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From: owner-abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com (abolition-usa-digest) To: abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: abolition-usa-digest V1 #182 Reply-To: abolition-usa-digest Sender: owner-abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk abolition-usa-digest Wednesday, September 15 1999 Volume 01 : Number 182 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 19:51:57 -0700 From: "David Crockett Williams" <gear2000@lightspeed.net> Subject: (abolition-usa) Nuclear Waste Remediation DOE Appeal From: Gary Vesperman <vman@skylink.net> To: Undisclosed.Recipients@skylink.skylink.net <Undisclosed.Recipients@skylink.skylink.net> Subject: Contact 4 state governors about transmuting nuclear waste? Date: Monday, September 13, 1999 7:54 AM As most of you know, neutralizing radioactive waste fuel from nuclear reactors using the low-energy nuclear transmutation process has been repeatedly demonstrated in Salt Lake City by Hal Fox and others. The process would be far cheaper and safer than geologic storage in Nevada's Yucca Mountain. The Department of Energy continues to be stupid about not investigating the proven alternative of low-energy nuclear transmutation in an honest and straightforward manner. Furthermore, there continue to be hints and accusations of hidden protection of the profits to be earned by large corporations with current expensive waste handling, transportation, and storage methods. I have also been told by one cynical friend that the only way to catch the attention of the Nevada Congressional delegation is to provide at least one of them with a $1,000 political campaign contribution. A few days ago, I received a letter from Nevada Congressman Jim Gibson stating that he has sent a letter to Chairman Ron Packard of the Subcommittee on Eenrgy and Mineral Sources requesting $6 million to be spent on transmutation research over the next three years. A copy of the Packard letter was inadvertently left out of Gibson's letter. So I am currently retrieving the Packard letter from Gibson's office. To my knowledge, this is the first time any Nevada congressperson has done something meaningful to push for transmutation research as an alternative to Yucca Mountain. I will still have to see Gibson's letter to Packard. In the meantime, I h= ave been warned that what may happen is that the $6 million (a drop in the bucket compared to the billions being spent on Yucca Mountain) may go to the national laboratories to be spent on impractical, unproven transmutation methods, and nothing will essentially be accomplished. What is shameful about this is that the people like Hal Fox who HAVE developed the practical, proven method of low-energy nuclear transmutatio= n are receiving not one penny of federal funding of their research. Yesterday's Las Vegas Review-Journal Sunday newspaper had an article by one of my e-mail correspondents, reporter Keith Rogers, which gave me an idea. The first paragraph reads: "Governors from four states signed an unprecedented agreement Friday to clean up nuclear wastes after Energy Secretary Bill Richardson acknowledged that the federal government hasn't done a good job." Another paragraph states: "Colorado Gov. Bill Owens, South Carolina Gov. James Hodges, Tennessee Gov. Don Sundquist, and Washington Gov. Gary Locke said the statement of principles sets the foundation for a cooperative working relationship." The next paragraph explains: "Previously, the Energy Department worked with eeach state individually on the cleanup." Elsewhere, Keith wrote that Nevada's Gov. Kenny Guinn refused to sign the agreement because the agreement didn't contain explicit language on Yucca Mountain. Keith also wrote: "Richardson said the states will be asking for nearly $7 billion through 2001. He said he's already obtained a commitment of $5.6 billion from the Office of Management and Budget through next year." While we should continue to educate the feds on proven practical and cheaper alternatives, I suggest we focus more on educating the four aforementioned state governors as they ought to be more accessible than the DOE. A few of you live in the State of Washington. I suggest you guys bother Governor Locke about using low-energy nuclear transmutation. LENT is particularly suited for cheaply and safely neutralizing the huge TEMPORARY tanks of highly radioactive liquid waste on the Hanford nuclear facility which WILL eventually seep into the Columbia River. Gary From: Gary Vesperman <vman@skylink.net> To: Undisclosed.Recipients@skylink.skylink.net <Undisclosed.Recipients@skylink.skylink.net> Subject: Gibson's letter to Chairman Packard Date: Monday, September 13, 1999 8:33 AM I just got this e-mail: Dear Mr. Vesperman, I apologize for not enclosing the letter from Congressman Gibbons to Congressman Packard in regards to transmuting radioactive waste. Enclosed= is a copy of this letter. If you have any problems retrieving this letter, please email me at david.omara@mail.house.gov. I will send you a copy or = fax it to you. Thank you, David O'Mara Legislative Correspondent Congressman Jim Gibbons (Letter to Packard follows:) September 13, 1999 Chairman Ron Packard Energy and Water Development Appropriations B2362 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Chairman Packard: Scientists from my state are part of a team of experienced scientific researchers from several universities and corporations carrying out a sco= pe of work which will directly impact a major international problem =97 the management of the nation=92s nuclear waste legacy. American Technologies= , Inc. (ATG), a California based company, has sponsored a research program = at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for the past 3 years. T= he work accomplished at Caltech on high energy particle beam technology has demonstrated the significant potential for practical applications of cluster/laser interactions to produce neutrons. The particle beam, composed of deuterium droplets, has the capability of producing neutrons that can transmutate nuclear waste. The beam is at le= ast 100 times less costly than the currently proposed neutron source from Oak Ridge National Labs. ATG=92s beam is irradiated by a femtosecond laser, resulting in fusion of deuterons and the production of neutrons in a precisely controlled manner. ATG has at its disposal, a scientific team with the highest credential and track record in the field, to develop thi= s novel neutron source and clearly demonstrate its efficacy in the transmutation of nuclear wastes (See attachment for further details.). It is clear that upon the successful generation of neutrons as a result o= f the currently proposed research a number of end-user customers, both governmental and commercial, will be interested. The ATG team has select= ed as a goal for their research the important opportunity of the destruction= of nuclear waste, realizing