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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 #432 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, March 21 2001 Volume 01 : Number 432 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 17:58:14 -0500 From: Peace through Reason <prop1@prop1.org> Subject: (abolition-usa) NucNews Briefs - 01/03/18 - important announcements NucNews archives are posted through March 15, 2001 at http://prop1.org/nucnews/briefslv.htm. Here are some announcements of interest.=20 Ellen Thomas - ------- (1) This week in D.C. Wednesday MARCH 21 - Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (2) CLOSE THE SCHOOL OF ASSASSINS! Days of Resistance March 29th =AD April 3rd 2001, Washington DC (3) FAITH AND RESISTANCE RETREAT - HOLY WEEK - APRIL 12 - 14 (4) April 16 to 23, 2001 Meeting of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development=20 (5) Chernobyl Actions - April 25-26 around the U.S. (6) Backyard Eco Conference 2001 (this summer in Michigan) (7) Plowshares Activists Update *** Phil Berrigan, Plowshares activist in Brooklyn for 2 weeks *** TWO IN CUSTODY AFTER URGING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF ELF TRANSMITTER=20 (8) Price Anderson Act PETITION=20 (9) Attention Gulf War Veterans (10) RADIOACTIVE ROADS & RAILS ACTION OF THE MONTH (11) Call for papers re DU, Yugoslavia, NATO - Res publica, Prague (12) Chechnya and Landmines (13) British protester charged with racist abuse for dragging US flag on= ground (14) Profbooks.com - Nuclear Engineering Bookshop=20 (15) Added to NucNews links at http://prop1.org/briefslv.htm: [Please remember to come to the 20th anniversary of the White House= antinuclear vigil, June 3, 2001: http://prop1.org/history/2001/010603pp.20th.anniversary.htm!] - ---- text ---- (1) This week in D.C. *** Monday March 19 -- Protest Israeli PM Ariel Sharon this Monday, 3/19=20 From: "Starr Bowie" <eponyma@hotmail.com>=20 Ariel Sharon, the new Prime Minister of Israel who has a history of= organizing massacres of Palestinians and has recently authorized a total siege of Palestinian villages, will attend a banquet for AIPAC, the main pro-Israel lobbying group in the US, this Monday, March 19, 6 p.m., at the Washington Hilton Hotel, Connecticut & T Sts. NW, 5 blocks north of the Dupont Circle Metro. The protest, which has been called by a number of different groups, will= be on Connecticut between Florida and T Sts., NW. *** Wednesday MARCH 21 - NUCLEAR ADVISORY COMMITTEE, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste, has scheduled a meeting,= open to the public, on key technical issues relating to nuclear waste, 8:30 a.m.= to 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 21, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. March 22, 8:30 a.m. to= 1:30 p.m. March 23, NRC Two White Flint North, room T-2B3, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville. Free; those who plan to make oral or written statements should contact Howard Larson at 301-415-6805. (2) CLOSE THE SCHOOL OF ASSASSINS!=20 Days of Resistance March 29th =AD April 3rd 2001, Washington DC Join and= struggle together with people from all over the US and beyond its borders who are working for a desperately needed change in the US foreign policy. The= closing of the SOA will be a beginning. Lobby Congress and confront the Pentagon= with the power of organized nonviolent civil=20 resistance. Call 202.234.3440 or check the webpage http://www.soaw.org for more information about the re-named SOA, lobbying, the nonviolent direct actions, puppet building, transportation, housing options in Washington DC and more.