FIRST STRIKE > > An even more disturbing possibility has not been reported by the > press: That is the possibility that the Russian general staff -- which > is well aware of their Y2K and economic problems -- may have > already decided to strike the United States before their defense > systems fail on January 1, 2000. > > Thus, in an extremely ominous sign, on December 17, 1997, > President Yeltsin, issued a 37-page policy statement, reneging on > previous pledges not to use nuclear weapons first. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > --------------- > APFN EMAIL CHANGE: > PLEASE DELETE: - apfn@netbox.com - ADD: apfn1@vegasnet.net > > To removed from APFN EMAIL LIST: Hit reply and put REMOVE in subject line. > > American Patriot Friends Network [HOME PAGE] > http://esotericworldnews.com/apfn.htm > > - > To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" > with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. > For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send > "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Nuclear Age Peace Foundation Subject: (abolition-usa) Bay Area HAP event Date: 19 Mar 1999 10:32:52 -0800 (PST) Anyone interested in learning more about the Hague Appeal for Peace (HAP), happening May 11-15 in The Netherlands, is invited to attend the Bay Area Hague Appeal for Peace Orientation-Reception on Saturday March 27 in San Francisco. This event is designed to inform the public of HAP, to discuss what can be done at the local level for those who are not able to attend the conference itself, and to build a Bay Area coalition of organizations attending to ensure post-HAP follow-up. Over a dozen Bay Area groups are scheduled to attend and anyone interested is welcome. Time: 12:00-1:00, Reception, 1:00-2:30 presentations and discussion. Place: Baha'i Center, 170 Valencia (at Duboce), San Francisco (nearest Bart Station: Civic Center/Van Ness) Suggested Contribution: $5 (no one turned away for lack of funds) Tel: call Catharine at the World Federalist Association for more information: 415.227.4880 - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) Fw: China, Russia Blast US Missile Defense Bill Date: 19 Mar 1999 15:38:06 -0800 >From: "Hilary A. Thomas" > > >Thursday March 18 10:32 PM ET >Missile Defense Bill Blasted >By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press Writer > >MOSCOW (AP) - Russia and China on Thursday criticized the Senate's appro= val >of a U.S. anti-missile defense system, saying the move would threaten th= e >globe's strategic balance. >The bill overwhelmingly approved by the Senate on Wednesday commits the >Pentagon to building a national defense against limited ballistic missil= e >attack ``as soon as technologically possible.'' >``That poses a serious threat to the whole process of nuclear arms contr= ol, >as well as strategic stability, for which major international agreements >have been worked out for decades,'' the Russian Foreign Ministry said in= a >statement. >The U.S. bill was based on a new assessment of the threat of attack from >countries such as Iran, Iraq and North Korea. >In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi said the measure= is >counterproductive for arms control and disarmament and will ``have an >impact on global strategic balance.'' >China fears the system could spark a costly arms race, would strengthen >U.S. military alliances with Japan and South Korea and may be used to >protect Taiwan, thereby obstructing reunification. >Russian officials have long expressed concern over the U.S. plan to deve= lop >anti-missile defenses that would violate the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile >treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union. They have resiste= d >U.S. proposals about possibly amending the treaty to allow for limited >missile defenses. >Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev sounded less harsh, expressing ho= pe >that the United States and Russia would be able to reach agreement on th= e >anti-missile defenses. >``This issue must be studied seriously, and the Senate's decision analyz= ed, >but I haven't lost hope, '' Sergeyev said, according to the Interfax new= s >agency. ``It's a flexible statement,'' he said of the Senate's move. >Copyright =A9 1999 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. >The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, >broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authorit= y >of The Associated Press. > > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ >Come check out our brand new web site! >http://www.onelist.com >Onelist: Making the Internet intimate >------------------------------------------------------------------------ >InTheShadows is a discussion list dedicated to keeping up-to-date with n= ew technologies, advancements in medicine, environmental concerns, 'conspira= cy theories', politics, and, of course, UFO stuff. Discussion is encouraged. Bashing and soapboxing will get you bounced off the list. > >To subscribe send a blank email to: >InTheShadows-subscribe@onelist.com > >To unsubscribe send a blank email to: >InTheShadows-unsubscribe@onelist.com > >List Moderator: Hilary Thomas >InTheShadows-owner@onelist.com > - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) Iraq's chilling economic statistics (fwd) Date: 20 Mar 1999 00:13:53 EST Subj: Iraq's chilling economic statistics (fwd) Date: 3/19/99 7:15:30 PM Eastern Standard Time From: eschuster2@juno.com (Eric A Schuster) To: SocialistsUnmoderated@lefty.techsi.com --------- Begin forwarded message ---------- March 18, 1999 IRAQ'S CHILLING ECONOMIC STATISTICS Iraq's total GDP has fallen to just $5.7 billion, or $247 per capita, according to estimates by the well-respected Economist Intelligence Unit in The Economist's newly published annual supplement "The World in 1999." Just prior to the Gulf War, Iraq's GDP was more than ten times higher--around $60 billion. Last year the Economist Intelligence Unit estimated Iraqi GDP at $30.4 billion, or $1,300 per capita. This year's figure represents both a further precipitous decline, and more accurate estimates. To put this in perspective, Jordan, Iraq's tiny neighbor has a GDP of $8.6 billion. With an estimated per capita GDP of only $247, Iraq, once one of the most developed countries in the Middle East, is now poorer than many countries in sub-saharan Africa. Just this evening I had the opportunity to attend a talk by former UN humanitarian relief coordinator for Iraq, Denis Halliday. Halliday noted that Iraq's recurring annual budget needs for health, food and essential services, is $12-15 billion. With the Oil-for-Food program, which Halliday ran for thirteen months, Iraq gets barely $4 billion. With a total GDP of $5.7 billion Iraq's economy is worth about the same as four B-1 bombers. It is worth about half of Bill Gates. The entire Iraqi economy amounts to just 2% (two percent) of the annual United States DEFENSE budget of $265 billion. The increase in the US defense budget proposed for next year by the Clinton Administration ($12 billion) is more than twice the entire GDP of Iraq. Just exactly what kind of threat can Iraq present? You do the math. Ali Abunimah ahabunim@midway.uchicago.edu http://www.abunimah.org ------------------------------- Note: The destruction of Iraq's economy by the sanctions has distinctively changed the life in Iraq: children are dying in greater numbers; families are breaking apart; educational systems are crumbling ... For more information, please refer to the articles by Denis Halliday ============================================================================ -------- Iraq Action Coalition http://iraqaction.org >> - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Bob Tiller Subject: (abolition-usa) Re: Missile Shield Alternatives Date: 22 Mar 1999 09:57:53 -0500 Well put, Lachlan! Bob Tiller Lachlan Forrow wrote: > > I'm struck by how powerful the language of "protecting our > homes and our cities from nuclear weapons" is. I think there > is no prayer of successfully opposing "missile defenses" with > a "Stop Star Wars" kind of slogan, or even by just trying to > debunk the claims of effectiveness. If there is even a perceived > CHANCE that a "missile shield" might "save the US", people > will grab for it (and pay almost anything). We need a bumper-sticker > and sound-bite set of phrases that can compete successfully, > by offering an even more appealing alternative that is as fully > "patriotic" and has at least as much "moral high ground" > resonance as "defenses against rogue missiles" does. > > The two themes that resonate most powerfully seem to me > to be "protection of the US" and "money". > > Two, for a start: > > Real Protection: > Abolish Nuclear Weapons! > > Or: > > Want REAL Protection? > Abolish Nuclear Weapons! > > Second: > > Reclaim Your Tax Dollars: > Abolish Nuclear Weapons > > The second is already an attractive bumper sticker available > through IPPNW. > > Lachlan Forrow, MD > > The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship > Dedicated to Reverence for Life in Action > A co-sponsor of ABOLITION 2000 > > "Nuclear weapons are against international > law and they have to be abolished...All negotiations > regarding the abolition of atomic weapons remain > without success because no international public > opinion exists which demands this abolition." > --Dr. Albert Schweitzer - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Rosalie Tyler Paul Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) Re: Missile Shield Alternatives Date: 22 Mar 1999 12:38:47 -0500 A few more bumper sticker ideas from Peace Action Maine: Protect your family from nuclear weapons. Abolish them! or Build a safe shield against nuclear weapons. Abolish them all! or Be safe from nuclear danger. Abolish Nuclear Weapons! or National Security requires Nuclear Disarmament. on a slightly different note: The Cold War was over.... Till the arms dealers decided to keep it going. Hope all of you in New England will be in Kittery, Maine on Saturday March 27 for our New England Regional gathering of Nuclear Abolition activists. 9-2 followed by a protest at the Naval Shipyard. Call the office for details at 207-772-0680 This was in response to what Lachlan Forrow wrote: > > I'm struck by how powerful the language of "protecting our > homes and our cities from nuclear weapons" is. I think there > is no prayer of successfully opposing "missile defenses" with > a "Stop Star Wars" kind of slogan, or even by just trying to > debunk the claims of effectiveness. If there is even a perceived > CHANCE that a "missile shield" might "save the US", people > will grab for it (and pay almost anything). We need a bumper-sticker > and sound-bite set of phrases that can compete successfully, > by offering an even more appealing alternative that is as fully > "patriotic" and has at least as much "moral high ground" > resonance as "defenses against rogue missiles" does. > > The two themes that resonate most powerfully seem to me > to be "protection of the US" and "money". > > Two, for a start: > > Real Protection: > Abolish Nuclear Weapons! > > Or: > > Want REAL Protection? > Abolish Nuclear Weapons! > > Second: > > Reclaim Your Tax Dollars: > Abolish Nuclear Weapons > > The second is already an attractive bumper sticker available > through IPPNW. > > Lachlan Forrow, MD - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Peace through Reason Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) Re: Missile Shield Alternatives Date: 22 Mar 1999 15:27:30 -0500 Here's one for you: "Stop nukin' around!" anon. ____________________________________________________________ * Peace Through Reason - http://prop1.org -Convert the War Machines! * ____________________________________________________________ - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: David Krieger Subject: (abolition-usa) March 5 Conference call minutes Date: 22 Mar 1999 14:23:31 -0800 Meeting Minutes US Abolition Campaign Facilitators' Group Conference Call Friday, March 5, 1999 10 AM PST / 1 PM EST Special thanks to Jackie Cabasso, who made the arrangements for the conference call and facilitated the group I. Introductions- Facilitators' Group members present on call: Lori Beckwith, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation John Burroughs, Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy Jackie Cabasso, Western States Legal Foundation Joseph Gerson, American Friends Service Committee David Krieger, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation Sally Light, TriValley CAREs Pamela Meidell, Atomic Mirror Robert Musil, Physicians for Social Responsibility Dave Robinson, Pax Christi Susan Shaer, Women's Action for New Directions Alice Slater, Global Resource Action Center for the Environment Anthony Guarisco, Alliance of Atomic Veterans Jan Harwood, WILPF Claudia Peterson, Utah Downwinders Jo Peterson, Nebraskans for Peace Robert Manning, Sonoma County Peace and Justice Center Esther Pank, Peace Links A. Note taker and time keeper volunteers: Dave Robinson - time keeper, Jo Peterson - note taker B. Jackie reviewed the agenda and requested modifications. It was decided to spend 10 minutes discussing an evaluation of the Santa Barbara meeting under "Old Business." II. Old Business A. Status of meeting finances Facilitator and Meeting Expenses Facilitator -- Labor (50 hours at $50/hour nonprofit rate) $2,500.00 Ground transit in Boston $55.00 Phone Calls (incl. agenda and ICC) $35.00 Car rental in LA $245.98 (Food and lodging paid by WAND) $150.00 Airfare -- Boston/LA $645.00 Subtotal $3,480.98 Meeting --- Copies (incl. A Gathering of Tribes) $287.76 Supplies for Facilitator/folders $98.99 Flowers, refreshments, supplies for social $53.85 Subtotal $440.60 Total $3,921.58 ============================================================= Income Ploughshares Fund $1,500.00 Fourth Freedom Forum $860.00 IEER $250.00 Pax Christi $200.00 Tri-Valley CAREs $100.00 Western States Legal Foundation $100.00 GRACE $100.00 Mainstream Media Project $100.00 PSR $75.00 Nuclear Age Peace Foundation $50.00 Mark Mebane $20.00 Total $3,355.00 ================================================ ========= Shortfall $566.58 *Susan, Pamela, Lori, Sally and Jackie will meet off-line to determine how to cover remaining expenses. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Special Thanks to Susan Gordon who handled the diversity funds for the Santa Barbara meeting. Diversity Expenses Travel Costs (air fare and/or ground travel) -- Claudia Peterson; Anthony Guarisco; Ian Zabarte; Esther Hilsenrad; Richard Salvador; Corbin Harney; Matteo Ferreira; Abha Sur; Betty Burkes -- $2,620.00 Lodging and Meals -- $1,794.00 Subtotal $4,414.00 Diversity Income American Friends Service Committee $750.00 Nuclear Age Peace Foundation $500.00 Western States Legal Foundation $500.00 Alliance for Nuclear Accountability $500.00 GRACE $500.00 Business Leaders for Professional Responsibility $500.00 Fourth Freedom Forum $450.00 PSR $660.00 State of the World Forum $240.00 Total $4,600.00 =========================================================== Amount left over $186.00 Outstanding -- Bob Downing, gas ? Pledges not collected: Fellowship of Reconciliation $300.00 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ B. Report on Santa Barbara Declaration David K. reported a mostly positive response for the Santa Barbara statement -- at the meeting and through Email. However, there were strong concerns raised by members at the meeting regarding the need to address the issues of power and democracy in the statement. It was proposed that approval be given to the declaration as is, however, the issues of power and democracy are so important, that it is necessary to develop a process and discussion to address these issues in ways that will more fully contribute to understanding, and to draft a separate statement on power and democracy. The proposal had consensus with Bob M. "standing aside," with concerns that focusing on issues of power in the statement may put many "in the middle" off. *David K. will initiate the process of drafting a statement on power and democracy by soliciting input from all interested parties via e-mail. C. Status of Meeting Notes Thanks again to note takers at the Santa Barbara meeting: David K., Susan Gordon, Kathy Crandall, Lori, Andy Lichterman - as reported in Email meeting minutes. Many thanks to Alice who assembled the notes and sent by E-mail the meeting minutes. *Alice will repost the Santa Barbara meeting minutes to those at the Santa Barbara meeting with a request that participants make any necessary corrections and post those to Lori or Alice. Alice will put together a hard copy mailing that will include the minutes and updated addresses. Lori will provide addresses from data base. It was suggested that all members at the Santa Barbara meeting and on the Facilitators' Committee be on the Abolition 2000 list serve. D. Evaluation of Santa Barbara Meeting *Joseph G. will initiate a process of evaluation for the Santa Barbara meeting. He will ask meeting participants via email for comments about the meeting. It was requested that Joseph provide a summary evaluation of his findings to the Facilitators' Group. III. Review of Facilitators' Mandates It was decided at the Santa Barbara meeting that the name of the Interim Coordinating Committee, (ICC), formed in Chicago, be changed to the Facilitator's Group. The Facilitators' Group is to help with organizing efforts for the next six months. The group has been charged by the larger group to: propose a name for the campaign, to help formulate longer-term structure, bring forward strategic activities and plan the next meeting. A. Who will serve on the Facilitators' Group? At the Santa Barbara meeting, an invitation for volunteers was extended to join carry over members of the ICC. Esther Pank and Robert Manning/Bob Alpern (as alternates) volunteered after the meeting. The size and the composition of the group was discussed. Changes from the Chicago ICC group were noted. Duane Shank, Gordon Clark, Alan Ware, Daryl Kimball, Susan Gordon and Kathy Crandall will not be serving on the Facilitators' Group. Gordon Clark was reported to be looking for a Peace Action member to take his place. *It was agreed that the following Santa Barbara volunteers would be invited to join the Facilitators' Group: Matteo Ferreira, Shundahai Network; Anthony Guarisco, Alliance of Atomic Veterans; Alan Haber, Michigan Coalition of Peace and Environmental Organizations; Jan Haber, WILPF; Pilulaw Khus, Traditional Chumash Elder; Claudia Peterson, Utah Downwinder; Jo Peterson, Nebraskans for Peace; Jonathan Granoff, Lawyers' Alliance for World Security (nominated by Ed Aguilar); Robert Manning or Bob Alpern, Sonoma County Center for Peace and Justice; Esther Panks, Peace Links. * Sally Light will contact Richard Salvador to see if he would be interested in joining the group. Concern was expressed that the makeup of the Facilitators' Group is not sufficiently diverse, and that the option of adding more diverse perspectives should remain open. B. Who will pay for conference calls? Consensus was reached that each member of the committee would assume the cost of their own conference calls. To maintain diversity, group members agreed to call Alice Slater and/or Jackie Cabasso if assistance or more information is needed. C. How will the Facilitators' group be structured? The Facilitators' Group decided that its first priority was to propose a name for the campaign. Several processes were proposed to reach this goal. It was decided by consensus that for the purposes of proposing a name, four Facilitators' Group members, who had not already expressed strong opinions about the name, and who represented the range of opinion already expressed would be chosen to form a subgroup. This group was charged with exploring the opinions of the larger group. *The subgroup will solicit E-mail input from interested persons, and will call Santa Barbara meeting participants who expressed a strong interest about the name. They will bring those opinions together and recommend a name to the Facilitators' Group for approval during the next conference call. (Two weeks.) Sub group members are: Sally Light, Robert Manning, John Burroughs and Claudia Peterson. Next Conference Call: Monday, March 22, 1999, 10AM PST/1 PM EST *Jackie Cabasso agreed to arrange for and facilitate the next call. *Jo will circulate meeting notes to Facilitators' present on call for accuracy. *Facilitators will notify Jo of any need corrections. Jo will be responsible for editing and distributing the edited version. ********************************************************* NUCLEAR AGE PEACE FOUNDATION International contact for Abolition 2000 a Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons ********************************************************** 1187 Coast Village Road, Suite 121 Santa Barbara, CA 93108-2794 Phone (805) 965-3443 * Fax (805) 568-0466 e- mailto:wagingpeace@napf.org URL http://www.wagingpeace.org URL http://www.napf.org/abolition2000/ ********************************************************** - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) NATO MTG, Apr. 23rd: RE-AFFIRMATION OF CITIZENS' SUMMONS Date: 22 Mar 1999 18:47:03 -0500 Dear Friends, Listed below is the kind of material we are preparing for our Alternative Citizens Summit during the NATO meeting in Washington DC. Regards, Alice Slater >Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 23:03:27 -0500 >Subject: RE-AFFIRMATION OF CITIZENS' SUMMONS >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: a-days@motherearth.org >From: geowcpuk@gn.apc.org (geowcpuk@gn.apc.org) > >Mailinglist 'Citizens Inspections to Prevent War Crimes' >------------------------------------------------------- > >Dear Abolitonists > > >Following is a re-affirmation of the Citizens' Summons presented by Nuclear >Weapons Abolition Days at the NATO Madrid Summit on 8 July 1997. We hope >that this can be conveyed to the 19 NATO Heads of Government during the >Washington Summit - hopefully with a certain amaount of flourish. It will >be a notarised document and will therfore carry a certain amount of legal >weight=20 > >There will be one copy of the updated Summons for each of the NATO leaders. >This will be a large document printed in large script on a parchment-like >document. Each one will have the national flag of the country addressed as >well as a photograph of its Head of Government. They will be nicely wrapped >up in red ribbon with seals etc, and a sunflower attached (for Abolition >2000) There will also be a separate document for NATO itself, in the person >of Javier Solana. > >Please look at it carefully and let me know if you have any alterations or >additions to suggest.=20 > >Best Wishes > >George Farebrother >...........................................................................= . >...... > > > >NUCLEAR WEAPONS=20 >ABOLITION DAYS NETWORK=20 >part of ABOLITION 2000 >A Global Network to Abolish Nuclear Weapons > >Please reply to: For Mother Earth International office, Lange Steenstraat >16/d,=20 >9000 Gent, Belgium Phone/fax +32-9-233 84 39 E-mail pol@motherearth.org > >To The Rt Hon Tony Blair MP representing the United Kingdom at the >50th Anniversary NATO Summit in Washington, April 1999: > >Dear Tony Blair > >On July 8th, 1997 a notarized Citizens' Summons was presented to Se=F1or >Angel Sancho Arnpudia, the Director of the NATO Summit Organizing >Committee, who who undertook to give them to Javier Solana, Secretary >General of NATO and to all sixteen Heads of State. Since then NATO >has given little indication of complying with its obligations under >international law by relinquishing its policy of nuclear deterrence, >nor has it made any reasoned response to the Summons. Following is >a re-affirmation of the original Summons with an indication of some >retrograde steps which have occurred since 1997.=20 >=20 >RE-AFFIRMATION OF CITIZENS' SUMMONS > >Whereas on the 8th July 1996 the International Court of Justice, drawing >on international agreements such as The Hague Conventions, Geneva >Conventions, and Genocide Convention, issued its Advisory Opinion >on the legal status of the threat or use of nuclear weapons which >concluded that: > >- the threat or use of nuclear weapons is generally contrary to >international >humanitarian law; > >- no circumstances had been identified in which use of nuclear >weapons >would not violate humanitarian law; > >- there is no distinction in law between threat and use of nuclear >weapons; >the limited use of low yield nuclear weapons would tend to escalate >to all-out use of high yield nuclear weapons; > >- the Nuremburg Charter of 1945 applied to nuclear weapons. Thus it >is the duty of citizens to uphold the law relating to nuclear weapons >and of military personnel to obey it even if given a contrary order >by a superior or by his or her national government; > >- there exists an obligation to pursue in good faith and bring to a >conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its >aspects under strict and effective international control. > >In December 1996, and again in 1998 the United Nations General Assembly, >in response to the ICJ Advisory Opinion, called for negotiations in >1997 leading to the early conclusion of a Nuclear Weapons Convention. >In December 1998 the NATO Nuclear Weapon States voted against the >moderate resolution "Towards a Nuclear Weapon-Free World: The Need >for a New Agenda". which merely called for further unilateral, bilateral, >and multilateral actions and for the Nuclear Weapons state and their >allies to "review Strategic Doctrines". NATO,is therefore acting >illegally by: > >- retaining the option to use nuclear weapons first in future >conflicts; >issuing orders to its military personnel to prepare for the illegal >use of nuclear weapons; > >- making conditional plans to use, through its member nuclear weapon >States, a stockpile of nuclear weapons which, because of their yield, >would necessarily violate international humanitarian law; > >- condoning the consistent opposition by its member nuclear weapon >States >of moves towards the global elimination of nuclear weapons. > >- compounding its violation of international law by admitting three >new members into its nuclear alliance and therefore implicating them >in its illegal nuclear planning process. =20 > >- continuing to base US nuclear weapons in European countries and >involving >European nationals in training for their delivery in contravention >of Articles I and II of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. =20 > >We, as citizens of a planet under threat of irreparable damage from >the illegal threat of nuclear weapons, and acting in accordance with >their obligation under the Nuremberg Charter to uphold the law, gave >notice that unless immediate action is taken to review NATO's illegal >nuclear policy and eliminate the threat and capacity to use nuclear >weapons. We shall use all peaceful means in our power, including >organising and taking part in and advocating individual and mass >participation >in direct nonviolent resistance and to intervene against all preparations >for nuclear war at the places where they are carried out. As NATO > has still not given any indication of complying with the ICJ Advisory >Opinion, such action is fully justified. > >SIGNED > >=20 >=20 >George Farebrother =20 >Secretary, World Court Project UK >67 Summerheath Rd, Hailsham, Sussex, BN27 3DR, UK >Phone & Fax +44 (0)1323 844 269, Email (geowcpuk@gn.apc.org) >Web Site: http://www.gn.apc.org/wcp > >The World Court Project is an international citizens' network which is >working to publicise and have implemented the July 8 1996 Advisory Opinion >of the International Court of Justice which could find no >lawful circumstance for the threat or use of nuclear weapons.=20 > >The World Court Project UK is part of Abolition 2000, a Global Network to >eliminate nuclear weapons. =20 > =20 > =20 Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jan Harwood Subject: (abolition-usa) Re: Discussion of Fourth Freedom Forum Abolition Project Date: 22 Mar 1999 18:11:07 -0800 Since I was taking notes furiously during today's conference call of the Facilitators' Group, I didn't give my feelings about the FFF project. I think it's very important to embrace all positive activity toward abolition of nuclear weapons, and very destructive to hold resentful feelings toward any group that wants to do things in their own way. I agree it's disappointing that FFF didn't choose to work within the national coalition, but then, I'm also disappointed that our coalition didn't choose to work within the international Abolition 2000 coalition. But we're parallel, and that's okay. Let's make liaison with FFF and all move ahead with a good spirit. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) NYC / arrests for Police Brutality Date: 23 Mar 1999 00:23:49 EST While not directly related to Abolition 2000 and not on the usual agenda of the Mennonite discussions, the continuing arrests in New York City in protest against police brutality are a very good demonstration of nonviolence. It is important that people from the white community take part, underlining the fact that the Hispanic and African American communities are not alone. For that reason I post this on to these two lists. David McReynolds Subj: NYC / arrests for Police Brutality Date: 3/23/99 12:20:55 AM Eastern Standard Time From: DavidMcR To: wrll@scn.org, COC-L@CMSA.BERKELEY.EDU To: LEFT-L@CMSA.BERKELEY.EDU To: RedYouth@lefty.techsi.com To: SocialistsUnmoderated@lefty.techsi.com To: stormingheaven@onelist.com, fornatl@igc.apc.org To: baum@bear.com (Julia), BRUGGED To: gsandman@panix.com, Terry@aolsucks.com To: StevenAult, tavis@MAHLER.ECON.COLUMBIA.EDU To: SteBendich, SKentC, fmlink@igc.apc.org To: AriseFilms, dsa-youth@igc.org To: FILARDOP@elmer1.bobst.nyu.edu To: 74107.2722@compuserve.com To: 71564.3573@compuserve.com, cf83@columbia.edu To: Andyhumm, jfrej@igc.org, will_t_explore@juno.com To: toplab@mindspring.com, Joel Landy To: patrick@interport.net, mmmsrnb@igc.apc.org To: JMahoneyP, wesley-a@usa.net, cslj@mindspring.com To: LCNP, mreview@igc.apc.org (Ethan) To: doneil@igc.apc.org, Sjfive To: lcagan@people-link.com, nathan.newman@yale.edu To: ypsl@sp-usa.org, vickirov@worldnet.att.net To: Chango shk, HM007@worldnet.att.net, NAda802074 BCC: DavidMcR I would call attention to the daily arrests at Police Plaza here in New York City. As those of you know who have been following the press, a growing number of quite prominent people have been taking part in these actions, sparked by the shooting of Diallo. I will be among those taking part on Friday (and expecting to get out in time for the Socialist Party Local meeting). If you want to join in the arrests and don't have a contact, let me know. I don't have a phone number at hand, but I'll do my best to find one. It is important that as many whites as possible take part. I am glad to see that this week Jews for Racial and Economic Justice are taking part. Fraternally, David McReynolds >> - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Budget Letter to Groups from Progressive Members of Date: 23 Mar 1999 12:07:35 -0500 >Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 10:52:51 -0500 >Subject: Budget Letter to Groups from Progressive Members of Congress >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: budgetgroups@lyris.ombwatch.org >X-FC-Forwarded-From: pwlester@chn.org >From: budgetgroups@lyris.ombwatch.org (budgetgroups@lyris.ombwatch.org) > >Daniel McGlinchey of Rep. Barney Frank's (D-MA) office asked me >to forward this letter to interested groups. It is signed by >several progressive members of Congress and calls on >organizations to join the members in opposition to the package of >spending cuts and defense increases now winding its way through >Congress. > >The letter ends by requesting groups to contact Daniel McGlinchey >in Rep. Frank's office (202-225-5931) or Brendan Smith in Rep. >Bernie Sanders' (I-VT) office (202-225-4115) to participate in >strategy sessions on the issue. > >- Patrick Lester, CHN > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: McGlinchey, Daniel >To: 'pwlester@chn.org' >Date: Tuesday, March 23, 1999 10:19 AM >Subject: defense letter -- final > > >March 23, 1999 > >Dear Friend, > > >We write to ask you to join us in organizing efforts to prevent >an impending social disaster. Unless things change, we confront >the stark prospect of a federal budget being adopted which will >severely undermine our efforts to deal with threats to the >quality of life both in the United States and in the rest of the >world. > > >The Republican leadership has made clear that it intends to go >forward with a budget that preserves the caps on discretionary >spending adopted in 1997, while simultaneously providing for very >substantial increases in the military and education budgets. We >welcome the increases in the education budget, and we will be >supportive of sensible federal policies which seek to increase >the resources we put to education. But we believe that the >significant increases proposed in military spending go far beyond >what is needed for our national security, and given the fact that >the spending caps already severely constrain important programs, >these military increases will come at the expense of every other >function of the federal government. Those who now see the need >for additional efforts in cleaning up the environment, providing >health care, helping law enforcement, combating poverty at home >and abroad, dealing with the housing crisis, promoting economic >development in distressed areas, dealing with problems in the >agricultural sector, providing adequate resources for veterans >programs, and in every other aspect of federal policy must >understand that if a budget is adopted which maintains the caps >while significantly increasing military spending, all of these >other functions will suffer grievously. > > >This danger is exacerbated by the support President Clinton has >given to significant increases in military spending. While the >President proposes increases in other areas, these parts of his >budget are unlikely to be supported by the House and Senate >majorities. Instead, Congress is likel to build on his proposed >military increases while rejecting his suggestions for paying for >this increased spending. And key Congressional leaders have >explicitly stated that they will finance increased military >spending by cuts in other discretionary spending areas. We >believe that it is appropriate to improve some aspects of the >national security budget, particularly with regard to the >condition of personnel. But we think there are significant areas >where the large increases being proposed in military spending are >unnecessary. > > >With the President and the Republican Congressional leadership >committed to increased military spending, and with the >Congressional leadership insistent on preserving the caps and >rejecting any additional revenue sources, the likeliest outcome >today is for a budget which endangers our ability to make >progress in any area of non-military concern with the exception >of education. We do not believe that this is an appropriate >outcome -- it reflects neither the real needs of our society nor >the true desires of the American people. > > >But in the absence of prompt, effective political organizing, >this distortion of priorities will be written into law. Efforts >to increase spending in other departments later in the year >through the appropriations process will face extraordinary obstac >les if we do not deal with this now. We are therefore writing to >a wide range of organizations which seekincreased resources for a >variety of concerns within the federal budget structure to ask >you to join us in preventing this from happening. > > >While it will be theoretically possible for advocates of >particular cause to gain a larger appropriation later in the year >if this overall budget scheme is enacted, we think it is socially >undesirable for advocates of increased environmental protection, >for example, to be forced to support cuts in housing or community >development, or for advocates of increased aid to farmers in >distress to have to seek to capture funds that would otherwise go >for food stamps or school lunches. Yet that will be the >inevitable outcome of a budget which preserves the caps while >increasing military spending significantly. > > >If you are interested in joining us, please call Daniel >McGlinchey (Rep. Frank, 55931) or Brendan Smith (Rep. Sanders, >54115) to let us know. We will be arranging a strategy session >soon of people who share our opposition to what we fear will be a >terrible distortion of our priorities, and we look forward to >your joining us in this fight. > > >REP. TAMMY BALDWIN >SENATOR BARBARA BOXER >REP. GEORGE E. BROWN, JR. >REP. SHERROD BROWN >REP. JOHN CONYERS, JR. >REP. PETER A. DEFAZIO >REP. LLOYD DOGGETT >SENATOR RICHARD J. DURBIN >REP. BOB FILNER >REP. BARNEY FRANK >REP. LUIS V. GUTIERREZ >SENATOR TOM HARKIN >REP. BARBARA LEE >REP. BILL LUTHER >REP. JIM McDERMOTT >REP. JAMES P. McGOVERN >REP. EDWARD J. MARKEY >REP. GEORGE MILLER >REP. JERROLD NADLER >REP. MAJOR R. OWENS >REP. NANCY PELOSI >REP. BERNARD SANDERS >REP. FORTNEY PETE STARK >REP. MAXINE WATERS >SENATOR PAUL WELLSTONE >REP. LYNN WOOLSEY >SENATOR RON WYDEN > > > > >--- >You are currently subscribed to budgetgroups as: [aslater@gracelinks.org] >To unsubscribe, forward this message to >leave-budgetgroups-5336Y@lyris.ombwatch.org > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) Yugoslavia Date: 23 Mar 1999 18:39:35 EST In a message dated 3/23/99 6:10:05 PM Eastern Standard Time, rjp33@cam.ac.uk writes: << Subj: Yugoslavia Date: 3/23/99 6:10:05 PM Eastern Standard Time From: rjp33@cam.ac.uk (Richard Pond) Sender: rjp33@cam.ac.uk To: redyouth@lefty.techsi.com Comrades, Kosovo is a province of Serbia (which together with Montenegro makes up post-1992 Yugoslavia). It has been, rightly or wrongly, part of Serbia since 1913. So what we are about to do is intervene in a civil war. A few months ago, NATO drew up a peace plan and promptly tried to impose this on the warring parties. Roughly speaking, we said to the Serbs "Sign this, or we'll bomb you", and to the Kosovan ethnic Albanians "Sign this, or we won't be able to get away with bombing the Serbs when they don't sign it". This is contrary to all principles: what kind of an agreement can hold when it's forced upon people by threats? What we had, then, was not genuine negotiations but Western imperialists (calling themselves "the international community") trying to impose a solution from above. NATO was founded 50 years ago, before the Warsaw Pact, but nonetheless as an essentially defensive military alliance. Its purpose was to defend Western Europe from the alleged possibility of Soviet military incursions. No such incursion ever took place. If NATO goes to war tonight, it will be the first time in its history (or so I'm told) that NATO has gone to war against a sovereign state. (NATO shot down some Serb warplanes over Bosnia in 1994, but I don't think that quite compares!). Since the end of the Cold War, when NATO's whole raison d'etre disappeared, we've not seen the organization curl up and die, but instead it's been extended - to the East - and given a bigger and more powerful role in world affairs than ever before. With Russia weakened, the West - in this case, unprecedently, NATO - feels free to act - whether against Iraq or against the Yugoslav Republic. NATO is changing to a new, more prominent role in world affairs. And the German Greens' suggestion (briefly taken up by the German Green Foreign Minister Fischer) that NATO should make a "no-first-use" pledge on nuclear weapons (just as the USSR did) has been firmly rebuffed. So NATO's claim to be a defensive organization is now threadbare. Clinton says he wants a safer Europe. But alas. Any intervention in Serbia has at least as much chance of inflaming the situation and possibly igniting a wider conflict, as anything else. Notice how the NATO country farthest from Yugoslavia - that is, the United States - is the one that's most enthusiastic about war. But you won't find nearly as much enthusiasm in Greece, Austria, or indeed Italy. Something interesting is that the Serb army is much better armed than the Iraqis. There is a very good chance of Allied casualties. And of course, Yugoslav casualties - including "collateral damage", which means civilian bloodshed - are inevitable. Richard >> - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) McReynolds, quick analysis of Kosovo Date: 23 Mar 1999 21:59:41 EST Subj: McReynolds, quick analysis of Kosovo Date: 3/23/99 9:56:46 PM Eastern Standard Time From: DavidMcR To: ajmusteinst@igc.org, JDCoffin To: 71564.3573@compuserve.com To: prcsandiego@igc.apc.org, psu02368@odin.cc.pdx.edu To: fbp@igc.apc.org, Epank, goodwork@igc.apc.org To: jorgen.johansen@trada.se, pjowens@flash.net To: wrlne9@idt.net, Zefalcon, RBLepley To: lialliancepeace@hoflink.com, etandc@igc.apc.org To: VOBARON, jlucyny@enter.net, Lthurston8 To: dhostetter@igc.apc.org, nonweb@nonviolence.org To: eschwartz@peacenet.org, vickirov@worldnet.att.net To: melkonian@erols.com, m-fulton@worldnet.att.net To: tnsnews@hotmail.com, wrll@scn.org To: wrl@igc.apc.org, cmtc@ig.org BCC: DavidMcR Scott McClay of NACC in Seattle had written me for a couple of paragraphs for a flyer - I hope, Scott, that you can extract something from this. I will sent this on to other lists as well, and of course anyone can repost. Now that NATO has given authorization for the bombing of Yugoslavia, the question is what response do socialists and pacifists have to this? The first problem is that we are not dealing with "good guys". I know parts of the Left will try to explain away the NATO action as a steady effort to eliminate the last bastion of socialism in Europe. I know that parts of the peace movement will downplay what Milosevic has done. And I also know - perhaps most important at these times of crisis - that those of us ten thousand miles from where the bombs are going to fall really don't know all sides of the conflict. We deal with what the media gives us. Things always look different when you are standing on the ground, either in Serbia or in Kosovo. They are always more complex than they seem at this distance. Milosevic is not a "good guy", anymore than Saddam Hussein is. Yet in both cases we should oppose any assumption that because Milosevic and Hussein are not nice, therefore NATO is. Or that because these men are not nice that we have some reason to bomb hell out of their countries, impose sanctions on their people, etc. After all, in the matter of "niceness" what kind of country