ftp.xmission.com/2014.06.ftp.xmission.com.tar/ftp.xmission.com/pub/lists/abolition-usa/archive/v01.n265

Internet Message Format | 2000-02-29 | 51KB

From: [e-mail] (abolition-usa-digest)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: abolition-usa-digest V1 #265
Reply-To: abolition-usa-digest
Sender: [e-mail]
Errors-To: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk


abolition-usa-digest     Wednesday, March 1 2000     Volume 01 : Number 265




----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 13:45:54 -0500
From: ASlater <[e-mail]>
Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: [y2k-nuclear] US Wants Joint Nuke Center

>X-eGroups-Return:
y2k-nuclear-return-1599-aslater=[e-mail]
>Delivered-To: [e-mail]
>Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2000 20:25:45 -0500
>From: Carol Moore <[e-mail]>
>X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.04 [en] (Win95; U)
>To: y2k NUKES List <[e-mail]>
>X-Corel-MessageType: EMail
>Mailing-List: contact [e-mail]
>X-Mailing-List: [e-mail]
>List-Help: <http://www.egroups.com/group/y2k-nuclear/info.html>,
> <mailto:[e-mail]>
>List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:[e-mail]>
>List-Archive: <http://www.egroups.com/group/y2k-nuclear/>
>Subject: [y2k-nuclear] US Wants Joint Nuke Center
>X-Loop-Detect: 1
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX MON FEB 28 2000 17:55:42 ET XXXXX
>
>US PUSHING RUSSIA FOR JOINT NUKE ALERT CENTER TO BE BASED IN MOSCOW
>
>According to the SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE, the Clinton Administration
>is pushing
>Russia to create a permanent nuke alert center in Moscow -- a joint
>command center that
>would closely resemble the one used during the Y2K crossover in Colorado
>Springs, Co at
>the beginning of the year.
>
>SCRIPPS HOWARD'S Lisa Hoffman reports that talks have been going on
>privately -- "with
>neither serious problems nor miscommunication" -- since the beginning of
>the year.
>
>"According to tentative plans, the permanent operation would be set up
>in Moscow, with
>the United States supplying the monitoring and communications equipment
>at a cost of
>about $5 million," writes Hoffman.
>
>Clinton administration officials fear the deteriorating state of
>Russia's military
>infrastructure, and suspect that without the command center normal
>American military
>activity could be misinterpreted by Russian intelligence.
>
>Developing...
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Get what you deserve with NextCard Visa! ZERO! Rates as low as 0.0%
>Intro or 9.9% Fixed APR, online balance transfers, Rewards Points,
>no hidden fees, and much more! Get NextCard today and get the credit
>you deserve! Apply now! Get your NextCard Visa at:
>http://click.egroups.com/1/914/5/_/28220/_/951787750/
>
>-- 20 megs of disk space in your group's Document Vault
>-- http://www.egroups.com/docvault/y2k-nuclear/?m=1
>
Alice Slater
Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE)
15 East 26th Street, Room 915
New York, NY 10010
tel:  [phone]
fax:  [phone]
email:  [e-mail]
http://www.gracelinks.org

GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network for the elimination
nuclear weapons.

- -
 To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "[e-mail]"
 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, 29 Feb 2000 15:29:56 -0800
From: Ann Beier <[e-mail]>
Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Northern California AB2000 minutes

Greetings nuclear abolitionists;

The Northern California chapter of Abolition 2000 quarterly gathering
minutes are posted below.  At our last gathering in San Francisco in
January we agreed to post our meeting minutes on the international caucus
and usa caucus.