= =20 Reply to mailto:soawatch@hotmail.com=20 (3) FAITH AND RESISTANCE RETREAT - HOLY WEEK - APRIL 12 - 14, 2001 at GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH, 4300 16TH ST. NW=20 WASHINGTON D.C. (at the corner of 16th and Varnum NW) HOLY SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 12 - 1:00 White House Witness=20 1:00 Closing Circle in Lafayette Park. (4) April 16 to 23, 2001 Meeting of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development=20 Focus primarily is on energy, transport and atmosphere. A full report on= the recent energy experts meeting can be found in the Earth Negotiations= Bulletin at http://www.iisd.ca/csd/enrexpert2/. Please let me know if you are= interested in being involved in the preparations for the CSD meeting, or in attending= the meeting, which will be held in New York from April 16 to 23. Best regards,= Gail Karlsson, Citnet Working Group on Climate Change and Energy, mailto:g.karlsson@att.net (5) Backyard Eco Conference 2001 (this summer in Michigan) The Nuclear-Free Great Lakes Campaign will hold the Third Great Lakes Anti-Nuclear Action Camp in Michigan in late summer. Consisting of several regional safe-energy organizations, the group is actively working to rid the Great Lakes Bio-Region of all hazardous nuclear reactors and contamination sites. The camp aims to=20 * Educate about nuclear power hazards, and promote safe-energy alternatives=20 * Train the next generation of safe-energy activists, both on energy related issues and in skills needed to become effective activists and organizers, and Environmentalists attending ECO are welcome to attend. For More Information Contact: Citizens for Alternatives to Chemical Contamination=20 8735 Maple Grove Road, Lake, MI 48632-9511 Eco Registrar: Karen Freel Klein, (517) 426-5540=20 mailto:kfklein@voyager.net (6) Chernobyl Actions - April 25-26=20 *** STOP MOBILE CHERNOBYL & NUKE DUMPS ON NATIVE LANDS! From: Kevin Kamps <kevin@nirs.org>=20 The nuclear power industry, with shameful environmental racism, has targeted the tiny, impoverished Skull Valley Goshutes Indian Reservation in Utah for its "Private Fuel Storage" national dumpsite. This proposed= "interim storage site" for high-level atomic trash could launch the Mobile Chernobyl= -- thousands of waste shipments across dozens of States -- beginning as early= as 2003. The nuclear industry claims the Skull Valley dump would just be "temporary," for they have full confidence that the federal government will open the permanent national dump site on Western Shoshone Indian land at= Yucca Mountain, Nevada -- yet more environmental racism!=20 Commemorate Earth Week 2001 and the 15th Anniversary of Chernobyl April 25th speakers, workshops, non-violence trainings APRIL 26TH -- NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION rallies & press events in numerous= cities across the U.S. To find out about the action nearest you, contact Kevin Kamps at Nuclear Information & Resource Service, phone (202) 328-0002, e-mail:= kevin@nirs.org. Look soon for additional information, fact sheets, petitions, and a flyer= you can adapt for local use on our web site: http://www.nirs.org Here is a list of events already being organized: Coordinated events around the country are being targeted at each of the 8 nuclear utility companies that comprise the Private Fuel Storage consortium that is pushing the dump: MICHIGAN & OHIO: Civil disobedience at American Electric Power's= Cook reactors in Michigan on April 26th; simultaneous rally at AEP headquarters= in Columbus, Ohio. (contact Kevin Kamps, NIRS, ph. 202.328.0002; Chris= Williams, Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, 317.205.3535) MINNESOTA: Rallies at Xcel Energy's shareholders meeting on April= 25th and at Xcel's Headquarters on April 26th, both in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Diana McKeown, Clean Water Action, 612.623.3666) WISCONSIN: Caravan along transport routes near the Dairyland reactor and rally at Private Fuel Storage's national office, in LaCrosse, WI. (contact Kevin Kamps at NIRS for local WI contact information) CALIFORNIA: "The Great American Write-In," a letter-writing marathon= to Southern California Edison's CEO as well as to government officials in= southern California, April 21st. (contact Kevin Kamps at NIRS for local California contact information) GEORGIA: March, delivery of petitions, and press conference in= downtown Atlanta at the Carter Presidential Library calling upon Southern Company to withdraw