are we, that supported Saddam during his long and bloody war against Iran in the 1980's? Or that supported the Shah in Iran when the secret police engaged in torture at least as bad as anything in Kosovo? How selective in the anger of our TV pundits and our President, how short their memories. NATO is taking exactly the position regarding Kosovo that it opposes when it comes to Turkey, where the Turkish Kurds are asking for precisely the same thing as the Albanians in Kosovo - self-determination. In Turkey we oppose the Kurdish demand because Turkey is a NATO ally. In Kosovo we support the drive for self-determination because the U.S. wants to weaken Milosevic - and he isn't in NATO. Terrible tragedies have occured in both situations - but because Turkey is a NATO ally we hear very little about Turkish atrocities against the Kurds. Only on the Iraqi side has the U.S. established a "no fly zone" to help the Kurds - because in Iraq, we want Saddam weakened. The U.S. policy is terribly cynical, as, historically, all nations' policies are. Cynical or not, the Yugoslav army is engaged in actions which should be opposed by all reasonable means short of engaging in bombing, which has no sanction from the UN, and is applied to Yugoslavia only because it is weak in relationship to NATO - NOT BECAUSE THE CAUSE IS MORE URGENT. All during the Russian massacres in Cheneya there were no threats of Western bombing - but I'm afraid the situation is the same in Kosovo, it is a part of Yugoslavia, has been since close to the turn of this century, contains some of the monuments most critical to the Yugoslavs as part of their history. Yugoslavia and Kosovo got themselves into this mess when (a) Milosevic engaged in ruthless nationalism that rejected any reasonable arrangements for moderate self-determination in Kosovo. And (b) when the powerful and nonviolent mass movement in Kosovo, which had won much Western support and created a virtual parallel government, was derailed by the violence of the Kosovo Liberation Army. The KLA attacked Serbian police and Serbian civilians. Yugoslavia counter-attacked brutally. The KLA took any peaceful accomdation off the table. Do I support the right of the KLA to use violence? Sure, any people has that right, just as I supported the right of the Vietnamese to use violence. But between supporting the right and thinking that use of violence is reasonable there is a huge gap. I should add that while I do support the right of self-determination, I don't support nationalism, not in the U.S., and not in Kosovo. In the case of the Vietnamese it was not simply self-determination, but also, as in India, an effort to remove a foreign occupying force. The case for that is less clear in Kosovo, where the present 90% Albanian population was not a "steady historic fact". The NATO bombing may be painless (for NATO - not for the Serbs) but it may also prove costly. It is believed that Yugoslav air defenses are moderately efficient, which means there may be loss of U.S. jets. And then ground action to rescue the pilots. If the bombing proves ineffective, will NATO troops be sent in? If they are sent in (perhaps to arrest Milosevic) do we have any sense of how long they will have to stay, how fierce the fighting is likely to be? Only in the past few days has the New York Times carried a story about war crimes committed by Croatia late in the Bosnian conflict. At that time the Croatian Army drove tens and tens of thousands of Serbs from their ancestral homes, killing many in the process. The Times noted that the role of the U.S. in training and supplying the Croatians had never been fully probed and that charges that two Croatian generals should be arrested for war crimes might embarrass the U.S. At that time the Croatian offensive was reported in the West, but with none of the anger and moral fury that had been felt when the Serbs had carried out similar ethnic cleansing. Had the war already so changed us that we had lost the ability to feel grief, sorrow, and anger when Serbian families were murdered and driven out? We were right to feel this about the Serbian attacks on Muslims and Croats - what happened to us? Will that happen again if we find NATO forces in a door to door fight in Serbia? Any democratic opposition in Serbia (and it does exist) will be largely destroyed by bombing. The same is true of any hope for nonviolent alternatives in Kosovo. There are times when those of us who believe in peace cannot provide answers. We can be as truthful as possible, see as clearly as possible, but we may not have answers. The irony is that because the US (and NATO) is so heavily armed there is a temptation to use the weapons to prove we need them and, more crucial, to fail to make any of the concessions and compromises we might make if we didn't have the weapons. One reason for disarmament is that it would make it more essential to pursue peaceful alternatives - which the US won't pursue as long as it is armed. For the moment, beyond opposing the bombing, and opposing the Serbian attacks on Kosovo, I think we are without effective solutions. The serious problem is that I believe Clinton and NATO also are without effective solutions - but they have the ability to expand an already disturbing level of violence. David McReynolds NYC / March 23, 1999 (I'd also recommend asking War Resisters League for a recent issue of the magazine, Nonviolent Action, which has a very good piece in it by Howard Clark. Send $l and mention that article to: WRL, 339 Lafayette St., NYC 10012) >> - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) 4.4.99 50th NATO "birthday", is it operating correctly? Date: 23 Mar 1999 20:47:00 -0800 NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION (NATO) The North Atlantic Treaty, signed in Washington on 4 April 1949, created an Alliance for collective defence as defined in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. The Alliance links fourteen European countries with the United States and Canada. The treaty is an alliance of independent countries with a common interest in maintaining peace and defending their freedom through political solidarity and adequate military defence to deter and, if necessary, repel all possible forms of aggression against them. Created within the framework of Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which reaffirms the inherent right of individual or collective defence, the Alliance is an association of free states united in their determination to preserve their security through mutual guarantees and stable relations with other countries. NATO is the Organisation which serves the Alliance. It is an inter-governmental organisation in which member countries retain their full sovereignty and independence. The Organisation provides the forum in which they consult together on any issues they may choose to raise and take decisions on political and military matters affecting their security. It provides the structures needed to facilitate consultation and cooperation between them, not only in political fields but also in many other areas where policies can be coordinated in order to fulfil the goals of the North Atlantic Treaty. NATO's essential purpose is thus to safeguard the freedom and security of all its members by political and military means in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter. Based on common values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the Alliance has worked since its inception for the establishment of a just and lasting peaceful order in Europe. This Alliance objective remains unchanged. NATO also embodies the transatlantic link by which the security of North America is permanently tied to the security of Europe. It is the practical expression of effective collective effort among its members in support of their common interests. The fundamental operating principle of the Alliance is that of common commitment and mutual cooperation among sovereign states based on the indivisibility of the security of its members. Solidarity within the Alliance, given substance and effect by NATO's daily work in political, military and other spheres, ensures that no member country is forced to rely upon its own national efforts alone in dealing with basic security challenges. Without depriving member states of their right and duty to assume their sovereign responsibilities in the field of defence, the Alliance enables them through collective effort to enhance their ability to realise their essential national security objectives. Member Countries. Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Peter Weiss Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) NYC / arrests for Police Brutality Date: 23 Mar 1999 23:32:09 -0500 Absolutely right. Cora is going with women tomorrow, I with CCR on Thursday. We haven't been arrested since 1975; getting out of practice. Peter DavidMcR@aol.com wrote: > > While not directly related to Abolition 2000 and not on the usual agenda of > the Mennonite discussions, the continuing arrests in New York City in protest > against police brutality are a very good demonstration of nonviolence. It is > important that people from the white community take part, underlining the fact > that the Hispanic and African American communities are not alone. For that > reason I post this on to these two lists. > > David McReynolds > > Subj: NYC / arrests for Police Brutality > Date: 3/23/99 12:20:55 AM Eastern Standard Time > From: DavidMcR > To: wrll@scn.org, COC-L@CMSA.BERKELEY.EDU > To: LEFT-L@CMSA.BERKELEY.EDU > To: RedYouth@lefty.techsi.com > To: SocialistsUnmoderated@lefty.techsi.com > To: stormingheaven@onelist.com, fornatl@igc.apc.org > To: baum@bear.com (Julia), BRUGGED > To: gsandman@panix.com, Terry@aolsucks.com > To: StevenAult, tavis@MAHLER.ECON.COLUMBIA.EDU > To: SteBendich, SKentC, fmlink@igc.apc.org > To: AriseFilms, dsa-youth@igc.org > To: FILARDOP@elmer1.bobst.nyu.edu > To: 74107.2722@compuserve.com > To: 71564.3573@compuserve.com, cf83@columbia.edu > To: Andyhumm, jfrej@igc.org, will_t_explore@juno.com > To: toplab@mindspring.com, Joel Landy > To: patrick@interport.net, mmmsrnb@igc.apc.org > To: JMahoneyP, wesley-a@usa.net, cslj@mindspring.com > To: LCNP, mreview@igc.apc.org (Ethan) > To: doneil@igc.apc.org, Sjfive > To: lcagan@people-link.com, nathan.newman@yale.edu > To: ypsl@sp-usa.org, vickirov@worldnet.att.net > To: Chango shk, HM007@worldnet.att.net, NAda802074 > BCC: DavidMcR > > I would call attention to the daily arrests at Police Plaza here in New York > City. > > As those of you know who have been following the press, a growing number of > quite prominent people have been taking part in these actions, sparked by the > shooting of Diallo. I will be among those taking part on Friday (and expecting > to get out in time for the Socialist Party Local meeting). > > If you want to join in the arrests and don't have a contact, let me know. I > don't have a phone number at hand, but I'll do my best to find one. > > It is important that as many whites as possible take part. I am glad to see > that this week Jews for Racial and Economic Justice are taking part. > > Fraternally, > David McReynolds >> > > - > To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" > with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. > For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send > "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Peter Weiss Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) McReynolds, quick analysis of Kosovo Date: 23 Mar 1999 22:30:50 -0500 David: I agree with much of your analysis. It may even be too soft on CLinton: I wouldn't be surprised if Milosevic reacted by killing a hundred or a thousand Kosovars for every bomb dropped on Serbia. In my view the only solution for this type of problem, other than long-range conflict prevention and short range effective conflict resolution is to interpose an effective force between the aggressor state and the victim population. Ideally, that should be a UN-sponsored and UN-authorized peacekeeping force made up of volunteers from many countries. Unideally, it may have to be a NATO force sanctioned by the UN (but it probably won't be, unless the Serbs agree, which they won't). Peter DavidMcR@aol.com wrote: > > Subj: McReynolds, quick analysis of Kosovo > Date: 3/23/99 9:56:46 PM Eastern Standard Time > From: DavidMcR > To: ajmusteinst@igc.org, JDCoffin > To: 71564.3573@compuserve.com > To: prcsandiego@igc.apc.org, psu02368@odin.cc.pdx.edu > To: fbp@igc.apc.org, Epank, goodwork@igc.apc.org > To: jorgen.johansen@trada.se, pjowens@flash.net > To: wrlne9@idt.net, Zefalcon, RBLepley > To: lialliancepeace@hoflink.com, etandc@igc.apc.org > To: VOBARON, jlucyny@enter.net, Lthurston8 > To: dhostetter@igc.apc.org, nonweb@nonviolence.org > To: eschwartz@peacenet.org, vickirov@worldnet.att.net > To: melkonian@erols.com, m-fulton@worldnet.att.net > To: tnsnews@hotmail.com, wrll@scn.org > To: wrl@igc.apc.org, cmtc@ig.org > BCC: DavidMcR > > Scott McClay of NACC in Seattle had written me for a couple of paragraphs for > a flyer - I hope, Scott, that you can extract something from this. I will sent > this on to other lists as well, and of course anyone can repost. > > Now that NATO has given authorization for the bombing of Yugoslavia, the > question is what response do socialists and pacifists have to this? > > The first problem is that we are not dealing with "good guys". I know parts > of the Left will try to explain away the NATO action as a steady effort to > eliminate the last bastion of socialism in Europe. I know that parts of the > peace movement will downplay what Milosevic has done. And I also know - > perhaps most important at these times of crisis - that those of us ten > thousand miles from where the bombs are going to fall really don't know all > sides of the conflict. We deal with what the media gives us. Things always > look different when you are standing on the ground, either in Serbia or in > Kosovo. They are always more complex than they seem at this distance. > > Milosevic is not a "good guy", anymore than Saddam Hussein is. Yet in both > cases we should oppose any assumption that because Milosevic and Hussein are > not nice, therefore NATO is. Or that because these men are not nice that we > have some reason to bomb hell out of their countries, impose sanctions on > their people, etc. After all, in the matter of "niceness" what kind of country > are we, that supported Saddam during his long and bloody war against Iran in > the 1980's? Or that supported the Shah in Iran when the secret police engaged > in torture at least as bad as anything in Kosovo? How selective in the anger > of our TV pundits and our President, how short their memories. > > NATO is taking exactly the position regarding Kosovo that it opposes when it > comes to Turkey, where the Turkish Kurds are asking for precisely the same > thing as the Albanians in Kosovo - self-determination. In Turkey we oppose the > Kurdish demand because Turkey is a NATO ally. In Kosovo we support the drive > for self-determination because the U.S. wants to weaken Milosevic - and he > isn't in NATO. > > Terrible tragedies have occured in both situations - but because Turkey is > a NATO ally we hear very little about Turkish atrocities against the Kurds. > Only on the Iraqi side has the U.S. established a "no fly zone" to help the > Kurds - because in Iraq, we want Saddam weakened. > > The U.S. policy is terribly cynical, as, historically, all nations' policies > are. Cynical or not, the Yugoslav army is engaged in actions which should be > opposed by all reasonable means short of engaging in bombing, which has no > sanction from the UN, and is applied to Yugoslavia only because it is weak in > relationship to NATO - NOT BECAUSE THE CAUSE IS MORE URGENT. All during the > Russian massacres in Cheneya there were no threats of Western bombing - but > I'm afraid the situation is the same in Kosovo, it is a part of Yugoslavia, > has been since close to the turn of this century, contains some of the > monuments most critical to the Yugoslavs as part of their history. > > Yugoslavia and Kosovo got themselves into this mess when (a) Milosevic > engaged in ruthless nationalism that rejected any reasonable arrangements for > moderate self-determination in Kosovo. And (b) when the powerful and > nonviolent mass movement in Kosovo, which had won much Western support and > created a virtual parallel government, was derailed by the violence of the > Kosovo Liberation Army. The KLA attacked Serbian police and Serbian civilians. > Yugoslavia counter-attacked brutally. > > The KLA took any peaceful accomdation off the table. Do I support the right > of the KLA to use violence? Sure, any people has that right, just as I > supported the right of the Vietnamese to use violence. But between supporting > the right and thinking that use of violence is reasonable there is a huge gap. > I should add that while I do support the right of self-determination, I don't > support nationalism, not in the U.S., and not in Kosovo. In the case of the > Vietnamese it was not simply self-determination, but also, as in India, an > effort to remove a foreign occupying force. The case for that is less clear in > Kosovo, where the present 90% Albanian population was not a "steady historic > fact". > > The NATO bombing may be painless (for NATO - not for the Serbs) but it may > also prove costly. It is believed that Yugoslav air defenses are moderately > efficient, which means there may be loss of U.S. jets. And then ground action > to rescue the pilots. > If the bombing proves ineffective, will NATO troops be sent in? If they are > sent in (perhaps to arrest Milosevic) do we have any sense of how long they > will have to stay, how fierce the fighting is likely to be? > > Only in the past few days has the New York Times carried a story about war > crimes committed by Croatia late in the Bosnian conflict. At that time the > Croatian Army drove tens and tens of thousands of Serbs from their ancestral > homes, killing many in the process. The Times noted that the role of the U.S. > in training and supplying the Croatians had never been fully probed and that > charges that two Croatian generals should be arrested for war crimes might > embarrass the U.S. At that time the Croatian offensive was reported in the > West, but with none of the anger and moral fury that had been felt when the > Serbs had carried out similar ethnic cleansing. Had the war already so changed > us that we had lost the ability to feel grief, sorrow, and anger when Serbian > families were murdered and driven out? We were right to feel this about the > Serbian attacks on Muslims and Croats - what happened to us? Will that happen > again if we find NATO forces in a door to door fight in Serbia? > > Any democratic opposition in Serbia (and it does exist) will be largely > destroyed by bombing. The same is true of any hope for nonviolent alternatives > in Kosovo. > > There are times when those of us who believe in peace cannot provide answers. > We can be as truthful as possible, see as clearly as possible, but we may not > have answers. > > The irony is that because the US (and NATO) is so heavily armed there is a > temptation to use the weapons to prove we need them and, more crucial, to fail > to make any of the concessions and compromises we might make if we didn't have > the weapons. One reason for disarmament is that it would make it more > essential to pursue peaceful alternatives - which the US won't pursue as long > as it is armed. > > For the moment, beyond opposing the bombing, and opposing the Serbian attacks > on Kosovo, I think we are without effective solutions. The serious problem is > that I believe Clinton and NATO also are without effective solutions - but > they have the ability to expand an already disturbing level of violence. > > David McReynolds > NYC / March 23, 1999 > (I'd also recommend asking War Resisters League for a recent issue of the > magazine, Nonviolent Action, which has a very good piece in it by Howard > Clark. Send $l and mention that article to: WRL, 339 Lafayette St., NYC 10012) > >> > > - > To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" > with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. > For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send > "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) NYC / arrests for Police Brutality Date: 24 Mar 1999 00:34:52 EST In a message dated 3/24/99 12:02:08 AM Eastern Standard Time, petweiss@igc.org writes: << Subj: Re: (abolition-usa) NYC / arrests for Police Brutality Date: 3/24/99 12:02:08 AM Eastern Standard Time From: petweiss@igc.org (Peter Weiss) Sender: owner-abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com Reply-to: abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com To: abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com Absolutely right. Cora is going with women tomorrow, I with CCR on Thursday. We haven't been arrested since 1975; getting out of practice. Peter So am I, Peter - it may have been ten years since my last arrest, having failed at the Pentagon, despite my best efforts (this past October). At this rate the whole city may have to be arrested before Giuliani realizes there is a problem. David (Thanks for the comments on the Kosovo problem - I wish I saw an easy answer) - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) 50th NATO anniversary, April 4, 1999 Date: 24 Mar 1999 08:52:07 -0800 No, it was not intended as a rah, rah, NATO piece and it was not one that I wrote. It was forwarded from another list with no author attributed but rather indications that it was lifted from official NATO descriptions of that organization. The point of submitting it to concerned lists is to suggest focusing on the date of the 50th anniversary of NATO (April 4, 1999) in letters to editor, demonstrations, etc., to do a "line by line" discussion of how (not) well has NATO fulfilled its expressed objectives. In doing this one would need to start with something more authoritative than that piece which indicated no author attribution, but my suggestion is that because of this 50th anniversary focus, more media attention might be offered to such messages on that occasion. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Cindy A Pile Subject: (abolition-usa) Millennium 2000 Date: 24 Mar 1999 15:51:00 -0800 Dear Friends: Greetings and Peace! The Nevada Desert Experience (NDE), a faith-based organization working for an end to nuclear weapons testing, is planning a very special gathering for the Third Millennium: Millennium 2000: Walking the Ways of Peace! Religious Action for Disarmament. The Nobel Peace Laureates are asking all people to begin this next phase of humanity’s history with a renewed commitment to nonviolence and peace. Ten years ago while visiting the Nevada Test Site Archbishop Dom Helder Camara said: “This is the scene of the greatest violence on Earth. It should be the place of the greatest acts of nonviolence on the Earth.” Millennium 2000 is the Nevada Desert Experience’s response to these challenges. Knowing that our young people are the ones who will carry the torch of hope into this new age, this gathering will begin with a Youth Day on December 29, 1999, followed by a Bishops' Dialogue for Disarmament. The main program, which the Fellowship of Reconciliation, Pax Christi USA, Healing Global Wounds and the Los Angeles Catholic Worker are cosponsoring, will run from Thursday, December 30, 1999-Sunday, January 2, 2000 in Las Vegas. It will bring together people from all faith traditions and many organizations working for justice and peace. It will include time to listen to inspiring speakers, to sing, pray and dance, to reflect on our personal journeys toward nonviolence and to strategize where we as a movement go from here, with a particular emphasis on how to better mobilize the faith-based community. The highlight of this event will occur on December 31, 1999. While places like Las Vegas, Nevada usher in the New Year with parties which anaesthetize the spirit, at this crucial point in our global history we will bring our prayers to the desert. United by our common longing for a world filled with peace, we will process onto the Test Site at midnight carrying candles which represent the dawning of a nuclear-free world. The Nevada Desert Experience invites you to join us in this celebration! Two of our board members were at the meeting in Santa Barbara, but since they were representing their own organizations, they forgot to mention this major event. So, if you and your organization are interested in endorsing/cosponsoring Millennium 2000, publicizing it and mobilizing people to attend and/or offering a workshop, please contact our Las Vegas office at nde@igc.apc.org, (702) 646-4814, POB 4487, LV, NV 89127. Thanks! Cindy Pile Education Director ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) Russia, China, Korea, Iraq, Serbia: WWIII? Date: 24 Mar 1999 23:38:38 -0800 >From NewsMax.CoM NewsMax Home =B7 Archives =B7 Inside Cover =B7 TalkMax =B7 Liners =B7 Com= ment Max =B7 News Links =B7 Contact Us! Russia and China: A Pattern of Belligerence =96 Part 1 J.R. NyquistMarch 23, 1999 War Preparations Continue in Russia All around the globe, a pattern of belligerence toward the United States and her allies is emerging: from the Korean peninsula down through the Spratly Islands near the Philippines, enveloping Taiwan, then reappearing in Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Balkans. The rhetoric from Beijing, Moscow, Belgrade, Pyongyang, and Baghdad suggests possible coordination. Forward military deployments by China, Iraq, Serbia, and Russia, together with sinister construction projects an= d major troop movements, have been noted in East Asia, the Pacific, and the Middle East. In the past month, numerous developments have taken place in Russia that suggest war preparations: RUSSIA CREATES UNIFIED COMMAND OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS In January, the Russian General Staff announced that all of the country=92= s nuclear forces -- Strategic Rocket Forces, submarine-based weaponry, and nukes on their strategic bombers -- would now be placed under one command. ANALYSIS: This development was widely reported in Russia and by the Associated Press. The AP story indicated bafflement that Russia, in the middle of economic problems, would be reorganizing its armed forces, especially the nuclear forces. But this development fits the thesis that Russia is, in fact, preparing for war. In war, the principle of "unity of command=94 is considered crucial. By moving to unify nuclear command, the Russian armed forces can now better coordinate a nuclear surprise attack involving all nuclear service branches, obviating the friction of interservice rivalry. In a strictly defensive situation, centralization of the nuclear forces is unnecessary, even counterproductive. Decentralization is better for defense. However, this is not true for attack. Coordinating an effective, disarmin= g first strike requires a high degree of control and coordination, which a unified nuclear command facilitates. This move, coupled with the fact Russia has been moving its strategic warheads onto submarines in the past six months, should be viewed with alarm. TOP GENERALS RESIGN FROM STRATEGIC ROCKET FORCES In the second half of January, the commander of Russia=92s Strategic Rock= et Forces, Col.-Gen. Vladimir Yakovlev, resigned his post together with his three chief deputies, allegedly throwing Russia=92s nuclear forces into disarray. After taking this unprecedented action, Yakovlev stated that the reason f= or his resignation was a personality conflict with Gen. Sokolov, the command= er of Russia=92s early-warning service. ANALYSIS: According to Col. Stanislav Lunev, ranking defector from the Ma= in Intelligence Directorate of the Russian General Staff, Yakovlev=92s retirement was planned some time ago. "They already have civilian jobs waiting for them,=94 Lunev said. "There = will be no disruption of the rocket forces.=94 Lunev believes the resignations stem from the reorganization of Russia=92= s nuclear forces under a single chief, but he nonetheless admits that Yakovlev and his deputies are hard-liners and careerists. After closer analysis, it is difficult to argue that they would resign in protest over= a measure they themselves long advocated, as they were supporters and proteges of Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev, the man most responsible for the reorganization of the nuclear forces. There are serious inconsistencies here that must not be passed over. Why did Yakovlev and his deputies resign? Has a secret nuclear command center been established? A centralized nuclear command would have to create alternate command posts in several bunkers, with many capable general officers at the ready. Were these resignations made in protest over the reorganization of Russia= =92s nuclear forces, or were they part of the reorganization itself? RUSSIA=92S NORTHERN FLEET PUT ON ALERT When President Clinton bombed Iraq in December, Moscow put its Northern Fleet on alert. This curious move, which makes no sense in terms of reacting to a Middle East crisis, and coming at a supposed time of reduce= d superpower tensions, has serious implications that ought to be explored. ANALYSIS: Prior to a surprise nuclear attack on the United States, it is believed the Russians would attempt to put most of their nuclear missile submarines to sea. Therefore, the question that must be asked is whether the Russians used the alert to deploy their missile submarine forces. Despite what some analysts might say, any large-scale deployment to sea i= s a red flag. The Northern Fleet contains the lion=92s share of Russia=92s naval strike capability, and any alerting of that fleet needs to be carefully scrutinized. In fact, any Russian fleet alert should be answered by a comparable U.S. fleet alert. It is alarming in and of itself that the United States did not respond in kind. RUSSIANS CONTINUE NUKE TESTING The Russians have abandoned the agreement to forgo underground nuclear tests. They have admitted to testing three tactical nuclear warheads in recent weeks. These are part of a new generation of tactical nuclear weapons that the Russian armed forces have developed. In addition, during the period of the agreed suspension of underground tests, there have been suspicious earthquakes in Russia with signatures characteristic of strategic nuclear tests. ANALYSIS: Nuclear readiness requires the occasional testing of nuclear warheads. New, more efficient weapons must be tested before they are deployed to the armed forces. The United States has not tested its nuclea= r stockpile in several years, while the Russians have been testing their weapons. The importance of tactical nuclear weapons to the Russians lies in the fa= ct that these cannot be kept track of by arms control specialists. The START agreements require Russia to destroy the bulk of its strategic nuclear stockpiles, which cannot be hidden. But tactical nuclear weapons have a number of advantages over strategic ones. First and foremost, they are more efficient in terms of their use o= f nuclear fuel. Also, tactical nuclear weapons can be packed into ICBMs, bombers, fighter-bombers, or artillery units, making them the most versatile type of nuclear weapon. Last, but not least, tactical nuclear weapons can be delivered as a cluster, which is a more effective means for destroying large urban areas= , and obviates the terms of the START treaties, which call for the elimination of multiple independently targeted re-entry vehicles (MIRVs). THE RUSSIANS LIE ABOUT THEIR READINESS The chief of the Russian General Staff, Anatoly Kvashin, a hardened professional known for his stony silence, now claims that Russia has halv= ed its western military deployments, reducing its strike capability near Finland. On Jan. 11, Kvashin stated: "We have extremely low defense readiness.=94 ANALYSIS: These are curious words from an ordinarily obsessive, secretive= , and paranoid functionary. Such a pronouncement is uncharacteristic and probably deceptive. Throughout history, when Russian forces have been wea= k or unready, no Russian general officer would dare to acknowledge the fact. Such acknowledgment, under normal conditions, would lead to immediate dismissal. Russian military doctrine pays close attention to the dictum of Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese strategist, who said: "All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using ou= r forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are away. ... Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.=94 If Russia is really moving troops off its border with Europe, as well as troops away from its Chinese border, where are the troops being relocated= ? UNPRECEDENTED SLAUGHTER OF RUSSIAN FUR ANIMALS Russia and Belarus have large collective farms dedicated to the breeding = of polar foxes and minks. Russia is the world=92s largest fur consumer, annu= ally buying 40 percent of the furs produced worldwide. But now, Russian officials claim that demand has stalled, and they are slaughtering their fox and mink herds because they cannot afford to feed them. Slaughter is normal at the onset of winter, of course, but this slaughter is of unprecedented numbers of animals. At the same time, Russia is importing fur from China, as well as coats, jackets, and boots. If Russia= n demand has stalled and the market for furs is flooded, why the imports? ANALYSIS: Wherever we see an inconsistency in Russia=92s economy, we have= to think twice. In World War II, Russian spies infiltrated all of the sheep ranches in Europe. Their mission: to watch and see if sheep were being sheared for 5 million sheepskin coats. Soviet military intelligence reasoned that if Hitler intended to invade Russia, he would need heavy winter clothing for his troops. The shearing of the sheep would be a dead giveaway. Unfortunately for Hitler, he did not make the 5 million coats. And though he caught Soviet military intelligence off guard, his troops in Russia suffered frostbite and amputations once winter began. In fact, one of the medals struck for German soldiers during 1941-42 was called "The Order of the Frozen Meat.=94 Logistical preparations are a necessary part of war. National leaders ignore such preparations at great peril. In this context, what are we to make of this huge increase in the production and importation of furs and uniform clothing in Russia? While this activity could indicate Russian economic miscalculation, one h= as to wonder why the fur herds were increased to such a size to begin with. Since these fur farms are state-controlled, an increase in production suggests an increase in projected consumption. But as civilian consumptio= n has remained steady, the obvious conclusion is that somebody in Moscow wa= s anticipating a huge increase in the military=92s demand for winter clothi= ng. With the aforesaid cover story of a collapsed market, Moscow might well mask a planned troop mobilization of very large dimensions. If Russia called up her reserves either before or after a nuclear exchange, she wou= ld need winter coats, boots, and headgear (even if the attack took place in warm weather). Russia=92s soldiers may have to confront winter weather conditions in Nor= th America if Russian military doctrine is followed. This doctrine calls for an invasion of America. Always cognizant of history, the Russian General Staff is well aware of Hitler=92s mistake in World War II and would never repeat that mistake in World War III. As Russia openly makes moves for war, its new partner, China, has been taking equally dramatic steps. Coming Wednesday: Part 2 -- Chinese Premie= r Calls For Nuclear War Preparations Russia and China: A Pattern of Belligerence =96 Part 2 J.R. NyquistMarch 23, 1999 China=92s Clenched Fist As Russia openly makes moves for war, its new partner, China, has been taking equally dramatic steps. CHINESE PREMIER CALLS FOR NUCLEAR WAR PREPARATIONS On Jan. 8, as if to prepare his people for war, Chinese President Jiang Zemin laid out the mission of the People=92s Liberation Army in a speech:= "We must resolutely safeguard the unity of the motherland and the nation=92s territorial integrity.=94 Unity, of course, is the war cry of the Communists against Taiwan. Jiang also warned that the Chinese People=92s Liberation Army must prepare itse= lf for nuclear war. Soon thereafter, China conducted military exercises in which Chinese nuclear forces practiced targeting American troops in the Far East. At the same time, the People=92s Republic announced radical changes in military policy. The Chinese air force was placed on "offensive mode=94 a= s opposed to "defensive mode,=94 and China=92s army doctrine was altered to= one of global warfighting. China has also begun centralizing the distribution of supplies for all branches of the military in what the official media calls the biggest streamlining effort in 50 years. In this context, China=92s new "strategi= c partnership=94 with the Russian Federation takes on sinister ramification= s. China is also backing North Korea in its dispute with the U.S. alliance. ANALYSIS: China is making serious war preparations. This enhances China=92= s options against Taiwan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Japan. There is every reason to believe, from these moves, that China will support North Korea if war should break out in the Far East. In the context of a renewe= d war, Taiwan would almost certainly be subject to blockade, possibly sparking a naval action between China and the U.S. This is a dangerous situation that China seems ready to welcome. (Also, China now supports Saddam Hussein in the U.N.) CHINA SEIZES SPRATLY ISLANDS In the Far East, China has invaded the Spratly Islands, more than 800 mil= es from China yet 140 miles from the Philippines. Manila has expressed alarm that the People=92s Liberation Army is erecting gun and anti-aircraft emplacements on Mischief Reef. The Chinese ambassador to the Philippines, Guan Dengming, insisted that China was merely constructing "shelters for fishermen.=94 But a leading Philippine official countered this, saying: "We strongly believe a fortre= ss is being built.=94 Philippine Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado stated that concrete buildin= gs in the Spratlys "are beginning to look more like military structures rath= er than the so-called fishermen=92s refuge the Chinese claimed it to be.=94 Mercado further accused China of bullying the Philippines, referring to recent Chinese moves as "a creeping invasion.=94 ANALYSIS: China=92s invasion of the Spratlys may not be aimed at the Philippines. The Spratlys lie across a key waterway that is essential to Taiwan. The concrete structures, aside from the anti-aircraft emplacement= s, may be useful to mine-laying operations. The Mischief Reef operation may = be the first step toward an eventual blockade of Taiwan, which is heavily fortified and would probably repel a direct Chinese assault. Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui, taking note of Beijing=92s attempts to encircle his small island country, called on his citizens "to raise their vigilance against the military threat from China.=94 It=92s important to note the Clinton administration has been silent over = this audacious move by Beijing. In previous administrations, America would hav= e moved with military force to prevent China=92s expansionist plans. The failure of the United States to confront China in the Spratlys bodes ill for Taiwan. Russia and Chinese war preparations are not isolated and involve communis= t client states around the world. SADDAM HAS RENEWED HIS WAR MACHINE The Iraqi government has stepped up military activity in southern Iraq. T= he military governor of the Basra region, a Russian-trained Iraqi general, h= as confirmed the arrival of new air-defense weapons, fully acknowledging tha= t his orders are to shoot down American planes. On Jan. 26, American warplanes pounded Iraqi artillery and anti-aircraft positions. Throughout the second half of January, Iraq deployed troops toward the Kuwait border. In response, Kuwait has mobilized its army, claiming that Saddam is about to do something "dramatic.=94 The Iraqi dictator, aside f= rom asserting his territorial ambitions against Kuwait, denounced Saudi and Egyptian leaders as "lackeys and stooges of the U.S.=94 ANALYSIS: Iraq is an old Soviet client state. The country=92s secret poli= ce was trained by Yuri Andropov=92s KGB. Its officer corps was trained by th= e Russian army. Nearly all of Iraq=92s military equipment is Russian. Russi= an Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, a fluent Arabic speaker and longtime supporter of Saddam Hussein, has intensified Moscow=92s diplomatic and military support for Saddam. As Kosovo renews its civil war, as China tightens its noose around Taiwan= , as North Korea girds for war, Saddam=92s threat to Kuwait keeps U.S. forc= es diverted and occupied. Saddam=92s provocations may be coordinated through Moscow with the provocations by China, North Korea, and Serbia. NORTH KOREA=92S EXTREME BEHAVIOR The North Koreans, close allies of Moscow and Beijing, have recently declared that "the United States will [soon] be reduced to ashes and will no longer exist.=94 North Korean headlines from the first week of 1999 proclaimed that "U.S. Imperialist Aggressors Will Be Unable to Avoid Annihilating Strikes.=94 Another North Korean source stated that the Americans would be wiped "fro= m this planet for good.=94 In the New Year=92s message of the North Korean government, the communists called on their citizens to "love rifles, earnestly learn military affairs, and turn the whole country into an impregnable fortress.=94 Kim Myong, an influential North Korean writer and editor who lives in Tokyo, was quoted as saying: "Maybe there will be a new war. Maybe everyo= ne in Tokyo will die.=94 Kongdon On, a North Korean specialist at the Institute for Defense Analys= is in Washington, says: "There is...strong frustration among a lot of people that North Korea is acting very strangely.=94 Han Park, a political scien= tist specializing in North Korea at the University of Georgia, also stated: "T= he situation will be very, very dangerous in the next few months.