>>Northern California Abolition 2000 Network=20
>>Quarterly Meeting of Northern California
>>Saturday January 22, 2000
>>American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)/Quaker Center
>>65 Ninth St.=20
>>San Francisco, CA=20
>>
>>Meeting Notes:
>>
>>Note: Northern California Abolition 2000 Network will=20
>>be referred to here as Abolition 2000.
>>
>>I. BUSINESS
>>1. MINUTES
>>
>>Volunteer for taking minutes:
>>Tal Simchoni
>>Physicians for Social Responsibility
>>
>>PROPOSAL 1: Establishment of minute taker
>>Minutes will be taken at Abolition 2000 Network
>>meetings. Minutes will include proposals and
>>decisions.=20
>>
>>PROPOSAL 1 was accepted
>>
>>PROPOSAL 2: Minutes distribution
>>Minutes for this meeting will be forwarded to AFSC.
>>AFSC will in turn forward the minutes to Western
>>States Legal Foundation  (WSLF). WSLF will post the
>>minutes to the Abolition 2000 listserve and website
>>soon after the minutes are received. Minutes will also
>>be sent out to members of the Abolition 2000 mailing
>>list to address those members who do not have email.
>>The minutes will be mailed before the next Abolition
>>2000 meeting on April 8, 2000 in Santa Cruz. WSLF and
>>AFSC can decide if the minutes will be mailed with the
>>next Abolition 2000 mailing, and what portion of the
>>mailing list will receive the minutes (i.e., exclude
>>those that received the minutes by email).=20
>>
>>PROPOSAL 2 was accepted
>>
>>II. REPORTS FROM SUBCOMMITTEES
>>1. FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE, Sherry Larson Beville,
>>Treasurer, Northern California Abolition 2000 Network
>>
>>PROPOSAL 3: Establishment of Membership
>>
>>On an interim basis, it is proposed that two types of
>>memberships for the Northern California Abolition 2000
>>Network be established. (1) Organizational membership
>>and (2) Individual membership. Organizations can
>>choose their membership dues from a scale of
>>$25/$50/$75. Individuals can choose their dues from a
>>sliding scale of $5 and up.  Funds will be directed to
>>AFSC, who will forward them to Sherry Larson Beville,
>>Treasurer, Northern California Abolition 2000 Network.
>>Organizations are urged to join before the next
>>Abolition 2000 meeting on April 8, 2000 in Santa Cruz.
>>
>>
>>PROPOSAL 3 was accepted
>>
>>PROPOSAL 4: Individual donations
>>Individual donations are welcome. Individuals can send
>>in donations by mail.
>>
>>PROPOSAL 4 was accepted
>>
>>PROPOSAL 5:=20
>>Organizations that do not become members are not
>>precluded from attending future Abolition 2000
>>meetings.
>>
>>PROPOSAL 5 was accepted
>>
>>AMENDMENT TO PROPOSAL 3: Individual membership status
>>
>>On an interim basis, individuals that send in dues for
>>Abolition 2000 will be listed as supporters rather
>>than members. =20
>>
>>AMENDMENT TO PROPOSAL 3 accepted
>>
>>PROPOSAL 6: Structural issues to be addressed
>>
>>In future Abolition 2000 meetings, the following
>>issues need to be addressed regarding structure:
>>
>>Is Abolition 2000 a coalition or a network?
>>Are individuals who send in dues to Abolition 2000
>>members or supporters?
>>Define membership for individuals
>>What will be the 501 (c) (3) status of Abolition 2000?
>>
>>PROPOSAL 6 will be decided in the future
>>
>>DECISION 1: Membership sub-committee formed
>>It is hereby decided that  a sub-committee is formed
>>to address the membership structure and legal issues
>>of Abolition 2000.
>>
>>Volunteers for this sub-committee:
>>Sherry Larsen Beville
>>Jackie Cabasso
>>Sally Light
>>Sandra Schwartz
>>
>>2. ACTION ALERT NETWORK, Sally Light, Tri-Valley
>>Communities Against a Radioactive Environment
>>(Tri-Valley CAREs)
>>
>>The recently created Action Alert Network (AAN) will
>>send out email alerts on anti-nuclear protests.  For instance, it will =
be
>>used to notify people about the subcritical nuclear tests
>>demonstrations at Bechtel Headquarters (located at 50 Beale Street, in =
San
>>Francisco, 1 block south of Market St., and close to the Embarcadero BA=
RT
>>station).  These protests always take
>>place at noon of the day of the test.  The AAN will
>>help overcome the problem with the very short notice from DOE before
>>each subcritical test.
>>
>>The next subcritical test will occur soon at Nevada Test Site  (=93Oboe
>>3=94).  Everyone is encouraged to come to the Bechtel
>>protest (sign-up sheets for the AAN were circulated).  The Livermore
>Conversion Project, which organizes the subcritical actions at Bechtel, =
is
>designing a magnificent banner that lists the names and years of the ove=
r
>1,000 US nuclear tests, and people are needed to come hold it.=20
>>In addition, an exciting chalk action is planned for the =93Oboe 3=94 >=
Bechtel
>action, i.e., writing the names of the tests on the sidewalks.=20
>>=93Rad=94 suits and gas masks will also be provided for folks to wear a=
t the
>>demonstration.=20
>>
>>A few suggestions were proposed:
>>1. It was proposed that we also plan a Bechtel
>>protest (complete with banner and chalk action) for a
>>date NOT connected to any specific subcritical test.  This way, we coul=
d
>>provide plenty of advance notice to both the public and the media.  We
>could also invite unions, communities of color, and youth to join the
>action, in a joint protest against Bechtel.
>>
>>2. It was proposed to link Diablo Canyon with the
>>subcritical testing by contacting Pilulaw Khus, an
>>elder of the Chumash Coastal Band of Native Americans on whose land the
>Diablo Canyon nuclear facility is located.  The Chumash might want to
>organize a protest at Diablo Canyon, coinciding with that at Bechtel, on=
 the
>>day of the subcritical test.
>>
>>III. SMALL GROUP MEETINGS
>>The meeting was divided into small groups that addressed the questions:
>>1. What do I want from Abolition 2000?
>>2. What can I offer Abolition 2000?
>>
>>PROPOSAL 7: Skills Inventory
>>Abolition 2000 will conduct an inventory of skills and
>>services of its participants. Some examples that were offered:
>organizational and computer skills, being able to contribute a p.a. syst=
em
>or truck, and of course, TIME.  =20
>>
>>PROPOSAL 7 was accepted
>>
>>IV. COLLECTION OF ABOLITION 2000 DONATIONS
>>Donations were collected at the meeting in the sum of
>>$153. This money was sent to Sherry Larsen
>>Beville=20
>>
>>V. REPORTS
>>A. ABOLITION 2000 (INTERNATIONAL), Jackie Cabasso, WSLF
>>
>>A history of Abolition 2000 (Int=92l) was given.=20
>>
>>Organizations that join Abolition 2000 endorse an
>>11-point Abolition 2000 Statement on achieving
>>abolition of nuclear weapons.=20
>>
>>At the January 1997 annual meeting of Abolition 2000
>>Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons in Moorea,
>>Te Ao Maohi (French Occupied Polynesia), the Moorea
>>Declaration was adopted as a supplement to the
>>Abolition 2000 Statement. The Moorea Declaration
>>recognizes the disproportionate suffering of
>>indigenous and colonized people as a result of the