the uncertainties related to the basic nuclear f= uel cycle, chemical separation processes, and waste repository design criteri= a all provide difficulty in finding the correct =93target=94 isotopes. How= ever, the benefits of another option to the current reactor technologies for th= e transmutation of nuclear waste are overwhelming whether the targets are fission products, transuranics or certain actinides. Other national and commercial interests may be served by the production of neutrons. Fusion energy, tritium and medical isotope production and the production of interaction product radiations such as extreme ultra-violet (EUV), soft x-rays and x-rays which potentially have unique medical diagnostic and treatment application, are all of great importance. An unsolicited proposal was submitted to the Department of Energy for =93Ultrafast Laser Irradiation of Deuterium Droplets for the Production o= f Neutrons=94 in June, 1998. This proposal was for a period of 3 years at = a total cost of just under $6 million. In February of 1999, the DOE responded to ATG=92s unsolicited proposal. = The following comments were received from DOE principals: =95 The ATG proposal was one of the best it has ever seen. =95 The technology proposal was innovative in its approach to producing neutrons. =95 The proposal team, personnel and associations were outstanding. In spite of the positive technical review, budget limitations and the nee= d to produce near-term clean up results prevented DOE from funding the unsolicited research proposal. Frankly, it is my view that the recent GAO criticism of the DOE could not= be more appropriate than in this case. Congress mandated the DOE to explore and find alternative technologies but the DOE continues to resist. A rec= ent publication (Journal of Science, March, 1999) by Dr. William D. Phillips, Nobel Laureate at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, indicates the ATG researchers are on the right track but maybe in the wro= ng Agency. The team and technology I have identified in this letter are real and deserving of funding. I ask your assistance in including $6 million for this project in the DOE, Energy Research and Environmental Management, and/or Department of Commerce, Physics Research Division appropriations. = I have included some suggested bill language for your consideration. Thank you for your hard work and help in crafting the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill. If I can be of any assistance to you regarding this or any other issue please let me know. Sincerely, JIM GIBBONS Member of Congress JG/jv - - 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. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 22:03:08 -0700 From: "David Crockett Williams" <gear2000@lightspeed.net> Subject: (abolition-usa) Please circulate, Global Peace Walk Benefit in Berkeley 26SEP99 Please help circulate this information about a gathering and concert, to benefit Global Peace Walk2000, which takes place at the Berkeley Communit= y Center, Sunday evening September 26, 1999. Below is initial flyer text a= nd press release for details. This will be a very important event to suppor= t this global peace and environment project, so please help pass the word = to those you know who can attend. http://www.globalpeacenow.org _ _ _________________________________________ initial flyer Living on the Globe with All Our Friends Global Peace Walk 2000 Benefit Concert San Francisco, CA - Washington DC - New York 1/15/2000 - 10/9/2000 - 10/24/2000 www.globalpeacenow.org GPZONE2000@aol.com PO Box 170245, San Francisco, CA 94117 415-267-1877 featuring Bernie Worrell & The WOO Warriors P-Funk Guest Star Extravaganza Dr. Loco=92s Rockin=92 Jalape=F1o Band Funky Latino Ritmos of SF and East LA with the gritty Tex-Mex Blues Chaksam-Pa Tibetan Dance & Opera Company All Nation=92s Singers & Dance Group Traditional Native American Singers & Dancers Will Scarlett Harmonica Player with the =93original=94 Hot Tuna Toured with Brownie McG= ee =93Global Peace Now=94 Human Resolve Ceremony Rev. Yusen Yamato, Global Peace Walk Initiator Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean Dennis Jennings - MC Native American Activist, Artist & Cultural Leader Navajo Rug Sale & Raffle Benefits Hopi & Navajo Resistance At Big Mountain, Arizona Berkeley Community Theater 1930 Allston Way / Martin Luther King Jr. Way Sunday, September 26th, 1999 7 - 11:00pm, Doors open: 6pm Bring Donations: Food, Survival Supplies, Cash/Checks, Support Vehicles, Cell Phones, Camp= ing Goods, Clothing & Shoes, Office Equipment, Lap Top Computers Kids Welcome (12 & under FREE) Tickets: $20 (balcony); $25 (lower floor) Ticket Locations & Info: 415-267-1877 ___________________________________________ PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Global Peace Walk - 415-863-2084 Living on the Globe with All Our Friends Global Peace Walk 2000 Benefit Concert Living on the Globe with All Our Friends, Global Peace Walk 2000 Benefit Concert will be at the Berkeley Community Theater on Sunday, September 26= th, 1999 from 6 - 11pm. Featured artists are: Bernie Worrell & The WOO Warriors, P-Funk Guest Star Extravaganza; Dr. Loco=92s Rockin=92 Jalape=F1o Band, R= ockin' musical cruise blending the funky Latino ritmos of San Francisco and East L.A. with the gritty Tex-Mex blues; Chaksam-Pa, Tibetan Dance & Opera Company; All Nation=92s Singers & Dance Group, Traditional Native America= n Singers & Dancers; and Will Scarlett, Harmonica Player, recorded with the =93original=94 Hot Tuna & toured with Brownie McGee. There will be a =93Global Peace Now=94 Human Resolve Ceremony by Rev. Yus= en Yamato, Global Peace Walk Initiator. Berkeley=92s Mayor Shirley Dean will= make an appearance. MC for the event will be Dennis Jennings, Native American activist, artist & cultural leader. There will also be a Navajo Rug Sale = & Raffle that benefits Hopi & Navajo Resistance at Big Mountain, Arizona. Tickets are $20 (balcony); $25 (lower floor). Kids are welcome (12 & unde= r FREE). Tickets will be available at BASS outlets as well as other locatio= ns. For ticket information as well as for other information, call 415-267-187= 7. The Public is encouraged to bring donations for Global Peace Walk 2000: Food, Survival Supplies, Cash/Checks, Support Vehicles, Cell Phones, Camp= ing Goods, Clothing & Shoes, Office Equipment, and Lap Top Computers. Those w= ho would like to be a part of Global Peace Walk 2000 in any way and voluntee= r, can contact us at: 415-267-1877, PO Box 170245, San Francisco, CA 94117; GPZONE2000@aol.com; www.globalpeacenow.org Global Peace Walk 2000 will take its first step from the War Memorial Building in San Francisco on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.=92s Birthday on January 15, 2000 bringing out the prayer of =93Global Peace Now!