=94 South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, fearing the communist threat, warned his people to be ready for a surprise attack from the North. ANALYSIS: North Korea has broken its agreement to desist from developing nuclear weapons. It is now suspected that North Korea has nuclear capability, and also has the missiles to deliver nuclear weapons. Able to threaten Tokyo as well as other Japanese cities with nuclear destruction, North Korea is now emboldened and may renew its struggle to conquer the South. With Chinese and perhaps Russian support, Pyongyang has mobilized its arm= ed forces and is now ready to strike. Defectors from the North Korean milita= ry have stated that Pyongyang has a plan to conquer South Korea in seven day= s. Such a plan, if it exists, probably emphasizes the use of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons of mass destruction, since the convention= al firepower of the North Korean army (as it now stands) could not readily defeat the South in such a short time. CIVIL WAR LOOMS IN KOSOVO Violence has again erupted between Albanian separatists and Serbian force= s in Kosovo, and, despite NATO warnings, the violence shows every sign of continuing. Russia has openly supported the Serbs, giving out subtle warnings about a "widened war in Europe.=94 ANALYSIS: More American troops and air units, including a carrier group, are pinned down. This crisis further stretches American military resource= s, and with no end in sight. American ground forces are said to trace their lines of supply through Hungary, a former Russian satellite with a dubiou= s political leadership. This is an awkward position to be in, and with Russia=92s new belligerent stance we are in no position to challenge the Serbian communists. Taking the above items as a whole, a pattern of war preparations and belligerence is clear. Nations of the old communist bloc are making provocative moves across the board. With America=92s armed forces at an all-time postwar low in readiness and strength, it is doubtful we can mee= t the challenges that lie ahead. North Korea and China seem to sense our weakness. And add to this that al= l these provocative moves have come during the impeachment trial of Preside= nt Clinton. Read Part 1 Russia and China: A Pattern of Belligerence War Preparations Continue in Russia. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) Fw: European analysts see Iranian hand behind Kosovo conflict Date: 25 Mar 1999 00:10:32 -0800 -----Original Message----- >Note from Bill Koenig: > >Here is an article from today's World Tribune. The author Steve >Rodan use to work for the Jerusalem Post. > >This is an interesting perspective on the Kosovo situation and >shows the complexity of this battle. > >Reuven Paz, who teaches at Haifa University, is regarded as one of >Israel=92s leading researchers of radical Islamic movements, >particularly Hamas. He says Iran and Saudi Arabia view the >conflicts in Kosovo and Bosnia as that pitting Islam against >Christianity. > >This could also create a situation where the Russians, Chinese and >the radical Islamic people come against the United States and NATO >allies? > >Will this produce a nuclear showdown with Russia? > >As discussed in an earlier e-mail, Russian Prime Minister Primakov >turned around and went back to Russia to meet with his top military >officials, rather than continuing his much needed trip to >Washington. > >************ > >European analysts see Iranian hand behind Kosovo conflict >By Steve Rodan >Today's story link is >http://www.worldtribune.com/index-newsflash.html > >SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM >Wednesday, March 24, 1999 > >To most in the West, the fighting in Kosovo is the result of an >oppressive Yugoslav regime that seeks to quell independence for an >Albanian majority in the province. But quietly European defense >and diplomatic representatives regard the Kosovo rebellion as a >success of radical Islamic states, such as Iran, and groups such as >that of Osama Bin Laden. > >As they see it, Kosovo has become the latest and most significant >arena for radical Islamic states and groups that seek to widen >their influence in Europe. Nobody argues that Islamic elements >fomented the conflicts in the Balkans. But they say Iran, Saudi >Arabia and some of their terrorist beneficiaries have exploited the >fighting to establish a sphere of influence that spans from Greece >to the Austrian border. > >Islamic groups as far away as Pakistan have called for support of >the fighters in Kosovo. "The type of cruel and oppressive tactics >followed by Serb aggressors in Kosovo and the Balkans is a >declaration of war against humanity and the whole Muslim Ummah," >the Jamaat Islami, Pakistan, said in a recent statement. > >That realization, the diplomats and defense sources say, is why >European leaders are increasingly hesitant in approving NATO >strikes against Yugoslavia. > >"The gap between the public political rhetoric and the private >professional discussions is huge," a European defense official >said. "Europe is beginning to realize that Kosovo is not just about >a rebellion. It=92s about a growing Iranian attempt to support and >dominate movements in states in Europe." > >Reuven Paz, who teaches at Haifa University, is regarded as one of >Israel=92s leading researchers of radical Islamic movements, >particularly Hamas. He says Iran and Saudi Arabia view the >conflicts in Kosovo and Bosnia as that pitting Islam against >Christianity. > >"All of the Sunni Muslim groups as well as Iran are making lots of >propaganda for Kosovo and see it as a symbol," Paz said. "As Europe >tries to unite, there could be a lot more unity between the Muslims >on the margins of Europe. There is potential that this unity could >be used in a hostile way." > >Western intelligence sources as well as diplomats said the major >supporter of the Kosovo Liberation Army has been Iran and Islamic >radicals. They said the Iranian influence began during the Yugoslav >civil war in which thousands of Islamic fighters, called >mujahadeen, were brought from Afghanistan to help Bosnian forces. > >With the establishment of an independent republic, Iran quickly >gained control of the government in Sarajevo. The mujahadeen, up to >7,000 of them, were allowed to stay and many of them married local >Muslim women. Iran moved it with financial aid to the Muslim >government that amounted to tens of millions of dollars annually. > >By the mid-1990s, Iranian agents established a base in Albania, >which has not had a central government in nearly a decade. Iranian >Revolutionary Guards provided weapons, money and training to Kosovo >rebels. Iranian and Saudi representatives launched charities and >banks. > >>From Albania, Iranian agents moved to Kosovo. In Prizren, Iranian >envoys formed a society funded by the Iranian Culture Center in >Belgrade and sent groups of Kosovars to Iran to study militant >Islam. > >By 1998, Iran was smuggling in weapons and fighters, the sources >said. Commando units entered Kosovo last May to help the KLA. These >units were comprised of Albanians, Bosnians, Egyptians, Macedonians >and Saudis. By August, the Saudis were ordered to leave the units >and Riyad, strapped financially, reduced financial support to the >KLA. > >"It=92s clear that this is an issue on the Islamic agenda," says Boaz >Ganor, director of the International Policy Institute of >Counterterrorism, based in Herzliya, Israel. "This phenomenon is >marked by waves. First, the mujahadeen were in Afghanistan. Then >the war ended and they had nothing to do. The Kosovo arena for them >is both ideological and a source of employment." > >The weapons and money have been smuggled from both Albania and >Bosnia. In December, Croatian authorities said they seized close to >$1 million of weapons brought from Bosnia that was headed for >Kosovo. The route for smuggling, regional diplomats say, has been >the Adriatic Sea. > >Other weapons were smuggled in cargo shipments classified as >humanitarian aid. One such shipment was uncovered by Croatian >police in the port of Split in September. Several tons of weapons >and ammunition were stored in crates marked humanitarian aid. > >Yugoslav authorities say the weapons include rifles, mortars and >communications systems made in the United States and Israel. > >Today, says the Federation of American Scientists, a prominent >group of researchers which often consults U.S. administrations, >the KLA contains 1,000 mercenaries from Albania, Saudi Arabia, >Afghanistan, Bosnia, Croatia and Yemen. KLA training camps are in >four Albanian cities under the influence of former Albanian >President Sali Berisha. >Yugoslav officials say the KLA=92s goal is to sever Kosovo from >Yugoslavia and merge it with Albania. But Western strategists go >further. They say an Islamic Kosovo could serve as a bridge for an >Iranian sphere of influence that would soon join Albania in the >east to Bosnia in the west. They say Macedonia, which also >contains a significant Muslim population, would soon succumb to >Iranian control. > >The argument is echoed by KLA representatives themselves in their >arguments for Muslim support. At the Islamabad conference, a KLA >envoy, according to a report by the London-based monthly Filistin >al-Muslimah, "explained the geographical and strategic importance >of Kosovo in the connection between the Islamic centers of Bosnia, >Kosovo, Albania and Macedonia." > >Quietly, the Iranian element in Kosovo is being discussed in >Washington, particularly in Congress. Analysts have warned that >U.S. troops in Kosovo under the NATO umbrella would be more >vulnerable than ever as Islamic agents would smuggle weapons and >people from Bosnia and Albania. > >"At this point, however, nobody is really listening," a >congressional analyst says. "The Belgrade government and Milosevic, >in particular, has been so clumsy in dealing with Kosovo that all >the real issues have been lost. Everybody is talking about >Milosevic as the evil man of Europe as if his removal solves >everything." > >The concern of European strategists is that an Iranian sphere of >influence would do greater damage to such Western countries as >Britain, France and Germany. France has about two million Muslims, >most of them poor and alienated. Britain has about 1.5 million. > >"The United States might not realize it, but many European >countries have serious minority problems," a Central European >diplomat says. "Once these minorities feel that they can obtain the >support of NATO, we could see flare-ups everywhere. Nobody really >knows the answer to Kosovo but many of us feel that giving the KLA >an air force is the worst solution possible." > > > >Koenig's International News - Bill Koenig - http://watch.org/ >Post Office Box 671164, Dallas, TX 75367 >________________________________________________________________________ >FishNet: Internet service for business and ministry http://www.fni.com/ > >To subscribe or unsubscribe by Web: http://watch.org/watch-news.html > >To subscribe to the list send mail to watch-news-request@watch.org >with no subject and a single body line: subscribe >To unsubscribe from the list send mail to watch-news-request@watch.org >with no subject and a single body line: unsubscribe > - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Peter Coombes" Subject: (abolition-usa) Grade 12 student condemns war Date: 25 Mar 1999 00:22:18 -0800 The following is an opinion piece by a grade 12 student published on Monday in The Vancouver Province. A timely article given that NATO has begun its futile attempt to bomb Yugoslavia to submit to western demands. You can contact the Province with your letter at fax 604-605-2099 or email: provletters@pacpress.southam.ca, or mail The Province, 200 Granville Street, Suite 1, Vancouver BC V6C 3N3 Canada. Students like Julie Harwood deserve to know that people around the world support her efforts. The Vancouver Province Monday, March 22, 1999 Youth View Julie Harwood "War a poisonous rodent on the landscape of humanity" Rat. A common blight running throughout the sewers of time, dirty scum spreading disease and destruction with every scramble it makes to avoid the truth of daylight. What would make a man so desperate that he would eat one of the most revolting creatures ever to lick the face of this earth? War has always been portrayed as a romantic and exciting voyage into the realm of glory, honour and power for any young man who chooses to join the ranks of its army. Nothing was told to young men of the "splendours" of war: The starvation, the bloody deaths, the massacring of souls guilty of nothing but believing the tales of promised heroism and patriotism. Death, in any sense of the word, was merely an afterthought to those propagandizing potential recruits; it was the small print of the contract, so to speak. Millions of valuable lives signed over to be killed - each one another name added to the growing book of war's true prizes. One rat, would cause a small amount of damage. One hundred rats, together, would cause massive destruction. One thousand rats, united in a purpose, would cause chaos. Alone, one same human being would cause little troubles. But fighting against the parts of its own body, the whole of mankind has the power to cause destruction of itself. Now the realities of war are being discussed without oppression. Decades after the Great Wars of this century, truths only known to those initiated into the secret of fraternity of war have been revealed. It was not only "the enemy" that struck down the innocent lives of so many young men. There was starvation, suffocation and exposure too - if you were lucky. If you weren't so lucky, you ended up permanently crippled with perhaps no left arm or no right eye. Or else you ended up losing your mind. What killed many soldiers, though they may still have lived, were the monstrous psychological problems that occurred from witnessing mass murders, friends or even enemies being blown apart into bloody bits. Those who "survived" then felt their bodies start to wither away slowly, so that they couldn't stand it. That is why men ate rats. What should we be learning about war today? Definitely not its glory, its heroism, or its romance. Now that we know the truth we can never go back - but we do. Why is it that we still go to war, fighting like violent siblings over issues that could easily be resolved over brunch and a cup of coffee? Maybe that is an exaggeration, but then again, so is war. It is the most extreme tactic of problem-solving; the one that all "great" leaders of our time seem to jump to if they cannot fix the problems when they want to. We have a slogan today: "Violence is not the answer." Maybe we should take our own advice. Why is that after learning all this of war young men still willingly and excitedly join the army to serve our great country or any other country? Because the propaganda is still alive. We have not killed the same lies that attracted young men all those decades ago and throughout history. Somehow, those promises of recognition overpower those of death and dying, of being crippled and scarred both physically and mentally. It is one of the greatest faults of humankind: Vanity. War is not fought over what it is said to be fought over. It is fought for prestige, for dominance, for some secret fantasy of our "leaders." That is what we should be learning about war. We should be learning about why we really have it so we can prevent it. It makes no sense to fight a war for the future good of our world if we have to kill off one-third of the population to do so. Rats cannot be prevented. An infestation can be controlled by an expert, but we cannot seem to completely exterminate them. They keep coming back. Just like the ugly demon-head of war. Rats show their beady little eyes when exposed to light. So does war when compared to reality. Demon eyes. Rats are some of the most despicable creatures on this Earth. War is one of the most abhorrent sides of human nature. Mankind ate rats. It also swallowed war. Julie Harwood is a Grade 12 student at H.J. Cambie secondary in Richmond. British Columbia Canada. Letter to the editor from Peter Coombes In praise of Julie Harwood Currently unpublished Dear editor, On Monday I was inspired and intellectually challenged by Julie Harwood's opinion piece in The Province "War a poisonous rodent on the landscape of humanity." Not only is Harwood an excellent writer but she demonstrates a keen sense of insight into the horrors of war and its political failures. As the western world once again prepares to bomb Kosovo Harwood's statements ring a resounding truth. Few will ask the real questions: why are we bombing Kosovo and what will we accomplish? We know Chretien's motivation to support NATO bombings are less then honourable and Clinton's need to bomb are even more suspect. As Harwood said: "War is not fought over what it is said to be fought over. It is fought for prestige, for dominance, for some secret fantasy of our 'leaders.'" Bombing Kosovo is no exception. The ten year unspoken war against Iraq is the epitome of a power struggle. In either case it is the civilian population who will suffer the most. Harwood, a grade 12 student, may have demonstrated that the generation gap has never been greater. The boomer generation should blush. Representing them is Bill Clinton's "B-52" foreign policy diplomacy against Khartoum, Afghanistan, Iraq and Yugoslavia. And, across Canada newspaper editors, predominately boomers, not only dismiss calls for nuclear weapons abolition by Robert McNamara and Retired General Lee Butler, but they also shun any positive moves toward "no first use of nuclear weapons." I suspect that Julie Harwood's sensible, practical and humane opinion is representative of her whole generation and that one day soon she and her peers will begin dismantling the oppression of war. Thank you Julie Harwood. Sincerely yours, Peter Coombes President of End the Arms Race - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Norm and Karen Cohen Subject: (abolition-usa) kossovo statement Date: 25 Mar 1999 09:46:44 -0500 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------6FD4AD48EF9E67CB80E533E1 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by smtp-out1.bellatlantic.net id JAA04672 Attached is our statement on the bombing of Yugoslavia and Kossovo Norm Cohen -- > Coalition for Peace and Justice UNPLUG Salem Campaign PO Box 2344, Cape May, NJ 08204 609-886-7988 or 609-889-8667 =93Not a mile from here are people living 10 to a room, and few streets further on they=92re sleeping in doorways and boxes, some of them children......... -Paul Kantner, Shadowlands =93We are called to speak for the weak, for the voiceless, for victims of our nation, and for those it calls enemy, for no document from human hands can make these humans any less our brothers=94 -Martin Luther King, 1967, Riverside Church --------------6FD4AD48EF9E67CB80E533E1 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; name="kossovo.txt" Content-Disposition: inline; filename="kossovo.txt" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by smtp-out1.bellatlantic.net id JAA04672 COALITION FOR PEACE AND JUSTIC= E PO BOX 2344, CAPE MAY, NJ 08204 609-886-7988/889-8667 = norco@bellatlantic.net FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 03/25/99 LOCAL PEACE GROUP DEMANDS END TO BOMBING OF KOSSOVO The Steering Committee of the Coalition for Peace and Justice met Wed= nesday night and agreed to issue the following position statement on the = US bombing of Serbia and Kossovo: The US and the world community often seems to wait until a crisis g= ets to a such a critical state that military force appears to be the only= option left for the United States to pursue if our country is to have an= y influence in ending a crisis such as Kossovo. What is tragic is that or= dinary Serbia and Kossovar citizens are the ones who are suffering and wi= ll suffer from this conflict. Bombing Serbia and Kossovo will have the sa= me effect as bombing Iraq: the deaths of innocent civilians. As a peace and justice organization we do not condone Serbia=92s atroc= ities towards the Albanian Kossovors, and Serbia=92s removal of autonomy = for Kossovo. We oppose the continuation of a Serbian police state in Koss= ovo. By the same token, however, we cannot condone the actions taken by t= he Kossovo Liberation Army, from guerrilla terrorism to now outright war.= We also do not condone the use of force by the United States and its NAT= O surrogate in a vain attempt to stop the civil war in Serbia and Kossovo= . Using war to stop war is not the answer. This situation illustrates the danger of having the United States ac= t as a unilateral =93world=92s policeman=94. It shows the need for the wo= rld to move in the direction of a democratically controlled United Nation= s police force able to defend UN humanitarian missions and able to arrest= international criminals such as the Serbian leader. In the short term we urge the President Clinton and Congress to halt = this fruitless bombing campaign that will only result in the deaths of ci= vilians and US servicemen and women. We urge Serbia and the KLA to agree = to an immediate cease-fire. We urge the UN to bring humanitarian relief t= o Kossovo for the hundreds of thousands of innocent refugees. And we urge= a renewal of intensive diplomatic effort by the world community, and esp= ecially by Russia, to convince Serbia to agree to a cease-fire and to neg= otiate in good faith. We urge that the embargo against Serbia be strength= ened, and that the international community speak as one in condemning atr= ocities and violence on all sides of this conflict. As we enter the new millennium, the world must find solutions to con= flicts between countries and within countries that are non-violent soluti= ons. It would be a tragedy to bring war and violence, the worst legacy of= the 20th century, into a new millennium. Written by: Norm Cohen, Executive Director - 609-886-7988 David Alcantera, Co-Chair - 609-485-0114 Chuck Melchior, Legislative Chair - 609-652-9078=20 --------------6FD4AD48EF9E67CB80E533E1-- - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Norm and Karen Cohen Subject: (abolition-usa) protests against yogoslav bombing Date: 25 Mar 1999 09:43:48 -0500 Jim Kleissler wrote: > >>March 24, 1999 > >> > >>Attention: Assignment Editor > >>Press Contact: Brian Becker, Deirdre Sinnott > >>For: Immediate Release > >> > >>ANTI-WAR PROTESTS AGAINST U.S. BOMBING OF YUGOSLAVIA WILL > >>TAKE PLACE SATURDAY, 12 NOON, STARTING AT GRAND CENTRAL > >>STATION IN NEW YORK CITY > >>NATIONALLY COORDINATED PROTESTS WILL BE HELD SATURDAY, > >>MARCH 27 IN CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY > >> > >>Hundreds of demonstrators protested in New York City, Los Angeles, Sa= n > >>Francisco, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Chicago, Portland, Minneapolis, and in > >>other cities within hours after the beginning of the bombing of > >>Yugoslavia by U.S./NATO forces. There will be a follow-up > >>demonstration on Saturday, March 27th in New York City at 12 noon tha= t > >>will march from Grand Central Station to Union Square. > >> > >>Holding signs reading "Stop the Bombing of Yugoslavia," > >>"Bring U.S. Troops and Warplanes Home Now," and chanting > >>"Money for Jobs, Not for War," several hundreds > >>protesters organized by the International Action Center > >>marched in front of Grand Central Station today at 5 pm. > >> > >>"This bombing is a gross violation of international law > >>and is part of a larger effort by the U.S., German, and > >>other NATO powers to dismember the socialist republic of > >>Yugoslavia," said Sara Flounders, Co-Director of the > >>International Action Center. "As in Iraq, the White > >>House and Pentagon war propaganda machine is demonizing > >>Yugoslav leader Milosevich, portraying him as begin > >>politically akin to Adolf Hitler. > >> > >>"The truth is that there has been brutality on all sides > >>of the civil war in Yugoslavia. In fact, the biggest > >>ethnic cleansing that took place was directed against > >>100,000 Serbs living in Croatia in 1995. The war against > >>the Serbs in Croatia took place under the direction of > >>retired U.S. military officers. This exposes the > >>hypocrisy of Clinton's crocodile tears for the Albanian > >>people in Kosovo. The U.S. is using ethnic groups as a > >>pawn in a larger effort to dismember Yugoslavia and place > >>resource-rich, strategic territories under the direct > >>military domination of the U.S.," Flounders said. > >> > >>The war and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, like the war > >>against Iraq, is part of the post-Soviet world strategy > >>of Washington. By employing military force coupled with > >>economic sanctions and an expanding number of U.S. > >>military bases, the U.S. government seeks to thoroughly > >>dominate strategic areas. It wants to overthrow and > >>eliminate any government that resists U.S. military and > >>economic domination. > >> > >>People in the United States are demanding that the > >>billions of dollars spent on wars of aggression instead > >>be spent on jobs, housing, education, child care, and > >>housing. > >> > >> --30_ > >> > >> > >>A Flyer for distribution at demonstrations. > >> > >>STOP THE BOMBING OF YUGOSLAVIA! > >>MONEY FOR JOBS & EDUCATION, NOT WAR! > >> > >>The U.S. government has again decided to carry out > >>the massive bombing of a sovereign country. Today, > >>thousands of bombs and missiles began crashing down on > >>the people of Yugoslavia. For the last two months, U.S. > >>air force planes and cruise missiles have been carrying > >>out a similar reign of terror against the people of Iraq. > >> > >>Clinton portrays this bombing as a humanitarian > >>gesture on behalf of the Albanian national minority that > >>resides in Kosovar, a region of Yugoslavia. That is a > >>lie. It is war propaganda designed to justify and > >>conceal the real objective of this war of aggression. > >> > >>Yugoslavia, like Iraq, is a regional power in a > >>strategic area that the Pentagon and Wall Street > >>corporations seek to dominate. The Yugoslav government > >>is presented as being akin to Adolf Hitler. This is the > >>same rhetoric that is reserved for Saddam Hussein in Iraq > >>and Manuel Noriega earlier in Panama. > >> > >>The truth is that these governments have in one way > >>or another resisted the designs of the U.S. military and > >>economic establishment to turn their countries into semi- > >>colonies ruled by puppet governments. > >> > >>The U.S. government says it speaks on behalf of all > >>of the people of this country when it carries out this > >>war. But working people need to consider who the U.S. > >>government really represent. It is the biggest > >>corporations and banks that call the shots. Clinton or > >>George Bush before him are simply the paid politicians > >>who do the bidding of corporate America. > >> > >>Is it conceivable that the worldwide political > >>agenda of corporate America is motivated by humanitarian > >>concerns? These corporations care about two things only: > >>profits and super profits. IBM, Exxon, Bankers' Trust, > >>and General Motors are willing to lay off thousands of > >>workers in the United States in order to open up new > >>factories and operations in the Third World and in the > >>territories that used to belong to the Soviet Union. > >> > >>Corporate America doesn't give a damn about the > >>lives of working people, especially people of color, who > >>suffer from racism, discrimination, and police brutality. > >> > >>If corporate America and the White House want to > >>fight on behalf of national minority peoples, they could > >>declare a war against racism right here at home. > >>Instead, they are tearing up affirmative action > >>agreements and civil rights gains while protecting racist > >>police forces that function as a virtual occupation army > >>inside Black and Latino neighborhoods inside the United > >>States. > >> > >>We were lied to about the Vietnam War. Millions of > >>young men and women in the U.S. armed forces were sent to > >>kill and be killed. Who dies in these wars? It is > >>working class youth who are asked to be cannon fodder, > >>but the Pentagon wars serve only the interests of the > >>biggest corporations. > >> > >>We are demonstrating today to demand that the U.S. > >>stop bombing the working people of Yugoslavia and to > >>oppose any U.S./NATO army of occupation in Yugoslavia. > >>We want money for jobs, education, day care, housing, not > >>for wars of aggression. > >> > >>Demonstrate, Saturday, March 27, 12 noon, Grand Central > >>Station, 42nd Street and Park Avenue. > >> > >>International Action Center > >>39 West 14th St. > >>#206, NY, NY 10011 > >>212-633-6646 fax 212-633-2889 > >>http://www.iacenter.org > >> > >>end > > To unsubscribe from SEAC+REGION13, send a letter to: > seac+region13-request@earthsystems.org with the > subject unsubscribe. If you have problems, please write > to: seacnet@earthsystems.org -- > Coalition for Peace and Justice UNPLUG Salem Campaign PO Box 2344, Cape May, NJ 08204 609-886-7988 or 609-889-8667 =93Not a mile from here are people living 10 to a room, and few streets further on they=92re sleeping in doorways and boxes, some of them children......... -Paul Kantner, Shadowlands =93We are called to speak for the weak, for the voiceless, for victims of= our nation, and for those it calls enemy, for no document from human hands ca= n make these humans any less our brothers=94 -Martin Luther King, 1967, Riverside Church - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Stephen Young Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) Russia, China, Korea, Iraq, Serbia: WWIII? Date: 25 Mar 1999 10:42:21 -0500 Again, this is largely paraniod crap, filled with distortions and half-truths. Most significantly, Russia has been conducting exactly the same kind of nuclear tests that the US has - subcritical tests. Not the full-scale tests that would be necessary to develop and deploy a new tactical nuclear weapon. Also, again, however, this does not mean that the situation is not extremely dangerous, and that the world may be headed to a unexpected confrontation. It just won't be an all-out surprise Russian attack. Stephen Young BASIC David Crockett Williams wrote: > >From NewsMax.CoM > > NewsMax Home · Archives · Inside Cover · TalkMax · Liners · Comment Max · > News Links · Contact Us! > > Russia and China: A Pattern of Belligerence – Part 1 > J.R. NyquistMarch 23, 1999 > > War Preparations Continue in Russia > > All around the globe, a pattern of belligerence toward the United States > and her allies is emerging: from the Korean peninsula down through the > Spratly Islands near the Philippines, enveloping Taiwan, then reappearing > in Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Balkans. > > The rhetoric from Beijing, Moscow, Belgrade, Pyongyang, and Baghdad > suggests possible coordination. Forward military deployments by China, > Iraq, Serbia, and Russia, together with sinister construction projects and > major troop movements, have been noted in East Asia, the Pacific, and the > Middle East. > > In the past month, numerous developments have taken place in Russia that > suggest war preparations: > > RUSSIA CREATES UNIFIED COMMAND OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS > > In January, the Russian General Staff announced that all of the country’s > nuclear forces -- Strategic Rocket Forces, submarine-based weaponry, and > nukes on their strategic bombers -- would now be placed under one command. > > ANALYSIS: This development was widely reported in Russia and by the > Associated Press. The AP story indicated bafflement that Russia, in the > middle of economic problems, would be reorganizing its armed forces, > especially the nuclear forces. But this development fits the thesis that > Russia is, in fact, preparing for war. > > In war, the principle of "unity of command” is considered crucial. By > moving to unify nuclear command, the Russian armed forces can now better > coordinate a nuclear surprise attack involving all nuclear service > branches, obviating the friction of interservice rivalry. In a strictly > defensive situation, centralization of the nuclear forces is unnecessary, > even counterproductive. Decentralization is better for defense. > > However, this is not true for attack. Coordinating an effective, disarming > first strike requires a high degree of control and coordination, which a > unified nuclear command facilitates. This move, coupled with the fact > Russia has been moving its strategic warheads onto submarines in the past > six months, should be viewed with alarm. > > TOP GENERALS RESIGN FROM STRATEGIC ROCKET FORCES > > In the second half of January, the commander of Russia’s Strategic Rocket > Forces, Col.-Gen. Vladimir Yakovlev, resigned his post together with his > three chief deputies, allegedly throwing Russia’s nuclear forces into > disarray. > > After taking this unprecedented action, Yakovlev stated that the reason for > his resignation was a personality conflict with Gen. Sokolov, the commander > of Russia’s early-warning service. > > ANALYSIS: According to Col. Stanislav Lunev, ranking defector from the Main > Intelligence Directorate of the Russian General Staff, Yakovlev’s > retirement was planned some time ago. > > "They already have civilian jobs waiting for them,” Lunev said. "There will > be no disruption of the rocket forces.” > > Lunev believes the resignations stem from the reorganization of Russia’s > nuclear forces under a single chief, but he nonetheless admits that > Yakovlev and his deputies are hard-liners and careerists. After closer > analysis, it is difficult to argue that they would resign in protest over a > measure they themselves long advocated, as they were supporters and > proteges of Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev, the man most responsible for > the reorganization of the nuclear forces. > > There are serious inconsistencies here that must not be passed over. Why > did Yakovlev and his deputies resign? Has a secret nuclear command center > been established? A centralized nuclear command would have to create > alternate command posts in several bunkers, with many capable general > officers at the ready. > > Were these resignations made in protest over the reorganization of Russia’s > nuclear forces, or were they part of the reorganization itself? > > RUSSIA’S NORTHERN FLEET PUT ON ALERT > > When President Clinton bombed Iraq in December, Moscow put its Northern > Fleet on alert. This curious move, which makes no sense in terms of > reacting to a Middle East crisis, and coming at a supposed time of reduced > superpower tensions, has serious implications that ought to be explored. > > ANALYSIS: Prior to a surprise nuclear attack on the United States, it is > believed the Russians would attempt to put most of their nuclear missile > submarines to sea. Therefore, the question that must be asked is whether > the Russians used the alert to deploy their missile submarine forces. > Despite what some analysts might say, any large-scale deployment to sea is > a red flag. > > The Northern Fleet contains the lion’s share of Russia’s naval strike > capability, and any alerting of that fleet needs to be carefully > scrutinized. In fact, any Russian fleet alert should be answered by a > comparable U.S. fleet alert. It is alarming in and of itself that the > United States did not respond in kind. > > RUSSIANS CONTINUE NUKE TESTING > > The Russians have abandoned the agreement to forgo underground nuclear > tests. They have admitted to testing three tactical nuclear warheads in > recent weeks. These are part of a new generation of tactical nuclear > weapons that the Russian armed forces have developed. > > In addition, during the period of the agreed suspension of underground > tests, there have been suspicious earthquakes in Russia with signatures > characteristic of strategic nuclear tests. > > ANALYSIS: Nuclear readiness requires the occasional testing of nuclear > warheads. New, more efficient weapons must be tested before they are > deployed to the armed forces. The United States has not tested its nuclear > stockpile in several years, while the Russians have been testing their > weapons. > > The importance of tactical nuclear weapons to the Russians lies in the fact > that these cannot be kept track of by arms control specialists. The START > agreements require Russia to destroy the bulk of its strategic nuclear > stockpiles, which cannot be hidden. > > But tactical nuclear weapons have a number of advantages over strategic > ones. First and foremost, they are more efficient in terms of their use of > nuclear fuel. Also, tactical nuclear weapons can be packed into ICBMs, > bombers, fighter-bombers, or artillery units, making them the most > versatile type of nuclear weapon. > > Last, but not least, tactical nuclear weapons can be delivered as a > cluster, which is a more effective means for destroying large urban areas, > and obviates the terms of the START treaties, which call for the > elimination of multiple independently targeted re-entry vehicles (MIRVs). > > THE RUSSIANS LIE ABOUT THEIR READINESS > > The chief of the Russian General Staff, Anatoly Kvashin, a hardened > professional known for his stony silence, now claims that Russia has halved > its western military deployments, reducing its strike capability near > Finland. On Jan. 11, Kvashin stated: "We have extremely low defense > readiness.” > > ANALYSIS: These are curious words from an ordinarily obsessive, secretive, > and paranoid functionary. Such a pronouncement is uncharacteristic and > probably deceptive. Throughout history, when Russian forces have been weak > or unready, no Russian general officer would dare to acknowledge the fact. > Such acknowledgment, under normal conditions, would lead to immediate > dismissal. > > Russian military doctrine pays close attention to the dictum of Sun Tzu, > the ancient Chinese strategist, who said: "All warfare is based on > deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our > forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy > believe we are away. ... Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign > disorder, and crush him.” > > If Russia is really moving troops off its border with Europe, as well as > troops away from its Chinese border, where are the troops being relocated? > > UNPRECEDENTED SLAUGHTER OF RUSSIAN FUR ANIMALS > > Russia and Belarus have large collective farms dedicated to the breeding of > polar foxes and minks. Russia is the world’s largest fur consumer, annually > buying 40 percent of the furs produced worldwide. But now, Russian > officials claim that demand has stalled, and they are slaughtering their > fox and mink herds because they cannot afford to feed them. > > Slaughter is normal at the onset of winter, of course, but this slaughter > is of unprecedented numbers of animals. At the same time, Russia is > importing fur from China, as well as coats, jackets, and boots. If Russian > demand has stalled and the market for furs is flooded, why the imports? > > ANALYSIS: Wherever we see an inconsistency in Russia’s economy, we have to > think twice. In World War II, Russian spies infiltrated all of the sheep > ranches in Europe. Their mission: to watch and see if sheep were being > sheared for 5 million sheepskin coats. Soviet military intelligence > reasoned that if Hitler intended to invade Russia, he would need heavy > winter clothing for his troops. The shearing of the sheep would be a dead > giveaway. > > Unfortunately for Hitler, he did not make the 5 million coats. And though > he caught Soviet military intelligence off guard, his troops in Russia > suffered frostbite and amputations once winter began. In fact, one of the > medals struck for German soldiers during 1941-42 was called "The Order of > the Frozen Meat.” > > Logistical preparations are a necessary part of war. National leaders > ignore such preparations at great peril. In this context, what are we to > make of this huge increase in the production and importation of furs and > uniform clothing in Russia? > > While this activity could indicate Russian economic miscalculation, one has > to wonder why the fur herds were increased to such a size to begin with. > Since these fur farms are state-controlled, an increase in production > suggests an increase in projected consumption. But as civilian consumption > has remained steady, the obvious conclusion is that somebody in Moscow was > anticipating a huge increase in the military’s demand for winter clothing. > With the aforesaid cover story of a collapsed market, Moscow might well > mask a planned troop mobilization of very large dimensions. If Russia > called up her reserves either before or after a nuclear exchange, she would > need winter coats, boots, and headgear (even if the attack took place in > warm weather). > > Russia’s soldiers may have to confront winter weather conditions in North > America if Russian military doctrine is followed. This doctrine calls for > an invasion of America. Always cognizant of history, the Russian General > Staff is well aware of Hitler’s mistake in World War II and would never > repeat that mistake in World War III. > > As Russia openly makes moves for war, its new partner, China, has been > taking equally dramatic steps. Coming Wednesday: Part 2 -- Chinese Premier > Calls For Nuclear War Preparations > > Russia and China: A Pattern of Belligerence – Part 2 > J.R. NyquistMarch 23, 1999 > > China’s Clenched Fist > > As Russia openly makes moves for war, its new partner, China, has been > taking equally dramatic steps. > > CHINESE PREMIER CALLS FOR NUCLEAR WAR PREPARATIONS > > On Jan. 8, as if to prepare his people for war, Chinese President Jiang > Zemin laid out the mission of the People’s Liberation Army in a speech: "We > must resolutely safeguard the unity of the motherland and the nation’s > territorial integrity.” > > Unity, of course, is the war cry of the Communists against Taiwan. Jiang > also warned that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army must prepare itself > for nuclear war. > > Soon thereafter, China conducted military exercises in which Chinese > nuclear forces practiced targeting American troops in the Far East. > > At the same time, the People’s Republic announced radical changes in > military policy. The Chinese air force was placed on "offensive mode” as > opposed to "defensive mode,” and China’s army doctrine was altered to one > of global warfighting. > > China has also begun centralizing the distribution of supplies for all > branches of the military in what the official media calls the biggest > streamlining effort in 50 years. In this context, China’s new "strategic > partnership” with the Russian Federation takes on sinister ramifications. > China is also backing North Korea in its dispute with the U.S. alliance. > > ANALYSIS: China is making serious war preparations. This enhances China’s > options against Taiwan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Japan. There is > every reason to believe, from these moves, that China will support North > Korea if war should break out in the Far East. In the context of a renewed > war, Taiwan would almost certainly be subject to blockade, possibly > sparking a naval action between China and the U.S. This is a dangerous > situation that China seems ready to welcome. (Also, China now supports > Saddam Hussein in the U.N.) > > CHINA SEIZES SPRATLY ISLANDS > > In the Far East, China has invaded the Spratly Islands, more than 800 miles > from China yet 140 miles from the Philippines. Manila has expressed alarm > that the People’s Liberation Army is erecting gun and anti-aircraft > emplacements on Mischief Reef. > > The Chinese ambassador to the Philippines, Guan Dengming, insisted that > China was merely constructing "shelters for fishermen.” But a leading > Philippine official countered this, saying: "We strongly believe a fortress > is being built.” > > Philippine Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado stated that concrete buildings > in the Spratlys "are beginning to look more like military structures rather > than the so-called fishermen’s refuge the Chinese claimed it to be.” > Mercado further accused China of bullying the Philippines, referring to > recent Chinese moves as "a creeping invasion.” > > ANALYSIS: China’s invasion of the Spratlys may not be aimed at the > Philippines. The Spratlys lie across a key waterway that is essential to > Taiwan. The concrete structures, aside from the anti-aircraft emplacements, > may be useful to mine-laying operations. The Mischief Reef operation may be > the first step toward an eventual blockade of Taiwan, which is heavily > fortified and would probably repel a direct Chinese assault. > > Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui, taking note of Beijing’s attempts to > encircle his small island country, called on his citizens "to raise their > vigilance against the military threat from China.” > > It’s important to note the Clinton administration has been silent over this > audacious move by Beijing. In previous administrations, America would have > moved with military force to prevent China’s expansionist plans. The > failure of the United States to confront China in the Spratlys bodes ill > for Taiwan. > > Russia and Chinese war preparations are not isolated and involve communist > client states around the world. > > SADDAM HAS RENEWED HIS WAR MACHINE > > The Iraqi government has stepped up military activity in southern Iraq. The > military governor of the Basra region, a Russian-trained Iraqi general, has > confirmed the arrival of new air-defense weapons, fully acknowledging that > his orders are to shoot down American planes. On Jan. 26, American > warplanes pounded Iraqi artillery and anti-aircraft positions. > > Throughout the second half of January, Iraq deployed troops toward the > Kuwait border. In response, Kuwait has mobilized its army, claiming that > Saddam is about to do something "dramatic.” The Iraqi dictator, aside from > asserting his territorial ambitions against Kuwait, denounced Saudi and > Egyptian leaders as "lackeys and stooges of the U.S.” > > ANALYSIS: Iraq is an old Soviet client state. The country’s secret police > was trained by Yuri Andropov’s KGB. Its officer corps was trained by the > Russian army. Nearly all of Iraq’s military equipment is Russian. Russian > Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, a fluent Arabic speaker and longtime > supporter of Saddam Hussein, has intensified Moscow’s diplomatic and > military support for Saddam. > > As Kosovo renews its civil war, as China tightens its noose around Taiwan, > as North Korea girds for war, Saddam’s threat to Kuwait keeps U.S. forces > diverted and occupied. Saddam’s provocations may be coordinated through > Moscow with the provocations by China, North Korea, and Serbia. > > NORTH KOREA’S EXTREME BEHAVIOR > > The North Koreans, close allies of Moscow and Beijing, have recently > declared that "the United States will [soon] be reduced to ashes and will > no longer exist.” North Korean headlines from the first week of 1999 > proclaimed that "U.S. Imperialist Aggressors Will Be Unable to Avoid > Annihilating Strikes.” > > Another North Korean source stated that the Americans would be wiped "from > this planet for good.” In the New Year’s message of the North Korean > government, the communists called on their citizens to "love rifles, > earnestly learn military affairs, and turn the whole country into an > impregnable fortress.” > > Kim Myong, an influential North Korean writer and editor who lives in > Tokyo, was quoted as saying: "Maybe there will be a new war. Maybe everyone > in Tokyo will die.” > > Kongdon On, a North Korean specialist at the Institute for Defense Analysis > in Washington, says: "There is...strong frustration among a lot of people > that North Korea is acting very strangely.” Han Park, a political scientist > specializing in North Korea at the University of Georgia, also stated: "The > situation will be very, very dangerous in the next few months.” South > Korean President Kim Dae-jung, fearing the communist threat, warned his > people to be ready for a surprise attack from the North. > > ANALYSIS: North Korea has broken its agreement to desist from developing > nuclear weapons. It is now suspected that North Korea has nuclear > capability, and also has the missiles to deliver nuclear weapons. Able to > threaten Tokyo as well as other Japanese cities with nuclear destruction, > North Korea is now emboldened and may renew its struggle to conquer the > South. > > With Chinese and perhaps Russian support, Pyongyang has mobilized its armed > forces and is now ready to strike. Defectors from the North Korean military > have stated that Pyongyang has a plan to conquer South Korea in seven days. > Such a plan, if it exists, probably emphasizes the use of nuclear, > biological, or chemical weapons of mass destruction, since the conventional > firepower of the North Korean army (as it now stands) could not readily > defeat the South in such a short time. > > CIVIL WAR LOOMS IN KOSOVO > > Violence has again erupted between Albanian separatists and Serbian forces > in Kosovo, and, despite NATO warnings, the violence shows every sign of > continuing. Russia has openly supported the Serbs, giving out subtle > warnings about a "widened war in Europe.” > > ANALYSIS: More American troops and air units, including a carrier group, > are pinned down. This crisis further stretches American military resources, > and with no end in sight. American ground forces are said to trace their > lines of supply through Hungary, a former Russian satellite with a dubious > political leadership. This is an awkward position to be in, and with > Russia’s new belligerent stance we are in no position to challenge the > Serbian communists. > > Taking the above items as a whole, a pattern of war preparations and > belligerence is clear. Nations of the old communist bloc are making > provocative moves across the board. With America’s armed forces at an > all-time postwar low in readiness and strength, it is doubtful we can meet > the challenges that lie ahead. > > North Korea and China seem to sense our weakness. And add to this that all > these provocative moves have come during the impeachment trial of President > Clinton. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Read Part 1 Russia and China: A Pattern of Belligerence War Preparations > Continue in Russia. > > - > To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" > with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. > For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send > "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) FWD: Nuclear Dump Opening Date: 25 Mar 1999 12:12:00 -0500 >Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 11:15:00 -0500 >Subject: FWD: Nuclear Dump Opening >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: cmep-list@lists.citizen.org >From: clifford@citizen.org (clifford@citizen.org) > >===================================== > Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy Project >===================================== >===== Original Message from APIERSMA@CITIZEN (Auke Piersma) at 3/25/99 >10:23 >am >Folks, > >The following message is from a close ally of CMEP and we fully support >their effort to prevent the opening of a nuclear waste dump in New Mexico >for a special type of defense waste. Please call the Secretary of Energy >today and voice your opposition to dumping nuclear waste in an unstable >and unsafe site. > >_________________________________________________ > >From: Alliance for Nuclear Accountability > >We are trying to pull out all the stops on this one. They are actually >planning on loading TRU (transuranic, - plutonium contaminated waste) in >the WIPP facility in New Mexico tomorrow. (For those just tuning in, WIPP >is a dump facility, first dreamed up by DOE in the 1950's, which would bury >TRU waste in salt domes. The area contains significant mineral resources >which could be mined by future, unsuspecting residents. Additionally the >site is not stable and rooms have collapsed and it has been unable to meet >radiation release standards.) We have been fighting this facility for >decades, and if they succeed in loading waste into the facility, it would >be a huge loss for all of us working on protecting the environment. It >also is being opened in advance of a required State permit licensing the >facility. So if you are working on States' Rights, this is for you also! >DOE promised they wouldn't ship waste until they had the State permit, but >DOE promises are useless. > >Please take a moment to place a call or drop in a fax to Energy Secretary >Richardson and tell him to stop this shipment! I know you all are busy, >but I urge you to take 5 and do this now! It may be your only chance. > >alert included, also attached in formatted version. >Thanks, >Maureen >please also forward this email to any who might help. > >EMERGENCY ACTION ALERT! > >CALL OR FAX SECRETARY RICHARDSON TODAY! >PH: 202-586-6210 FAX: 202-586-4403 > >STOP WIPP! STOP NUCLEAR WASTE! > >March 24, 1999 - >The Department of Energy plans to ship nuclear waste to the Waste Isolation >Pilot Plant in New Mexico starting as early as this evening! DOE plans to >load waste into this facility even though the State has not granted a >license to operate the facility, and numerous studies have shown that it is >not safe. > >DOE plans to load transuranic (plutonium contaminated) waste from the Los >Alamos Lab into the WIPP facility tomorrow, even though DOE has promised in >the past it would not send waste there until the State of New Mexico had >licensed the facility. They plan to ship more waste from Idaho in the next >few weeks. Opening this waste dump over the objections of the State, the >people, and common sense spells a dangerous new era in which nuclear waste >expediency runs roughshod over environmental and social justice concerns. > >THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW! >THIS IS A TURNING POINT, WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS CAN AFFECT ALL >OUR WORK ON NUCLEAR WASTE! > >CALL OR FAX SECRETARY RICHARDSON >PH: 202-586-6210 FAX: 202-586-4403 > > >TELL HIM YOU DON'T WANT WASTE TO GO TO WIPP! TELL HIM NOT TO DESTROY >STATES' RIGHTS! > > >For further information contact: Alliance for Nuclear Accountability at >202-833-4668. >===== Comments by CLIFFORD@CITIZEN (Kieran Clifford) at 3/25/99 11:14 am > > >Kieran Clifford >Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy Project >202-546-4996, ext.324 >Visit our website: http://www.citizen.org/cmep > >Questions about the CMEP-list can be directed to cmep@citizen.org > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Bob Tiller Subject: (abolition-usa) e-mail address Date: 25 Mar 1999 12:57:42 -0500 Friends, I can no longer receive e-mail sent to either of these addresses: btiller@igc.org btiller@igc.apc.org From now on you will have to use: btiller@psr.org Shalom, Bob Tiller, Physicians for Social Responsibility - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Report says Russia asked to deploy nukes in wake of NATO Date: 25 Mar 1999 12:59:55 -0500 >Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 09:17:42 -0500 >Subject: Report says Russia asked to deploy nukes in wake of NATO attacks. >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca, abolition-caucus@igc.apc.org >X-FC-Forwarded-From: sstaples@canadians.org >From: abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca) > > >This report is excerpted from >http://www.stratfor.com/crisis/kosovo/default.htm > >COMMENTARY > > 24 March - NATO held true to its word and commenced air strikes against >Yugoslavia. Russia also held true to its word, severing relations with >NATO, calling for an emergency session of the UN Security Council, and >commencing consultations with Belarus. NATO air strikes, of dubious >value to efforts to coerce Belgrade into accepting a settlement in >Kosovo, are proving extremely valuable at achieving the unintended goal >of reviving the Cold War. > > Moscow was furious at being ignored prior to the launch of Operation >Desert Fox in Iraq. The bombardment of Yugoslavia is the last straw. >Moscow already today declared the SALT II treaty forever dead, and Minsk >announced its desire for Russia to deploy nuclear weapons on Belarus >territory. Even the Ukranian parliament called for nuclear rearmament >and Ukraine's defense minister will meet tomorrow with other CIS defense >ministers. > > Finally, NATO/SFOR forces in Bosnia have been placed on alert in the >wake of threats presumably from Bosnian Serbs. NATO denies Yugoslav >claims that they have downed a NATO aircraft, but air assets are not the >only potential targets for Serbs. The potential for Serbian >counterattacks on the ground in Bosnia, Albania, and Macedonia is high. >END > > >This report is available at http://www.drudgereport.com/matt.htm > >XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX 03/24/99 01:22:08 UTC XXXXX > >@@ DRUDGE REPORT CODE RED @@ > >TASS: RUSSIA CONSIDERING MOVING NUKES > >Overnight on Tuesday, Russia's Defense and Foreign Ministries have been >working on options to act in connection with possible NATO strikes >against Yugoslavia. > >An ITAR-TASS newswire correspondent said windows of the Foreign and >Defense Ministries buildings were lit throughout Tuesday night and that >the ministers were on hand at their offices. > >Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev has told reporters that all actions by >the Defense Ministry will be aimed at increasing the combat readiness of >Russia's armed forces. > >According to the information available to TASS, in case the situation >takes an unfavorable turn for Russia, the Ministry is "preparing >proposals on possible deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the >territory of Byelorussia." > >The DRUDGE REPORT issued a bulletin Tuesday evening reporting that >Moscow is set to provide military help to Belgrade and the Serbs if NATO >strikes. > >Russia is set to order its peacekeepers in Bosnia and Herzegovina not to >take orders from NATO generals and only obey instructions from the >Russian General Staff. > >NATO threats trigger unprecedented patriotism in Yugoslavia, according >to wire reports. > >"If Milosevic has retreated, he would have lost his post", a young >street vendor told wire services on Wednesday adding that "it is better >to die proudly than to live in disgrace". > >Yugoslavian Defense Minister Pavle Bulatovic called on the civilian >population to be calm and said on the state TV overnight that "the state >of a direct threat of war", proclaimed by the government, concerns only >the armed forces, police and the state services. > >Most information flowing into the United States concerning Russia's >threats is only available through the ITAR-TASS newswire. ITAR/TASS News >Agency is the official state news agency for Russia. ITAR-TASS has 74 >bureaus in Russia and the other CIS countries... > >Filed By Matt Drudge... > >XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX 03/23/99 23:58:22 UTC XXXXX > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Report says Russia asked to deploy nukes in wake of NATO Date: 25 Mar 1999 13:00:53 -0500 >Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 09:17:42 -0500 >Subject: Report says Russia asked to deploy nukes in wake of NATO attacks. >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca, abolition-caucus@igc.apc.org >X-FC-Forwarded-From: sstaples@canadians.org >From: abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca) > > >This report is excerpted from >http://www.stratfor.com/crisis/kosovo/default.htm > >COMMENTARY > > 24 March - NATO held true to its word and commenced air strikes against >Yugoslavia. Russia also held true to its word, severing relations with >NATO, calling for an emergency session of the UN Security Council, and >commencing consultations with Belarus. NATO air strikes, of dubious >value to efforts to coerce Belgrade into accepting a settlement in >Kosovo, are proving extremely valuable at achieving the unintended goal >of reviving the Cold War. > > Moscow was furious at being ignored prior to the launch of Operation >Desert Fox in Iraq. The bombardment of Yugoslavia is the last straw. >Moscow already today declared the SALT II treaty forever dead, and Minsk >announced its desire for Russia to deploy nuclear weapons on Belarus >territory. Even the Ukranian parliament called for nuclear rearmament >and Ukraine's defense minister will meet tomorrow with other CIS defense >ministers. > > Finally, NATO/SFOR forces in Bosnia have been placed on alert in the >wake of threats presumably from Bosnian Serbs. NATO denies Yugoslav >claims that they have downed a NATO aircraft, but air assets are not the >only potential targets for Serbs. The potential for Serbian >counterattacks on the ground in Bosnia, Albania, and Macedonia is high. >END > > >This report is available at http://www.drudgereport.com/matt.htm > >XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX 03/24/99 01:22:08 UTC XXXXX > >@@ DRUDGE REPORT CODE RED @@ > >TASS: RUSSIA CONSIDERING MOVING NUKES > >Overnight on Tuesday, Russia's Defense and Foreign Ministries have been >working on options to act in connection with possible NATO strikes >against Yugoslavia. > >An ITAR-TASS newswire correspondent said windows of the Foreign and >Defense Ministries buildings were lit throughout Tuesday night and that >the ministers were on hand at their offices. > >Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev has told reporters that all actions by >the Defense Ministry will be aimed at increasing the combat readiness of >Russia's armed forces. > >According to the information available to TASS, in case the situation >takes an unfavorable turn for Russia, the Ministry is "preparing >proposals on possible deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the >territory of Byelorussia." > >The DRUDGE REPORT issued a bulletin Tuesday evening reporting that >Moscow is set to provide military help to Belgrade and the Serbs if NATO >strikes. > >Russia is set to order its peacekeepers in Bosnia and Herzegovina not to >take orders from NATO generals and only obey instructions from the >Russian General Staff. > >NATO threats trigger unprecedented patriotism in Yugoslavia, according >to wire reports. > >"If Milosevic has retreated, he would have lost his post", a young >street vendor told wire services on Wednesday adding that "it is better >to die proudly than to live in disgrace". > >Yugoslavian Defense Minister Pavle Bulatovic called on the civilian >population to be calm and said on the state TV overnight that "the state >of a direct threat of war", proclaimed by the government, concerns only >the armed forces, police and the state services. > >Most information flowing into the United States concerning Russia's >threats is only available through the ITAR-TASS newswire. ITAR/TASS News >Agency is the official state news agency for Russia. ITAR-TASS has 74 >bureaus in Russia and the other CIS countries... > >Filed By Matt Drudge... > >XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX 03/23/99 23:58:22 UTC XXXXX > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Sean Donahue Subject: (abolition-usa) KOSOVO: NH Peace Action Joins WRL-SENH in Protest Date: 25 Mar 1999 13:52:05 -0600 Following an emergency consultation with the Executive Committee, NHPA issued the following press release today. Unfortunately I can only be at tommorow's vigil: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- 8/25/99 Contact: Sean Donahue 603-228-0559 (work), 978-689-1896 (home) NH PEACE ACTION CALLS FOR END TO BOMBING OF SERBIA ENDORSES WAR RESISTERS LEAGUE VIGILS IN PORTSMOUTH, DOVER CONCORD -=1F The state's largest peace group, NH Peace Action, is calling for an end to NATO airstrikes in Kosovo, Serbia, and Montenegro, and is calling on its members to take part in vigils organized by the Southeast New Hampshire Chapter of the War Resisters League tonight at 6:30 p.m. outside the Post Office in Portsmouth and Friday night at 6:00 p.m. outside City Hall in Dover. In a statement released this morning, NH Peace Action State Coordinator Sean Donahue said "We deeply regret NATO's decision to launch air strikes against targets in Kosovo, Serbia, and Montenegro. Massive air strikes are inherently indiscriminate, and it is inevitable that civilians will be killed. This is unacceptable. "We deplore the Serbian military's brutal massacre of civilians in Kosovo. But bombing will not provide a lasting solution to the conflict between Serbia and the Kosovar Albanians. At best the bombing will somewhat weaken the Serbian military, limiting but not eliminating its power to repress the Kosovo independence movement. At worst, it will push Slobidan Milosevic to take a harder line and escalate the war in Kosovo, perhaps with soldiers and weapons from Russia. Already the bombing has spurred a brutal crackdown on the peace movement in Serbia.=20 Either way, innocent civilians on both sides of the conflict will suffer. "At present there is no clear solution to the tragedy in Kosovo. But that does not mean that we can reflexively bomb Serbia and expect that there will not be grave consequences for the people of Serbia and Kosovo. There were perhaps steps we could have taken two years ago to strengthen the nonviolent opposition movements in Kosovo and Serbia.=20 There were perhaps steps we could have taken this fall to establish an effective civilian peacekeeping force in Kosovo. Those opportunites are gone now. The world is now living with the consequences of our past inaction. But rash action now can't make up for inaction in the past.=20 The bombing must end. "Once the bombing stops it will be important to move quickly to reopen =A0negotiations to bring about a cease fire in the civil war in Kosovo an= d to rush humanitarian aid to victims on all sides. Russia could be very helpful in convincing the Serbs to go back to the negotiating table and to allow international aid agencies access to refugees. None of these steps will bring a complete resolution, but all of them would help reduce the suffering." - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) Resolve for "Global Peace Now!", antidote to WWIII on the horizon otherwise Date: 25 Mar 1999 10:55:50 -0800 In President Clinton's last speech that he gave before the bombing started yesterday, he very carefully used the word "resolve", in a certain specific way, repeatedly. The psychological implications of this are very deep. It sounds overly simplistic, I am sure, but the main "weapon" for the hearts and minds of PeaceBuilders of all kinds, it seems to me, is the firm conviction that global peace can be initiated and will be initiated by only one mechanism, the general acceptance by the people, and then their leaders, of a firm and universal human _resolve_ for "Global Peace Now!". Without this resolve at a deep level of mind, the goal is not achievable. Only with this resolve it will be done. The worse the situation gets the more obvious it will become that this RESOLVE for global peace is the only realistic idea by which ALL of humanity may be united. If it is a spiritual reawakening needed to foster a global analog to Gandhi's spiritual/political nonviolent "revolution", it is this spiritual "resolution" which must lead the way. My opinion, anyway. David Williams gear2000@lightspeed.net http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000 Global Emergency Alert Response -----Original Message----- peacebuilders@gemini.cia.com ; abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com ; fnb-l@tao.ca ; rstilger@nrf.org ; JQ3@aol.com ; barbara@rain.org ; kunkin@cinenet.net ; SCATAMAS@aol.com ; bjwolf@rochester.infi.net Cc: GPZONE2000@aol.com ; brockway@macronet.org ; eagles@nfg.nl >Dear Peacebuilder Friends & Kindred Spirits: > >Alarming as this news seems to be, what is more alarming is the distinct >possibility that all this "war scare" talk is part of a manipulation by the >"New World Order" advocates to sow the seeds of major disruptions on the >planet, setting the stage for >major economic disruption,martial law and an eventual totalitarian "New World >Order. > >If one believes people like David Icke and many others ( who blame the long- >standing "military-industrial complex" , for fomenting previous World Wars, >arming both sides, and benefiting enormously from the conflict) , then the >current Kosovo attacks by the US-led NATO alliance are part of a carefully >orchestrated plan of world domination, suppression of individual liberties, >with many world leaders (including President Clinton) fully aware of the plan, >and playing their part in implementing it. > >It is not clear what can be done. At the very least, focused meditations for >peace, prayer vigils, and work on spiritual levels is called for. >More concrete are massive demonstrations for peace, an end to nuclear, >biological and chemical weaponry, and an outpouring of public sentiment for an >end to armed conflict. > >If the peoples of the world want peace, then the governments that claim to >represent them must bring it about. >The plan for a UN Peoples' Assembly , set for sometime in 2000, might provide >an opportunity for such a message to be sent, but world events might overtake >such plans and so action must be taken as soon as possible > >It is all too possible that attempts will be made to eliminate the free-flow >of information and ideas that we have enjoyed through the internet. Our right >to have these communications must be defended. > >These are only my preliminary thoughts in reaction to the message just >received from David Williams. Some coordinated action by the forces of light, >peace and justice is needed . Let's dialogue and see what can be implemented >to halt the slide into chaos. > >Many thanks, >Aloha from Maui, >Ed Jor-El Elkin >One Day In Peace Project > >Ed > > > > > - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) Russia On the Brink: The Meltdown of a Nation Date: 25 Mar 1999 15:57:01 -0800 http://WWW.cbn.org/news/stories/990325.asp Russia On the Brink: The Meltdown of a Nation Before his trip to the U.S. was interrupted by the controversy over Kosovo, the Russian Prime Minister had intended to plead with the White House for more money. That's because Russia is broke; it can't make its loan payments, and the country is running out of options. CBN News reporter Dale Hurd went to Russia to take a closer look at what can only be called a meltdown. Dale Hurd, reporter In a dead factory town in Pivek, Siberia, six workers like in a room on a hunger strike. They haven't been paid for three and a half years. Vera Bossack says she has nothing left to feed her son, and her husband is wasting away. For them, life is unbearable. When Russians rejected communism, no one told them their new leaders would loot the nation; that their living standards would fall to Third World levels, or that the promises of democracy would be empty words. But the Russian dream of democracy is dying. Analyst Paul Goble says American leaders kid themselves if they think Russia is a functioning state. "It's a failed state," says Goble. "It's much more like the Congo or Somalia. The Russian government doesn't have effective control over its nuclear weapons. The Russian government doesn't have effective control over its tax system. The Russian government doesn't have effective control over its economy. There is no law; there are no forces maintaining order. So what you have is chaos." A few things are booming in Russia -- crime, for instance. One of the highest crime rate estimates is two crimes per capita per year -- that's 300 million. But only a fraction are reported. You can watch an arrest from the video archives of the Russian Bureau to Fight Organized Crime, where officials admit they've met their match. A popular new crime in Moscow is the home invasion. On one video, a Russian gets a knife to his throat becore police, watching through a surveillance camera, come to the rescue. The Mafia is ruthless against rival gangs, or against officials who refuse bribes. Officer Andrei Pashkevick says police corruption is a big problem. "Some criminal groups are very strong, not because of their weapons, but because of their connections with state offices and authorities," he says. "And it's harder to fight this kind of crime." And crime pays in Russia. Russian mobsters, robber capitalists and corrupt officials are among the richest people anywhere in the world. "What the new rich in Russia have done is to take wealth that was created in Soviet times, put it in their own pockets, value strip it, sell off parts, ship the money they get offshore," says Goble. "As a result, last year the capital stock of the Russian Federation fell by six percent." Russia's gross national product is now close to five percent of the United States' GNP and going backward. It is still very much an industrial dinosaur," says analyst Dr. Ariel Cohen. "Russia is a Jurassic Park of large enterprises that are not manufacturing anything that is competitive, with the exception of battle tanks. And how many battle tanks do people need today?" Most Russians who are not brilliant, fortunate, or corrupt must try to survive in a shrinking economy where money buys less and less each day. Olga Vlasova, a college-educated social worker, must support herself, an eight-year-old girl, and a teenage boy on less than $20 a month. She doesn't live as much as she survives. "I can't afford clothes or shoes for the children, because all the money I make I spend on food. I try not to show the children how difficult it is to make the ends meet -- to show them how hard it is," she says. "And I try to borrow money from others and try not to let the children think about it and suffer." Her family lives and sleeps in one room, sharing a kitchen and bathroom with another family. Olga says her life is worse now than before the revolution. And living standards are highest in Moscow. To see how most Russians live, you have to go outside of Moscow, to the little villages like Pronskoye. There's no heat, no running water, no telephone ... and there's not very much hope either. Walking into one of these homes is a step back in time. This is the home of 82-year-old Anna Fomichyova. Except for occasional electricity, she lives in the 19th century. "Our life is bad, and I don't expect a better life, because every day, the prices go up, and my pension doesn't get higher, and it never arrives on time," she says. Most villagers have moved out of these homes and into apartment blocks with central heat. There's almost no money in the countryside. Almost half of all transactions in Russia are bartered. Public health is a disaster. Because of pollution, disease, and abortion complications, as many as one third of all Russian adults may be sterile. Deaths outnumber births so much that Russia's population has been shrinking by almost a million people per year. "This is the worst demographic disaster to any major society in modern times, outside times of war," says Goble. "We're talking about a decline of life expectancy of Russian men of eight years in the last decade, something that has never happened to any country ever, as far as we know, in peace time." And diseases are exploding. "Children in Russia are dying of diseases that we have vaccines against," says Goble. "Diphtheria, mumps, measles --- but Russian parents do not choose to get their children vaccinated because were they to, they would have to go into doctors' offices where the average disposable syringe is probably used more than a hundred times. And the risk of a child getting a disease from multiple-use needles is far greater than the risk of getting a disease if you don't get them vaccinated." Russia now has so many problems that some are calling the crumbling nation's situation hopeless. "Nothing works," says Cohen. "Economic policy is not working. Budget is not working. Industry is falling apart." And at the heart of Russia's problems is a crisis of morality, according to Father Gleb Yakunin, a famous human rights activist. "It doesn't matter what economic reforms we do, and how hard we try to stabilize the situation," says Yakunin. "No matter what Prime Minister Primakov does, or no matter now much help we get from the IMF or international financial organizations, we'll still have an economic crisis until people stop stealing." It's no wonder that when a nationwide survey asked Russians which political leader they trusted most, "Nobody" was the top pick. Boris Yeltsin has the support of about one percent of the population, and it's not hard to understand why. "When I get my pension, I have to help my children," says Pomichyova. "I give 20 rubles to one and 30 rubles to another to buy bread. Then I don't have any left. I've worked for 45 years." "This is the first time a state this large and this powerful has failed," says Goble. "And again, the danger of that," says Cohen, "is that while you're falling behind and becoming impoverished and frustrated, and you have all these nuclear weapons, what are you going to do about it?" - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) Labour Lord resigns in protest / Yugoslavia Date: 25 Mar 1999 20:45:36 EST (From BBC News) > LABOUR PEER QUITS OVER NATO AIR STRIKES > Veteran Labour peer Lord Jenkins of > Putney has resigned the party whip in > the Lords over the Serb air strikes. > > The 90-year-old former World War Two > flight lieutenant has accused the > Government of "criminal barbarity", > "murder" and flouting international law > > As Hugh Jenkins, he was Putney MP from > 1964 to 1979. He will remain in Labour. > > In a letter to Labour Chief Whip Lord > Carter he said "to respond to barbarity > with barbarity is not the way". > >> - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) Re: Press coverage - Yugoslavia Date: 25 Mar 1999 20:59:57 EST In a message dated 3/25/99 7:21:15 PM Eastern Standard Time, rjp33@cam.ac.uk writes: << (From the BBC) Nato strikes against Yugoslavia came too late for Thursday's world press to report the attacks in detail. But many papers were able to highlight their historic significance, while others drew parallels with action in Iraq. In France, Le Figaro's simple headline, War in Europe, has a historic and ominous ring. La Liberation looks ahead with the headline, What Now? It queries whether the West is ready for a ground war if the Serbian president does not give in under the bombing. And the Paris edition of the International Herald Tribune underlines the historical significance of the bombing, saying it is Nato's first attack on sovereign land. It goes on to make a comparison with previous military operations against Iraq - an angle also picked up by the Indian press. US slammed But the Times of India warns that the Balkans is not Iraq, where an undeclared air war can go on without much notice being taken in Europe. It says sovereign countries fearing outside intervention will be closely watching the outcome of the confrontation. The Indian Express criticises the United States for being uncertain about its goals and it warns that a bombing campaign against Yugoslavia will not be the cakewalk it was in the deserts of Iraq. Russian fury At least two British papers spare a thought for Russian feelings. The Daily Telegraph records President Boris Yeltsin's outrage on its front page. The Telegraph's Moscow correspondent comments that years of understanding with the West appeared to be in jeopardy as the Russians dismantled their carefully-constructed links with Nato. The tabloid Daily Mirror, meanwhile, highlights what it sees as a Russian threat of military reprisals. 'World anarchy' In Russia itself, the papers praise Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov for scrapping his visit to the US on Tuesday after strikes became a virtual certainty. The military daily Krasnaya Zvezda said that by cancelling his visit the Russian premier ''has shown that we are still worth something". The Rossiiskaya Gazeta said his decision to turn back in mid-flight was ''rigorous and courageous''. It says if the trip had gone ahead and Nato had then launched strikes it would have been ''an unceremonious slap in the face of our premier'' and ''a humiliation for all Russians". In an interview conducted before the strikes in The Obshchaya Gazeta, Mr Primakov warns unilateral action could lead ''to anarchy in the world". >> - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) Diana Johnstone on Yugoslavia, Kosovo Date: 25 Mar 1999 22:12:34 EST Friends and co-workers, This, in itself, is very short. The article transmitted by Louis Proyect to RedYouth (the Socialist Party's youth group, politically very solid) is long - you need 25 sheets in your printer (well, European paper is cut to a more correct length so maybe just 23). Louis, in whom I have a good deal of confidence - certainly enough to believe he didn't fabricate this long article - had sent it out to a marxism list, which I'm not on. DO NOT DISCOUNT THE SOURCE! Diana Johnstone was the European editor of In These Times (an American democratic socialist publication) from 1979 to l9990, the press officer of the Green Group in the European Parliament from 1990 to 1996, and is personally known to many of us as an honest and thoughtful journalist of the Left. Her view of this general situation was delivered on May 25th, last year, at an international conference held in Athens, Greece. It is very relevent in view of the state of war that currently exists. It is a very different view from the one most of us have seen, controversial and challenging. I will be particularly interested in hearing Howard Clark's and Michael Randle's reactions - which I hope they can transmit to the addresses above (or if they get deleted by senders, if Michael or Howard ask for the original list I'll be happy to supply it). I must hope that Louis is not going to blow a fuse when he gets this and finds out I have urged people to write him for the material. So, if you want this, you need to write Louis Proyect at lnp@panix.com and ask if he can send you the post for you to download. Peace, Fraternally, etc., David McReynolds - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) Drudge Reports Russia Ready To Launch Nukes! Date: 25 Mar 1999 19:21:46 -0800 -----Original Message----- It appears we are now in a full scale world war. I would also suspect that China will now allie itself with Russia as they did during the Viet Nam Police Action/War. May what ever God you pray to stop this nonsense ASAP. > Date: Thursday, March 25, 1999 16:26 > Subject: Drudge Reports Russia Ready To Launch Nukes! > > > >IT'S WAR.....YELTSIN WARNS THAT STRIKES RISK WORLD WAR > >*****CODE RED****** > >by Matt Drudge > > > >XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX 03/24/99 16:41:05 UTC XXXXX > > > >YELTSIN WARNS THAT STRIKES RISK WORLD WAR > >http://www.drudgereport.com/matt.htm > > Russian President Boris Yeltsin warned Wednesday that NATO air > >strikes against the Serbs in Kosovo could lead to a world war and hinted >> that only his conscience prevented the Russian president from threatening > >military retaliation. >> In a televised address to his nation on Wednesday evening, Yeltsin > >appealed to the world to persuade U.S. President Bill Clinton "not to take > >this tragic and dramatic step"... "I am appealing to the whole world. I am > >appealing to the people who have survived the war. I am appealing to those who have > >seen bombing raids. I am appealing to their children and to all politicians. > >While there are still some minutes left, let's persuade Clinton not to take > >this tragic, dramatic step. This is European security, this is a war in > >Europe, and perhaps even more. This is a serious step and taking it even without >> the U.N. Security Council is more than just ununderstandable... Let's stop >> Clinton on this path and help him not to take this tragic step." DEVELOPING... > > > > X X X X X > > XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX 03/24/99 01:22:08 UTC XXXXX > > @@ DRUDGE REPORT CODE RED @@ > > > >TASS: RUSSIA CONSIDERING MOVING NUKES > > Overnight on Tuesday, Russia's Defense and Foreign Ministries have > >been working on options to act in connection with possible NATO strikes > >against Yugoslavia. > > An ITAR-TASS newswire correspondent said windows of the Foreign > >and Defense Ministries buildings were lit throughout Tuesday night and that > >the ministers were on hand at their offices. > > Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev has told reporters that all actions by >> the Defense Ministry will be aimed at increasing the combat readiness of >> Russia's armed forces. > > According to the information available to TASS, in case the situation > >takes an unfavorable turn for Russia, the Ministry is "preparing proposals > >on possible deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of > >Byelorussia." > > The DRUDGE REPORT issued a bulletin Tuesday evening reporting that > >Moscow is set to provide military help to Belgrade and the Serbs if NATO > >strikes. >> Russia is set to order its peacekeepers in Bosnia and Herzegovina not > >to take orders from NATO generals and only obey instructions from the > >Russian General Staff. > > NATO threats trigger unprecedented patriotism in Yugoslavia, according > >to wire reports. > > "If Milosevic has retreated, he would have lost his post", a young >> street vendor told wire services on Wednesday adding that "it is better to die > >proudly than to live in disgrace". > > Yugoslavian Defense Minister Pavle Bulatovic called on the civilian > >population to be calm and said on the state TV overnight that "the state of a direct > >threat of war", proclaimed by the government, concerns only the armed forces, >> police and the state services. > > > > Most information flowing into the United States concerning Russia's > >threats is only available through the ITAR-TASS newswire. ITAR/TASS News Agency > >is the official state news agency for Russia. ITAR-TASS has 74 bureaus in > >Russia and the other CIS countries... > > > >Filed By Matt Drudge... > > > >XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX 03/23/99 23:58:22 UTC XXXXX > >MOSCOW AND WASHINGTON SQUARE OFF OVER KOSOVO > >URGENT: > >MOSCOW TO PROVIDE MILITARY HELP TO SERBS, > >BELGRADE IF NATO STRIKES > > > > In a development that could turn spring back to winter, Moscow will > >immediately supply powerful armaments to Belgrade and the Serbs and provide > >other military assistance if NATO makes air strikes against Yugoslavia, > >Speaker of Russia's State Duma lower house of parliament Gennady Seleznyov told the > >ITAR-TASS newswire late on Tuesday. > > The development comes as Secretary of State Madame Albright declares: > >"There will be order in Yugoslavia." > > Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said late Tuesday that Moscow has > >prepared options if the Kosovo situation takes a turn for the worse. "If >> NATO opts for the use of force in Kosovo, it would violate international law, >> the UN Charter and will actually become undisguised aggression," he said > > "In that case, NATO will naturally show its true colors with which it > >intends to enter the 21st century," warned the minister. > >________________________________________________ > >Reports are moved when circumstances warrant > >(c)DRUDGE REPORT 1999 > >Not for reproduction without permission of the author > >========================================== > >*COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any > >copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without > >profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving > >the included information for non-profit research and educational purposes > >only. [Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] > >Take care! > > > >Jack Koenig > > > >Impact Voters of America > > > >Communications without knowledge is noise. Knowledge without communications >> is irrelevant! > > > >Visit the Impact Voters website at > >www.impactnet.org > > > >The Citizens Lobby website has been selected as the highlight website of >> the month. See them at www.citizenslobby.org > > Mark Allen Pitt :) A.A.S. ;) aka Scroll lock *.