>>nuclear cycle.=20
>>
>>The next focus of Abolition 2000 (Int=92l) is an
>>upcoming NPT review conference at the U.N. offices in
>>New York, April 24, 2000 through May 19, 2000. This
>>will be the first review of NPT since 1995. Abolition
>>2000 will lobby and conduct workshops and
>>presentations around this event.=20
>>
>>A demonstration is in the works to gather in New York
>>near the U.N. offices during the NPT review
>>conference. Citizens will be called on to urge their
>>heads of state to go to NY to participate in the
>>review conference and endorse Article VI of the NPT.
>>
>>A petition to abolish nuclear weapons was circulated.
>>
>>B. US CAMPAIGN TO ABOLISH NUCLEAR WEAPONS, Sally
>>Light, Tri-Valley CAREs
>>
>>At the US CAMPAIGN TO ABOLISH NUCLEAR WEAPONS
>>conference in Ann Arbor, the CAMPAIGN was formally launched on October =
11,
>>1999.   The CAMPAIGN will focus on US issues, such as Stockpile
>>Stewardship, and is a part of the Abolition 2000 International Network.
>>Results of the conference include electing a 13-member Coordinating
>Committee (CC) to guide the US CAMPAIGN in its first year.   Among the C=
C=92s
>first-year responsibiliti es are securing an office in a host organizati=
on,
>hiring staff, developing fund-raising strategies, laying out the
>organizational
>>structure, etc. Working Groups will work on specific issue areas, and
>individuals can join.  Sally and Jackie are working on a brochure which
>will be available at our next meeting in April.  Copies of the
>>CAMPAIGN=92s Mission Statement, Santa Barbara Declaration, Draft
>>Statement on Democracy, Power and Nuclear Weapons, Working Groups
>>list, etc., are available upon request (contact Sally or Jackie, both
>>of whom are on the Coordinating Committee).
>>
>>C. ABOLITION 2000 LOCAL TEACH-IN, BERKELEY, Madeline Duckles
>>
>>A teach-in at the University of Michigan has taken
>>place.  This event has lead to the planning of a
>>similar teach-in at the University of California at
>>Berkeley. There was a push to have this teach-in in
>>March; however, UCB sees no urgency in this event and
>>has tentatively scheduled it in September.=20
>>Some suggestions for this teach-in were made:
>>(i) Formulate a model proposal for this teach-in to
>>take to northern California colleges. (ii.) Do not
>>wait for UCB to decide on the meeting, take the
>>proposal to other schools. (iii) Appeal to the
>>Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission to ask the City
>>of Berkeley to put pressure on UCB to have this
>>teach-in earlier. (iv.) In promoting the teach-in,
>>call attention to environmental justice of the nuclear
>>cycle early.=20
>>
>>PROPOSAL 8: Formation of Educational Outreach Sub-Committee
>>
>>It was proposed that an Educational Outreach
>>Sub-Committee be formed. Contact Madeline Duckles for
>>more information, 510-845-3737.
>>
>>PROPOSAL 8 PASSED
>>
>>D. BOTTOM-UP ORGANIZING, Andy Lichterman, WSLF
>>
>>Andy pointed out that there is a lack of a sustainable
>>nuclear social movement and we need to build one. It
>>was suggested to bring in Chinese Americans to the
>>movement by tying in Wen Ho Lee. Also suggested was
>>appealing to community organizations that offer
>>alternative life-style changes to the nuclear cycle
>>(i.e. urban gardening). Finally,  it was suggested to
>>incorporate the fact that nuclear weapons are
>>boomerangs into this effort.=20
>>
>>PROPOSAL 9: Formation of Bottom-Up Organizing
>>Sub-Committee
>>
>>It was proposed that a Bottom-Up Organizing
>>Sub-Committee be formed.
>>
>>PROPOSAL 9 PASSED
>>
>>Volunteers for Bottom-Up Organizing Sub-Committee:
>>Janet Weil
>>Tal Simchoni
>>Sheila Baker=20
>Sandra Schwartz
>>Don Larkin
>>Wes Nicholson
>>Nan Degelman
>>
>>PROPOSAL 10: Bottom-Up Organizing Further Discussions
>>
>>It was proposed that Bottom-Up Organizing be a future
>>agenda item for further discussion for the whole group.
>>
>>PROPOSAL 10 PASSED
>>
>>VI. PROPOSALS
>>A. SONOMA COUNTY PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER ABOLITION
>>2000 COMMITTEE LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN, Robert Manning
>>
>>The Sonoma County Peace and Justice Center Abolition
>>2000 Letter Writing Campaign urges individuals and
>>organizations to write a letter in support of breaking
>>the nuclear chain and abolition. Writers can choose to
>>include in the letter any number of bullet points
>>provided. The letter will be copied 4 times and sent
>>to government officials, including the President and
>>the appropriate senators. 650 letters have already
>>been completed.=20
>>
>>There was an appeal for organizations to join in the
>>campaign and possibly visit their state senators with
>>copies of the letters.
>>
>>A newsletter was shown that includes a letter-writing
>>form.
>>
>>Suggestions on improving the campaign were welcomed.=20
>>
>>Organizations that join the campaign are asked to use
>>their own letterhead with their organization on top
>>and to indicate that they are part of Abolition 2000
>>at the bottom.
>>
>>B. WSLF ACTION PROPOSAL-EXPOSING CORPORATE CONNECTIONS
>>AND BENEFACTORS
>>
>>Note that this is a pre-proposal that needs more
>>development
>>
>>The DOE has provided us with a list of NIF corporate
>>contractors. This pre-proposal involves assembling a
>>Citizen Inspection Team to visit some of these
>>corporate contractors and the Lawrence Livermore
>>National Laboratory.  One idea was to visit Hoya in
>>Fremont, the lab that produces the laser glass for
>>NIF, all using public funding. These tours would
>>tentatively take place this spring/summer 2000.=20
>>
>>PROPOSAL 11: Formation of a WSLF Action Sub-Committee
>>
>>It was proposed that a sub-committee be formed to
>>formulate a proposal for visiting the corporate
>>contractors of NIF and the Lawrence Livermore National
>>Laboratory. The proposal will be presented at the next
>>Abolition 2000 meeting.
>>
>>PROPOSAL 11 PASSED
>>
>>Volunteers for WSLF Action Sub-Committee:
>>Bob Alpern
>>Andy Lichterman
>>Marylia Kelley
>>Jackie Cabasso
>>
>>C. AFSC COLLABORATION WITH MERIDIAN GALLERY
>>
>>The Meridian Gallery and Bob Hanamura intend on
>>collaborating with us on a community outreach project
>>on nuclear issues using art (performance, music,
>>poems, slides, etc.). Bob Hanamura can help us with
>>the grant-writing. A Political and Cultural Festival
>>for a Nuclear Free Future was proposed to take place
>>in October. The festival can be linked to Halloween
>>and Dia de los Muertos.
>>
>>It was suggested that San Luis Obispo do a similar
>>event.=20
>>
>>PROPOSAL 12: Formation of an AFSC Festival
>>Sub-Committee
>>
>>It was proposed that a sub-committee be formed to
>>formulate a proposal for AFSC festival.
>>
>>PROPOSAL 12 PASSED
>>
>>Volunteers for AFSC Action Sub-Committee:
>>Stephanie Van Zandt Nelson
>>Katheryn Smick
>>Sally Williams
>>Tentative volunteer: Renee Steinhauser or Tri-Valley
>>CAREs
>>
>>D. INTERNATIONAL LAW PROPOSAL, Bob Alpern