=94 as a universa= l human resolve to spread across the United States. Along the way, the Peace Walkers will be carrying petitions, messages & information to educate & network with people & groups on the following issues: Abolition 2000 - A Call to Ban Nuclear Weapons Worldwide; Protecting our Land & Life & other Environmental & Social issues; Native American issues (e.g., Leonard Peltier, Big Mountain AZ, Ward Valley CA); Sustainable Global Economy (e.g., Permaculture, Hemp); Creating a Culture of Peace an= d a Spiritual United Nations; the World Thirteen Moon Calendar Change Peace Movement; as well as other issues that people bring to us along the way. On October 9, 2000 (Columbus Day), the Global Peace Walk will arrive in Washington DC and bring the petitions and a =93Message of Peace=94 to our governmental leaders. The walk will arrive in New York City at the United Nations on October 24th, 2000 (United Nations Day) bringing the petitions= & a =93Message of Peace=94 to our world government leaders, and reaffirm the original principle of the United Nations Charter, to =93save succeeding generation= s from the scourge of war=94 and to =93reaffirm faith in the dignity of human ri= ghts=94 and to =93live together in peace.=94 Since the Global Peace Walk project was initiated in 1995 walking from Ne= w York City to San Francisco for the United Nations 50th anniversary, the Global Peace Walk has received hundreds of letters and proclamations of support from religious, political, community and cultural leaders towards the creation of a worldwide Global Peace Zone. Global Peace NOW! # # # - - 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. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 08:48:48 -0400 From: ASlater <aslater@gracelinks.org> Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Moving Gently on East Timor >Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 22:09:31 -0400 >Subject: Moving Gently on East Timor >Priority: non-urgent >X-FC-MachineGenerated: true >To: corp-focus@essential.org >X-FC-Forwarded-From: corp-focus@essential.org >From: rob@essential.org (rob@essential.org) > >Moving Gently on East Timor >By Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman > >The Clinton administration's shamefully slow response to the savagery >unleashed by the Indonesian military and militia on the people of East >Timor allowed a vicious slaughter to take place. East Timor's capital, >Dili, now lies in ruins, hundreds or quite likely thousands of Timorese >have been killed since they voted overwhelmingly for independence on >August 30, and tens or hundreds of thousands of Timorese are now hiding in >the mountains facing starvation and fearing possible attacks by Indonesian >armed forces. > >Under pressure from grassroots activists, Congress and foreign governments >and aroused by the sheer savagery of the Indonesian attack on the >Timorese, the administration has now ratcheted up its rhetoric of >condemnation, announced meaningful cuts in military aid, and watched >approvingly as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank suspended >new loans. And as a result of international pressure, Indonesia has agreed >to allow a peacekeeping force into East Timor. > >For all this slow progress, until the Australian-led peacekeeping >operation lands in East Timor, there remains the substantial possibility >of a new round of bloodletting. Even stronger pressure from the United >States, as well as other international powers, will be needed to assure >that calamity does not occur. > >Leaving aside the ghastly history of U.S. military and diplomatic support >for the brutal and illegal Indonesian occupation of East Timor -- a >24-year occupation in which an estimated 200,000 Timorese were killed -- >why has the U.S. response to the unfolding butchery in East Timor been so >laggardly? > >The New York Times went a long way to answering this crucial question in a >September 9 front-page story titled, "With Other Goals in Indonesia, U.S. >Moves Gently on East Timor." > >"We have myriad interests" in Indonesia, explained State Department >spokesperson Jaime Rubin in one of his daily briefings, "and what our job >is is to try to balance those various interests." > >Others in the government and chattering class, such as Eleanor Clift of >Newsweek, echoed this basic sentiment. The United States should be >"realistic" in setting its policy on East Timor, they urged, noting the >multiple U.S. "interests" in Indonesia and the importance of promoting >"stability." > >Since the prescription was to balance these "interests" in "stability" >against the lives of the Timorese, it is worth identifying what they are. > >"We have a business interest," said Rubin in identifying competing U.S. >interests in Indonesia. That is, the U.S. government wants to protect U.S. >investments in Indonesia -- Nike's subcontractor factories, the mines of >Freeport McMoRan, the oil drilling of Texaco, Chevron and Mobil. Strong >diplomatic pressure on Indonesia might conceivably have led to the >revocation of concessions and privileges for U.S. corporations, worried >the practitioners of realpolitik. > >Worse, from this point of view, was the possibility that support for the >Timorese will somehow flare up Indonesian separatist movements in Aceh >(where Mobil is heavily invested) and Irian Jaya (where Freeport McMoRan >runs the world's largest gold mine). > >A broader U.S. business interest was in maintaining the flow of IMF and >World Bank money to Indonesia, so the country maintains its commitment to >the "structural adjustment" policies which require it to remove >restrictions on foreign investment, further orient its economy to exports, >privatize government enterprises and cut subsidies to the poor. > >Additionally, given the precarious state of the Indonesian economy, and >the success of the IMF in deepening Indonesian dependence on foreign money >flows, a sudden cut off of IMF and Bank monies might in fact send a >harmful shock to the economy (whatever the long-run benefits of severing >ties with the international financial institutions). The announced cut off >of funds is actually a suspension of future monies not yet allocated, and >is only temporary, so the feared effect on the international markets has >been muted. > >Of course, it would be misleading to say the U.S. government was slow to >act in Indonesia/East Timor only because it wanted to protect Nike and >other U.S. multinationals. In addition to the commercial and broader >economic stability issues, the U.S. foreign policy and military >establishments attach great geopolitical importance to maintaining good >ties with the Indonesian government and especially the Indonesian military >(viewed as a counterweight to China and a dependable regional ally). > >Still, there is no doubt that the U.S. "business interest" played a >significant role in the decision to "move gently" on East Timor in the >early days of the post-election slaughter. Even the New York Times >acknowledged a U.S. government concern that a threatened IMF and