* BBS ICQ number; 4861371 email; markpitt@net-link.net Home Page; http://www.geocities.com/Area51/9357 - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: War Resisters League Subject: (abolition-usa) War Resisters' International Statement on Kosovo Date: 26 Mar 1999 09:57:58 -0500 Statement of War Resisters=92 International on Kosovo The War Resisters' International, an international network of more than 7= 0 pacifist groups in more than 30 countries, including the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Croatia, condemns the NATO bombing and the hypocrisy of NATO governments in mounting this war. The original rationale for threatening military action was to make Milosevic sign a peace agreement. This fatally misreads Milosevic and the mood of the Serbian people after years of nationalist propaganda. Far fro= m undermining Milosevic, this allows him to tap into the Serbian and Yugosl= av traditions of heroic military defence. Now, the current rationale is that the bombing is to prevent a humanitari= an catastrophe. Already at the time of writing, it is clearly precipitating = an even greater disaster - and with the evacuation of the OSCE verification mission and foreign relief workers and expulsion of foreign journalists, there are now even fewer ways to respond. NATO has been using the conflicts in the former-Yugoslavia to redefine it= s role, pretending to be the world's police force. To this end, it pursues its own institutional interests - against those of non-military intergovernmental bodies, such as the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the United Nations - and it decides on military action according to its own organisational logic. It is selective about which 'crimes' it seeks to redress and what counts as a 'humanitarian catastrophe'. Far from weakening the Milosevic regime, and protecting Kosovo Albanians, the NATO bombings are already having disastrous - and predictable - consequences. In Kosovo itself, it is now 'open season' for Serbs - be th= ey police, military, paramilitary or armed civilians - against the entire Albanian population and its institutions. In Serbia proper, the Belgrade regime has already moved against anti-war voices, such as Radio B92.=20 The governments that make up NATO displayed very little active interest i= n supporting nonviolent efforts by Kosovo Albanians throughout the nine yea= rs in which they refused to take up arms in response to Serbian repression a= nd violence. Indeed, they consented to the exclusion of Kosovo from the Dayt= on accords. On those occasions when foreign governments did acknowledge that the wholesale violation of 90 per cent of the population of Kosovo was anything other than an 'internal affair' of Serbia, it was to offer assurances that they did not even try to live up to. For eight years the Albanians of Kosovo persisted in their strategy of refraining from violen= ce and concentrating on maintaining their social cohesion and institutions such as parallel schools. Their nonviolent struggle using strikes, boycotts, peaceful demonstrations and alternative institutions was largel= y ignored by the world. Instead of a world order based on NATO breaking international law to purs= ue military action, War Resisters' International works to strengthen nonviolent methods of dealing with conflict. We have worked against the militarism of the Milosevic regime; we have worked through the Balkan Pea= ce Team to promote dialogue between Serbs and Albanians; and we have worked = to increase awareness of the variety of nonviolent methods of social struggl= e that can be deployed in such situations. A more understanding response to the Kosovo Albanian population on the part of the governments now prepare= d to bomb Serbia, Kosovo, Vojvodina and Montenegro could have made a decisi= ve difference. Unfortunately, this was not forthcoming. Their decision-makin= g is dominated by short term considerations of power-politics and 'military reality'. The 'criminal' they now want to bomb to the negotiating table i= s the man they erected into the 'guarantor of the Dayton peace'. The mission of the OSCE 'verifiers' was too little, too late. Hastily improvised, poorly prepared, and with a mandate that was inadequately articulated, the OSCE verifiers succeed in de-fusing some flashpoints, th= ey were beginning to build some cooperation with civil society groups, but they could not stem the rising tide of violence. Rather they increasingly were verifying that an atrocity had been committed. Nevertheless, their deployment was infinitely preferable to the NATO's bombings. =20 NATO does not exist to protect populations condemned to live under crimin= al regimes. How can it when its own members include countries like Turkey, whose methods against the Kurds are equally horrific? NATO's military strategy in Kosovo is not designed in the interests of the population, bu= t rather to minimise the risks to NATO's own soldiers - whatever the consequences for those who are now hostage to Serbian vengeance. NATO=92s= new strategy seems to be a test for new weapons systems in a large scale atta= ck against a Central European country, first use of US Air Force B-2 Bombers= , first active battle participation of German Air Force since Second World War, military integration of new NATO-members into the military command t= o European NATO headquarters. NATO=92s attack on Yugoslavia is a first precedent of the new NATO strategy, which will be passed in April. In thi= s strategy NATO explicitly stresses its =91right=92 to intervene everywhere= in the world on its own right, without the need of being mandated by the UN = or other intergovernmental bodies. In the immediate circumstances, WRI calls for a halt of the NATO air strikes and calls on its members to organise vigils and other demonstrations against NATO at appropriate embassies or War Ministries or at air bases. We call on the soldiers of all countries taking part in thi= s attack to refuse to participate in this war. In the medium term, we will try to work alongside our friends in the anti-war groups in Serbia and with people in Kosovo trying to create a ju= st peace.=20 In the longer term, WRI redoubles its commitment to promote civilian responses to conflict - in particular the development of nonviolence as a means of waging social struggles and the use of methods of nonviolent conflict resolution and dialogue. wri (warresisters@gn.apc.org) War Resisters International 5 Caledonian Road London N1 9DX UK tel. 00 44 +171 278 4040 fax 00 44 +171 278 0444 http://www.gn.apc.org/warresisters ********** War Resisters League 339 Lafayette St. New York, NY 10012 212-228-0450 212-228-6193 (fax) 1-800-975-9688 (YouthPeace and A Day Without the Pentagon) wrl@igc.apc.org web address: http://www.nonviolence.org/wrl - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Kosovo statement Date: 26 Mar 1999 10:50:09 -0500 >Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1999 13:09:01 -0500 >Subject: Kosovo statement >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: wilpf-news@igc.apc.org >From: wilpf@iprolink.ch (wilpf@iprolink.ch) > >Dear Friends, > >We have written to the NATO Headquarters and to the members of the UN >Security Council. Pelase use this statement to ask your government, if it >is a member of NATO, to take urgent action to stop the bombing in >Yugoslavia. > >Lohes Rajeswaran > >Geneva, 25 March 1999 > >Open letter to >Governments of NATO member states >Members of the UN Security Council > >Dear Excellencies, > >The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom is outraged over the >aerial bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia by NATO forces. We >call for an immediate halt to this aggression against a sovereign UN Member >State and for withdrawal of NATO forces from the region. > >We also call on the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to >halt its brutal attacks against the population of Kosovo and order its >forces to return to their barracks. > >We call on the Security Council of the United Nations to take its >responsibility under the United Nations Charter and undertake a genuine >process of negotiation and mediation of the conflict with the aim of >assisting the search for a solution that allows all the citizens of the >Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to live in safety and to rebuild the country >in the interests of all. The military action by NATO only adds more death >and destruction to an already badly damaged population without finding and >eliminating the root causes of the conflict. > >Surely, the experience of the past few years has shown clearly that >military actions do not resolve the deeply-rooted conflicts we are >witnessing in different regions of the world, whether they be internal or >across borders. It is high time for the Security Council to take truly >peaceful approaches to the solution of today's conflicts. It requires a >genuine desire to assist all sides involved in a conflict, use of skilled >mediators and patience. > >We urge you to bring pressure to bear on those engaged in military action >to halt it and for the United Nations institutions to use all its skills >and means to bring genuine peace to the Balkan region. > >Furthermore, we wish to point out that the decision by NATO to go to war >against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia shows an appalling disrespect >its members have for the global institutions, whose mandates are based on >international treaties and agreements. We are alarmed and deeply concerned >about the consequences this action may have for the future development of >civilized relations, based on equality among nations and on values rooted >in the Charter of the United Nations. > >Sincerely, > > >Bruna Nota Barbara Lochbihler >President Secretary General > > > > > > >Women's International League for Peace and Freedom >International Secretariat >1, rue de Varembe >C.P. 28 >1211 Geneva 20 >Tel: +41 22 733 61 75 >Fax: +41 22 740 10 63 > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Timothy Bruening Subject: (abolition-usa) A Solution To The Kosovo Crisis! Date: 26 Mar 1999 07:54:18 -0800 (PST) I have a solution to the Kosovo crisis! I propose that KLA guerrillas, other Albanians, and Serbs be integrated into a Kosovo Peacekeeping Force to police the Kosovo Peace Pact. I believe that this would be more acceptable to the Serbs than a NATO Peacekeeping Force. I also propose that the Kosovo Peacekeeping Force be supervised by military officers from Russia, Albania, and other East European nations. I don't know if my idea would work, but it sounds better than bombing Serbia back to the Stone Age. I believe that its worth a try. Another idea is a peacekeeping force comprised of troops from Russia, Albania, and other East European nations. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: UK Nuclear News 25 March 1999 Date: 26 Mar 1999 10:59:40 -0500 >Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1999 14:36:57 -0500 >Subject: UK Nuclear News 25 March 1999 >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: nfla.news@conf.igc.apc.org >Cc: abolition-caucus@igc.apc.org >From: nfznsc@gn.apc.org (nfznsc@gn.apc.org) > >>>Return-Path: >>>X-Sender: gadams-gmresearch@mail.u-net.com >>>Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 15:11:37 +0000 >>>To: nfznsc@gn.apc.org, fbarker@gn.apc.org, jkwoolley@gn.apc.org, >>> Morten.Bremer.Maerli@nrpa.no, markjohnston@gn.apc.org, >>pma@xtra.co.nz, >>> sean.morris@leeds.gov.uk >>>From: Geoff Adams >>>Subject: NPU Bulletin 25 Mar >>>X-UIDL: 89f8db5cc02168d586b62b77311e5c01 >>>DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN - NUCLEAR POLICY >>> >>>Thurs 25 Mar 1999 >>> >>>99-8136 Itar Tass news agency warns that Russian tactical n/missiles >>> could be moved back into Belarus, on the border with Poland, >>> as a retaliatory measure after Nato air strikes on Kosovo. >>> G 25 Mar >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- >>>Geoff Adams, Information Officer, Greater Manchester Research, 4th Floor, >>>Metropolitan House, OLDHAM, Lancs, UK, OL1 1QD >>>Tel: 0161 911 4179 / Fax: 0161 627 1736 >>> >>> >>>UK newspaper URLs: >>>- >******************************************** >* Nuclear Free Local Authorities * >* Town Hall * >* Manchester M60 2LA UK * >* * >* Tel: + 44 (0) 161 234 3244 * >* Fax: + 44 (0) 161 234 3379 * >* Email: nfznsc@gn.apc.org * >* Website: http://www.gn.apc.org/nfznsc/ * >* * >******************************************** > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Russia ends Y2K co-operation Date: 26 Mar 1999 13:33:42 -0500 >Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1999 12:35:51 -0500 >Subject: Russia ends Y2K co-operation >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca >X-FC-Forwarded-From: brobinson@ploughshares.ca >From: abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (abolition@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca) > >Next, we're going to hold our breath until we turn blue... > > >March 26, 1999 0:18 p.m. ET > >Russia calls off Y2K cooperation with US > >MOSCOW, March 26 (Reuters) - Russia's Defence Ministry >called off cooperation with the United States on the so-called >millennium computer bug on Friday in response to NATO air >strikes on Yugoslavia, Interfax news agency said. > >Interfax said a ministry representative had made the >announcement at a meeting of a government committee trying to tackle the >computer glitch, which results from old programmes that may not >distinguish >between the years 1900 and 2000. > >Officials could not be immediately reached for comment. > >The U.S. Defence Department sent specialists to Russia last month to >discuss >the problem, especially insofar as it may threaten the functioning of the >trigger >to Russia's nuclear missile arsenal. > >Russian and American experts both say it is virtually impossible for the >bug to >spark an accidental nuclear launch, but have suggested that both sides >take >extra precautions to prevent a computer foul-up from causing a false >alarm. > >The American proposal, which U.S. officials had said was favourably >received >in Moscow, would have placed Russian and U.S. technicians side-by-side in >a >joint nuclear command centre during the months before and after January 1, >2000. > >But Interfax said the Defence Ministry representative specifically ruled >out such >a move on Friday. > >Russia has been deeply outraged by NATO air strikes on Yugoslavia, which >President Boris Yeltsin called ``naked aggression.'' Russia has suspended >all >cooperation with the Western military alliance. > >Copyright 1999 Reuters News Service. > >-- >Bill Robinson, Project Ploughshares, >Conrad Grebel College, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G6 >Phone: 519 888-6541 x264 Fax: 519 885-0806 >E-mail: brobinson@ploughshares.ca >http://www.ploughshares.ca > >Project Ploughshares is a member of the Canadian Network to Abolish >Nuclear Weapons (http://watserv1.uwaterloo.ca/~plough/cnanw/cnanw.html) > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: [csdgen] War in Europe Date: 26 Mar 1999 15:31:32 -0500 >From: Global@aivaschenko.home.bio.msu.ru (Global@aivaschenko.home.bio.msu.ru) > >APPEAL >OF THE FEDERATION OF PEACE AND CONCILATION, >RUSSIAN FEDERATION PEACE COMMITTEE, >RUSSIAN FUND FOR PEACE, >UN ASSOCIATION OF RUSSIA, >CENTRE "ECO-ACCORD" > >March 25, 1999 > >The mankind has not succeeded to meet the new Millennium without a war. >NATO member-states have initiated the war in Europe, having opened "the >Pandora box" full of new danger. The norms and rules of the international >law do not allow any country to use military forces against sovereign >states without the decision taken by the UN and the UN Security Council. >These norms are hardly broken down. All further aggressors will be able to >refer to the NATO action as to the >precedent, which has broken down rules and norms of the civil order in the >world, stated in the UN Charter. Moreover, the whole world system being >created after the World War II and the UN existence itself is in danger. >The Federation of Peace and Conciliation, the Russian Federation Peace >Committee, the Russian Fund for Peace, UN Association of Russia in advance >to the NATO aviation bombing have come to the world community with a call >to prevent new military action against Yugoslavia. We claim today to >immediately stop the war and use political tools for the conflict >resolution. >Unacceptable for Russia military action has led to the serious aggravation >of the relationship between Russia and the West. This aggravation tendency >is not less dangerous then the war, being already initiated in the center >of Europe. The way to a new age of political and military confrontation >between Russia and the West should be closed immediately. All >political forces and parties should act responsibly. > >In reply to the provocative military action no one should "add oil to a >flame" and follow thoughtless appeals to start again weapon supply to the >conflict area (breaking the UN sanctions) or even move tactical nuclear >weapon close to this zone. Let us prevent involvement of Russia to the >military conflict! The peace on Balkans must be restored by political >means: through negotiations, diplomacy, active role and position of the >world public opinion. Based on the rules of the international law civilized >and peaceful order in the world must be restored towards new millennium! > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) Fw: Web News Sources Inside Serbia/Kosovo Date: 27 Mar 1999 12:02:13 -0800 -----Original Message----- >Go soon to get links.... > >Source: Wired > Country: Yugoslavia > Feeling news-deprived because CNN got booted from Belgrade? Not to > worry; first-hand reports are available at the source of all good > things -- the Internet. (3/26/99) >URL: >http://www.wired.com/news/news/email/explode-infobeat/politics/story/18754. html > > > > - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Norm and Karen Cohen Subject: (abolition-usa) [Fwd: ] demonstration in philly on kossovo monday Date: 27 Mar 1999 20:36:53 -0500 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------95AB61D4DDEE0B0682055230 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by smtp-out1.bellatlantic.net id UAA25722 fyi to those near philly and who want to oppose our bombing of serbia/kossovo peace norm -- > Coalition for Peace and Justice UNPLUG Salem Campaign PO Box 2344, Cape May, NJ 08204 609-886-7988 or 609-889-8667 =93Not a mile from here are people living 10 to a room, and few streets further on they=92re sleeping in doorways and boxes, some of them children......... -Paul Kantner, Shadowlands =93We are called to speak for the weak, for the voiceless, for victims of our nation, and for those it calls enemy, for no document from human hands can make these humans any less our brothers=94 -Martin Luther King, 1967, Riverside Church --------------95AB61D4DDEE0B0682055230 Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Disposition: inline Received: from mail7.bellatlantic.net ([207.68.32.38]) by immta2.bellatlantic.net (InterMail v03.02.07 118 124) with ESMTP id <19990327195307.NSSN17136@mail7.bellatlantic.net> for ; Sat, 27 Mar 1999 14:53:07 -0500 Received: from snip.net (mail.snip.net [208.211.64.14]) by mail7.bellatlantic.net (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id OAA03604 for ; Sat, 27 Mar 1999 14:53:07 -0500 (EST) Received: from [209.204.72.216] [209.204.73.56] by snip.net with ESMTP (SMTPD32-4.07) id A8CC1F3800C8; Sat, 27 Mar 1999 15:00:12 EST Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Cc: sidorick@ix.netcom.com X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable STOP THE BOMBING OF YUGOSLAVIA! MONEY FOR JOBS & EDUCATION, NOT WAR! Demonstrate Monday March 29th 4:30pm =46ederal Building 6th & Market St. (5:15 marching towards City Hall, in order to reach out to Market Street pedestrians) The U.S. is bombing for humanitarian reasons? LIES! For excellent background info, check out: =93The BosnianTragedy " There are Saturday protests around the country (& world), but because of SalemNJ and 3MileIsland protests Sat. & Mumia visibility, and Sunday's School of the America's protest, we've scheduled Phila. event for Monday. THOSE ATTENDING SAT.& Sun. PROTESTS PLEASE ANNOUNCE MONDAY'S PROTEST! There is a rally for juvenile rights and against death penalty at city hall at same time. If they agree, we can join up with them at end, demanding =93Money for jobs and education, not for jails and war.=94. Issued by: International Action Center; 813 S. 48th St., Phila, PA 19143; 215-724-1618 e-mail: philnpc@op.net --------------95AB61D4DDEE0B0682055230-- - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) War Resisters International Statement on Kosovo Date: 27 Mar 1999 20:09:54 EST Subj:=09 WRI Kosov@ Statement Date:=093/27/99 7:07:55 AM Eastern Standard Time WAR RESISTERS' INTERNATIONAL STATEMENT ON KOSOV@ The War Resisters' International, an international network of more than 7= 0 pacifist groups in more than 30 countries, including the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Croatia, condemns the NATO bombing and the hypocrisy of NATO governments in mounting this war. The original rationale for threatening military action was to make Milosevic sign a peace agreement. This fatally misreads Milosevic and the mood of the Serbian people after years of nationalist propaganda. Far fro= m undermining Milosevic, this allows him to tap into the Serbian and Yugosl= av traditions of heroic military defence. Now, the current rationale is that the bombing is to prevent a humanitari= an catastrophe. Already at the time of writing, it is clearly precipitating = an even greater disaster - and with the evacuation of the OSCE verification mission and foreign relief workers and expulsion of foreign journalists, there are now even fewer ways to respond. NATO has been using the conflicts in the former-Yugoslavia to redefine it= s role, pretending to be the world's police force. To this end, it pursues its own institutional interests - against those of non-military intergovernmental bodies, such as the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the United Nations - and it decides on military action according to its own organisational logic. It is selective about which 'crimes' it seeks to redress and what counts as a 'humanitarian catastrophe'. Far from weakening the Milosevic regime, and protecting Kosov@ Albanians, the NATO bombings are already having disastrous - and predictable - consequences. In Kosov@ itself, it is now 'open season' for Serbs - be th= ey police, military, paramilitary or armed civilians - against the entire Albanian population and its institutions. In Serbia proper, the Belgrade regime has already moved against anti-war voices, such as Radio B92. The governments that make up NATO displayed very little active interest i= n supporting nonviolent efforts by Kosov@ Albanians throughout the nine yea= rs in which they refused to take up arms in response to Serbian repression a= nd violence. Indeed, they consented to the exclusion of Kosov@ from the Dayt= on accords. On those occasions when foreign governments did acknowledge that the wholesale violation of 90 per cent of the population of Kosov@ was anything other than an 'internal affair' of Serbia, it was to offer assurances that they did not even try to live up to. For eight years the Albanians of Kosov@ persisted in their strategy of refraining from violen= ce and concentrating on maintaining their social cohesion and institutions such as parallel schools. Their nonviolent struggle using strikes, boycotts, peaceful demonstrations and alternative institutions was largel= y ignored by the world. Instead of a world order based on NATO breaking international law to purs= ue military action, War Resisters' International works to strengthen nonviolent methods of dealing with conflict. We have worked against the militarism of the Milosevic regime; we have worked through the Balkan Pea= ce Team to promote dialogue between Serbs and Albanians; and we have worked = to increase awareness of the variety of nonviolent methods of social struggl= e that can be deployed in such situations. A more understanding response to the Kosov@ Albanian population on the part of the governments now prepare= d to bomb Serbia, Kosov@, Vojvodina and Montenegro could have made a decisi= ve difference. Unfortunately, this was not forthcoming. Their decision-makin= g is dominated by short term considerations of power-politics and 'military reality'. The 'criminal' they now want to bomb to the negotiating table i= s the man they erected into the 'guarantor of the Dayton peace'. The mission of the OSCE 'verifiers' was too little, too late. Hastily improvised, poorly prepared, and with a mandate that was inadequately articulated, the OSCE verifiers succeed in de-fusing some flashpoints, th= ey were beginning to build some cooperation with civil society groups, but they could not stem the rising tide of violence. Rather they increasingly were verifying that an atrocity had been committed. Nevertheless, their deployment was infinitely preferable to the NATO's bombings. NATO does not exist to protect populations condemned to live under criminal regimes. How can it when its own members include countries like Turkey, whose methods against the Kurds are equally horrific? NATO's military strategy in Kosov@ is not designed in the interests of the population, but rather to minimise the risks to NATO's own soldiers - whatever the consequences for those who are now hostage to Serbian vengeance. NATO=92s new strategy seems to be a test for new weapons syste= ms in a large scale attack against a Central European country, first use of = US Air Force B-2 Bombers, first active battle participation of German Air Force since Second World War, military integration of new NATO-members in= to the military command to European NATO headquarters. NATO=92s attack on Yugoslavia is a first precedent of the new NATO strategy, which will be passed in April. In this strategy NATO explicitly stresses its =91right= =92 to intervene everywhere in the world on its own right, without the need of being mandated by the UN or other intergovernmental bodies. In the immediate circumstances, WRI calls for a halt of the NATO air strikes and calls on its members to organise vigils and other demonstrations against NATO at appropriate embassies or War Ministries or at air bases. We call on the soldiers of all countries taking part in thi= s attack to refuse to participate in this war. In the medium term, we will try to work alongside our friends in the anti-war groups in Serbia and with people in Kosov@ trying to create a ju= st peace. In the longer term, WRI redoubles its commitment to promote civilian responses to conflict - in particular the development of nonviolence as a means of waging social struggles and the use of methods of nonviolent conflict resolution and dialogue. War Resisters' International 5 Caledonian Road London N1 9DX England tel: +44 171 278 4040 email: warresisters@gn.apc.org >> - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) Internal nuclear threat? Date: 27 Mar 1999 21:07:37 -0800 [from website reference below] [Russian and Chinese "Speznatz" or special forces Army teams are always inserted on strategic recce, assasination and sabotage missions in the enemy rear. Nuclear weapons, command HQs and VIPs will be their targets. The weapons are already in the United States. They are stored in hidden caches, including conventional, nuclear, chemical and nuclear "brief case" bombs. Colonel Stanislav Lunev - Former GRU Officer] 2 key paragraphs from below story: ...."In 1999, I presented the K.S. Wu information to Colonel Lunev for his evaluation. According to Col. Lunev, Russian and Chinese army operatives in the U.S. have created large stockpiles of arms for use in time of war. These communist weapon caches are reportedly hidden all over America. According to Lunev, the Chinese and Russian weapon stockpiles include explosives, nerve gas, anthrax and as many as 120 "suitcase" nuclear bombs! I have confirmed Colonel Lunev's story with several members of Congress. Red China and Russia have pre-positioned nuclear, chemical and biological weapons on American soil with the intent of destroying our nation. President Clinton and Congress are aware that China and Russia have smuggled nuclear bombs into the United States. "........ [above excerpts from] "Part 2, Dead Men Tell No Tales" Softwar, Charles Smith, Tuesday, March 23, 1999 http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_smith/19990323_xcsof_dead_men_t.shtml In 1994, "American" businessman K.S. Wu traveled with Ron Brown to Communist China. Today, Mr. Wu is reported to be dead, and no one in the Democratic Party (Democratic National Committee) wants to talk about him. In my last column, we learned that, in August 1994, Mr. Wu accompanied Ron Brown to China and Hong Kong. Wu was invited to various special events, including a post Hong Kong dinner and Democrat fund-raiser. Wu traveled with several major DNC donors, including Bernard Schwartz, CEO of Loral; Sanford Robertson, CEO of Robertson & Stephens; Democratic Gov. Caperton of West Virginia; and Edwin Lupberger, CEO of Entergy Corp. Entergy Corp., of course, is part owned by the Riady family and the Lippo Group. In fact, Wu actually worked for Chinese billionaire Li Ka-Shing. According to documents provided by the Commerce Department, Wu, Lupberger, Caperton and Brown met with PRC billionaire Li Ka-Shing in Beijing during the 1994 trip. K.S. Wu, CEO of a so-called "American" firm, traveled at the expense of the U.S. taxpayers, to meet his Chinese boss Li Ka-Shing. Li Ka-Shing owns the vast shipping enterprise, Hutchison Whampoa, Ltd. Li works closely with the official PRC shipping carrier, COSCO. Li and COSCO own both ends of the Panama canal. Li and COSCO tried to buy the former Navy port at Long Beach. Li financed several satellite deals between Hughes and China Hong Kong Satellite (CHINASAT), a company half owned by the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). Li Ka-Shing and the Chinese navy nearly obtained four huge roll-on/roll-off container ships, financed by loans backed by U.S. Treasury notes. The bio of Li Ka-Shing was forced from the White House by this author during a lawsuit filed in federal court. The Commerce Department claimed the material was withheld for review by another "agency." In fact, the material was secretly sent by Commerce to the real authors, the White House, which is not an agency. The legal "Catch-22" situation was all too obvious to Commerce and White House lawyers who caved in rather than being made to look stupid in front of a Federal Judge. The reason for the resistance becomes all too clear when Li Ka-Shing's bio is compared to the accompanying materials forced from the grips of the White House. Li was the only so-called "civilian." Li's bio was included by the White House along with the entire leadership of Communist China from Jiang Zemin to the mayor of Shanghai. The Long Beach affair demonstrated that Li Ka-Shing is an agent of Beijing. The White House material clearly shows that Mr. Li Ka-Shing is a member of the Communist government. The Long Beach deal led by Li Ka-Shing was clearly a national security threat. It was canceled after U.S. intelligence sources revealed that Li Ka-Shing's empire is used for PRC espionage. Li Ka-Shing provides fronts for Chinese military operations and "civilian" covers for PLA soldiers to enter the U.S. under "commercial" camouflage. In 1995, Mr. K.S. Wu of Pacific Century -- a company owned by Li Ka-Shing, teamed with Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia to provide Red China with an airbase only 50 miles from downtown Washington, D.C. According to a January 1996 speech by Gov. Caperton on the Democrats' website, "Mr. Wu was a trusted adviser to Sen. Rockefeller and me. He was instrumental in helping Senator Rockefeller develop the Swearingen aircraft project. He was also extremely helpful in expanding our relationships with China and Japan. We extend to his family our deepest respect and sympathy. His death is a deep loss to West Virginia." Today, Sen. Rockefeller will not comment on either the departed Mr. Wu, or the Li Ka-Shing airbase at Martinsburg, West Virginia. The Jan. 1996 speech by Governor Caperton published on the Democrats' website was removed from the Internet immediately after I submitted a fax copy to Sen. Rockefeller's office in Washington, D.C. Yet, in 1996, Sen. Rockefeller led a delegation of Asian investors to Martinsburg, West Virginia. According to Gov. Caperton, K.S. Wu was instrumental in helping Rockefeller bring the Asian investors to West Virginia. In fact, these investors were so special that Rockefeller ran a VIP train to transport them to West Virginia from Washington, D.C. The joint U.S.-Sino delegation broke ground for a new aircraft plant now located at the Martinsburg airport under a project called "Sino-Swearingen SJ-30." The Sino-Swearingen plant in West Virginia is a joint project between Texas based Swearingen aircraft, the AFL-CIO, and Sino-Aerospace Investment Corporation. The joint interests of PRC billionaire Li Ka-Shing, a big U.S. union, and Sen. Rockefeller were teamed up to manufacture business jets in the remote mountains of rural West Virginia. The so-called SJ-30 "business" jet is state-of-the-art. The SJ-30 can travel 2,500 miles at nearly the speed of sound and is rated to cruise at 49,000 feet. The SJ-30 is considered to be the leading edge of U.S. commercial aerospace technology and includes all the latest in avionics such as GPS navigation. The immense speed, range and altitude capability of the SJ-30 can be attributed to the twin Rolls Royce/Williams FJ-44 turbofans that power it. The Williams FJ-44 is also used in the Swedish SK-60 military attack trainer and powers the USAF DarkStar stealth robot spy plane. Williams is best known for making the jet engines for U.S. Tomahawk and ALCM cruise missiles. The Sino-Swearingen facility is located at the Martinsburg airport just south of the town along U.S. Rt. 81. Martinsburg is a key point in the West Virginia hills, located only 50 miles from downtown D.C. The narrow valley is a major north/south and east/west crossing for U.S. microwave and fiber-optic telecommunications. The Martinsburg airport is supported by the U.S. taxpayer via the National Guard facilities and the airport ground facilities, such as fire and rescue. In 1996, a host of the Asian officials attending the groundbreaking included Dr. Shih-Chein Yang of Taiwan Aerospace and Benjamin Lu of the Taipei Economic office. In fact, the entire groundbreaking at Martinsburg is covered in detail on Sen. Rockefeller's web page, including a wonderful photograph of Rockefeller and several Asian businessmen with shovels in hand. In 1996, Jay Rockefeller had very close ties to the real money behind the Sino-Swearingen aerospace deal, Li Ka-Shing. Li Ka-Shing is also a known PLA operative. Today, Asian "engineers" roam the hills of West Virginia with a "commercial" cover. The perfect location, complete with jets to test fly and a huge facility constructed to order was paid for by American and Chinese taxpayers. There are two more twists to this tale of a PRC base only 50 miles from the White House. A fellow reporter, Danny Casolaro, was murdered in Martinsburg West Virginia while investigating Hillary Clinton and her business connections to an Arkansas airport called Mena. Casolaro was found in his Martinsburg hotel with his wrists slashed in 1991. He was reportedly trying to meet an informant who had documented evidence of the involvement of the CIA and NSA in dope smuggling to support military operations in Central America. Casolaro was murdered after he had linked Rose Office clients with the NSA attempts to penetrate foreign banks to monitor drug dealing and money-laundering. The worst news comes not from a dead reporter but a living hero. Softwar has obtained an exclusive interview with former GRU Colonel Stanislav Lunev. Col. Lunev is the highest-ranking member of the former Soviet Union intelligence services to defect to America. He is, to this day, surrounded by FBI agents for his protection. In 1999, I presented the K.S. Wu information to Colonel Lunev for his evaluation. According to Col. Lunev, Russian and Chinese army operatives in the U.S. have created large stockpiles of arms for use in time of war. These communist weapon caches are reportedly hidden all over America. According to Lunev, the Chinese and Russian weapon stockpiles include explosives, nerve gas, anthrax and as many as 120 "suitcase" nuclear bombs! I have confirmed Colonel Lunev's story with several members of Congress. Red China and Russia have pre-positioned nuclear, chemical and biological weapons on American soil with the intent of destroying our nation. President Clinton and Congress are aware that China and Russia have smuggled nuclear bombs into the United States. Li Ka-Shing and his new airbase in Martinsburg are the perfect delivery points for PRC special forces operations. Chinese Army operatives in Li Ka-Shing's employ can be "activated" years after being planted, whenever needed. For example Charlie Trie, Johnny Chung, John Huang, Hua Di and K.S. Wu all had the perfect "civilian" credentials. Trie, Chung, and Huang await justice in America but Wu is dead and Hua Di has "defected" back to China. According to Lunev, PRC special forces agents are rotated on a regular basis in and out of America, usually through diplomatic sites at the U.N. or the PRC Embassy. Washington and New York are only minutes away from Martinsburg by jet. A so-called "civilian" project could put PRC bombers over the U.S. capitol without warning. A single "business" jet with a suitcase bomb could fly to ground zero with satellite navigation accuracy and a GPS autopilot. Such an unmanned flight in the crowded skies of Washington D.C. would go unnoticed until the final fatal second. The surprise nuclear attack will kill the entire U.S. leadership. U.S. military leaders in the Pentagon, the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court and nearly a million Americans will die in a single flash. If there were enough concerns to shut down the planned PRC takeover of Long Beach then the PRC airbase in Martinsburg should at least also undergo close scrutiny. The relationship between Li Ka-Shing, Ron Brown, K.S. Wu, Sen. Rockefeller and Bill Clinton should be investigated by an FBI director and attorney general interested in protecting the national security. We need to kick out known espionage agents and close their front operations. Covert operations to put atomic bombs on American soil are an act of war. We should confront the Red Chinese and Russian leadership with a demand to remove these devices at once. The threat now lies buried in our own soil, next to our homes and within minutes of our nation's capitol. RELATED ITEMS: Dead men tell no tales -- Part 2 Source documents http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_smith/19990323_xcsof_dead_men_t.shtml - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) Internal nuclear threat? Date: 28 Mar 1999 01:32:02 EST Dear David Crockett Williams, I understand your concern with this material, but it is "far out". You've posted a couple of items like this. I know there are probably hundreds of thousands of Americans who believe this material and see links between Hillary Clinton, mysterious murders in Arkansas, and suitcase nuclear bombs scattered around the U.S. But I don't think this is the list for them. You have given your address - gear2000@lightspeed.net - and I think you should count on getting into "one on one dialogues" with people who want to pursue these things with you. Sincerely, David McReynolds gear2000@lightspeed.net writes: << Subj: (abolition-usa) Internal nuclear threat? Date: 3/28/99 12:13:15 AM Eastern Standard Time From: gear2000@lightspeed.net (David Crockett Williams) Sender: owner-abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com Reply-to: abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com To: abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com (Abolition 2000 USA), bay_area_activist@onelist.com (BayAreaActivistList), Activist_List@listbot.com (Activist Mailing List), peacebuilders@gemini.cia.com (PeaceBuilders) [from website reference below] [Russian and Chinese "Speznatz" or special forces Army teams are always inserted on strategic recce, assasination and sabotage missions in the enemy rear. Nuclear weapons, command HQs and VIPs will be their targets. The weapons are already in the United States. They are stored in hidden caches, including conventional, nuclear, chemical and nuclear "brief case" bombs. >> - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Timothy Bruening Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) ?? new Name ????. NO !!!!!! Date: 27 Mar 1999 22:50:57 -0800 (PST) At 01:17 PM 10/3/98 -0500, danfine@igc.apc.org (Daniel Fine) wrote: >Believe new name would be a mistake: > >(1) "Abolition" is an abiding categorical imperative, but I don't believe >many members or supporters ever really believed we would have a treaty >(NWC) in place by the year 2000. 