>>
>>Protesters that sabotaged Trident submarines used
>>International Law as a defence, stating that they had
>>the responsibility to protest and destroy the weapons.
>>They were acquitted. There story serves as a precedent
>>that it is legal to oppose these weapons. It was
>>proposed to attempt to employ these protesters as
>>speakers. Brian Watson, arrested in Washington, D.C.
>>and acquitted, was one such proposed speaker. He
>>intends on speaking in Santa Rosa on nuclear
>>resistance. It was proposed that an effort be
>>implemented to convince Mr. Watson to engage in a
>>speaking tour of northern California.=20
>>
>>E. AGENDA ITEMS FOR APRIL 8, 2000 ABOLITION 2000
>>MEETING IN SANTA CRUZ
>>
>>Potential working committes
>>Identify our internal resources and skills
>>Education/outreach
>>How can we integrate our programs into the electoral
>>process?
>>Is Abolition 2000 a coalition or a network?
>>Are individuals who send in dues to Abolition 2000
>>members or supporters?
>>Define membership for individuals
>>What will be the 501 (c) (3) status of Abolition 2000?
>>Educational outreach to youth on nuclear issues
>>Bottom-up organizing
>>
>>VII. ANNOUNCEMENTS
>>
>>A. BACK FROM THE BRINK CAMPAIGN, Marylia Kelley,
>>Tri-Valley CAREs
>>
>>The Back From the Brink Campaign was launched in
>>December, 1999 in Washington at the Press Club. The
>>campaign calls for US de-alerting of nuclear weapons.
>>This can be a stepping stone for abolition. A video on
>>de-alerting, prepared by Center for Defense
>>Information (CDI) and an activist packet are available
>>and some were distributed. We were encouraged to
>>preview the video and then show it publicly (i.e.
>>cable station, at organizational event). In February,
>>the Markey Resolution on de-alerting will be
>>circulated in the House [I need to confirm this
>>statement]. A senate resolution is coming soon.
>>De-alerting does not need congressional passage. We
>>can send a message to the President that we want
>>executive action. It was pointed out that de-alerting
>>does not mean de-targeting, and that our preferred
>>method of de-alerting is de-coupling (separating
>>warhead from missile).=20
>>
>>B. OPPOSE MAYOR BROWN=92S PLAN TO OPEN A MILITARY SCHOOL
>>IN OAKLAND, Madeline Duckles
>>
>>It was announced that we should oppose Oakland Mayor
>>Jerry Brown=92s plan to open a military school in
>>Oakland
>>
>>C. PROPOSAL 13: Submitting Agenda Items for Next
>>Abolition 2000 Meeting in Santa Cruz
>>
>>It is proposed to email agenda items for next
>>Abolition 2000 Meeting to Santa Cruz one week in
>>advance of the meeting (April 1). Include this
>>proposal in the Spring meeting announcement. Agenda
>>items can be ascertained by contacting Santa Cruz.=20
>>
>>PROPOSAL 13 PASSED
>>
>>AMENDMENT TO PROPOSAL 13: Reviewing the Minutes Prior
>>to the Spring Meeting.
>>
>>It is amended that the host group of the Spring
>>Abolition 2000 meeting on April 8, 2000 in Santa Cruz
>>review the minutes to the Winter Abolition 2000
>>meeting in San Francisco for agenda items at least one
>>week in advance of the Spring meeting. One month prior
>>to the Spring meetings, the host organization will
>>receive the minutes and instructions for submitting
>>agenda items.=20
>>
>>AMENDMENT TO PROPOSAL 13 PASSED
>>
>>D. SUGGESTIONS FOR AUGUST ABOLITION 2000 MEETING
>>
>>It was suggested that the August Abolition 2000
>>meeting be coupled with an action in order to draw
>>more people. One action could be a gathering on
>>Hiroshima Day at the Livermore Labs, followed by a
>>meeting in Livermore at Tri-Valley CAREs. The
>>beginning time for the meeting should be flexible to
>>accommodate the morning action.=20
>  CALENDAR of Future Aboltion Events January:
>
>29th: "Celebration of Life," memorial for Arthur Freyer.=20
>12-5pm at St. John=92s, 2727 College, Berkeley.
>
>
>February:
>
>5th: "WTO and the Global War System: Women, Peace and the WTO." Where do=
 we
>go from    here with Madeline Duckles. Music, poetry, performances.=20
>1pm located at Redwood Gardens, 2951 Derby St., Berkeley
>    Call: [phone] or [phone]
>
>10th: Livermore Conversion Project meeting
>    7pm located at Sherry Larsen=92s, Bevilles St., Oakland =09
>
>19th: Benefit Rummage Sale for BFUU
>     9am-5pm located in the Berkeley Unitarian Fellowship Hall,=20
>1924 Cedar (at Bonita), Berkeley.
>    To have donations picked-up, please call: [phone]
>
>24th: Public meetings with NRC and GE, concerning GE Vallecitos Nuclear
>Facility.=20
>    6pm located in the Pleasanton Library
>    For more information please call: Tri-Valley CARES [phone]
>
>25th: "Sacred Fire vs. Atomic Fire." Nuclear Proliferation in Tibet with
>Edison Chiloquin, Klameth   Elder and Tibetan Monks.=20
>    7pm located in the Berkeley Unitarian Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar (at
>Bonita), Berkeley. =20
>
>
>March:
>
>1st-8th: "Abolition Days." Teach-In at UC Berkeley
>
>18th : Campaign to Free Mordechai Vanunu with Sam Day.=20
>Program on Whistle-blowers- ordinary people making a difference.
>    7:30pm located in the Berkeley Unitarian Fellowship Hall,=20
>1924 Cedar (at Bonita), Berkeley.  =20
>    For more information please call: [phone]
>=20
>
>April:
>
>11-17th: "Jubilee 2000." IMF-World Bank protests in Washington DC.
>
>15th: Five years after the Beijing Conference, continuing to address
>women=92s issues.
>Mills College, Oakland.
>
>21st: Good Friday Demonstrations at Livermore Labs.
>
>24th: NPT Review
>
>
>May:=20
>
>4th: Public Hearing concerning Site 300 (LLNL) Clean-up Plan
>
>13-14th: Action at the Nevada Test Site
>       For more information contact: Shundahai Network Website
>
>14th: (tentative) Meeting for Worship, held by the Quakers from Delta Me=
eting
>Located at the Visitors Center at LLNL=20
>
>19th: Conference, New York=20
>
>June:
>
>
>July:=20
>
>1st: "People=92s Campaign for Nonviolence." Organized by the Fellowship =
of
>Reconciliation.
>      Held in Washington DC. Continuing until Aug.9th
>
>
>August:
>
>6th: Hiroshima Day. Demonstration at LLL.
>
>9th: (tentative) Grandmothers for Peace event in Sacramento.
>
>
>September:=09
>
>7th: Art Show and Forum at Meridian Gallery. Featuring Judy Hiramoto and
>Robert Hernandez. In addition there will be speakers, performing arts, a=
nd
>an artist night.=20
>    Show and Forum will end on October 7th.=20
>
>
>October:
>
>21st: "Celebrating Human Rights, Peace, and Progress in the Twentieth
>Century." Speakers, music and dancing. Held by the Oakland Kaiser Center
>with Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson. =09
>=20
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------=
- ----
>---
>To understand just one life, you have to swallow the world.
>--Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children
>
Ann Beier
Western States Legal Foundation
1440 Broadway, Suite 500
Oakland, CA 94612
Telephone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]