aid cut >off "could also harm American corporations that have large investments in >Indonesia." > >In time, we'll know how many Timorese died in the weeks following their >vote for independence, in part because of U.S. government concern about >"our business interest" in Indonesia. > >Russell Mokhiber is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based Corporate Crime >Reporter. Robert Weissman is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based >Multinational Monitor. They are co-authors of Corporate Predators: The >Hunt for MegaProfits and the Attack on Democracy (Monroe, Maine: Common >Courage Press, 1999; http://www.corporatepredators.org) > >(c) Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman > >-------------------------------------------------------------- > >Focus on the Corporation is a weekly column written by Russell Mokhiber >and Robert Weissman. Please feel free to forward the column to friends or >repost the column on other lists. If you would like to post the column on >a web site or publish it in print format, we ask that you first contact us >(russell@essential.org or rob@essential.org). > >Focus on the Corporation is distributed to individuals on the listserve >corp-focus@essential.org. To subscribe to corp-focus, send an e-mail >message to listproc@essential.org with the following all in one line: > >subscribe corp-focus <your name> (no period). > >Focus on the Corporation columns are posted at ><http://lists.essential.org/corp-focus>. > >Postings on corp-focus are limited to the columns. If you would like to >comment on the columns, send a message to russell@essential.org or >rob@essential.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. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 14:27:31 EDT From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) Reflections on East Timor So much of what needed to be said on East Timor was being said so well by others that I attended to catching up on back mail. A bit of what follows is new. Not widely known is the role played by two members of War Resisters League - John Miller and Charles Scheiner. Both have been working on East Timor for years, long before it was a "cause" known to the West. Many others have played a role, and I don't want to do what neither John nor Charlie would want - to single them out for special treatment when the real daily risks were taken by the East Timorese. But I know enough about this situation to know that John and Charles were central and key, along with others such as Amy Goodman and Alan Nairn. (Alan suffered a severe beating in an earlier effort to cover events there). Noam Chomsky merits mention as one who has, for years, pointed to East Timor as an example of a genocide ignored by the West (and by Australia and Japan as well). Not widely known, because it happened over a generation ago, was the extraordinary massacre in 1965 of Indonesian Communists by Suharto. (I am using the Microsoft Encarta version of the facts). At that time there was an allegation the Communists plotted a coup - in this case, pro-Chinese Communists. There was an attack by someone on the top Indonesian military leadership, though whether that was actually a Communist coup or an internal palace struggle isn't clear. What is clear is that between 300,000 and one million people were killed - one of the most terrible mass killings in recent times. The Communist Party was virtually erased from Indonesia. In addition hundreds of thousands were arrested - only 800 received a trial and there have been periodic executions with the last of the prisoners not yet released. The West was silent on this. No word that I know of from Washington. When you label people "Communists" or "Fascists" or "Jews" or "Niggers" it becomes remarkably easy to totally overlook the massacre of 300,000 to a million of them. To Washington, the importance of Indonesia as a non-Communist bastion in Asia (at a time of turmoil in Indochina) was so important that the killings were ignored. Or, not totally ignored, the Prime Minister of Australia put the death toll at 500,000 and said it was a good thing! (Fate had its way - he later drowned in a swimming accident). East Timor had been a Portugese colony until 1975 when Portugal withdrew. A group termed "leftist" by the Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia (Fretilin) which had led a long struggle for independence was left in control of East Timor and declared East Timor to be independent. Indonesia invaded - its occupation of East Timor has never been recognized by the international community but was tacitly accepted by the US, Japan, Great Britain, and Australia, all of whom have extensive trade with Indonesia and, particulary the US and Great Britain, have supplied Indonesia with virtually unlimited weapons. It is estimated that at least 100,000 and possibly 200,000 were killed by Indonesia when they took over East Timor. Again, silence from Washington DC. As most of you know, two of the leaders of East Timor, Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo and Jose Ramos Horta, Timorese dissidents, received the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts at peace. Violence continued up to the UN-conducted vote on independence, which proved an almost unanimous victory for the independence forces. And which then led to the Indonesian army's involvement in the recent terrible slaughters. East Timor does not have a huge population. The capital, Dili, is not a massive city. The killings have wiped out a large percentage of the population and through all these years no one in the West except for the East Timor Action Network (ETAN) in which John and Charlie played so key a role, and Noam Chomsky, who has hammered at this issue, seemed to care. I cite this as one more example of reason to doubt Clinton's concern with human rights. East Timor was there when he entered office. It has been there the whole time. US political leaders had too many commercial and military ties to Indonesia to care. In Kosova Clinton saw issues "clearly" - in East Timor he was blind. An irony is that we were told (by Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, etc.) that the NATO action in Kosova would help prevent similar situations from occuring elsewhere. So what happened in East Timor? Was no one in Indonesia following the "lesson" just taught by NATO? (Perhaps a greater and more terrible irony is that while a relative handful of people in the West could champion the cause of East Timor and help pave the way for the UN-mandated election, they could not, once Indonesia attacked after the vote, defend the people of East Timor). The US has no interests in East Timor - but it does have substantial interests in Indonesia, which accounts for the close cooperation between the US and Indonesia military up to and after the UN vote. I have stayed away from the discussion of whether or not to intervene with a UN force because the chances