2000 was and still is, and will remain a >symbol of a threshold, a passage, a new beginning, a new century, new >millennium etc. So 2000 remains meaningful and will still be after 2000 (as >is the Y2K bug). >To us, 2000 means struggle for abolition and steps on the journey, now and >in the 21st century. I suggest calling us "Abolition Y2K" - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) NATO and Kosovo / part two Date: 28 Mar 1999 03:04:10 EST Subj: NATO and Kosovo / part two Date: 3/28/99 2:59:49 AM Eastern Standard Time From: DavidMcR To: wrll@scn.org, wrl@igc.apc.org To: COC-L@CMSA.BERKELEY.EDU To: RedYouth@lefty.techsi.com To: SocialistsUnmoderated@lefty.techsi.com The other day I'd sent out a short analysis just before the bombing started. These are some additional thoughts. Personal, not official for War Resisters League or the Socialist Party. On action, while we write each other, we urgently need to write members of Congress. High priority. (Don't waste time writing Clinton - hopeless). Where possible we need to mount peaceful local demonstrations at federal buildings so that the public is aware of the lack of consensus. Last night a friend said he would get up early Sunday to watch the Washington Talk Shows. I said why waste his time. He said "I know they aren't very bright, but I need to find out what they want us to believe - and the Washington talk shows are it". He's right. All the good grey folks, all the paid talking heads, whose political views range from far right to moderate liberal, are explaining to us some things which can't be explained. So at this late hour on Saturday night . . . let me offer an antidote. First, the instant the first bombs fell on Yugoslavia, the United States and its NATO allies had engaged in an act of aggression against a sovereign state. It can be argued that having threatened bombing for so long, they had no choice but to do it. Sorry - a state of war against a nation is a state of war - vastly different from threats of a state of war. Second, while I am not clear why the US is doing this, I am very clear on why it is NOT doing it. It is not doing it because of the slightest humanitarian concerns. If it had such concerns, it would have lifted the sanctions on Iraq, where over a half million civilians, largely infants and the elderly, have died because of our sanctions. And it would have pursued a totally different policy in the past twenty fives years. Please remember - and we are not talking ancient history - that the United States killed over two million Vietnamese (not counting those in Laos and Cambodia) during its invasion of Indochina. The U.S. colluded in the Indonesian slaughters in East Timor. The U.S. CIA played a central role in the overthrow of the elected government of Chile - the Allenda government. The U.S. worked with heroin and cocaine trafficers in the Contra scandals when we were directly involved in acts of murder in Nicaragua. (Remember the World Court ruling which WENT AGAINST THE U.S., on the mining of the harbor there?). The U.S. was actively involved in massascres in Guatemala, through training the military at Fort Benning, Georgia, and through covert aid and financial and military help to the government in Guatemala. Ditto El Salvador. And Honduras. One could go on. This is enough. No government has "moral interests" in its foreign policy. Not the U.S., not Vietnam, not Israeli, not Cuba. All governments seek to mask their actions through a pretense of morality. Because ours is a democratic country with a fairly free press there is less excuse for any of us to take Clinton seriously. He may or may not be a moral person as an individual. The same may be true of Milosevic. But the governments involved, Yugoslavia, Germany, Britian, the U.S., etc. are not moral (nor are they particularly immoral - they each seek to advance their own interests). Second, the attacks launched by the U.S., Great Britain, and Germany are remarkable in the context of wars of agression over the past fifty years in the cynical use of "victims". Right now, as the bombing continues, the dangers of any Albanian dissidents in Kosovo is much greater. The killing will be speeded up. I cannot think of a war which was launched because of deep moral concern for suffering people. Look back at history. In World War II everyone who had followed events in Germany knew the fate of the Jews was ominous in the extreme. Yet not one country lifted a hand to do a damn thing. (And the Soviet Union signed a non- aggression Pact with the Nazis). Only when Hitler attacked Poland did the Allies enter the war - and even then, the issue of the Jews was not the reason. (Nor in our own Civil War, where the freeing of the slaves was not the issue, but rather Lincoln's determination, somewhat akin to Milosevic's, to keep the nation united at any cost). Only late in the Civil War, as a means to help win it, did Lincoln set the slaves free - and then only in the States in insurrection. In World War II we knew about the rape of Nanking. I used to get bubble gum wrapped in colorful wax sheets which showed Japanese troops killing Chinese women. But no one did a damn thing - until Pearl Harbor. In the Iraqi case, Washington supported Saddam during the long war with Iran in which a half million youth on each side was killed. This is morality? The depth of cynicism of the United States is perhaps no greater than that of Nazi Germany or Stalin's Russia, but it is emphatically no less. The tendency of the good people that we all - individually - are, is to want to believe what Clinton says. I do. My first reaction is "how can I oppose any action that will help the poor souls in Kosovo?" and "Surely David, there must be some good reason for what Clinton is doing". Who wants to realize and admit that their own government is doing terrible, criminal things? Please think of the not distant past. I remember sitting in a room at the F.O.R. headquarters in Nyack during the invasion of Somalia and some of those good and decent pacifists argued that the U.S. troops sent by Bush were necessary to prevent bloodshed and starvation. Look at the result - the U.S. had to flee the scene, in the face of what is now conceded to be the universal hatred of the U.S. troops by everyone in Somalia. Look at Iraq, where we said we wanted to do good. As a result of our "necessary" actions, in addition to the 100,000 or so killed by the U.S. during Desert Storm (never forgetting the faithful contemptible support of the British government), we gave hope to religious groups that were restless, they rose up, got no help from us and were slaughtered by Saddam. Then we imposed sanctions and a half million or more died. I don't have an answer for Kuwait (though that was far more complex than our media told us) but the answer we employed was a human disaster which continues to echo. If the U.S. has the right to dictate the terms on which Yugoslavia will deal with what emphatically is an internal problem, then does NATO have the right to bomb Tel Aviv for refusing to carry out UN resolutions of long standing? Should Spain be bombed if they don't concede to the Basques? Should Tony Blair be arrested because he has British troops in Northern Ireland? Should we bomb China because of Tibet? Is there a nation that shouldn't, once we get on this topic, be bombed for the good of humanity and the cause of peace? You may think I'm joking but I'm not. The U.S./NATO aggression occured, ironically, only because the Soviet Union had collapsed and the military balance that held the US (and the Soviet Union) in relatve check has vanished. The U.S. has, in a number of acts of aggression, Somalia, Grenada, Panama, the Gulf War, and now the attack on Yugoslavia, proved to be a very dangerous power. The range of international treaties that have been broken is unnerving. The UN has been by-passed. Serbia may be led by a nasty man (who won a free election) but the Serbs are not nasty people. They were good allies to the West during World War II. They have not fired a single shot at any NATO member. What is the justification for this extraordinary aggression? That they had refused to accept the partition of their country on terms dictated by military powers outside their country. Again, I don't know yet to my own satisfaction why the US and NATO is engaged in this. I do know that morality has nothing whatever to do with it and if I hear one more sweet soul say "yes, but do you mean you won't do anything for the poor people there" I may bloody well scream. There are people being butchered and murdered and raped all over the world and I live in horror of it. There is almost nothing I can do about these actions in Sudan, Congo, Indonesia, India, etc. But where my own country is involved - as in Vietnam - then I have to give priority to stopping my country from making a very nasty world much worse. We simply must stop responding to what the media holds up as "the issue of the day" to which we are all supposed to say "Oh yes, bomb that country, they are wicked". The world is filled with wicked people doing wicked things. The talking heads are among the wicked people doing wicked things. We will never get the kind of world we want, in which the bloodshed diminishes, if we keep agreeing to military actions. Do we learn nothing? Our "innocent anti-Communism" which in 1960 got us involved in Indochina "to stop terrorism" cost us so many lives, our own and Vietnamese, and in the end left us wounded so deeply. How many more hundreds of thousands must die before we stop our own government from "doing good things for the poor people of the world". (Which usually translates as "making the world safer for the wonders of a global capitalism"). I know bad things are happening in Kosovo. They got worse since Clinton started to make them "better". Please, if you have foreign contacts, transmit this to them. International pressure is needed to stop the US and NATO. Peace, David McReynolds former Chair, War Resisters International former Co-Chair, Socialist Party USA >> - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) Chomsky on Current Bombings (fwd) Date: 28 Mar 1999 17:00:16 EST Subj: Chomsky on Current Bombings (fwd) Date: 3/28/99 2:57:16 PM Eastern Standard Time From: eschuster2@juno.com (Eric A Schuster) To: SocialistsUnmoderated@lefty.techsi.com CC: spiegv@worldnet.att.net --------- Begin forwarded message ---------- The Current Bombings By Noam Chomsky There have been many inquiries concerning NATO (meaning primarily US) bombing in Kosovo. A great deal has been written about the topic, including Znet commentaries. I'd like to make a few general observations, keeping to facts that are not seriously contested. There are two fundamental issues: (1) What are the accepted and applicable "rules of world order"? (2) How do these or other considerations apply in the case of Kosovo? (1) What are the accepted and applicable "rules of world order"? There is a regime of international law and international order, binding on all states, based on the UN Charter and subsequent resolutions and World Court decisions. In brief, the threat or use of force is banned unless explicitly authorized by the Security Council after it has determined that peaceful means have failed, or in self-defense against "armed attack" (a narrow concept) until the Security Council acts. There is, of course, more to say. Thus there is at least a tension, if not an outright contradiction, between the rules of world order laid down in the UN Charter and the rights articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UD), a second pillar of the world order established under US initiative after World War II. The Charter bans force violating state sovereignty; the UD guarantees the rights of individuals against oppressive states. The issue of "humanitarian intervention" arises from this tension. It is the right of "humanitarian intervention" that is claimed by the US/NATO in Kosovo, and that is generally supported by editorial opinion and news reports (in the latter case, reflexively, even by the very choice of terminology). The question is addressed in a news report in the NY Times (March 27), headlined "Legal Scholars Support Case for Using Force" in Kosovo (March 27). One example is offered: Allen Gerson, former counsel to the US mission to the UN. Two other legal scholars are cited. One, Ted Galen Carpenter, "scoffed at the Administration argument" and dismissed the alleged right of intervention. The third is Jack Goldsmith, a specialist on international law at Chicago Law school. He says that critics of the NATO bombing "have a pretty good legal argument," but "many people think [an exception for humanitarian intervention] does exist as a matter of custom and practice." That summarizes the evidence offered to justify the favored conclusion stated in the headline. Goldsmith's observation is reasonable, at least if we agree that facts are relevant to the determination of "custom and practice." We may also bear in mind a truism: the right of humanitarian intervention, if it exists, is premised on the "good faith" of those intervening, and that assumption is based not on their rhetoric but on their record, in particular their record of adherence to the principles of international law, World Court decisions, and so on. That is indeed a truism, at least with regard to others. Consider, for example, Iranian offers to intervene in Bosnia to prevent massacres at a time when the West would not do so. These were dismissed with ridicule (in fact, ignored); if there was a reason beyond subordination to power, it was because Iranian "good faith" could not be assumed. A rational person then asks obvious questions: is the Iranian record of intervention and terror worse than that of the US? And other questions, for example: How should we assess the "good faith" of the only country to have vetoed a Security Council resolution calling on all states to obey international law? What about its historical record? Unless such questions are prominent on the agenda of discourse, an honest person will dismiss it as mere allegiance to doctrine. A useful exercise is to determine how much of the literature -- media or other -- survives such elementary conditions as these. (2) How do these or other considerations apply in the case of Kosovo? There has been a humanitarian catastrophe in Kosovo in the past year, overwhelmingly attributable to Yugoslav military forces. The main victims have been ethnic Albanian Kosovars, some 90% of the population of this Yugoslav territory. The standard estimate is 2000 deaths and hundreds of thousands of refugees. In such cases, outsiders have three choices: (I) try to escalate the catastrophe (II) do nothing (III) try to mitigate the catastrophe The choices are illustrated by other contemporary cases. Let's keep to a few of approximately the same scale, and ask where Kosovo fits into the pattern. (A) Colombia. In Colombia, according to State Department estimates, the annual level of political killing by the government and its paramilitary associates is about at the level of Kosovo, and refugee flight primarily from their atrocities is well over a million. Colombia has been the leading Western hemisphere recipient of US arms and training as violence increased through the '90s, and that assistance is now increasing, under a "drug war" pretext dismissed by almost all serious observers. The Clinton administration was particularly enthusiastic in its praise for President Gaviria, whose tenure in office was responsible for "appalling levels of violence," according to human rights organizations, even surpassing his predecessors. Details are readily available. In this case, the US reaction is (I): escalate the atrocities. (B) Turkey. By very conservative estimate, Turkish repression of Kurds in the '90s falls in the category of Kosovo. It peaked in the early '90s; one index is the flight of over a million Kurds from the countryside to the unofficial Kurdish capital Diyarbakir from 1990 to 1994, as the Turkish army was devastating the countryside. 1994 marked two records: it was "the year of the worst repression in the Kurdish provinces" of Turkey, Jonathan Randal reported from the scene, and the year when Turkey became "the biggest single importer of American military hardware and thus the world's largest arms purchaser." When human rights groups exposed Turkey's use of US jets to bomb villages, the Clinton Administration found ways to evade laws requiring suspension of arms deliveries, much as it was doing in Indonesia and elsewhere. Colombia and Turkey explain their (US-supported) atrocities on grounds that they are defending their countries from the threat of terrorist guerrillas. As does the government of Yugoslavia. Again, the example illustrates (I): try to escalate the atrocities. (C) Laos. Every year thousands of people, mostly children and poor farmers, are killed in the Plain of Jars in Northern Laos, the scene of the heaviest bombing of civilian targets in history it appears, and arguably the most cruel: Washington's furious assault on a poor peasant society had little to do with its wars in the region. The worst period was from 1968, when Washington was compelled to undertake negotiations (under popular and business pressure), ending the regular bombardment of North Vietnam. Kissinger-Nixon then decided to shift the planes to bombardment of Laos and Cambodia. The deaths are from "bombies," tiny anti-personnel weapons, far worse than land-mines: they are designed specifically to kill and maim, and have no effect on trucks, buildings, etc. The Plain was saturated with hundreds of millions of these criminal devices, which have a failure-to-explode rate of 20%-30% according to the manufacturer, Honeywell. The numbers suggest either remarkably poor quality control or a rational policy of murdering civilians by delayed action. These were only a fraction of the technology deployed, including advanced missiles to penetrate caves where families sought shelter. Current annual casualties from "bombies" are estimated from hundreds a year to "an annual nationwide casualty rate of 20,000," more than half of them deaths, according to the veteran Asia reporter Barry Wain of the Wall Street Journal -- in its Asia edition. A conservative estimate, then, is that the crisis this year is approximately comparable to Kosovo, though deaths are far more highly concentrated among children -- over half, according to analyses reported by the Mennonite Central Committee, which has been working there since 1977 to alleviate the continuing atrocities. There have been efforts to publicize and deal with the humanitarian catastrophe. A British-based Mine Advisory Group (MAG) is trying to remove the lethal objects, but the US is "conspicuously missing from the handful of Western organisations that have followed MAG," the British press reports, though it has finally agreed to train some Laotian civilians. The British press also reports, with some anger, the allegation of MAG specialists that the US refuses to provide them with "render harmless procedures" that would make their work "a lot quicker and a lot safer." These remain a state secret, as does the whole affair in the United States. The Bangkok press reports a very similar situation in Cambodia, particularly the Eastern region where US bombardment from early 1969 was most intense. In this case, the US reaction is (II): do nothing. And the reaction of the media and commentators is to keep silent, following the norms under which the war against Laos was designated a "secret war" -- meaning well-known, but suppressed, as also in the case of Cambodia from March 1969. The level of self-censorship was extraordinary then, as is the current phase. The relevance of this shocking example should be obvious without further comment. I will skip other examples of (I) and (II), which abound, and also much more serious contemporary atrocities, such as the huge slaughter of Iraqi civilians by means of a particularly vicious form of biological warfare -- "a very hard choice," Madeleine Albright commented on national TV in 1996 when asked for her reaction to the killing of half a million Iraqi children in 5 years, but "we think the price is worth it." Current estimates remain about 5000 children killed a month, and the price is still "worth it." These and other examples might also be kept in mind when we read awed rhetoric about how the "moral compass" of the Clinton Administration is at last functioning properly, as the Kosovo example illustrates. Just what does the example illustrate? The threat of NATO bombing, predictably, led to a sharp escalation of atrocities by the Serbian Army and paramilitaries, and to the departure of international observers, which of course had the same effect. Commanding General Wesley Clark declared that it was "entirely predictable" that Serbian terror and violence would intensify after the NATO bombing, exactly as happened. The terror for the first time reached the capital city of Pristina, and there are credible reports of large-scale destruction of villages, assassinations, generation of an enormous refugee flow, perhaps an effort to expel a good part of the Albanian population -- all an "entirely predictable" consequence of the threat and then the use of force, as General Clark rightly observes. Kosovo is therefore another illustration of (I): try to escalate the violence, with exactly that expectation. To find examples illustrating (III) is all too easy, at least if we keep to official rhetoric. The major recent academic study of "humanitarian intervention," by Sean Murphy, reviews the record after the Kellogg-Briand pact of 1928 which outlawed war, and then since the UN Charter, which strengthened and articulated these provisions. In the first phase, he writes, the most prominent examples of "humanitarian intervention" were Japan's attack on Manchuria, Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia, and Hitler's occupation of parts of Czechoslovakia. All were accompanied by highly uplifting humanitarian rhetoric, and factual justifications as well. Japan was going to establish an "earthly paradise" as it defended Manchurians from "Chinese bandits," with the support of a leading Chinese nationalist, a far more credible figure than anyone the US was able to conjure up during its attack on South Vietnam. Mussolini was liberating thousands of slaves as he carried forth the Western "civilizing mission." Hitler announced Germany's intention to end ethnic tensions and violence, and "safeguard the national individuality of the German and Czech peoples," in an operation "filled with earnest desire to serve the true interests of the peoples dwelling in the area," in accordance with their will; the Slovakian President asked Hitler to declare Slovakia a protectorate. Another useful intellectual exercise is to compare those obscene justifications with those offered for interventions, including "humanitarian interventions," in the post-UN Charter period. In that period, perhaps the most compelling example of (III) is the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia in December 1978, terminating Pol Pot's atrocities, which were then peaking. Vietnam pleaded the right of self-defense against armed attack, one of the few post-Charter examples when the plea is plausible: the Khmer Rouge regime (Democratic Kampuchea, DK) was carrying out murderous attacks against Vietnam in border areas. The US reaction is instructive. The press condemned the "Prussians" of Asia for their outrageous violation of international law. They were harshly punished for the crime of having terminated Pol Pot's slaughters, first by a (US-backed) Chinese invasion, then by US imposition of extremely harsh sanctions. The US recognized the expelled DK as the official government of Cambodia, because of its "continuity" with the Pol Pot regime, the State Department explained. Not too subtly, the US supported the Khmer Rouge in its continuing attacks in Cambodia. The example tells us more about the "custom and practice" that underlies "the emerging legal norms of humanitarian intervention." Despite the desperate efforts of ideologues to prove that circles are square, there is no serious doubt that the NATO bombings further undermine what remains of the fragile structure of international law. The US made that entirely clear in the discussions leading to the NATO decision. Apart from the UK (by now, about as much of an independent actor as the Ukraine was in the pre-Gorbachev years), NATO countries were skeptical of US policy, and were particularly annoyed by Secretary of State Albright's "saber-rattling" (Kevin Cullen, Boston Globe, Feb. 22). Today, the more closely one approaches the conflicted region, the greater the opposition to Washington's insistence on force, even within NATO (Greece and Italy). France had called for a UN Security Council resolution to authorize deployment of NATO peacekeepers. The US flatly refused, insisting on "its stand that NATO should be able to act independently of the United Nations," State Department officials explained. The US refused to permit the "neuralgic word `authorize'" to appear in the final NATO statement, unwilling to concede any authority to the UN Charter and international law; only the word "endorse" was permitted (Jane Perlez, NYT, Feb. 11). Similarly the bombing of Iraq was a brazen expression of contempt for the UN, even the specific timing, and was so understood. And of course the same is true of the destruction of half the pharmaceutical production of a small African country a few months earlier, an event that also does not indicate that the "moral compass" is straying from righteousness -- not to speak of a record that would be prominently reviewed right now if facts were considered relevant to determining "custom and practice." It could be argued, rather plausibly, that further demolition of the rules of world order is irrelevant, just as it had lost its meaning by the late 1930s. The contempt of the world's leading power for the framework of world order has become so extreme that there is nothing left to discuss. A review of the internal documentary record demonstrates that the stance traces back to the earliest days, even to the first memorandum of the newly-formed National Security Council in 1947. During the Kennedy years, the stance began to gain overt expression. The main innovation of the Reagan-Clinton years is that defiance of international law and the Charter has become entirely open. It has also been backed with interesting explanations, which would be on the front pages, and prominent in the school and university curriculum, if truth and honesty were considered significant values. The highest authorities explained with brutal clarity that the World Court, the UN, and other agencies had become irrelevant because they no longer follow US orders, as they did in the early postwar years. One might then adopt the official position. That would be an honest stand, at least if it were accompanied by refusal to play the cynical game of self-righteous posturing and wielding of the despised principles of international law as a highly selective weapon against shifting enemies. While the Reaganites broke new ground, under Clinton the defiance of world order has become so extreme as to be of concern even to hawkish policy analysts. In the current issue of the leading establishment journal, Foreign Affairs, Samuel Huntington warns that Washington is treading a dangerous course. In the eyes of much of the world -- probably most of the world, he suggests -- the US is "becoming the rogue superpower," considered "the single greatest external threat to their societies." Realist "international relations theory," he argues, predicts that coalitions may arise to counterbalance the rogue superpower. On pragmatic grounds, then, the stance should be reconsidered. Americans who prefer a different image of their society might call for a reconsideration on other than pragmatic grounds. Where does that leave the question of what to do in Kosovo? It leaves it unanswered. The US has chosen a course of action which, as it explicitly recognizes, escalates atrocities and violence -- "predictably"; a course of action that also strikes yet another blow against the regime of international order, which does offer the weak at least some limited protection from predatory states. As for the longer term, consequences are unpredictable. One plausible observation is that "every bomb that falls on Serbia and every ethnic killing in Kosovo suggests that it will scarcely be possible for Serbs and Albanians to live beside each other in some sort of peace" (Financial Times, March 27). Some of the longer-term possible outcomes are extremely ugly, as has not gone without notice. A standard argument is that we had to do something: we could not simply stand by as atrocities continue. That is never true. One choice, always, is to follow the Hippocratic principle: "First, do no harm." If you can think of no way to adhere to that elementary principle, then do nothing. There are always ways that can be considered. Diplomacy and negotiations are never at an end. The right of "humanitarian intervention" is likely to be more frequently invoked in coming years -- maybe with justification, maybe not -- now that Cold War pretexts have lost their efficacy. In such an era, it may be worthwhile to pay attention to the views of highly respected commentators -- not to speak of the World Court, which explicitly ruled on this matter in a decision rejected by the United States, its essentials not even reported. In the scholarly disciplines of international affairs and international law it would be hard to find more respected voices than Hedley Bull or Leon Henkin. Bull warned 15 years ago that "Particular states or groups of states that set themselves up as the authoritative judges of the world common good, in disregard of the views of others, are in fact a menace to international order, and thus to effective action in this field." Henkin, in a standard work on world order, writes that the "pressures eroding the prohibition on the use of force are deplorable, and the arguments to legitimize the use of force in those circumstances are unpersuasive and dangerous... Violations of human rights are indeed all too common, and if it were permissible to remedy them by external use of force, there would be no law to forbid the use of force by almost any state against almost any other. Human rights, I believe, will have to be vindicated, and other injustices remedied, by other, peaceful means, not by opening the door to aggression and destroying the principle advance in international law, the outlawing of war and the prohibition of force." Recognized principles of international law and world order, solemn treaty obligations, decisions by the World Court, considered pronouncements by the most respected commentators -- these do not automatically solve particular problems. Each issue has to be considered on its merits. For those who do not adopt the standards of Saddam Hussein, there is a heavy burden of proof to meet in undertaking the threat or use of force in violation of the principles of international order. Perhaps the burden can be met, but that has to be shown, not merely proclaimed with passionate rhetoric. The consequences of such violations have to be assessed carefully -- in particular, what we understand to be "predictable." And for those who are minimally serious, the reasons for the actions also have to be assessed -- again, not simply by adulation of our leaders and their "moral compass." _ --------- End forwarded message ---------- ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] -- The lefty.techsi.com server is not operated by the owners of the techsi.com domain. Views expressed in this email do not reflect the opinions of TSI, its officers, customers, or minions. To unsubscribe, send email to SocialistsUnmoderated-request@lefty.techsi.com with "unsubscribe" in the Subject line. Send complaints that can't be resolved by unsubscribing to doumakes@novia.net. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Timothy Bruening Subject: (abolition-usa) Stop bombing Serbia! Date: 28 Mar 1999 21:56:53 -0800 (PST) I have just sent the following letter to Representative Doug Ose, Senator Dianne Feinstein, and Senator Barbara Boxer: Dear Representative Doug Ose, Senator Dianne Feinstein, and Senator Barbara Boxer: Aside from the awful civilian casualties in Serbia, the bombing of Serbia has strengthened Milosevic by rallying all Serbians around him, and has given him cover to intensify the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo. The bombing of Serbia has also angered the Russians into further delaying their ratification of START II and suspending cooperation with the West, including cooperation to avert a Y2K nuclear war. Worst of all, the bombing of Serbia has caused Russia to consider deploying nuclear weapons in Belarus, and caused the Ukraine to renounce its non-nuclear policy. Therefore, I urge you to cosponsor resolutions urging Clinton to stop bombing Serbia and adopt the following policies to defuse the Kosovo crisis, undermine Milosevic, and repair the damage to U.S.-Russian relations and to the nuclear disarmament process: I. Propose a UN Peacekeeping force in Kosovo, with no troops from the Permanent 5 UN Security Council members (U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France) or from any NATO nations, except for the three newest members. Instead, the troops should be from Eastern Europe, and/or the Third World. I believe that such a force would be more acceptable to the Serbs. The UN Peacekeepers would police an autonomy agreement, disarm both sides, and organize an integrated Serb/Albanian Peacekeeping Force. II. Broadcast graphic accounts of Serbian atrocities against Kosovo Albanians into Serbia and into Russia, and ask listeners: Is the Serbian government worth your support? Hopefully, this would undermine Milosevic's popularity in both countries. III. Dramatically announce that the U.S. is taking its nuclear weapons off alert, removing the warheads from their delivery vehicles, and halting all nuclear weapons design, testing, production, and deployment activities. IV. Challenge all the other nuclear nations to follow our lead, and challenge Russia to immediately ratify START II, cancel any deployment of its nuclear weapons outside its territory, and resume cooperation with the West to avert a Y2K nuclear war. Sincerely, Timothy Bruening 1439 Brown Drive Davis, CA 95616 - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) Jan Myrdal calls for a new Peace Front Date: 29 Mar 1999 01:49:00 EST Subj: Jan Myrdal calls for a new Peace Front Date: 3/29/99 1:38:42 AM Eastern Standard Time From: DavidMcR To: wrll@scn.org, RedYouth@lefty.techsi.com To: SocialistsUnmoderated@lefty.techsi.com To: warresisters@gn.apc.org, ri@ifor.org BCC: DavidMcR I'm most grateful to Jay for "cleaning up" the original post which had lots of weirdness in its spacing. Am happy to send this along. Fraternally, David McReynolds In a message dated 3/28/99 8:30:10 PM Eastern Standard Time, jschaffner@labornet.org writes: << In line with statements from other individuals and organizations which have appeared on the various lists which comprise "Marxism space" on the internet, and in line with efforts to spread information about what is happening and the options before us, I forward this call by Swedish writer Jan Myrdal. I received it from someone who received it from someone named Hans Isaksson, so I suppose any comments should=20 properly be directed to Mr. Isaksson at hissak@algonet.se. - JRF -------------------------------------------------------------------------= --------- A C A L L F O R A N E W P E A C E F R O N T By Jan Myrdal The United States, its allies and its subordinate states have=20 thoroughly changed the international situation by their war of=20 aggression against Yugoslavia. It is, however, not only up to the United States whether the=20 United Nations will now become like the League of Nations after=20 the Japanese aggression back in 1931. Nor is it entirely up to=20 the United States how the future conflicts will develop - it is=20 up to us, the people. In order to act intelligently we shall=20 have to realise this fact and discuss its implications. Even if WW I was trigged by the shots in Sarajevo it started=20 with the Balkan wars during the preceding years. It was fore- boded by conflicts, possible to discern and to analyse already=20 in the 1890-ies, between the big powers on the repartition of=20 the world. The contemporary peace- and labour movement could=20 foresee this big war in advent. The analysis made by the Basle conference of the Second Interna- tional was perfectly clear. However, in the absence of a broadly based peace movement, organised by and among the people their=20 leaders were able to desert the struggle for peace. Instead they began to serve the imperialist masters and to drag the peoples=20 into a sanguinary world war. On our side we have discussed how=20 this could happen since the autumn of 1914. Even if the Second World War, as far as Europe was concerned, =20 was trigged when Hitlerite Germany attacked Poland in 1939 it=20 was initiated when Japan occupied Manchuria in 1931 (and it was=20 continued by the Italian assault on Abessinia and by the=20 fascist coup, supported by Germany and Italy, against the legal=20 government in Spain in 1936). In this imperialist power game the leaders of Great Britain, France and the United States thought =20 that they might be able to turn Japan and Germany against the=20 Soviet Union, thus being able keep their own empires for them- selves.=20 In spite of this the contemporary peace movement and the anti- fascist forces in the interval between the preludes of the war=20 and its exacerbation made a great performance to unite the=20 peoples on the broadest possible foundation against the fascists and the war. In doing this they contributed to the future defeat of the fascists. Even if they were not strong enough to prevent=20 the war they had learnt from the events in 1914. It is granted that the third World war was initiated by the=20 bomb over Hiroshima - which was not necessary in order to defeat Japan but was needed in order to secure the world hegemony de- sired by the United States - and later by the iron curtain=20 speech by Winston Churchill, the Truman doctrine and NATO. How- ever the war never broke out. We succeeded in the fifties where=20 we failed back in 1914 and 1939. We were able to resist the for- ces of war. We were millions all around the world working for the Stockholm=20 call for peace. Our slogans were simple and seemingly self-evi- dent: Prohibition and destruction of nuclear arms under interna- tional control - any state, deploying nuclear arms by this fact=20 was to be considered a war criminal. The press and our official=20 politicians were raging.=20 Whoever remembers the witch-hunt won=B4t forget it. The Daily News (the leading Swedish daily newspaper) slandered us as "Russian=20 agents". Our Prime Minister was very upset. On the initiative of the United States here in Sweden 20000 informers were organised=20 to spy on all those among their fellow countrymen who worked in favour of "the peace of Moscow" - and to annihilate them so- cially and politically. But we simply were too many millions all over the world organising to resist the US warmongers. They could not realise their dream - exposed on the cover of Col- lier=B4s Magazine in November 1951 with its atomic mushroom over=20 Moscow. Their war machine was defeated in Korea. They were co- erced into keeping peace. In Sweden powerful forces among Big Business , the military ap- paratus and their friends in the bourgeois parties as well as=20 parts of the social democratic leadership tried to make us join=20 the NATO and its war. But the peace movement was on its guard=20 and the public opinion was against NATO. The peace movement=20 grew. Certain generals and politicians were in the service of=20 the United States. They had to act illegaly and secretly.=20 With the support of the public opinion we made Sweden officially stick to the very same political line that it had adhered to since 1834: Freedom of alliance in peacetime, aiming to neutra- lity in wartime. This fact constituted a severe defeat for the=20 diplomacy of the United States and for the pro-NATO forces in=20 our country. Among the political/military leadership a program for the deve- lopment of Swedish arms was prepared, however. Even Olof Palme=20 was in favour of that program. Here, also, the military and the=20 politicians had to yield to the pressure of the public opinion,=20 organised by the peace movement. So Olof Palme switched his opi- nion, being a shrewd politician. You may remember how our work against the US war of aggression=20 in South East Asia was organised? Then official Sweden was on=20 the side of the United States. We had good reasons to call, as=20 we did, our Prime Minister and the head of the National TUC "the flunkeys of Lyndon". There are several us remembering how they got beaten up when=20 the government deployed their mounted police force on the 20th=20 of December 1967. By sticking to the mass line, by reasoning,=20 spreading information and by sticking to the simple principles=20 which conformed to the interests of the Swedish people we made=20 the government yield. At least in words, if not in its deeds it=20 had to oppose the US war. Olof Palme himself ended up heading =20 demonstrations. For this we ought to respect him and hail him.