- -
 To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "[e-mail]"
 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, 01 Mar 2000 14:45:37 -0500
From: Karina Wood <[e-mail]>
Subject: (abolition-usa) Action Update on Fail Safe Opportunity

Dear U.S. Abolitionists:

FIVE WEEKS TO ORGANIZE YOUR "FAIL SAFE" EVENTS!

    As I hope you have heard, there will be a live TV drama re-make of the
1964 nuke war thriller "Fail-Safe," starring George Clooney, on CBS,
April 9th at 9pm.

MORE STAR POWER

    We've just heard that Richard Dreyfus will play the U.S. President.

A PERFECT MEDIA & ORGANIZING OPPORTUNITY!

    It's not often that the subject of accidental nuclear war gets onto
prime time TV, and with big stars like George Clooney, Richard Dreyfus,
and ER's Noah Wiley, "Fail-Safe" is sure to attract millions of viewers.
To take full advantage of this rare publicity opportunity, Project
Abolition is coordinating home screening parties and larger screening
events around the country on April 9 to draw public and media attention
to the urgent need for de-alerting, deep cuts, and nuclear abolition.

ORGANIZE YOUR OWN EVENT: ORDER A HOUSE PARTY KIT!

    Nearly 200 House Party kits have already been sent out. Is there one
happening in your town? Order your House Party kit today (see below) and
make this nationwide action BIG! You can order up to five for free. For
more information visit http://www.disarmament.org/george_clooney.htm.

NATIONAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN

    Project Abolition is working on an accompanying national media
campaign. The message: that although the accidental nuclear strike in
"Fail Safe" is fiction, it could easily happen in real life, and the
only way to protect against accidental or deliberate nuclear attack is
to get rid of all nuclear weapons.
     You will find local media how-to information in the House Party Kit.

CALL-IN DAY APRIL 10

    There will be a National Call-In Day to President Clinton the day after
the "Fail Safe" broadcast, Monday March 10. Colorful flyers have been
made promoting this action. Order flyers for your local group (see
below) and distribute at your house party/screening event.

GOOD EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE: 60 MINUTES II "MISSILIERS" AVAILABLE ON VIDEO

    Last month's 60 Minutes II segment on U.S. and Russian missiles,
featuring 4 star General Eugene Habiger, is now available on video tape
from CBS. To order, call 1-800-934-6937. Cost: $29.95 plus shipping &
handling. Takes 4-6 weeks to deliver.


HOUSE PARTY KITS and FLYERS available from the Disarmament Clearinghouse
at:
1101 14th Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20005
ph: [phone] x232
fax: [phone]
e-mail: [e-mail].
or visit http://www.disarmament.org/george_clooney.htm.

or from

Project Abolition c/o Fourth Freedom Forum
803 North Main Street
Goshen, IN 46526
1-800-233-6786 ext. 21
fax: [phone]
email: [e-mail]

- -----------------
- --
Karina H. Wood
Field Coordinator, Project Abolition
and U.S. Outreach Coordinator, Hague Appeal for Peace
85 John St.
Providence, RI 02906
Ph: 401-276-0377
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

For information on Project Abolition: www.fourthfreedom.org
For information on the Hague Appeal: www.haguepeace.org

GET CONNECTED TO HAP!
Join the Hague Appeal for Peace news listserv.
To subscribe, send an email message to
<[e-mail]>
with the message "subscribe hapnews-list" in the body of the email.