were too good that everyone would be dead before that could be achieved (for one thing, without Indonesia's cooperation, China would almost certainly have vetoed any UN action). My own position has been and remains that a really powerful position by the US (and Britain, Japan and Australia) would force Indonesia to control the "militias" which have clearly been permitted to operate by the Indonesian military. And this seems to be happening. I wouldn't spend too much time trying to call Clinton but I would strongly urge continued pressure on members of Congress, both House and Senate. The matter of UN forces really needs a full and separate discussion because what will be sent in are not "peace keepers" trained in riot control, medical care, mediation, etc., but regular military who will land with guns in hand. However, legally the case for UN forces is enormously clearer here than in Kosova, where NATO acted illegally and unilaterally. In East Timor, the vote was conducted by the UN, the Indonesian annexation of East Timor had never been accepted by the UN. Following the vote there is a legal sense in which the Indonesian Army becomes the invader (it always had been - but after the vote their position as an illegal occupying force was abundantly clear). So any UN forces sent in will be acting to contain and repel an invasion of territory which is sovereign in its own right. I doubt there will be any enthusiasm by Clinton, Blair and company for potential war crimes trials of Indonesian leaders - unlike Serbia, where the US had no ties, the US has far too many with Indonesia to risk the exposure any such trials would produce. Moral in brief: never underestimate what a handful of individuals can do, as Charlie and John and a handful of people scattered across the US and the world have done with ETAN. Never underestimate the moral blindness of the State where it has economic or military interests it considers more urgent than human rights. And finally, don't underestimate the value of pressure on Congress - and pressure by demonstrations in the street to demand much stronger action by Clinton. 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. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 21:00:06 +0100 From: "Sally Light" <sallight@earthlink.net> Subject: (abolition-usa) Action proposals & ideas for US Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons From: Facilitators Group, US Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons To: All Nuclear Abolitionists Dear friends, The Facilitators Group of the US Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons invites you to submit your creative ideas and action proposals as part of the process of the October 8-11 conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The conference will culmanate in the Campaign's launch. All input is welcome, from formal proposals to specific ideas, even if you cannot attend the conference. Please e-mail your responses to either Alan Haber at od4life@aol.com or Sally Light at sallight@earthlink.net. We look forward to hearing from you in the very near future! In peace & solidarity, Sally Light - - 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. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 23:50:19 -0400 From: Norm and Karen Cohen <norco@bellatlantic.net> Subject: (abolition-usa) abolition program 9/26 atlantic city ATLANTIC CITY AREA FRIENDS MEETING-QUAKERS > INVITES YOU TO ITS > MEDITERRANEAN MEAL FUNDRAISER FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONS > ABOLITION WHEN: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1999 - 5:30 to 8:30 WHERE: > at Quaker Meetinghouse, W. side of Pitney Road 1/4 mile S. of Jim > Leeds Road traffic light in Galloway Twp. WHAT: Charles F. Peterson, > Clerk of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting's volunteer group working on the > Abolition 2000 world-wide movement for total nuclear disarmament will > discuss its spiritual basis at 7:00 P. M. After sampling > dishes from the French Provence, Spain, Italy, Greece, Africa and the > Middleast, enjoy an inspirational message and open discussion on our > world's most pressing and dangerous issue. SUGGESTED CONTRIBUTION: $10 > ea (youngsters $5) Come for part of or the > entire program > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~FYI > Norm Cohen > COME HAVE A TASTY MEDITERRANEAN > MEAL Learn about the World-wide Movement to Abolish Nuclear > Weapons SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER > 26 5:30 to 8:30 P. M. Quaker > Meetinghouse, West side of Pitney Road, Galloway > Township 1/4 mile south of Jimmie Leeds Road > traffic light At 7 pm Charles F. Peterson* will speak on the > spiritual basis for nuclear disarmament and America's special > responsibility for achieving this goal. This is a fundraiser > for the peace and social concerns work of Atlantic City Area Friends > Meeting. There will be no appeal for funds made during or after the > dinner. Voluntary contributions will be accepted at the door > (suggested: $10 eaor $5 for youngsters), but all welcome for dinner > or speaker or both. *Member of Abington Friends Meeting, Clerk of > Abolition 2000 Working Group of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the > Religious Society of Friends (PYM) and formerly Clerk of PYM's Peace > Committee. LEARN ABOUT THE - -- Coalition for Peace and Justice and the UNPLUG Salem Campaign; 321 Barr Ave, Linwood, NJ 08221; 609-601-8537 or 609-601-8583 (8583: fax, answer machine) UNPLUG SALEM WEBSITE: http://members.aol.com/robvfp/page4/index.htm COALITION FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE WEBSITE: http://members.bellatlantic.net/~norco/ The Coalition for Peace and Justice is a chapter of Peace Action. =93We have two lives, the one we=92re given, and the other one we make=94 (Mary Chapin Carpenter) =93Where do we go from here - chaos or community?=94 (Martin Luther King) - - 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. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1999 01:49:13 -0700 (PDT) From: Timothy Bruening <tsbrueni@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us> Subject: (abolition-usa) Panama Canal Treaty What is your position on the Panama Canal Treaty? Can it be abrogated as opponents want? I support that treaty. What are the arguments pro and con? - - 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. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1999 18:03:09 +1000 From: FoE Sydney - Nuclear Campaign <nonukes@foesyd.org.au> Subject: (abolition-usa) FRIENDS OF THE EARTH Y2K PRESS RELEASE RE MONITORING CENTRE / Y2K NEWS ITEMS John Hallam =46riends of the Earth Sydney, 17 Lord street, Newtown, NSW, Australia, =46ax(61)(2)9517-3902 ph (61)(2)9517-3903 nonukes@foesyd.org.au http://homepages.tig.com.au/~foesyd http://homepages.tig.com.au/~foesyd/nuclear/bbletter.html Dear friends, The following includes a press release on the Y2K Strategic Stability Centre, agreement for which was initialled on Sept 13, and a number of Y2K - - nuclear related items, including the press covering the US/Russia Y2K agreement. The item by Rick T Vanelli on the US/Russian Y2K agreement not only mentions at length the letter coordinated by FOE Sydney, but gives the url, which is of course the one above. If your organisation has not yet signed that letter please do so by emailing me at nonukes@foesyd.org.au John Hallam Enjoy! AUSTRALIAN PEACE COMMITTEE/FRIENDS OF THE EARTH PRESS RELEASE 15/9/1999 US/RUSSIA MONITORING AGREEMENT SHOWS Y2K NUKE RISK SERIOUS The risk of Y2K-induced accidental nuclear war, that on Aug. 6th impelled nearly 300 (now nearly 400) environment, peace, disarmament, union, church, and other groups to write to presidents Yeltsin and Clinton, asking for nuclear forces to be taken off hairtrigger alert, has been shown to be serious by the US/Russian joint monitoring agreement initialed Sept. 13 in Moscow by Russian Defence minister Igor Sergeyev and US Secretary of defence William Cohen. According to FOE Sydney nuclear campaigner John Hallam, who coordinated the global letter to Yeltsin and Clinton, and the Australian peace Committee's Irene Gale, "The very fact that this agreement has been signed shows that deep down both the US and Russia know that there is a real risk that in the absence of such measures, that confusion created by Y2K related computer glitches could indeed lead to what Senator Bennett in the US calls 'unintended deadly consequences'. While it is perfectly true that missiles cannot launch themselves, it is entirely possible under the current 'launch on warning' doctrines held by both the US and Russia, for a commander who believes that his country is under nuclear attack, to initiate retaliation when the supposed 'attack' is nothing more than computer-generated false data. This has already occurred on a number of occasions, both in the US and in Russia." "The joint monitoring centre obviously does help reduce the risk of an accidental Armageddon. However it is certainly worrying that it will commence operation only on December 27, and will not operate through =46ebruary. It is simply better than nothing. And even without Y2K, there is always the risk of catastrophic accident as long as there are 5,500 silo-based ICBMs primed for instant launch." "The only measure that will ensure that every day is not a game of Russian roulette with the entire planet is to stand down or de-alert, nuclear forces. This was recommended strongly by the Canberra Commission in 1996, and by subsequent resolutions of the UN General Assembly. De-Alerting is a no risk, no cost measure that will immeasurably improve US/Russian relations and will make the planet a safer place as well as paving the way for the elimination of weapons of universal destruction." Meanwhile, the global letter to Yeltsin and Clinton has now 380 organizations signed on to it including Waverley, Leichhardt, Mitcham, Richmond Rivers, Uralla, Darebin, and Salisbury city councils, 14 federal parliamentarians, 10 major international NGOs, 10 members of the European Parliament, 12 Russian NGOs, 29 New Zealand groups, 85 US groups, 65 European groups, and 26Canadian groups. Contact: John Hallam, 9517-3903, h9810-2598. Irene GaleA.M., A.P.C., 08-8364-2291 US and Russia team up to combat Y2K in missile systems US and Russian defence ministers have agreed to jointly monitor missile launch data as a safeguard against Y2K-related mishaps in a modest step toward improving strained relations between the world's two nuclear heavyweights. US Defence Secretary William Cohen and Russian Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev signed a joint statement establishing a centre in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where US and Russian officers will monitor missile launch data from late December to early January as a safeguard against Y2K-related computer failures. The Pentagon proposed the centre to prevent misunderstandings if Russia's early warning satellites are blinded by computer outtages with the advent of the year 2000, a date which some computer systems could misread. Mr Cohen said the head of the Russian strategic forces had accepted a US invitation to visit the US Strategic Command, which is responsible for the US nuclear missile force, in the fall. "That's another good step forward," he said. This Bulletin: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 2:58 AEST YEAR 2000 NEWS Russia Agrees to Joint Nuclear Monitoring Center By Rick T. Vannelli September 14, 1999 In March 1998, John Koskinen, Presidential Advisor and Chairman of the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, was claiming that the concern with nuclear missiles was not that they would actually go off, but that a computer malfunction could trigger a false alarm of a missile attack. What he failed to specify was that such a false alarm, occurring as a result of incorrect data or miscalculations, could give rise to accidental nuclear war. The "launch on warning" policy utilized by the United States and Russia requires a commander who believes a nuclear attack has occurred to retaliate immediately. The risk of such a launch gave rise to the creation of a joint letter to U.S. President Bill Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin from almost 300 organizations around the world expressing their grave concerns about this possibility. (See letter at http://homepages.tig.com.au/~foesyd/nuclear/bbletter.html). The bold letter warns that according to Alexandr Arbatov, of the Defense Committee of the Russian State Duma, "U.S.- Russian relations are at the worst, most acute and most dangerous juncture since the U.S.-Soviet Berlin and Cuban missile crises." Given (1) this current adversarial situation, (2) several past events evidencing that spurious data can falsely alert commanders of enemy missile launches, and (3) the fact that none of the nuclear nations can guarantee that their nuclear systems are Y2K compliant, the signatories strongly urged the two presidents "to remove all strategic and tactical nuclear weapons from 'hair trigger' alert, and place them in a status in which at least hours and preferable days would be required to launch them." The chance of the United States and Russia taking nuclear forces off alert before December 31, 1999 is slim, since the two countries have just formed an agreement about the joint warning center that was proposed in September 1998 as part of the post-Cold War plan to share early warning missile-launch data. The Center for Y2K Strategic Stability, located at the Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, would solve the problem of a combination of Y2K failures, inaccurate early warning data, and potentially compromised command centers, by putting the United States and Russia in direct communication with each other. The center would be staffed with both American and Russian teams that would watch for missile launches and Y2K problems by monitoring satellite data, ground sensors, and data flowing from the nearby North American Aerospace Defense Command (which can track missile launches worldwide). Discussions about the center were suspended when Russia froze all military-to-military cooperation during the U.S.