=20 We should not be sectarian or self-righteous. As many of us know our work for peace and solidarity continued with the struggle for the rights of the Palestinian People, it went=20 on to oppose the Brezhnev doctrine, used by Moscow in order to=20 establish and expand its hegemony. In this moment for economical and power political motives the leadership of the United States and their followers are striving to enforce the world hegemony of Globalisation. This is done by deliberately by-passing the UN, by exploiting internal ethnical/ religious conflicts. All means, political and military, are in- strumental to this end. Thus, our struggle for peace must be continued. We shall work broadly, without condideration for old contradic- tions. In different ways we shall organise a public opinion. We=20 shall raise simple political demands in the interest of the=20 broad majority of the people. In Sweden, for instance:=20 Return to our political guidelines in foreign policy valid=20 since 1834: Freedom of alliance in peacetime, aiming to neutrality in war- time. Return to the line of foreign policy, enforced by the=20 peace movement and the people in the sixties. In favour of the UN, against the self-imposed "right" of super- powers (the Truman doctrine, the Brezhnev doctrine or the cur- rent Clinton doctrine) to intervene by military force in the in- ternal affairs of other states. Solidarity with the demands of the Third World ("the South") for an egalitarian distribution of the wordly goods, against plun- dering and neo-colonialism, in favour of mutual respect and un- derstanding as a foundation for the international intercourse. It is of paramount importance to counter the ever more uniform=20 news media by spreading an objective information about world af- fairs.=20 Another central task is to reveal the methods of propaganda de- ployed by imperialism and neo-colonialism. You=B4ll notice that=20 Washington is now talking about "human rights" in the same man- ner as the Victorian British talked of "Christian Values", the=20 Tsar of "the freedom of small nations", the warring Japan of=20 "freedom from colonial masters and common welfare", Mussolini of "liberating the Abessinians from slavery", Hitler of "new,=20 brotherly Europe". You can demonstrate this by quotations and=20 examples! Further, you should fight the ideologies about "the war between civilisations" and "obsoleteness of the national states" that=20 are now being produced by the "think-tanks" of the United States and by their parroters in our countries. You should fight them=20 thoroughly, hard and by means of arguments. These are great tasks confronting us. (Translation from the Swedish, authorized by the author:=20 Hans Isaksson) >> - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) Re: Kosovo Crisis Links Date: 29 Mar 1999 02:43:18 EST I am glad Ross sent this on - it is urgent at this time that we try to hear as many "sides" as possible, since the truth doesn't rest in any of them. In light of this appeal from the KLA, I do want to quote from the Sunday New York Times News of the Week section, the lead story under the title: Coping with the Truth About Friend and Foe and a sub-head "Victims Not Quite Innocent" "In the catalogue of horrors that have befallen Yugoslavia, the Kosovo Liberation Army is one of the lesser plagues. The danger to stability presented by President Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia is far greater than anythin within its power. "But the fact this group has emerged to speak for Kosovo's Albanians, and the bombing by NATO of Serbian targets on their behalf, reveal a great deal about the moral ambiguities confronting outsiders who wade into the Balkans to halt the killing and ethnic cleansing begun a decade ago by Mr. Milosevic. "The K.L.A. began on the radical fringe of Kosovar Albanian politics, originally made up of diehard Marxist-Leninists (who were bankrolled in the old days by the Stalinist dictatorship next door in Albania) as well as by descendants of the fascist militias raised by the Italians in World War II. It has no ideology behond a drive to liberate Kosovo from Serb rule, but its leaders have long championed the Quixotic goal of a 'Greater Albania' reaching into Albania, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro. "Though its atrocities pale next to the rampage of the Serbs, it has shown little tolerance for its ethnic rivals, carrying out random kidnappings and excutions and burning Serb villages." Peace, David McReynolds << From: rwilcock@pgs.ca (Ross Wilcock) Sender: owner-abolition-caucus@igc.org To: abolition-caucus@igc.org (Abolition-Caucus-L) Rather than sending out updates to Kosovo Crisis Links, these can be conveniently reviewed at http://www.pgs.ca/pages/war/kosovo.htm Ross Wilcock rwilcock@pgs.ca *** The following appeal was forwarded, dated: Sun 99/03/28 7:15 PM: KLA Appeal Drenica, 26 March (Kosovapress) We appeal to the journalists and the reporters throughout the world who are interested in what is happening within the territory of Kosova to come to the zones controlled by the Kosova Liberation Army. We assure them safety in their work as well as of the sincere and full support on the part of the KLA superiors and fighters including that of the people of Kosova in these zones. Your contribution towards a fair and accurate information about the events will enable the world to learn of the inhuman massacres committed by the paramilitary and terrorist army of the Belgrade regime in revenge to the NATO strikes. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Kosovo Date: 29 Mar 1999 10:55:30 -0500 >Date: Sat, 27 Mar 1999 23:07:01 -0500 >Subject: Kosovo >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: kalinowski@hrzpub.tu-darmstadt.de, abolition-caucus@igc.org >Cc: kalinowski@hrzpub.tu-darmstadt.de, kgrossman@hamptons.com, > gadams@gmresearch.u.-net.com, curtpa7@hr.house.gov, > conservef@gn.apc.org, amotluk@netcom.ca >From: yablokov@glasnet.ru (yablokov@glasnet.ru) > >Dear Freinds, >I understand and support all negative feeling connected wiyth NATO actions >against serbs. But I think that your hight intellectual communities have to >add some special - Nuclear - aspect into general picture. It never happened >before that a war start so close to Nuclear Power Plant (about 200 km to >Koslodui, Bulgaria; 400- to Paks, Hungary, and near the same distance - to >NPP in Slovenia). In 1980 and 1984 Prof.Bennet Ramberg have published the >book "Nuclear Power Plants as Weapons for the Enemy. An Unrecognized >Military Peril" ( University California Press, XXXV+193p.). My advise - to >look through this book carefully for the better understanding why Balcan >Conflict so unacceptable dangerous with one side, and why it real madneass >to continuing construct NPP in India, Iran, etc. >Alexey Yablokov > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) Holy Field of Kosovo (The Serbian/Christian Alamo) Date: 29 Mar 1999 13:49:23 -0800 [following is forwarded for background on current conflict] This background on Yugoslavia was written by Anthony Wayne, and now has been passed on to me by several friends. http://iresist.com/nbn/weekly.html === The Holy Field of Kosovo Because of the control of the news media most people do not understand the real battle being waged inside the borders of Yugoslavia. Let me then tell you about it. 600 years ago Islamic hordes invaded Christian Europe. They destroyed everything in their path. Those who refused to convert to Mohammedism suffered horrible fates. The Serbian women were first raped and then sold along with their children into slavery. Serbian men not killed on the battle field were castrated and blinded to make them docile slaves for their Turkish masters. Whole cities became a single funeral pyre with their flames reaching toward heaven for the thousands who lived in them as they were burned by the invaders. At one point in their advance into Serbia the Turks nailed some 12,000 Serbians to crosses mocking the death of Christ and the Faith of the Serbs. The Turkish invasion of Europe seemed unstoppable as they swept over everything in their path with fire and sword. Until they reached the Kosovo Plain. For it was there that in 1389 some 77,000 Christian knights and soldiers met the Turks. All of them pledging to each other and to Christ that they would die rather than convert to Mohammedism and lose their liberty. With prayer and fasting and the Cross of Christ before them, 77,000 Christian men led by Serbian Prince Lazar engaged in a gory battle to the death. Giving their life's blood not just to save the freedom of SerbiaCbut of all Europe from the advance of Mohammed's enslaving hordes. When the battle was over the cream of Serbian manhood lay dead in great heaps on the blood drenched field along with their Prince. But their death did not come easy for the Muslims. These martyrs for their faith fought so heroically, exacting such a tremendous toll upon the Islamic soldiers, that the advance into the heart of Europe was halted. During the battle a group of knights having heard that their Prince was dead, raced headlong through the enemy lines charging into the very center of the enemy camp where they slew in his tent the Turkish leader Emir Murad I. There they too died in desperate hand to hand combat outnumbered two hundred to one. Thenceforth Kosovo Field became to the Serbian people Acampo santo, The Holy Field. It is considered by many historians of the Christian Church to be the single greatest tomb of Christian martyrs killed in a single day. No other single larger sacrifice of Christians is know. Rome had it's glory. But Serbia has Kosovo! Each year on St Vitus' Day the Serbs honour the holy martyrs of Kosovo Plain and commemorate that epic sacrifice to freedom and the Faith of Christ with prayer and fasting. Such is the history of the Alamo like stand of Serbian manhood against the invading foes of Western Christian Civilization. Kosovo province is the heart and soul of Serbia and they will not yield it to today's Albanian Muslim terrorists backed by American cruise missiles and B2 bombers. The United States' aggression against the Serbs will be valiantly opposed by the descendants of those who died upon Kosovo Plain. The attempt to break it away from the Serbian nation will fail and America will reap more shame and condemnation for it's cowardly bombing of the Yugoslavian people. Like the Mexican commander Santa Anna who called for the Texans to surrender before his troops stormed the walls of the Alamo, Clinton has called for the surrender of Kosovo. He will not get it. And he will make martyrs of those he kills. Liberty and Faith still has it's defenders. ==== Below are some links that will provide a better understanding of the issue at hand: http://kosovo.serbhost.org/ http://www.beograd.com/radioyu/ http://kosovo.serbhost.org/elbooks.html http://www.computec-int.com/bsc/linkkoso.htm http://www.srpska-mreza.com/mlad/index.htm - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Stephen Young Subject: (abolition-usa) BASIC's updated website Date: 30 Mar 1999 11:02:34 -0500 Dear colleagues, BASIC has just improved its new website (yes, both new and improved!) on the upcoming NATO summit and NPT PrepCom. It includes news and analysis on a variety of issues in nuclear policy, non-proliferation, and disarmament. The site will be continuous updated up to and though both events. Please visit it at: http://www.basicint.org Comments, questions, and criticisms are welcome. Yours, Stephen Young Senior Analyst BASIC - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) KOSOVO: PACIFISTS IN BELGRADE/RFY Date: 30 Mar 1999 11:53:30 EST In a message dated 3/30/99 3:24:44 AM Eastern Standard Time, sbiesemans@clong.be writes: << Subj: KOSOVO: PACIFISTS IN BELGRADE/RFY Date: 3/30/99 3:24:44 AM Eastern Standard Time From: sbiesemans@clong.be (sbiesemans) To: pbibe@beon.be (BPI), DavidMcR@aol.com (DavidMcR@aol.com), eguelcher@europarl.eu.int (pgahrton), office@ifor.ccmail.compuserve.com (IFOR), ipb@gn.apc.org (ipb@gn.apc.org), isis-europe@tornado.be (ISIS-Europe), 101363.304@compuserve.com (Jim Forest), serfo@village.uunet.be (Koen Moens), regis@arpnet.it (Nanni SALIO) CC: eboumans@europarl.eu.int (BOUMANS Etienne), tcunningham@europarl.eu.int (CUNNINGHAM T., M.E.P.), smeyer@europarl.eu.int (MEYER Sabine), w.telkaemper@3landbox.comlink.apc.org (TELKAMPER Wilfried), lvecchi@europarl.eu.int (VECCHI m.e.p./ALBERTO CORSINI), mwood@europarl.eu.int (WOOD Michael) -- [ From: Biesemans Sam * EMC.Ver #2.5.02 ] -- Dear Friends, You will find herewith some news from our friend Bojan, who was a founder of the Yougoslav Bureau for Conscientious Objection in Belgrade. He also participated to different EBCO activities (for example: last seminar in Strasbourg or in Linz/Mauthausen last year). He is now student in Budapest, but he is still strongly linked with the pacifist friends in his country. Therefore we asked him some news about them. His short answer said a lot. Best whishes, Sam Biesemans, Chair of the Board of the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (E.B.C.O.), Brussels --------------- Forwarded Message --------------- From: "Bojan Aleksov", INTERNET:al_bojan@hotmail.com To: Samuel BIESEMANS, 106707,1246 Date: Lun 29 Mars 1999, 15:48 Dear Sam, our only concern at the moment is for the well being of our friends. It is extremely difficult to get through. Yesterday night the last foreign volunteers got out and came with very bad news. They will not tell anything to the public, in order not to bring our remaining friends in danger. Women in Black will not issue any statements. The bombs have silenced them and there is no chance for any activity in these conditions. However, there are some of our friends who still write reports and send them via e-mail, which is the only remaining communication. One of them is Pancevo (Vojvodina) M Peace group. Their e-mail is >Mandrino@panet.bits.net< and if you write to them, they might put you on their mailing list, although they write mostly in Serbian. The same is with Otpor (resistance)the Student Network. You can get into their mailing list but it is on Serbian and they are now also concerned for their safety. I don't even have to mention the situation in Kosovo and the civilian victims. I can't believe this is happening in 1999 and that the governments of all European countries and US are so ignorant, stupid and criminal. We can only pray at the moment, Bojan >From: Samuel BIESEMANS >To: BOJAN/BELGRADE >Subject: NEWS FROM OUR PACIFISTS FRIENDS IN BELGRADO/RFY ? >Date: Sun, 28 Mar 1999 14:37:22 -0500 > >Dear Bojan, > >Do you have news from our pacifist friends in your country ? Is it still possible for you to be in contact with them or has the technical censorship avoid that you phone, fax or e-mail to them ? > >Do you have from them or did you write yourself an analysis of the present war situation ? >Which message should you give to the pacifists in the NATO countries ? > >Thank you very much to give me an answer. > >Best whishes, > >Sam > >Brussels > >E-MAIL HOME: sambiesemans@compuserve.com (please sent only text files) >E-MAIL OFFICE: sbiesemans@clong.be > >TEL/FAX HOME: 00322 6604737 >TEL OFFICE: 00322 7438785 ------- FORWARD, End of original message ------- -- _____________________________________________ Sam BIESEMANS Press and European Parliament Relations Liaison Committee of Development NGOs to the EU square Ambiorix 10 1000 Brussels tel.: 0032 -2 - 7438785 (direct) tel. sec.: 0032 - 2 - 7438760 GSM (Mobile phone): 0032 (0) 477268893 fax. :0032-2-7321934 E-Mail: sbiesemans@clong.be Web site: http:/www.oneworld.org/liaison _____________________________________________ >> - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) Re: jhurd_newparty: Robert Fisk on the bombing in the Independent Date: 30 Mar 1999 14:47:07 EST In a message dated 3/30/99 12:13:58 PM Eastern Standard Time, nicadlw@earthlink.net writes: << --- >The Independent >March 28, 1999 > >The night the sky caught fire > >Even Milosevic's opponents are outraged and defiant as the Nato bombing >of >their city gathers force > >By Robert Fisk in Belgrade > >BY their graffiti, thou shalt know them. Just round the corner from the >Skoljka restaurant, high above the Danube, someone has written "French >murderer" on the wall of the French embassy in carefully painted capital >letters. > >In the Kalemegdan Park, the great statue of a woman by Ivan Mestrovic - >a >Croat, but no enemy of the Serbs - commemorating Serbia's military >alliance >with France in the 1914-18 war, has been draped in black cloth. "French >murderer" it says again on a banner attached to the drapery. > >Close to the Slavija roundabout in Belgrade, some tough, cynical humour >manifests itself. Spray-painted beside a building are the words: "Either >you bomb it as soon as possible or I'm going to have to paint my house." >Given the events of the last 24 hours, the owner had better wait another >few days before he makes a final decision on renovation. Even as dawn >slunk >over the city yesterday, the smoke still drifted through the streets all >the way from Avala, 11 miles out of town, a grey fog that penetrated >doors >and bedrooms. > >I knew the cause. Not long before midnight on Friday, there was a flat, >hollow explosion, a surprisingly short but powerful clap of sound that >banged all the windows in our hotel, slamming shut the open windows, >rattling the others on their hinges. Then a strange, almost unearthly >wind >billowed up the curtains. Like ghosts, they rose swiftly to the ceiling >and >stayed there, fluttering against the roof. There was no blast, just this >warm wind which rushed through our hotel near the Danube; the cooks and >the >receptionists and the chef in his white jacket all ran to the lobby, two >of >the kitchen girls holding hands in fear. > >>From the sixth floor, we could see a crimson glow creeping along the >horizon, a great mass of fire that illuminated an entire hillside. Nato >had >struck an arms depot and the missiles there soared into the night's sky, >gold and bright red, a pall of smoke drifting away in the light of the >fires. We have heard jets, although some said the whistling sound >represented missiles. For minutes we watched the fires, the window >occasionally shaking gently from the explosions. Then we crept >downstairs >in the darkness. > >A military target, Belgrade radio announced. Casualties unknown. By >mid-day >yesterday, the Serbs were talking of gravely wounded civilians - a >government minister said the same an hour later, although there were no >figures. Then came the sort of grim rumour all wars can do without; that >some form of chemical store had been hit, that poisonous chemicals may >have >been set alight in the bombing, that the wounded had been near >suffocation. >In several bomb shelters in south-west Belgrade, residents were told to >wear gas masks. Everyone had smelt the smoke; it had a strange smell, >one >young woman told us in an echoing government ministry yesterday >afternoon. > >In a land which still honours the language of communism - of soldiers >fighting honourably for the fatherland and courageously "performing >national duties" - news is a jealously guarded commodity. "Nato last >night >systematically and blindly bombarded our country," Milan Komnenic, the >Federal Yugoslav information minister, announced at mid-day. "The >greatest >victim of that attack was the capital of Yugoslavia which from its >outskirts to its centre was systematically bombarded with shells and >bombs." From such nuggets of Comintern prose are we supposed to extract >diamonds. > >But the bombing is indeed systematic - and many were the Serbs of >Belgrade >who wondered whether Nato disturbed their night in revenge for the sight >of >two MiG-29s over Bosnia, shot down according to Nato but very much >undestroyed (and not even flying over Bosnia) according to the Yugoslav >military. And from Avala to the centre of Belgrade, there was not a soul >who did not wonder what this massive explosion portended. By yesterday >afternoon, the anxiety was palpable. The blast of another explosion tore >over the city, followed - too late - by an air raid siren, and I found >men >and women running in panic through the city streets. Not a plane could >be >heard. Was it a missile? > >I remember, while watching those explosions rippling along the skyline >on >Friday night, asking myself if there was any response to technology; if >its >possession - in the shape of computer-guided rockets and 3,000- mile >range >bomber missions - had not created an unstoppable power. The Yugoslavs >have >stood up better to the American attacks than did the Iraqis. But then, >Nato >has not attacked bridges and electricity stations and sewage plants. Not >yet. > >Down by the Danube, just before the afternoon air raid, we had lunched >with >old Serb friends, Jelena and her daughter, both English teachers, both >normally level-headed, serious, intellectual, tough people. We tucked >into >Montenegro fish and Calamari over cold Niksicko beers but I hadn't >expected >to find such venom for the country whose culture they had studied for so >long. > >"Nato is helping Milosevic," Jelena said. "Like Iraq, the Americans have >closed our borders and isolated us and made even people who were against >the President stand with him. Religious people here feel we are being >punished for what has happened to us which is because of communism. And >are >remembering that the man who brought us communism through his support >for >Tito was your leader, Winston Churchill." > >In the air raid shelters the previous night, Jelena's daughter had been >astonished to hear a middle-aged woman quote from a 20th century Serbian >Nostradamus, Dedamilojel, a prophet supposed to have been born in 1914, >though no one knows if he is still alive - or ever lived - but who will >die, if he is alive, at the beginning of the Third World War. >"Grandfather >Deda," believed President Milosevic was going to be the saviour of >Serbia, >the lady told the people in the shelter. "Nowadays," Jelena said, "I am >ashamed I taught English for so long." The terrible stories of >atrocities >in Kosovo were not received well at our luncheon. Jelena did not know >the >truth of them, she repeated over and over again. > >Yes, prophets can be believed these days in Belgrade. Mr Komnenic told >us >yesterday that Belgrade would be a symbol of resistance as Madrid was in >the Spanish Civil war. Minutes later another official claimed that >Belgrade >would achieve the same unity as Prague during the Soviet invasion of >1968. >How easily history is embraced in Serbia these days. How easy it is to >bomb. > > > > > This is the New York Free Media Email List > > To unsubscribe send email to majordomo@tao.ca > He'll ignore the subject, and if you're confused, just say help >> - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: War Resisters League Date: 30 Mar 1999 16:02:20 -0500 =20 Stop the bombings in Kosovo =20 Join the Protest Women in Black: One hour silent vigil to stand for peace in Kosovo.=20 5:30 to 6:30 pm =95 Wed., March 31=20 NY Public Library, 5th Ave. & 42nd St. Please wear black. Pax Christi: Good Friday walk with Stations of the Cross protesting violence & promoting peace & justice. Ending with action at the Intrepid with Kairos Community.=20 Begins 9:00 am =95 Fri., April 2 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 1st Ave. & 42nd. Intrepid action is at approx. 2:00 pm with vigil & leafleting about militarism, bombing in Kosovo, and sanctions against Iraq, Hudson River at 43rd St. Kairos Ploughshares: Intrepid Museum Teach-In with connections to current war.=20 5:00 to 7:30 pm =95 Wed., March 31 Fordham University at Lincoln Center, Lowenstein Building Faculty Lounge, 12th fl., 113 W. 60th St.=20 For information on Teach-In: (718) 882-3622 For more info call the War Resisters League (212) 228-0450 ********** War Resisters League 339 Lafayette St. New York, NY 10012 212-228-0450 212-228-6193 (fax) 1-800-975-9688 (YouthPeace and A Day Without the Pentagon) wrl@igc.apc.org web address: http://www.nonviolence.org/wrl - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) NY Times / 3/30/31 Date: 30 Mar 1999 18:36:20 EST In a message dated 3/30/99 6:30:01 PM Eastern Standard Time, DavidMcR writes: << ubj: NY Times / 3/30/31 Date: 3/30/99 6:30:01 PM Eastern Standard Time From: DavidMcR To: JDCoffin, 71564.3573@compuserve.com To: prcsandiego@igc.apc.org, psu02368@odin.cc.pdx.edu To: fbp@igc.apc.org, Epank, goodwork@igc.apc.org To: jorgen.johansen@trada.se, pjowens@flash.net To: wrlne9@idt.net, Zefalcon, RBLepley To: lialliancepeace@hoflink.com, etandc@igc.apc.org To: VOBARON, jlucyny@enter.net, Lthurston8 To: dhostetter@igc.apc.org, nonweb@nonviolence.org To: eschwartz@peacenet.org, vickirov@worldnet.att.net To: melkonian@erols.com, m-fulton@worldnet.att.net To: tnsnews@hotmail.com, COC-L@CMSA.BERKELEY.EDU To: LEFT-L@CMSA.BERKELEY.EDU To: RedYouth@lefty.techsi.com To: SocialistsUnmoderated@lefty.techsi.com BCC: DavidMcR Having just watched the talking heads on the "News Hour", I am stunned again at how dissenting views are being excluded from the dialogue. We need Chomsky on TV to take on these guys who so foolishly, so lightly, talk of the need to send in troops. On the bright side, Thomas Friedman, no radical pacifist, has an excellent column in today's NY Times, suggesting a possible way out and stressing that NATO will in fact have to back down (as will Milosevic). If you have the Times or can get it on line, check the OP ED page. Peace, David McReynolds >> - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) NY Times / 3/30/31 Date: 30 Mar 1999 18:43:29 -0500 Hi David and Friends, I happened to watch C-Span early this morning and saw the Russian, Serbian, and French daily news shows. Quite a different perspective. The best part, aside from the new insights and differing points of view (not from France) was that no one was salivating over the high tech killer boy toys that we see endlessly on commercial US tv. Regards, Alice At 06:36 PM 3/30/99 -0500, abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com wrote: >In a message dated 3/30/99 6:30:01 PM Eastern Standard Time, DavidMcR >writes: > ><< ubj: NY Times / 3/30/31 > Date: 3/30/99 6:30:01 PM Eastern Standard Time > From: DavidMcR > To: JDCoffin, 71564.3573@compuserve.com > To: prcsandiego@igc.apc.org, psu02368@odin.cc.pdx.edu > To: fbp@igc.apc.org, Epank, goodwork@igc.apc.org > To: jorgen.johansen@trada.se, pjowens@flash.net > To: wrlne9@idt.net, Zefalcon, RBLepley > To: lialliancepeace@hoflink.com, etandc@igc.apc.org > To: VOBARON, jlucyny@enter.net, Lthurston8 > To: dhostetter@igc.apc.org, nonweb@nonviolence.org > To: eschwartz@peacenet.org, vickirov@worldnet.att.net > To: melkonian@erols.com, m-fulton@worldnet.att.net > To: tnsnews@hotmail.com, COC-L@CMSA.BERKELEY.EDU > To: LEFT-L@CMSA.BERKELEY.EDU > To: RedYouth@lefty.techsi.com > To: SocialistsUnmoderated@lefty.techsi.com > BCC: DavidMcR > > Having just watched the talking heads on the "News Hour", I am stunned >again >at how dissenting views are being excluded from the dialogue. We need >Chomsky >on TV to take on these guys who so foolishly, so lightly, talk of the need >to >send in troops. > > On the bright side, Thomas Friedman, no radical pacifist, has an excellent >column in today's NY Times, suggesting a possible way out and stressing >that >NATO will in fact have to back down (as will Milosevic). > > If you have the Times or can get it on line, check the OP ED page. > > Peace, > David McReynolds >> > >- > To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" > with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. > For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send > "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) Re: [Fwd: Appeal from Kosova unions] Date: 31 Mar 1999 00:14:00 EST Further material from Kosovo. David McReynolds (no easy answers and this doesn't help!) << -------------------- Return-Path: Received: from cdp.igc.apc.org (IDENT:root@cdp.igc.org [192.82.108.1]) by igc7.igc.org (8.9.2/8.9.2) with ESMTP id QAA05016; Sun, 28 Mar 1999 16:46:18 -0800 (PST) Received: by cdp.igc.apc.org (8.9.3/8.9.3) id QAA10116; Sun, 28 Mar 1999 16:45:41 -0800 (PST) Date: 28 Mar 1999 15:55:07 Reply-To: Conference "labr.party" From: meisenscher@igc.org Subject: Appeal from Kosova unions To: Recipients of conference Message-ID: <4.1.19990328133852.00bebdf0@pop2.igc.org> X-Gateway: conf2mail@igc.apc.org Errors-To: aenglish@igc.apc.org Precedence: bulk To the people of Europe, particularly to Trade Unions and Associations, Student Unions, Democratic Rights Organisations and Humanitarian Organisations. Dear Friends, The people of Kosova desperately need your help. Ethnic cleansing has driven hundreds of thousands of Albanian Kosova citizens from their homes. This violence and injustice has been growing since 1989 when Serbian troops occupied Kosova, which had the right of veto at the federal level, illegally crushed its parliament, constitution and all legitimate institutions, closed its schools, colleges and hospitals to all Albanians and sacked Albanian workers from their jobs. We appeal to the people of Europe to defend us from this fascist violence. Please, come to Kosova with humanitarian aid, come to show your solidarity, come to see for yourself what is happening. We need you by our side or the Serbian regime's genocide is going to continue until they get their "ethnically pure state". But if you want to reach us you will have to confront an obstacle - the Serbian regime will not grant visas to anyone who they think will tell the truth of what they have seen in Kosova and campaign for solidarity. There is a blockade around Kosova which isolates the suffering people from the outside world. We need you to break this blockade. We need a humanitarian corridor reaching from the outside world right into Kosova. Let the fleeing victims of ethnic cleansing escape their torturers! Let food, medicine, educational supplies, and everything else needed for a human life, reach the communities who are resisting ethnic cleansing. Let Kosova live! Therefore if you are to reach us you will need to organise yourselves to be strong enough to demand from the Serbian regime the right to travel to Kosova. We ask everyone who hears this appeal to unite to organise a "convoy of aid and solidarity". Your action will signal that the people of Europe will not sit back and allow ethnic cleansing and will not allow politicians to make the promise "No more Bosnias" become empty words. Your action will give hope and strength to all the people in Kosova who want to establish a just and democratic society in which everyone can live and work in peace. Please contact us today, this minute. Our future is in your hands. Agim Hyseni, On behalf of SBASHK - The Union of Education, Science and Culture of Kosova. Ardian Kastrati - Students Independent Union of University of Pristina Nediha Grapci - Humanitarian Association of Kosova "Helping Hand" The Independent Union of Health workers of Kosova Xhafer Nuli - The Independent Union of Miners of Stari Terg - Kosova 25 March 1999 Contact Agim Hyseni tel/fax ++ 381 38 26 112 or Ardian Kastrati email upsup@albanian.com Please also contact Workers' Aid for Kosova tel/fax ++ 44 161 226 0404 email workersaid@redbricks.org.uk >> - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) Russian Reaction: NATO Builds Forces for 24-Hour Airstrikes Date: 30 Mar 1999 19:32:44 -0800 from: http://38.201.154.103/articles/?a=3D1999/3/30/63301 NewsMax.c= om: Articles ----- Russia's Anger Makes for War Talk J.R. NyquistMarch 30, 1999 When US and NATO warplanes struck Yugoslavia last week, President Boris Yeltsin warned of a global war. But Western leaders have seemingly scoffed at Yeltsin's statement, and those of other Russian leaders. By ignoring such peril, Western leaders have taken a casual approach to Russia that may be intensifying Russia's growing animus toward the West. To date, no high level meetings between Russian and American officials have been arranged to address Moscow's concerns. The usual anxiety about US-Russian relations is almost non-existent. At the State Department, James Rubin offered the belief that "President Yeltsin, Prime Minister Primakov and Foreign Minister Ivanov see the value of keeping the relationship (between the U.S. and Russia) on track, and not letting someone like Milosevic derail everything that's at stake." Yet the relationship is not on track. After the air assault on Yugoslavia began last Wednesday the Russians froze their relationship with NATO. They pulled Russian ground troops out of the Bosnia Stabilization Force. They also expelled the NATO representative in Moscow. Ominously, they discontinued their cooperation on the Y2K problem -- a problem that could have catastrophic consequences for Russia unless they receive Western help. Then, the Russians canceled a planned visit by Pentagon officials to discuss the dismantling of Russian nuclear weapons. Worse still, according to Russian news reports, the Kremlin is contemplating the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons and bombers to Belarus. Belarus is Russia's invasion pathway to Europe. An alarm has been sounded throughout Russia. When NATO bombs began falling on Russia's ally, Yugoslavia, the banner headline of Kommersant, a business newspaper, simply said: "The Blow." Segodnya's ominous headline explained: "It's war. The Americans cannot convince the Serbs, and Russia cannot convince the Americans." Vremya's headline stated: "NATO planes have attacked Yugoslavia as well as Moscow's international authority." On Saturday Russian lawmakers, meeting in emergency session, passed a resolution 366-4 that called the NATO air assault on Yugoslavia "an act of aggression that is a gross violation of the UN Charter ..." The four page resolution further stated: "The aggression against Russia's ally Yugoslavia is seen as a serious threat to Russian security." Nikolai Zyubov, an independent political analyst, has stated that due to NATO air attacks on Serbia: "Russians are far more anti-American today than they have ever been." But more than this, he pointed out that Russia now feels threatened. Gennady Zyuganov, leader of the Russian Communist Party declared: "The Americans have gone down the path of Hitlerism. The use of force has become the main argument in their policy, and so have blackmail, bombs and threats." The liberal Russian newspaper Izvestia called NATO's bombing campaign a "royal gift" to the Communists in the Russian Duma. "The Party of retrogrades," said Izvestia, "does not require a new strategy at all, as the NATO alliance has of its own accord provided proof of the slogans of anti-American propaganda." Russian outrage has been apparent at the US Embassy in Moscow. Angry Russians have pelted the US Embassy with eggs. The protestors are often heard shouting anti-American slogans. One placard said: "NATO go to Hell." On Sunday the protest almost turned violent when an attempt was made to use a grenade launcher against the Embassy building. Afterward, one of the Russian protesters snarled: "I hope the Russian government will understand and take this unique chance to start a war against the enemies of the Russians and of all Slav people." A leading Russian analyst, Leonod Radzikhovsky stated that "xenophobia, envy and hatred of America are deep rooted feelings in Russia." And now these feelings have been awakened. Valdimir Zhirinovsky, wearing a military uniform, called for Russian volunteers to fight NATO. "The Third World War started on March 24," he said. Thousands of young Russians have answered Zhirinovsky's call. Colonel General Viktor Chechevatov, commander of Russia's Far East Military District, has offered to lead a combined Russian force of "volunteers and regulars" into Yugoslavia. The Russian foreign minister, Igor Ivanov, spoke of the unity of the entire Russian nation in the face of America's bid for "global domination." He called it the worst crisis since the Second World War. The usually polite Ivanov further accused NATO of "blatant genocide," saying that NATO bombs have killed approximately one thousand Serbs. Ivanov has also called for the criminal prosecution of those responsible for the bombing. "We have extreme measures in reserve," warned Ivanov. "The NATO aggression against Yugoslavia is a very big mistake by American diplomacy and by Clinton," Ivanov said. Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, a likely candidate for the Russian presidency in 2000, compared the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia to the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. "The missiles were a problem for peace," said Luzhkov. "This is even worse." Vice Admiral Vyacheslav Popov, commander of Russia's Northern Fleet, told Itar-Tass on Wednesday that: "The Northern Fleet is ready to carry out any order issued by the Supreme Command to defend Russia's interests." On Saturday a powerful division of the Northern Fleet put to sea, including the heavy missile cruiser "Petr Veliky" and the aircraft carrying cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov." On Monday the Russian Pacific Fleet left Vladivostok on "maneuvers." The deployment by Russia of both her Atlantic and Pacific fleets --neither of which have a direct relationship with the Kosovo conflict close to the Mediterannean -- should have set off alarm bells that Russia may have plans to widen the war, and soon. Since last summer, Russia has been dramatically increasing the number of nuclear warheads carried by its naval ships. Why is Russia now moving so many ships carrying such weapons onto the high seas? And what is the status of Russia's lethal submarine force? >From all appearances, American officials have ignored this significant Russian deployment of warships, just as they have ignored President Boris Yeltsin's dire warnings of a widened war. Has Clinton led NATO into a potentially disastrous confrontation with Russia? Not only have American and NATO officials failed to foresee the consequences of Russia's anger, they are doing little to soothe that anger. Contempt for Russia's diplomatic and military strength remains. Russia's fear and frustration in the wake of the bombing of Yugoslavia will continue to grow. The end of the crisis is nowhere in sight. A top Russian defector has warned that Russia's military is preparing a surprise attack against the United States. The defector says the Y2K problem may be a tripwire for war. Get Christopher Ruddy's special report and two videos on the subject. Revisit J.R. Nyquist's NewsMax.com Russia and China: A Pattern of Belligerence. Subscribe OR Renew Your Favorite Publications and Save Money! Get a one-year subscription to American Health for ONLY $11.00! Normally priced at $18.97, you SAVE 42%! Visit NewsMax.com Magazines Now! NewsMax Home =B7 Archives =B7 Inside Cover =B7 TalkMax =B7 Liners =B7 Com= ment Max =B7 News Links =B7 Contact Us! =A9 1998, NewsMax.comOriginal Site Design by David Grumm / HTML by Luke - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: US Test EMP Weapon in Yugoslavia? Date: 31 Mar 1999 12:06:48 -0500 >Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999 17:37:27 -0500 >Subject: US Test EMP Weapon in Yugoslavia? >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: abolition-caucus@igc.apc.org >From: robwcpuk@gn.apc.org (robwcpuk@gn.apc.org) > >Dear Abolitionists, > >During an interview yesterday on Vancouver's CKNW Radio with Stirling Faux, >I was told that they had seen a report from the Russians that a B2 stealth >bomber had dropped an Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) weapon in Yugoslavia. >Made by Los Alamos Laboratories, it apparently produces a similar effect to >a large nuclear weapon in disrupting electronics and communications in >order to weaken the enemy's ability to retaliate for some time, but without >the destructive power and radioactive fallout. However, I haven't seen any >further report of this. > >If true, then we are witnessing another field trial for new US weapons. >Also, it means that, sensibly, the Russians have a sophisticated >intelligence-gathering capability in Yugoslavia, to get first-hand >information on how NATO is performing. I saw a report that the first people >to inspect the downed F117 Stealth fighter-bomber were a Russian "trade >mission"... > >Best wishes, >Rob Green >Chair, World Court Project UK > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > Commander Robert D Green, Royal Navy (Retired) > Chair, World Court Project UK > >NZ: Disarmament & Security Centre UK: 2 Chiswick House > PO Box 8390 High Street > Christchurch Twyford > Aotearoa/New Zealand Berkshire RG10 9AG > >Tel/Fax: (+64) 3 348 1353 Tel/Fax: (+44) 1189 340258 > > Email: robwcpuk@gn.apc.org > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) In Belgrade, Ramsey Clark calls for end of NATO Date: 31 Mar 1999 12:41:14 -0800 Last night at about 3AM I saw on CSPAN a Serbian Television account of former Carter Administration Attorney General Ramsey Clark now in Belgrade touring hospitals, war damage, meeting with civilians, and an interview with SerbTV journalist translated back to English apparently by CSPAN translator. The gist of his message was that NATO should have been dissolved 10 years ago at the end of the cold war and that the current military offensive by NATO was a violation of the UN charter and should be stopped. I wonder if this interview will make the mainstream news today. It was announced that the University in Belgrade had awarded him an honorary Doctoral degree in respect of his efforts for peace. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Analysis of the Balkan Situation Date: 31 Mar 1999 17:00:04 -0500 >Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999 13:05:28 -0500 >Subject: Analysis of the Balkan Situation >To: inesnet@fy.chalmers.se >From: us016262@mindspring.com (us016262@mindspring.com) > >Dear friends, >Below is an incisive summary of the Russian reaction to the Balkan mess, >sent to me by a close friend in St. Petersburg. >tom > > > >The Balkan Crisis > >People's reaction in Russia towards NATO bombings of Yugoslavia is >overwhelmingly negative. The range is from hooligans' attacks against >American embassy in Moscow to disapproval and regret among intelligentsia. >Everyone whom I spoke to during these days regards the decision as a grave >mistake of the West and a return to the Cold War. The military action is >unanimously seen as an aggression and violation of international law. A >general feeling of mistrust towards the US is prevailing. All the negative >feelings against NATO being the biggest threat to peace, and the US, >striving for world's hegemony, have returned and can be easily exploited >by anti-Western opposition. Not only Cossacks, nationalists and liberal >democrats such as Zhirinovsky are calling for volunteers and are forming >brigades, but even leading military commanders (one being the high-ranking >commander of military region) express a desire to go and fight in Serbia. >The events are seen as a next step of humiliation of Russia, starting with >admittance of three former Eastern block countries to NATO and ending with >complete ignoring of its position in Balkan crisis. >It was hard to think of a better gift to our communists, nationalists and >reactionary military, who place all the blame of losing of Russia's >leading role in the world and weakening of its military force on Yeltsyn >and his regime. This group, which is loudly supported by LDPR, is pushing >Russia to open confrontation with NATO. >Media reflects and supports the negative assessment of the Western policy. >Coverage is extensive; reports on the situation in Yugoslavia are >broadcast on all main channels every hour. Coverage on ORT channel starts >with the word "WAR" in bold capitals, which has a significant >psychological effect on Russians. Media gives lots of commentaries of >leading politicians, political scientists and people in the street and all >of them are negative. Position of Russian leadership taking a stance >against aggression is widely supported. > >Position of the Russian leading parties: >All parties agree that NATO has committed an aggression and bombings have >to be stopped immediately. >The Communist party: We warned you against NATO and the US and were right. >It all happened because Yeltsyn has sold Russia to the West. He must leave >immediately and impeachment will take place as scheduled. If it is not >done, we will organize protest actions all around the country. Russia has >to help Serbia in all possible ways, including militarily. Russia has to >cancel all relationships with NATO and all agreements on embargos of Iraq, >Yugoslavia, Lybia and Iran. >LDPR: Russia has to cancel all her obligations to the West, especially >embargo on weapons sales. Volunteers should go to Serbia and fight. >Yabloko: Russia should not be involved in the conflict in any form. We >have to solve our economic problems first to be able to assert our role in >international affairs. >NDR: Parties have to consolidate in this critical moment. Impeachment of >the Commander-in-Chief now is dangerous and has to be postponed. Russia >should provide only humanitarian aid to Serbia and work on diplomatic >solution. > >Some immediate negative consequences are: > >Ethnic cleansing is escalating as hatred against NATO, supporting >Albanians, which is hard to reach, is re-directed against Albanians who >are easy to reach. >Amount of refugees is sky-rocketing, accelerated by bombings. Refugees are >from both sides and the neighbouring countries, which NATO wanted to >protect from this, are already flooded. >The Ukrainian Parliament announced cancellation of the non-nuclear status >of Ukraine; >Belarus is officially inviting Russian nuclear weapons back to the country; >The opposition in Russia is strengthened and is openly calling for >overthrowing of the Yeltsyn regime and threatening with sabotage, civil >disobedience and paralysis of power. >Russian military-industrial complex received a strong argument for >increasing of the defense budget (at the expense of other items, of >course) and canceling the embargo on export of weapons to Serbia, Iraq, >Iran, Lybia, North Korea etc. >Russia is closing all official channels with NATO >Russian - American relationships have suffered the worst blow since the >Cold War. >Anti-Western feelings in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus are accelerated, and >mistrust towards the West is strengthened. It is obvious that the tone of >the communists/nationalists election campaign will be intensively >exploiting this mood. >Third world countries capable of production of nuclear weapons are >encouraged to boost their nuclear weapons development in order to oppose >possible NATO intervention >The UN as the international institution representing the international >community is humiliated and its role and authority has dramatically >declined. > >Summary >NATO operation in Yugoslavia is seen as an aggression, violating >international law, charter of the UN and NATO's own charter. It is clearly >an attempt to establish a New World order, based on the military power of >the leading Western countries, and to assert the role of the US as the >only world superpower. >Not only did not it serve the declared purpose of stopping the ethnic >cleansing and protecting the neighbouring small countries from the flood >of refugees, but on the contrary, made the situation with both issues much >worse. > >It is a grave mistake of the West, which will lead to nuclear arms race, >alienation of Russia from the West, re-direction of the Russian foreign >policy to the East (India, China and Iran) and strengthening of the >communist/nationalist opposition inside Russia on the eve of Parliamentary >and Presidential elections. > >Bombings and military invasion will not solve the ethnic problem in the >Balkans, on the contrary, make it worse. Support of Albanian separatism >and terrorism will create a dangerous precedent. It may substitute one >totalitarian state (Yugoslavia) with aggression directed within with a >more dangerous one (Albania) with aggression directed outwards. Currently >it only strengthens the regime of Milosevic and consolidates Serbs. > >Escalation of the conflict will inevitably worsen relationships between >Europe and the US, because it weakens Euro and in a long run is not in the >interest of Europe. > >Possible solutions: >NATO stops bombings simultaneously with cancellation of Serbian operations >against Albanians and beginning of Serbian troops withdrawl from Kosovo. >Milosevic signs the agreement on Kosovo autonomy within Serbia without the >clause on NATO troops stationing in the country. >Third-party military forces are placed in the region to assure that the >agreement is respected by both sides. It should include Russian, maybe >Russian/Ukrainian forces and forces of any NATO countries that were not >involved in aggression directly (Greece). > >Valentin Yemelin [yemelin@rocketmail.com] > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) GLOBAL EMERGENCY ALERT: Capital Hills Global Peace Park & Vigil Opportunity Date: 31 Mar 1999 14:16:19 -0800 RE: Rainbow Family Global Emergency Alert Peace Prayer Vigil to Stop World War Three Along the main route from Central California across the mountains from Bakersfield to Mojave, the highway passes through the Tehachapi Valley. At the middle of the three Freeway exits (labeled Mill Street), on the north side, is a location locally known as Capital Hills. This is a stalled real estate development, ten years old, of 2000 acres with about 100 acres of land already improved with streets, street lights, underground utilities, etc., but no buildings yet except a 24 hour Arco gas station and mini-mart, the new Tehachapi Post Office, and just now under construction, a Denny's restauraunt (next to the Arco) slated for June 1st opening. The immediate thing of interest is that this whole area of streets adjacent to the Arco is a good place for travelers to stop and rest, etc. RV's often park overnight or for a couple of days and are not bothered by anyone. This it is an open public rest stop type area. The land is owned by two partners, one of whom has expressed a deep interest in donating land for a Global Community Center Peace Park (about 10acres) as well as land for the construction of a new science (free-energy, etc.) research center as a new focus and centerpiece to revive public interest in the future development of this planned rural "Technopolis" for information age companies to build business and residential facilities with horse trails, etc. If you are interested in collaborating on an ongoing long term effort to be a part of this Capital Hills Peace Center Project, please email to me off of this list. I am interested in the idea of visits here by serious folks on an ongoing basis this spring and summer leading up to an August 17th Capital Hills ten year groundbreaking anniversary ceremony in conjunction with the August 14th 90th year anniversary of the incorporation of the City of Tehachapi. (ie, gathering for ceremonies Aug 14-17, 1999) As soon as possible that resources are available, a large mobile-home trailer-office type facility can be installed with computers, phones, full electric, plumbing, etc., on an interim basis until actual construction. Back country facilities can be established in other outlying areas of this valley (south side has conifer forests). Plunker has recently visited this site and expressed enthusiasm for the potential of it, suggesting a large white rock lettering sculpture on the landscape, analogous to the "Hollywood" sign but reading "Global Peace Zone" or "Global Peace Now!", as a way to draw attention to the positive development of this area which is in full view of the major freeway artery en route between San Francisco and Arizona/Nevada. An initializing vision would be for the establishment of a Global Peace Prayer Vigil on part of the already designated Peace Park landsite which has street parking on its edge. This vigil would be centered by the Rainbow Peace Lattice we had in People's Park in Berkeley last month during the Global Crisis Solutions Conference events (Yamato will be through here in a few days to drop it off) and also the display of the Peace Pole for Jerusalem. From this vigil would be the opportunity via local media and support, along with that of visitors who see the Prayer Vigil from the highway and drop by, to actually outreach the Rainbow Family message for global peace on an international publicity level starting immediately with focus on ceremonies and councils regarding "Global Peace Now!" as an alternative to World War Three now begun in Yugoslavia. There are presently no financial resources available for this effort so anyone who comes or wants to help should keep this in mind and network as time goes by to remedy this situation in order to take full advantage of this amazing opportunity. This site is at 4,000 feet elevation at the north end and center of this approximately 25 square mile valley at the extreme southern tip of the Sierra range. Nearby community of Tehachapi and outlying areas contain 10-20,000 folks. Great opportunity for long term possibilities, New Year's 2000 and Y2K retreat. Serious self-sufficient and responsible folks are sought to help form ongoing large scale global peace community to influence local and global peace economy. David Crockett Williams, Coordinator Capital Hills Global Community Peace Center (CHGCPC) gear2000@lightspeed.net General Agency Services 805-822-3309 Global Emergency Alert Response http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000 - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) Re: stats Date: 31 Mar 1999 20:42:20 EST In a message dated 3/31/99 8:36:58 PM Eastern Standard Time, DavidMcR writes: << Subj: stats Date: 3/31/99 8:36:58 PM Eastern Standard Time From: DavidMcR To: wrll@scn.org, wrl@igc.apc.org To: RedYouth@lefty.techsi.com To: SocialistsUnmoderated@lefty.techsi.com To: stormingheaven@onelist.com To: jhurd_newparty@indiana.edu To: jim_forest@compuserve.com, cfaatz@teleport.com To: fornatl@igc.apc.org, dhostetter@forusa.org BCC: DavidMcR << To: lbo-talk@lists.panix.com From: Doug Henwood Subject: stats Sender: owner-lbo-talk@lists.panix.com Precedence: bulk Reply-To: lbo-talk@lists.panix.com from Sam Smith's Progressive Review: >BALKAN STATS I > >FROM A COLUMN BY TONY SNOW: Key members of the United States Senate sat >slack-jawed through a confidential briefing last Thursday from the Clinton >administration foreign-policy team. ~~ After the foreign-policy wise men >asserted that the United States has a moral imperative to stop the murderous >Serbian president, Slobodan Milosevic, one senator asked: How many Albanians >have Milosevic's troops massacred this year? The president's emissaries >turned ashen. They glanced at each other. They rifled through their papers. >One hazarded a guess: "Two thousand?" No, the senator replied, that was the >number for all of last year. He wanted figures for the last month - or even >the year to date, since the president had painted such a grisly picture of >genocide in his March 24 address to the nation. ~~ The senator pressed on. >How often have such slaughters occurred? Nobody knew. As it turns out, >Kosovo has been about as bloody this year as, say, Atlanta. You can measure >the deaths not in the hundreds, but dozens. (I'm not trying to deny >Milosevic's brutality here; only to provide some comparisons.) More people >died last week in Borneo than have expired this year in Kosovar bloodshed - >more died in a single Russian bomb blast; in a single outburst of violence >in East Timor; in a single day in Rwanda. China has been bloodier this year. > >BALKAN STATS II > >--Estimated number of persons killed in Iraq due to American-led sanctions: >over 1,000,000 >--Estimated number of persons killed in the Sudan over the past 15 years: >1,500,000 >--Estimated number of persons killed in Rwanda over the last five years: >500,000 >--Estimated number of persons killed in Chechnya: 80,000 >--Estimated number of people dying each day around the world because of lack >of water, clothing, shelter, food or medicine: 100,000 >--Estimated number of people in the world who go to bed hungry: 800,000,000 >--Estimated number of persons killed in Kosovo last year: 2,000 > >BALKAN STATS III > >--Estimate of new households watching CNN thanks to its war coverage: 472,000 > >BALKAN STATS IV > >--Cost of America's 21 B-2 bombers: $42 billion >--Value of Yugoslavian GDP: $43 billion >--UN budget as a percentage of the Pentagon budget: 5% >> - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) Minutman III Plowshares Update Date: 31 Mar 1999 20:43:07 EST In a message dated 3/31/99 5:22:06 PM Eastern Standard Time, mjameson@lenoxhill.org writes: Subj: Minutman III Plowshares Update Date: 3/31/99 5:22:06 PM Eastern Standard Time From: mjameson@lenoxhill.org (Melissa Jameson) Dear Friends, Sachio called last night and said that he and Dan had been told to pack up their things; the Bureau of Prisons is preparing to move them at last. This morning, he left a message saying that they -- the whole prison -- were being locked down (the usual prison response to any kind of internal disturbance), which means he would not be able to make any calls tonight to confirm his move, having instead to stay in his cell. He was, however, 99% sure that they would be put on a plane tomorrow morning headed to their first stop, Oklahoma; after -- a week, a couple of weeks, a month, who knows -- they would be flown to Pennsylvania -- Sachi to Allenwood, and Dan to Lewisburg. Sachio is also writing an essay about the NATO bombing of Serbia which will be in the next "Broken Rifle." He is, of course, upset about the war and encouraging us all to nonviolent resistance wherever and however it can be done! Please do not send any more mail to the Colorado address because it will be returned to you. If you would like, you can send it to me, and I will forward it on to him. I'll post an address as soon as I have one. Thank you all for your support during these 5 months Sachio has been in prison in Colorado! peace, Melissa Jameson 10 E. Ridgewood #19 Ridgewood, NJ 07450 >> - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) Please note caution for safety of woman in Belgrade Date: 31 Mar 1999 21:14:18 EST Subj: Please note caution for safety of woman in Belgrade Date: 3/31/99 9:05:41 PM Eastern Standard Time From: DavidMcR I believe I had sent you (as well as others that I have to get hold of later) a copy of Howard Clark's letter from Spain in which he quote from a letter from Stasha from Beograd. Howard had been asked to circulate within "our network". However given the tense situation in Beograd I am asked by Joanne Sheehan, Chair of War Resisters International, to report that "SHE HAS NOW CLARIFIED THAT SHE DOESN'T WANT HER NAME BROADCAST VERY WIDELY. . . . WE SHOULD REFER TO HER AS "A WOMAN PEACE ACTIVIST" IN BELGRADE. SHE IS SO MUCH THE LEADER OF WOMEN IN BLACK THAT EVEN MENTION OF THAT GROUP WOULD BE TOO REVEALING. Please take note and do not circulate this letter further. Thanks, David McReynolds >> - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jackie Cabasso Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Analysts Scrutinize NATO Bombing Date: 31 Mar 1999 18:39:23 -0800 --=====================_35588053==_.ALT Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Institute for Public Accuracy >915 National Press Building, Washington, D.C. 20045 >(202) 347-0020 * http://www.accuracy.org * ipa@accuracy.org >___________________________________________________________ > > 11 A.M. Eastern Time -- Wednesday, March 31, 1999 > > ANALYSTS SCRUTINIZE NATO BOMBING > >ROBERT HAYDEN, (412) 648-7404, (412) 421-1888, >http://www.post-gazette.com/forum/19990328edhayden8.asp > Director of the Center for Russian and East European Studies at the >University of Pittsburgh, Hayden has been deeply involved in attempts to >mediate the crisis in Kosovo, bringing together political leaders from all >sides and regularly visiting the region. One of the Albanian party leaders >he worked with was reported by NATO to have been executed by Serbian forces. >Hayden said today: "This mission, supposedly designed to prevent a massive >humanitarian catastrophe, has instead produced it. We have now shown that >NATO is 'credible' for doing something incredibly irresponsible. Apparently >'winning it' means destroying the Balkans to save NATO for its upcoming 50th >birthday.... Having provoked the catastrophe with bombing, NATO's 'remedy' >is more bombing. The army headquarters in central Belgrade that NATO is >considering targeting is surrounded by apartment buildings. Civilian >casualties here could not be considered 'collateral damage,' particularly >since the 'command and control' functions are no longer being carried out >from those headquarters." > >JACQUELINE CABASSO, (510) 839-5877, (510) 547-6956, wslf@earthlink.net, >http://www.napf.org/abolition2000 > Executive director of the Western States Legal Foundation, Cabasso said: >"The situation in Kosovo is ominous with respect to prospects for nuclear >disarmament. The U.S.-led NATO bombing is opposed by Russia, China, India >and Indonesia; three are nuclear powers, making up almost half the world's >population. There are reports that India is considering a possible alliance >with China and Russia in response. Russia has terminated its Y2K compliance >program with the U.S., and Ukraine is reportedly contemplating reversal of >its non-nuclear status. This first NATO military action since its recent >expansion up to Russia's border comes on the eve of NATO's 50th anniversary >summit in Washington. Centrally provocative to Russia is that NATO acts >under the U.S. 'nuclear umbrella' including threatened first use of nuclear >weapons. There's also the recent Senate vote to go forward with national >missile defense, which threatens to abrogate the ABM treaty. All of these >developments have made the Russians resistant to ratifying the START II arms >reduction treaty. In addition, the U.S. has committed $60 billion to >rebuild its nuclear weapons research, development and production >infrastructure, and the Secretary of Energy has announced that production of >tritium -- radioactive hydrogen used to boost the destructive power of >atomic bombs -- will be resumed. We seem to be heading straight backwards >into the Cold War." > >JULIANNE SMITH, (202) 785-1266, (202) 487-4386, jsmith@basicint.org, >http://www.basicint.org > An expert on NATO, Smith is a senior analyst at the European Security desk >at BASIC (British American Security Information Council). Smith said: >"Bombing is not a preventive tool, it is a consequence of not having any >preventive tools. It's clear that the NATO bombings are not saving lives, >instead they are contributing to the escalation of the conflict." > >For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy: >Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020 or (202) 332-5055; Loren Sears, (541) 484-9167 > ****************************************************** Jacqueline Cabasso, Executive Director WESTERN STATES LEGAL FOUNDATION 1440 Broadway, Suite 500 Oakland, California USA 94612 Tel: +(510)839-5877 Fax: +(510)839-5397 E-mail: wslf@earthlink.net ****************************************************** Western States Legal Foundation is part of ABOLITION 2000 A GLOBAL NETWORK TO ELIMINATE NUCLEAR WEAPONS --=====================_35588053==_.ALT Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii"
>Institute for Public Accuracy
>915 National Press Building, Washington, D.C. 20045
>(202) 347-0020 * http://www.accuracy.org * ipa@accuracy.org
>___________________________________________________________
>
>                11 A.M. Eastern Time -- Wednesday, March 31, 1999
>
>                ANALYSTS SCRUTINIZE NATO BOMBING
>
>ROBERT HAYDEN, (412) 648-7404, (412) 421-1888,
>       Director of the Center for Russian and East European Studies at the
>University of Pittsburgh, Hayden has been deeply involved in attempts to
>mediate the crisis in Kosovo, bringing together political leaders from all
>sides and regularly visiting the region. One of the Albanian party leaders
>he worked with was reported by NATO to have been executed by Serbian forces.
>Hayden said today: "This mission, supposedly designed to prevent a massive
>humanitarian catastrophe, has instead produced it. We have now shown that
>NATO is 'credible' for doing something incredibly irresponsible. Apparently
>'winning it' means destroying the Balkans to save NATO for its upcoming 50th
>birthday.... Having provoked the catastrophe with bombing, NATO's 'remedy'
>is more bombing. The army headquarters in central Belgrade that NATO is
>considering targeting is surrounded by apartment buildings. Civilian
>casualties here could not be considered 'collateral damage,' particularly
>since the 'command and control' functions are no longer being carried out
>from those headquarters."
>
>JACQUELINE CABASSO, (510) 839-5877, (510) 547-6956, wslf@earthlink.net,
>       Executive director of the Western States Legal Foundation, Cabasso said:
>"The situation in Kosovo is ominous with respect to prospects for nuclear
>disarmament. The U.S.-led NATO bombing is opposed by Russia, China, India
>and Indonesia; three are nuclear powers, making up almost half the world's
>population. There are reports that India is considering a possible alliance
>with China and Russia in response. Russia has terminated its Y2K compliance
>program  with the U.S., and Ukraine is reportedly contemplating reversal of
>its non-nuclear status. This first NATO military action since its recent
>expansion up to Russia's border comes on the eve of NATO's 50th anniversary
>summit in Washington. Centrally provocative to Russia is that NATO acts
>under the U.S. 'nuclear umbrella' including threatened first use of nuclear
>weapons. There's also the recent Senate vote to go forward with national
>missile defense, which threatens to abrogate the ABM treaty. All of these
>developments have made the Russians resistant to ratifying the START II arms
>reduction treaty.  In addition, the U.S. has committed $60 billion to
>rebuild its nuclear weapons research, development and production
>infrastructure, and the Secretary of Energy has announced that production of
>tritium -- radioactive hydrogen used to boost the destructive power of
>atomic bombs -- will be resumed. We seem to be heading straight backwards
>into the Cold War."
>
>JULIANNE SMITH, (202) 785-1266, (202) 487-4386, jsmith@basicint.org,
>       An expert on NATO, Smith is a senior analyst at the European Security desk
>at BASIC (British American Security Information Council). Smith said:
>"Bombing is not a preventive tool, it is a consequence of not having any
>preventive tools. It's clear that the NATO bombings are not saving lives,
>instead they are contributing to the escalation of the conflict."
>
>For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
>Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020 or (202) 332-5055; Loren Sears, (541) 484-9167
>

******************************************************
Jacqueline Cabasso, Executive Director
WESTERN STATES LEGAL FOUNDATION
1440 Broadway, Suite 500
Oakland, California USA 94612
Tel: +(510)839-5877
Fax: +(510)839-5397
E-mail: wslf@earthlink.net
******************************************************
Western States Legal Foundation is part of  ABOLITION 2000
A GLOBAL NETWORK TO ELIMINATE NUCLEAR WEAPONS --=====================_35588053==_.ALT-- - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) Nuclear Knife Aimed at America's Heart Date: 31 Mar 1999 19:08:04 -0800 [fwd]--One would think that it is a good idea to understand all perspectives on the abolition issue. Here is one perspective supporting need for multilateral abolition.... A Nuclear Knife Aimed at America's Heart Joel M. Skousen March 25, 1999 In November 1997, President Clinton signed a top-secret Presidential Decision Directive (PDD-60) directing U.S. military commanders to abandon the time-honored nuclear deterrence of "launch on warning." Ironically, this was done in the name of "increased deterrence." Every sensible American needs to understand why this reasoning is fraudulent at best and deadly at worst. First, some background. The impetus to change U.S. strategic nuclear doctrine came on the heels of Clinton's demand to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in early 1997 that they prepare to unilaterally reduce America's nuclear warhead deployment to 2,500 in eager anticipation of the ratification of the START II disarmament treaty. This pact has yet to be ratified by the Russian Duma. Gen. John Shalikashvili, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, responded that he couldn't comply, since the U.S. military was still operating on a former Presidential Decision Directive of 1981 to prepare to "win a protracted nuclear war." A winning strategy couldn't be implemented without the full contingent of current nuclear strategic warheads. According to Craig Cerniello of Arms Control Today (November/December 1997 issue), "the administration viewed the 1981 guidelines as an anachronism of the Cold War. The notion that the United States still had to be prepared to fight and win a protracted nuclear war today seemed out of touch with reality, given the fact that it has been six years since the collapse of the Soviet Union." Certainly, the apparent collapse of the Soviet Union is the linchpin in every argument pointing toward the relaxation of Western vigilance and accelerated disarmament. Indeed, it is the driving argument that is trumpeted constantly before Congress, U.S. military leaders, and the American people. Almost everyone is buying it -- even most conservatives who should know better. However, the most savvy Soviet-watchers can point to a host of evidence indicating that the so-called "collapse" was engineered to disarm the West and garner billions in direct aid to assist Russia while inducing the West to take over the economic burden of the former satellite states. But the most ominous evidence is found in defectors from Russia who tell the same story: Russia is cheating on all aspects of disarmament, and is siphoning off billions in Western aid money to modernize and deploy top-of-the-line new weapons systems aimed at taking down the U.S. military in one huge, decapitating nuclear strike. Contrast this with the Clinton administration's response. Incredibly, while still paying lip service to nuclear deterrence, Assistant Secretary of Defense Edward L. Warner III went before the Congress on March 31, 1998, and bragged about the litany of unilateral disarmament this administration has forced upon the U.S. military: Warner noted the "success" the Clinton administration has had in recent years, which has: Eliminated our entire inventory of ground-launched non-strategic nuclear weapons (nuclear artillery and Lance surface-to-surface missiles). Removed all nonstrategic nuclear weapons on a day-to-day basis from surface ships, attack submarines, and land-based naval aircraft bases. Removed our strategic bombers from alert. Stood down the Minuteman II ICBMs scheduled for deactivation under Start I. Terminated the mobile Peacekeeper and mobile small ICBM programs. Terminated the SCRAM-II nuclear short-range attack missile. In January 1992, the second Presidential Nuclear Initiative took further steps which included: Limiting B-2 production to 20 bombers. Canceling the entire small ICBM program. Ceasing production of W-88 Trident SLBM (submarine-launched missile) warheads. Halting purchases of advanced cruise missiles. Stopping new production of Peacekeeper missiles (our biggest MIRV-warhead ICBM). "As a result of these significant changes, the U.S. nuclear stockpile has decreased by more than 50 percent," Warner enthused. All of this has been done without any meaningful disarmament by the Russians. The Clinton administration would counter this charge by citing the "successful" dismantling of 3,300 strategic nuclear warheads by Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus, and the destruction of their 252 ICBMs and related silos -- all paid for with U.S. taxpayer funds to the tune of $300 million per year. But the real story is otherwise. Yes, Americans paid for the dismantling of these systems -- the oldest and most out-of-date in the Soviet inventory. They were scheduled for replacement anyway, so the U.S. taxpayer ended up saving the Russians over a billion dollars, allowing them to use this and other Western aid to develop and build new systems, coming on line right now. But that isn't all. What the administration doesn't say is that they allowed the Russians to reclaim all the nuclear warheads, and paid them to recycle the usable material into new, updated warheads. We didn't diminish the threat at all. We only helped them to transform it into something more dangerous. Thus, the Russians still maintain a more than 3-to-1 advantage over the United States in both throw-weight and nuclear delivery vehicles. That disparity is widening dramatically with the Clinton administration's unilateral disarmament while at the same time encouraging the Russians to proceed not only with the deployment of 500 new Topol-M missiles (which are mobile-launched and therefore difficult to target), but to put three MIRVed warheads on each missile instead of the treaty limit of one warhead -- for a total deployment of 1,500 warheads. Not counting the presumed minimum 4,000 to 6,000 warheads in the current Russian inventory, these 1,500 new warheads would overwhelm a measly 200-interceptor ABM system in North Dakota -- which the Clinton administration is insisting should NOT be deployed before 2005. I wonder why? With our 50 Peacekeeper ICBMs scheduled to be decommissioned in 2003, that gives the Russians or Chinese a wide-open window for attack, should they choose to exercise their first-strike, nuclear-decapitation option. So much for the "new realism" of the Clinton disarmament team and their assertion that Russia poses no threat. Judging strictly by public data from establishment sources (which is always understated due to Moscow's heavy shroud of secrecy) the Russian threat is much greater than it ever was, both in quantity and quality of strategic nuclear forces. This is thanks, in part, to ongoing technology transfers by IBM and other defense contractors with the knowing participation and encouragement of this administration. Now let's take a close look at this presumed "increased deterrence" the Clinton Department of Defense is promising. The administration claims its brand of deterrence is still based on the "mutual assured destruction" (MAD) concept -- a truly appropriate acronym. This is the presumption that, since both sides have an overwhelming capability to destroy each other, that no sane leadership would engage in nuclear war. Let's examine this closely. MAD could only stand as a viable assumption if: Both sides had sufficient weapons and delivery vehicles to inflict total devastation. Neither side had an effective anti-ballistic-missile system. Neither side had electronic jamming capability on its incoming ICBMs. Neither side had hardened shelters protecting its population and leadership. These assumptions clearly do not exist today: First, we barely have enough nuclear warheads to take out the Russian arsenal as presently constituted if we used them all at once (which no sane military commander could afford to do, leaving him with no reserves). Russia, on the other hand, has enough to devastate our entire strategic forces and still retain 60 percent of her weapons in reserve, for a prolonged conflict. Second, we have no ABM system to protect against ICBMs at all. Our dumbed-down and slowed-down Patriots are theater weapons (built to conform to the flawed ABM Treaty) and can barely catch slow, low-flying Scud missiles, let alone ICBMs that coming screaming in from space at 6 to 12 kilometers per second. The Russians have (in violation of the same ABM Treaty) a nationwide system of ABMs tied to phased-array radars and satellite guidance systems. Third, we have no electronic jamming on our missiles to help them penetrate the Russian ABM system, and the Russians claim their newest Topol-M missiles do have such a capability. Whether or not this claim is a bluff is immaterial. The fact is, they are building new, high-tech missiles and our technology is 10 years old and stagnant. We are not developing or building anything new. This aspect can only worsen as time goes on. Fourth, our civilian population is totally unprotected, while a large portion of the Russian cities have public fallout shelter facilities. New bunkers are being constructed for the Russian leadership despite the economic hardships the people suffer. This should tell us something about Russian leadership intentions. Is this Mutually Assured Destruction? Hardly. It equates to United States Assured Destruction! In every category of deterrence, we are disarming and stagnant, and the Russians are building and deploying. There is, in fact, only one type of deterrence that is capable of somewhat balancing the scales: the nuclear response doctrine of Launch on Warning. Launch on Warning takes advantage of the fact that long-range ballistic missiles take time to arrive on target -- up to 25 minutes, depending on where the missiles are fired from. If the Russians were to launch a first strike, our satellites would detect and confirm that launch within seconds. In a Launch on Warning doctrine, our missiles (if on alert status) could be launched before the Russian or Chinese missiles hit our silos. There is also time to retarget our missiles so that they are not wasted on Russian silos that are now empty. Thus, one of the great advantages for a Launch on Warning doctrine is that it allows the nation that launches second to have an advantage over the nation that launches first. The one to launch first wastes a certain number of its missiles on our silos that are now empty. By contrast, our missiles (utilizing real-time targeting data from satellites) strike targets that are still viable. Now that is deterrence -- a deterrence that we presently do not have due to PDD-60. Clinton national security aide Robert Bell proudly proclaimed to a group of disarmament advocates, "In this PDD, we direct our military forces to continue to posture themselves in such a way as to not rely on Launch on Warning -- to be able to absorb a nuclear strike and still have enough force surviving to constitute credible deterrence." This is patently preposterous. Respond with what? We have no mobile missiles to avoid being targeted. We have already unilaterally agreed to keep over half of our ballistic missile submarines in port at any one time, so they can easily be targeted. After all, we don't want our Russian "allies" to feel insecure! All of our Navy and Air Force strategic forces are incapable of withstanding a nuclear strike. Even the remaining Trident subs on patrol would be unable to respond when communication links and satellites are downed in a first strike. PDD-60 removes all alternate submarine launch codes so that our subs cannot fire without direct communication with the president. Those vital communications links will assuredly not survive a massive first strike. When you tell the Russians we are going to absorb a first strike, you induce them to make sure they hit us with everything necessary to make sure we cannot respond. This is not deterrence. This is suicide. Joel M. Skousen is a political scientist by training and former chairman of the Conservative National Committee. He is a specialist in security matters and consults nationwide on "Strategic Relocation" -- the title of his latest book. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) Nuclear Knife Aimed at America's Heart Date: 01 Apr 1999 01:38:58 EST I appreciate the effort to provide all points of view. But David, that is why we are supposed to read the daily press. This source (I shortened the post to make it easy to get from the heading to the guy's ID) is a hard line anti- Communist conservative trying to make a living in the post-Cold War era by playing on old fears. I wouldn't censor this list for the world, but I also sort of hope you won't post this kind of thing regularly. I get all kinds of weird posts, some giving the official positions of Korea, etc., which are hopelessly out of touch with reality - as Mr. Skousen is. It takes up space on the net. At best it is far right wing propaganda. No one has the time to take Mr. Skousen apart piece by piece, line by line - and we don't have this list for that reason. Peace, David McReynolds << From: gear2000@lightspeed.net (David Crockett Williams) Sender: owner-abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com Reply-to: abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com To: abolition-usa@lists.xmission.com (Abolition 2000 USA) [fwd]--One would think that it is a good idea to understand all perspectives on the abolition issue. Here is one perspective supporting need for multilateral abolition.... A Nuclear Knife Aimed at America's Heart Joel M. Skousen March 25, 1999 In November 1997, President Clinton signed a top-secret Presidential Decision Directive (PDD-60) directing U.S. military commanders to abandon the time-honored nuclear deterrence of "launch on warning." Ironically, this was done in the name of "increased deterrence." Every sensible American needs to understand why this reasoning is fraudulent at best and deadly at worst. First, some background. The impetus to change U.S. strategic nuclear doctrine came on the heels of Clinton's demand to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in early 1997 that they prepare to unilaterally reduce America's nuclear warhead deployment to 2,500 in eager anticipation of the ratification of the START II disarmament treaty. This pact has yet to be ratified by the Russian Duma. Almost everyone is buying it -- even most conservatives who should know better. However, the most savvy Soviet-watchers can point to a host of evidence indicating that the so-called "collapse" was engineered to disarm the West and garner billions in direct aid But the most ominous evidence is found in defectors from Russia who tell the same story: Russia is cheating on all aspects of disarmament, and is siphoning off billions in Western aid money to Contrast this with the Clinton administration's response. Incredibly, while still paying lip service to nuclear deterrence, Assistant Secretary of Defense Edward L. Warner III went before the Congress on March 31, 1998, and bragged about the litany of unilateral disarmament this administration has forced upon the U.S. military: Warner noted the "success" the Clinton administration has had in recent years, which has: Eliminated our entire inventory of ground-launched non-strategic nuclear weapons (nuclear artillery and Lance surface-to-surface missiles). Removed all nonstrategic nuclear weapons on a day-to-day basis from surface ships, attack submarines, and land-based naval aircraft bases. Removed our strategic bombers from alert. Stood down the Minuteman II ICBMs scheduled for deactivation under Start I. Terminated the mobile Peacekeeper and mobile small ICBM programs. Terminated the SCRAM-II nuclear short-range attack missile. In January 1992, the second Presidential Nuclear Initiative took further steps which included: Limiting B-2 production to 20 bombers. Canceling the entire small ICBM program. Ceasing production of W-88 Trident SLBM (submarine-launched missile) warheads. Halting purchases of advanced cruise missiles. Stopping new production of Peacekeeper missiles (our biggest MIRV-warhead ICBM). "As a result of these significant changes, the U.S. nuclear stockpile has decreased by more than 50 percent," Warner enthused. All of this has been done without any meaningful disarmament by the Russians. The Clinton administration would counter this charge by citing the "successful" dismantling of 3,300 strategic nuclear warheads by Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus, and the destruction of their 252 ICBMs and related silos -- all paid for with U.S. taxpayer funds to the tune of $300 million per year. But the real story is otherwise. Yes, Americans paid for the dismantling of these systems -- the oldest and most out-of-date in the Soviet inventory. They were scheduled for replacement anyway, so the U.S. taxpayer ended up saving the Russians over a billion dollars, allowing them to use this and other Western aid to develop and build new systems, coming on line right now. But that isn't all. Thus, the Russians still maintain a more than 3-to-1 advantage over the United States in both throw-weight and nuclear delivery vehicles. That disparity is widening dramatically with the Clinton administration's unilateral disarmament With our 50 Peacekeeper ICBMs scheduled to be decommissioned in 2003, that gives the Russians or Chinese a wide-open window for attack, should they choose to exercise their first-strike, nuclear-decapitation option. Neither side had hardened shelters protecting its population and leadership. These assumptions clearly do not exist today: First, we barely have enough nuclear warheads to take out the Russian arsenal as presently constituted if we used them all at once (which Second, we have no ABM system to protect against ICBMs at all. Our Fourth, our civilian population is totally unprotected, while a large portion of the Russian cities have public fallout shelter facilities. New bunkers are being constructed for the Russian leadership despite the economic hardships the people suffer. This should tell us something about Russian leadership intentions. Joel M. Skousen is a political scientist by training and former chairman of the Conservative National Committee. He is a specialist in security matters and consults nationwide on "Strategic Relocation" -- the title of his latest book. - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.