- -
 To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "[e-mail]"
 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, 01 Mar 2000 17:01:56 -0500
From: ASlater <[e-mail]>
Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: The Investment in Space--February 2000

>
> Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2000 14:48:59 -0500=20
> From: zia mian=20
> Reply-To: [e-mail]=20
> Organization: Princeton University=20
> X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.5 [en] (WinNT; I)=20
> X-Accept-Language: en=20
> To: Alice Slater=20
> Subject: The Investment in Space--February 2000=20
> X-Loop-Detect: 1=20
>
> http://www.afa.org/magazine/0200investment.html=20
> --=20
> Zia Mian=20
> Center for Energy and Environmental Studies=20
> von Neumann Building=20
> Princeton University=20
> Princeton, NJ 08544-5263=20
>
> voice: 609-258-5468=20
> fax: [phone]=20
> email: [e-mail]=20
>
> February 2000 Vol. 83, No. 2
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----------
>
>
>
>
> An AFA symposium explores our stake in space and the need to defend it.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> The Investment in Space
>
>
>
>
>
>
> By Peter Grier
>
>
>
>
>
> Gen. Richard B. Myers
>
> The nation's military space infrastructure is expensive. Within the Air
> Force, no one disputes that point, Gen. Richard B. Myers told the Air=
 Force
> Association's Los Angeles National Symposium on Nov. 19.
>
> However, it's worth the price, said the Air Force's top space officer.=
 Take
> Operation Allied Force. Without space assets, triumph would have taken
longer
> and cost more, both in collateral damage and lives of allied service
> personnel.
>
> In Los Angeles, Myers spoke as commander in chief of US Space Command and
> North American Aerospace Defense Command and as commander of Air Force=
 Space
> Command. He was confirmed in October to become vice chairman of the Joint
> Chiefs of Staff.
>
> "It is tough to put a price tag on the count of lives that I believe we
saved
> due to space support in Kosovo. ... There is little question that space=
 was
> vital to the allied victory," said Myers.
>
> That operational experience aside, the last two years have seen some
> difficult times for military space. A string of launch failures has
destroyed
> payloads worth $3 billion to $4 billion, including a Milstar bird lost=
 last
> April and a National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite that was lost in
> August 1998.
>
> These experiences have raised a difficult issue for Air Force Space=
 Command:
> How should the Air Force mitigate the risks associated with spacelift?
>
> "The question is, how much risk can we afford to take in the launch=
 business
> today?" said Myers.
>
> Mention launch insurance and "everyone shudders," the space chief told the
> AFA audience. That is because it would cost upward of 30 cents per dollar=
 of
> asset value--for the Air Force, anyway.
>
> "That is like paying 10 grand to insure a $30,000 car. It is not a very=
 good
> option for us," said Myers.
>
> Another way of mitigating launch risk would be to plan for it. Buy more
> satellites than requirements call for, on the theory that some will be=
 lost
> in launch accidents.
>
> Or use the Navy's method. The Navy only pays for space assets once they=
 are
> on orbit and functioning-an acquisition strategy that drives purchase=
 costs
> significantly higher.
>
> "We must have a plan to mitigate the few failures that we know we are=
 going
> to have over time. We can't just present the Air Force with a billion=
 dollar
> bill for Milstar and say, 'Go fund it,' " said Myers.
>
> The Air Force also needs a plan to defend its space capabilities, said the
> space chief. The nation's control of space remains vulnerable, because=
 space
> superiority is simply assumed-unlike air superiority, which is planned=
 for.
>
> Several countries already have lasers than can blind optical sensors on US
> satellites. Others are working on missile warheads capable of dispensing
> satellite-killing shrapnel in Low Earth Orbit. A nuclear detonation at the
> right altitude would leave people on Earth unharmed, yet fry every=
 satellite
> in Low Earth Orbit.
>
> "It is vitally important to protect ground launch and uplink=ADdownlink
> components as well," said Myers. "Many of our overseas ground sites are
> remote and potentially vulnerable."
>
> Critical space systems should be able to withstand attacks with little or=
 no
> damage. They should be able to detect and report when they are under siege
> and locate and identify the attacking system. Ground controllers need to=
 be
> able to quickly assess attacks and rapidly restore capability if needed.
>
> Commercial as well as military systems are at risk. Eighty percent of the
> spaceborne communications used in the Kosovo campaign traveled on=
 commercial
> systems.
>
> "Clearly, our reliance on commercial space has created a new center of
> gravity that can easily be exploited by our adversaries," said Myers.
>
> New technology would provide some protection for satellites against=
 attack.
> But it is impossible to upgrade a system that's already on orbit-and new
> systems may be a long time coming.
>
> "The bad news is that our GPS [Global Positioning System] satellites are
> lasting longer than predicted. Bad news because we have capability on=
 orbit
> designed for a previous era and not responsive to our current needs," said
> Myers.
>
> At present, 27 GPS satellites are on orbit and another 18 are waiting on=
 the
> ground. Most are older designs. A version that incorporates newer=
 technology
> is not currently scheduled for first launch until 2007. The must-have
> capabilities of the newer satellite include a jam-resistant military=
 signal
> called the M-code, two additional civil signals, and a much higher power
> level.
>
> Traditionally, launch schedules have been based on life expectancy, the
point
> being constellation sustainment rather than maximization of capability.=
 That
> needs to change, said the space chief.
>
> "We need to rethink our launch and acquisition strategies in order to get
the
> right capability up there when needed," he said.
>
> Gen. Michael E. Ryan
>
> As a nation, the United States has an ever-growing investment and
interest in
> the medium of space, Gen. Michael E. Ryan, Air Force Chief of Staff, told
the
> Los Angeles symposium. All told, space represents about a quarter of the
> overall US aerospace industry effort, he said. US government spending on
> space reached $30 billion last year. Private industry will reach and then
> surpass this level early in the 21st century.
>
> The Air Force represents a large portion of US space efforts. The service
> accounts for 90 percent of DoD's dedicated space personnel, 85 percent of
its
> space budget, and 90 percent of its space infrastructure.
>
> "Each year," said Ryan, "space systems and space operations account for a
> growing share of the Air Force budget. It will continue to grow. That
will be
> both an opportunity and a challenge for the US Air Force."
>
> The military implications of increased US involvement with, and reliance
> upon, space systems are immense. Space will become a place the nation
must be
> able to control, as it controls the atmosphere, when need be. That will=
 not
> be easy, and it will not be exact, said the Chief of Staff.
>