-led NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. Subsequent and repeated invitations to commence further talks went unanswered. Finally last month, the Russians agreed to post officers at the center, and a formal meeting to pound out the details was scheduled for September 13, 1999. U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen flew to Russia to meet with Russian Defense Minister General Igor Sergeyev, and according to Voice of America's Peter Heinlein, the September 13 meeting went well. The center will operate 24 hours a day starting late December 1999 and continuing through January 2000. Unfortunately, the United States and Russia are only two of the eight major nuclear weapon nations. The other six countries are the United Kingdom, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and France. Moreover, there is widespread nuclear weapon proliferation in other areas. John D. Holum, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, recently stated that although Iraq's nuclear weapons program was dismantled six years ago, "Iraq continues to hide documentation and equipment relating to key aspects of its past nuclear activities. Moreover, the Iraqi government has yet to document that it no longer has nuclear weapon ambitions." Likewise, although North Korea agreed to work toward nonproliferation with its weapons program, delays and other concerns with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) make it unclear when this objective will be reached. Furthermore, the DPRK "is developing missiles of increasingly longer range -- missiles eventually capable of striking parts of the United States." Countries such as Egypt and Syria are importing missiles from North Korea. Finally, Iran "continues a procurement pattern for nuclear technologies=C9and is pursuing a nuclear weapon capability under the guise of a complete nuclear fuel cycle." Of the estimated 36,000 - 43,000 nuclear weapons existing in the world, about 5,000 are on "high alert" status (they can be fired within 15 minutes and reach their target city within 30 minutes). Although the U.S.-Russian Center for Y2K Strategic Stability greatly decreases the chance of an accidental hostile weapons launch, it does not completely eradicate the potential for global nuclear disaster. - -------------------------------------------------- [Federal Computer Week] - ----------------------------------------------------------- SEPTEMBER 13, 1999 . . . 13:10 EDT - ----------------------------------------------------------- Russians agree to Y2K warning center BY DANIEL VERTON (dan_verton@fcw.com) More than six months after negotiations began, U.S. and Russian Federation officials today signed a statement supporting the creation of a joint warning center that would help avoid an accidental launch of nuclear weapons that could result from system malfunctions caused by Year 2000-related computer problems. Defense Secretary William Cohen and Russian Federation Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev signed the agreement today in Moscow, after extensive delays caused by increasing tensions over the war in Yugoslavia. The new Center for Year 2000 Strategic Stability will be located at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., and will be staffed by Russian and U.S. military representatives during the Year 2000 transition period from late December 1999 through mid-January 2000. Military officers from both countries will sit side by side and exchange information related to Year 2000 in an effort to avoid misperceptions surrounding the status of each other's nuclear forces. The center also will be linked via voice communications networks to other command centers in the United States and Russia. The creation of the joint warning center stems from concerns that Year 2000 failures could cause some nuclear command and control systems to crash, which could be interpreted as the sign of an impending first strike. However, Defense Department officials and officials from the U.S. Strategic Command have assessed the likelihood of an accidental launch as "extremely remote," adding that nuclear missiles cannot be launched by a computer alone. ----------------------------------------------------------- [deseretnews.com] Deseret News, Tuesday, September 14, 1999, 12:00 AM MDT Russians are coming =D1 to ensure missiles don't Bennett says Y2K center will guard against false alarms By Lee Davidson Deseret News Washington correspondent WASHINGTON =D1 Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, praised Russia Monday for agreeing to send officials to a Colorado Springs command center designed to detect false missile attack alarms caused by the year 2000 computer bug. "The greatest Y2K danger comes not from the threat of an accidental launch but from the threat of Y2K glitches being misinterpreted by personnel on either side of the Atlantic," said Bennett, chairman of a special Senate Y2K committee. So the military is establishing a command center where Russia and the United States can share information and monitoring before and after New Year's Day. Of course, the Y2K bug comes because older programs stored only two digits for a four-digit year. So the "00" when the year 2000 arrives would be interpreted as 1900 and could make systems crash. "To successfully weather Y2K, we must cooperate to avoid human errors that could have unintended deadly consequences, " Bennett said. "The establishment of the Colorado Springs center is a well-written insurance policy against Y2k-induced conflict among the preeminent nuclear powers." Bennett and Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., the ranking Democrat on the Y2K committee, said they support keeping the Colorado Springs center operational until March. It is now scheduled to close Jan. 15. They say that is too soon. Dodd said, "The effects of Y2K will be felt long after January." Defense Secretary William Cohen and his Russian counterpart, Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev, are expected to sign a formal agreement establishing the Colorado Springs Center in Moscow this week. Russia earlier threatened to withdraw participation in protest of U.S. policy in Kosovo. -------------------------------- The Real Nuclear Risk of Y2K By Chris Gilbey and Jan Wyllie September 9, 1999 [Chris Gilbey] Y2K nuclear issues that have been raised in = the press have substantially related to a potent= ial for accidental nuclear strike as a result of computer failu= re. However the Y2K czars have used the opportunity to deny the probability of this happening to derail debate about the broader issues of Y2K and nuclear