> "As the second half of the 20th century has matured the air realm, the=
 first
> half of the next century will mature the aerospace realm," he said.
>
> For Air Force purposes, space and air are not separate domains, according=
 to
> the Chief. Instead, they are two parts of the same whole, as closely=
 related
> as oceans and seas. "We should think of the aerospace domain as a seamless
> volume from which we provide military capabilities in support of national
> security," Ryan told the symposium. "Space is a place, not a mission."
>
> Breakthroughs achieved during Operation Allied Force demonstrate the
progress
> already made in integrating space capabilities into the service's overall
> structure.
>
> For the first time, the Air Force was able to almost instantly calculate=
 the
> coordinates needed for GPS=ADguided munitions to hit targets that had been
> identified with atmospheric unmanned aerial vehicles. Predator video data
was
> combined with three-dimensional terrain data from satellites, then beamed
> back to the cockpits of aircraft patrolling over Kosovo and Serbia.
>
> Such efforts required much greater communications capability than was=
 needed
> only a few years ago. Allied Force used five times as much bandwidth as=
 did
> Operation Desert Storm, Ryan noted. The Kosovo effort connected 40=
 different
> locations in 15 countries using a variety of military and civilian lines=
 and
> satellites, and many new ones were established.
>
> "We worked over 44,000 spectrum requests, some terrestrial, some
atmospheric,
> some for space systems, and, as you may know, these are very gnarly issues
> with our host countries," Ryan told the AFA audience.
>
> The Air Force is not the only US military service interested in space,
but it
> is the only one with a full spectrum of aerospace capabilities.=
 Maintaining
> that edge will be expensive. That is why partnerships are so critical,=
 said
> Ryan.
>
> Partnerships with industry are already a reality. In the Balkans, one
> experiment has forward air controllers using commercial satellite=
 telephone
> systems.
>
> "The first test occurred last December. The forward air controller dialed
911
> Air Force and received an immediate close air support aircraft in his=
 area,"
> said the Chief.
>
> The aerospace domain must be integrated into how the service fights, Ryan
> concluded.
>
> "We are on a journey," he said, "combining and evolving aerospace
> competencies into a full-spectrum aerospace force."
>
>
>
> Carol A. DiBattiste: The First Three Months
>
>
>
>
> During her first 100 days as undersecretary of the Air Force, Carol A.
> DiBattiste has flown aerobatics in a T-38. She has participated in a
> three-ship C-17 low-level airdrop mission and pulled seven and a half g's=
 in
> a two-on-two F-15 air intercept.
>
> She also got to send a navigation command to a GPS satellite--albeit under
> the watchful eyes of a room full of Space Command officers.
>
> "Hopefully, the millions who use GPS each day didn't know the difference
with
> me giving the commands, but it was truly awesome and a wonderful=
 experience
> for me to do so," said Undersecretary DiBattiste at an AFA symposium in=
 Los
> Angeles on Nov. 19.
>
> And while she was getting a taste of all the missions the Air Force
performs,
> DiBattiste listened-and then listened some more. What she heard was that=
 the
> men and women of the service are excited about what they do--but also=
 remain
> concerned about pay, health care, housing, retirement, and operations and
> personnel tempos.
>
> Pay and retirement changes that take effect in 2000 should help, she said.
> The next step is to make similar improvements in the health care system.
>
> "We are also working fast and furiously to address and to fix our=
 recruiting
> and retention problems, and we need all of your help to do so," she told=
 the
> symposium.
>
> Back in Washington, her three months on the job have exposed her to the
> tremendous pressures on the Air Force budget. She cited four major areas:
the
> cost of the aging fleet, the need to improve quality-of-life programs,
> unexpected personnel and operational costs, and modernization.
>
> Smaller aspects of modernization can be just as important as big programs
> such as the F-22, she said.
>
> "We must do our best to keep our space launch range infrastructure
> modernization program moving forward," she said. "I was told recently when=
 I
> visited Space Command, as an example, that some of the ranges' electronic
> patch panels that were used during John Glenn's first spaceflight were=
 still
> in use during his recent flight on the space shuttle."
>
> Partnering with other agencies and with industry is one way that budget
> pressure might be eased, said DiBattiste. Another is simply making the=
 case
> for modernization plans and initiatives.
>
> What is the requirement? What is the threat? Is it cost effective?
>
> "The better we can quantitatively answer these kinds of questions, ... the
> better we can evolve our aerospace force in the 21st century," the
> undersecretary said.=20
>
> Gen. George T. Babbitt
>
> All the top officials of the Air Force accept that space capability is a=
 key
> to fighting and winning in the decades ahead. That raises another issue,
said
> Gen. George T. Babbitt, commander of Air Force Materiel Command. How is=
 the
> service going to pay for the space modernization that it needs?
>
> Further force reductions are not likely to pay for much. More
re-engineering,
> outsourcing, and privatization won't provide enough money.
>
> Perhaps the military needs of America can no longer be satisfied by a
flat or
> declining budget, said Babbitt.
>
> "I expect the solution is a little bit of all. More topline and continued
> cost reduction," said Babbitt.
>
> One initiative that might help save money is greater use of commercial=
 space
> opportunities, according to the AFMC commander.
>
> A recent study by Air Force Space Command and AFMC's Space and Missile
> Systems Center said that not many opportunities exist in this area.=
 Babbitt
> said he was "surprised and a little disappointed" at this conclusion. He
> believes the subject deserves further debate before it can be dismissed.
>
> Discussions about commercial space typically involve five mission areas,=
 he
> said: launch services, range support, wideband communication, navigation,
and
> remote sensing. Five obstacles to increased Air Force use of commercial
> services are also typically raised, he said.
>
> The first is that use of commercial firms will establish a level playing
> field with adversaries who have access to the same services. That may be
true
> in regards to navigation, wideband communications, and remote sensing,=
 said
> Babbitt. But access to services does not automatically translate into=
 combat
> capability.
>
> "It takes a sustained commitment to tactics, doctrine, training, and
hardware
> to fully exploit these space-based services," said Babbitt.
>
> The second obstacle is that the military requirements and program approval
> process remains too long and arduous for greater use of civilian-provided
> services. Also true--but perhaps not insurmountable, according to the AFMC
> chief.
>
> Third, commercial firms often make use of proprietary technology and
> nonstandard interfaces and provide little coverage in limited market=
 areas.
> Perhaps there is a way to lure the civilian world into greater
> standardization, mused Babbitt.
>
> "What can be done to encourage commercial operators to comply with common
> user interfaces? What additional investments would be required to expand
> coverage into areas of military interest?" he asked.
>
> The fourth obstacle is that industry is interested in commercial
operation of
> ranges but uninterested in range investments. This reluctance should not
> limit the dialogue in what is one of the more promising areas for
> commercialization.
>
> The last roadblock is that US government policy prohibits commercial
> investment in the GPS constellation. It also prevents the Air Force from=
 any
> cost recovery from industry for its GPS investment. Yet few space systems
> seem better suited for some sort of commercial participation than the=
 widely
> used navigation system, said Babbitt.
>
> "GPS has created a thriving commercial market, and ... continued Air Force
> investment in that constellation diverts resources from systems that will
> never have a commercial appeal," said Babbitt. "We need to be sure before=
 we
> rule out commercial options [in this area]."
>
> Perhaps these obstacles are insurmountable and there truly is little room
for
> greater involvement by private firms in providing key Air Force services.
But
> more discussion needs to occur before that conclusion is reached, said the
> AFMC head.
>
> "I don't believe we have sufficiently explored commercial space options,"=
 he
> said.
>
> Sheila E. Widnall
>
> One commercial-military space partnership that symposium participants all
> described as a promising start was the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle
> program.
>
> EELV is a unique approach, said former Secretary of the Air Force Sheila=
 E.
> Widnall in a panel discussion of challenges facing the space industry. The
> Air Force has been able to leverage a fixed investment several times over
due
> to investments by its commercial partners.
>
> "The goal of all of that is that the military, the Air Force, the national
> payloads should be able to get access to space at fundamentally commercial
> prices, and, at the same time, we should be able to get a very vigorous
> commercial space industry in the United States. It sounds like a win=ADwin=
,"
> said Widnall.
>
> But EELV aside, a number of important military and civilian launches in
> recent months have been lose-lose, in the sense that a string of launch
> failures has destroyed important payloads intended for both military and
> commercial uses.
>
> Widnall was the chair of Boeing's recent mission assurance review of two
> failed Delta III missions. She said that one problem was success. The
> reliability of the Delta II lured Boeing into applying some of the same
> engineering and oversight procedures to the Delta III, where they did not
> work.
>
> The success of Delta II was due to years of incremental improvements, said
> Widnall. But Boeing underestimated the Delta III design challenge.
>
> "The same kind of processes that were very successful in a mature vehicle,=
 a
> successful vehicle with incremental improvements, are not adequate to deal
> with some major changes," she said. "We believe this was a failure of
systems
> engineering."
>
> The review's first recommendation to Boeing was that quality must be the
> company's highest priority. The group also urged a strengthening of=
 systems
> engineering activities and more engineering oversight.
>
> "An extremely important issue is to assure that adequate communication
exists
> between design engineering and manufacturing," said the former civilian=
 head
> of the Air Force. "I think as we looked at some of the recent failures it
was
> very clear that there was a problem of what I would refer to as ambiguous
> technical orders."
>
> Supplier management is also a big issue, as roughly 60 percent of the
EELV is
> going to be supplier parts and components. Widnall also said her committee
> felt that launch vehicle teams should think explicitly about risk. Someone
> needs to consider the risk of failure due to proposed design, engineering,
> and manufacturing changes, she said.
>
> "Finally, I think everybody who is involved in this EELV issue is thinking
> very seriously about a first flight that is some sort of a test flight of
> perhaps a less-than-critical payload," said Widnall.
>
> A. Thomas Young
>
> A. Thomas Young, former president and chief operating officer of Martin
> Marietta, was the head of a similar assessment team formed by Lockheed
Martin
> last May following Titan IV, Athena, and Theater High Altitude Area=
 Defense
> missile failures.
>
> The first conclusion that this team highlighted, said Young, is that
military
> space is different from every other aerospace area, even other defense
areas.
> Oversight is more crucial than anywhere else.
>
> "One person can make one mistake that can [lead to] a total mission
failure,"
> said Young.
>
> Second, even when things are going well in the launch business, it is
> appropriate to worry. The Lockheed Martin-established group looked not=
 only
> at launch failures but at near-failures as well and came up with a
surprising
> number of what it termed "diving catches" (where heroic action by one=
 person
> saved a mission) and "escapements" (where problems were caught by normal
> review processes-but not when they should have caught them).
>
> "There were a large number of near-misses, diving catches, and=
 escapements.
> In fact, of particular interest, there were many in the Atlas program,=
 which
> has a record today of 48 consecutive successes," said Young.
>
> Every one of these semifailures should be treated as if they had caused a
> mission crash, urged Young. That means taking more corrective actions than
> might otherwise be deemed necessary.
>
> Mission success, not cost, needs to be the top priority.
>
> "You can't get to cost by putting cost No. 1. You get to cost and
schedule by
> putting quality or mission success first," said the former Martin Marietta
> chief.
>
> Loss of experienced engineers has hurt the space business, said both Young
> and Widnall. And accountability for mission success needs to be focused,
with
> both senior management and engineers involved in success-related=
 oversight.
>
> "The responsible engineer for a component, a box, a subsystem, a software
> package really should have cradle to grave responsibility," said Young.
>
>
> ----------
> Peter Grier, the Washington editor of the Christian Science Monitor, is a
> longtime defense correspondent and regular contributor to Air Force
Magazine.
> His most recent article,=
 <http://www.afa.org/magazine/1299newworld.html>"New
> World Coming," appeared in the December 1999 issue.
>
>
> ----------
> <http://www.afa.org/magazine/magz.html>Return to Air Force Magazine=20



Alice Slater
Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE)
15 East 26th Street, Room 915
New York, NY 10010
tel:  [phone]
fax:  [phone]
email:  [e-mail]
http://www.gracelinks.org

GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network for the elimination
nuclear weapons. =20

- -
 To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "[e-mail]"
 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 #265
***********************************

-
 To unsubscribe to $LIST, send an email to "[e-mail]"
 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.