energy. The critical issue is that supply chain failures in the ene= rgy sector will create a very real potential for there to be ri= sk to the power supply and grid stability. (See "The Millenniu= m Reckoning," September 1999 Update - --http://www.trendmonitor.com -- for a full report). In the event that such a supply fail= ure should happen there will be no fail-safes in place in nucle= ar generation installations. This is a very real and all too possible scenario. If it should come to pass it would impac= t everyone in Europe and ultimately also in the rest of the world. Unfortunately they are not yet aware of the real issues. In brief here are some of the key facts that are dealt with= in The Millennium Reckoning report in detail: * According to Russian experts it is almost certain that the Russian natural gas pipeline that supplies both Easter= n and Western Europe will be interrupted. * Oil stops flowing at freezing temperatures. * It will be very difficult to start the gas flowing aga= in with sub-zero temperatures and an uncertain electricit= y supply. * This means that pipelines and refineries are at risk, even if there are relatively short power outages. (In the U.S., where the energy sector is far ahead of Russia in preparations, major oil companies are reportedly adopt= ing a fix on fail (FOF) policy on wells, pipelines and refineries). * The bottom line is that if electricity fails, some nuclear plants may have difficulty cooling their cores if they are to be shut down, creating a real danger of accidental meltdowns. The economic, environmental and social implications of the failure of the Russian gas and oil pipeline network are enormous -- for Europe and the rest of the world. Since Europe has a significant dependency on Russian oil an= d gas, at minimum, the countries and people of Europe are at risk of having to deal with the consequences of severe energy shortages and subsequent energy price increases. At the oth= er end of the scale is the unthinkable -- one or more nuclear accidents of the magnitude of Chernobyl. There is one difference though. Having had one Chernobyl, and knowing th= at Y2K is almost upon us, and taking an actuarial approach, ho= w can we conceive that a meltdown could be described as an accident? If we can predict it to any extent it can't be [Image]described as an accident. Although it is not certain that this scenario will come tru= e the seriousness of the multiple risks warrant immediate emergency action on a "just in case" basis. Regardless of t= he cost, an investment in sustainable energy systems is requir= ed both for deployment around nuclear sites and within communities. The task could be doable in the time remaining= if an international crash program were implemented in the next few weeks. What is critical is to communicate the facts to as m= any people as possible in order to leverage governments to rele= ase the money in order to secure the future. This needs to be accomplished very quickly. The breadth of this problem is well known, but there is a continuing tendency to ignore the issues of supply chain failure that have become visible as a result of Y2K. The problems are complex. No one would argue that. However the continuing denial of the possible magnitude of the risk to = key energy systems by governments and even the media is a clear and present danger. It stands in the way of people and companie= s making contingency preparations at a macro level. It stands= in the way of ordinary people making contingency plans at a mi= cro level. (It is truly amazing how many companies are making contingency plans for possible failure of critical supplies for business continuity but neglect to educate their employees that similar plans need to be made at a personal level.) It woul= d also seem totally reasonable that the same businesses that have already come to understand the potential for damage to thei= r industries and the economy as a whole should lobby governme= nts to try to enact changes at a global level. By acknowledging the challenge and acting, not only would a short-term problem be solved, but the implementation of an economical long-term solution could also be accomplished within a time that is reasonable. By not acting each individual, e= ach company and each government is putting at risk the global economy, the environment and every one on the planet. Jan Wyllie is a principal of Trend Monitor, one of the lead= ing trend analysis companies in Europe. -------------------------------------------------- News Story Avoid Y2K Complacency By: David McGuire, Newsbytes. September 13, 1999 URL: http://www.currents.net/newstoday/99/09/13/news15.html Sept. 9 has come and gone, and as another Y2K-related milestone passes without incident, Y2K experts are warning people not to get overly complacent about the upcoming millennial date roll over. "No one should think this success means the work on Y2K is done," Bruce McConnell, director of the International Y2K Cooperation Center told Newsbytes today. "It just underscores the importance of (making) comprehensive preparations before these rollover events happen." Like the most recent Y2K related milestone date - the fiscal Year 2000 rollover that occurred earlier this summer for many state governments - 9/9/99 caused few if any real problems, reports from around the world indicate. Sept. 9 was a "non-event," McConnell said. Y2K observers had expressed concern that because certain programmers had used sets of nines to trigger "end file" commands, the date 9/9/99 could cause a slew of computer failures. But FY 2000 and 9/9/99 are to Jan. 1, 2000 what a light breeze is to a full- fledged hurricane, experts say. =46Y 2000 threatens only easily fixed budgetary systems and 9/9/99 posed, at most, a localized problem that was readily spotted and remediated, President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion Chair John Koskinen said earlier this week. The Y2K bug, by contrast, has the potential to wreak havoc on all types of computer systems, including those governing power grids, financial transactions, nuclear fail-safe devices and a slew of other critical systems. While US and International Y2K authorities have lately begun expressing increasing optimism that mission critical systems and infrastructures - at least in developed countries - will survive the date roll-over, much work remains to be done, McConnell said. The primary danger in the uneventful passages of 9/9/99 and FY 2000 is that the governments and entities which have done the least work on Y2K remediation may begin to get complacent, he added. "Those who aren't ready will be sorry," McConnell said. - - 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. ------------------------------ End of abolition-usa-digest V1 #182 *********************************** - To unsubscribe to $LIST, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe $LIST" 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.