from PFS the weekend after April 26th (Glenn Carroll, Georgians Against Nuclear Power, 404.378.9542; Mary Olson, Nuclear Info. & Resource Service southeast office, 828.251.2060) NEW JERSEY: April 26th Chernobyl commemoration at GPU Nuclear's= (now, Amergen's) Oyster Creek reactor in New Jersey (Norm Cohen, UNPLUG Salem Campaign, 609.601.8583)=20 NEW YORK: Earth Day/April 22nd rally in New York City against Consolidated Edison's membership in PFS. (contact Kevin Kamps or Cindy= Folkers at NIRS for local specifics and NYC contacts) FLORIDA: Rally in Florida against Florida Power & Light's= involvement with PFS (contact Kevin Kamps at NIRS for local Florida contacts) UTAH: April 26th musical concert, march, and candlelight vigil, downtown Salt Lake City, at the railroad tracks along which the high-level nuclear= waste would travel to Skull Valley. (Jason Groenewold, Citizens Against Nuclear= Waste in Utah, c/o Families Against Incinerator Risks, ph. 801.364.5110)April 26th events in other transport corridor States, such as Nebraska. Please pass= this message on to others. Thanks. *** THE UNPLUG SALEM CAMPAIGN=92S COMMEMORATION OF THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF= THE CHERNYOBL ACCIDENT: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25TH 4-6 PM ON THE SALEM NUKE ACCESS= ROAD SPEAKERS INCLUDE: SEE OUR SOLAR POWER DISPLAY! BRING YOUR BABY TEETH! FOR MORE INFORMATION, RIDES, ETC: CONTACT UNPLUG SALEM CAMPAIGN, 321 BARR AVE, LINWOOD NJ 08221; mailto:norco@bellatlantic.net | http://www.unplugsalem.org | 609-601-8583 (7) Plowshares Activists=20 *** Phil Berrigan, Plowshares activist in Brooklyn for 2 weeks From: disarmnow [mailto:disarmnow@erols.com]=20 Sent: Friday, March 16, 2001 1:10 PM Phil Berrigan, Plowshares activist currently imprisoned for protesting= depleted uranium weapons, is "visiting" Brooklyn (jail), en route to the federal= prison in Elkton, Ohio. It is expected that he will remain in Brooklyn for about= two weeks. He can have visits on Tuesdays for an hour between 12:30 and 7:00 PM. Write: Philip Berrigan #14850-056=20 MDC Brooklyn=20 80 29th Street=20 Brooklyn NY 11232 *** TWO IN CUSTODY AFTER URGING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF ELF TRANSMITTER=20 ASHLAND, WI - TUESDAY MARCH 13, 2001 - In commemoration of the 32nd anniversary of United States' approval of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation= Treaty, two area residents delivered a formal 82-page complaint to Ashland County= and its Sheriff's Department alleging that the Navy's ELF facility near Clam= Lake operates in violation of the 1968 Treaty and Wisc. Statutes 832.113 and= 939.22. The complaint asks that the Sheriff's Department and the Ashland County District Attorney investigate and prosecute the commission of a criminal conspiracy to commit mass destruction with nuclear weapons. The Navy transmitter sends one-way commands to submerged missile-firing Trident submarines around the world. Upon delivery of the complaint, John Heid, 46, of Duluth, Minn. and John LaForge, 45, of Luck, Wisc. were taken into custody by Ashland County= deputies on warrants for nonpayment of fines stemming from protest violations at the= ELF transmitter. The two are expected to be released in mid-May. Two other anti-nuclear weapons activists were convicted Feb. 21 in= Madison federal court of criminal damage to the facility. Bonnie Urfer, of Luck, WI, and Michael Sprong, of Marion, SD, face sentencing May 4. The federal misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. The ELF transmitter has been the object of longstanding opposition. Over= 550 trespass citations have been issued to activists at the site since the end= of the Cold War and the former Soviet threat in 1991. =20 The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty says in part, "Each of the Parties= to the Treaty undertakes to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to the cessation of the nuclear arms race and to nuclear disarmament." The United States reaffirmed the treaty in 1995. [From: "Nukewatch" <mailto:nukewtch@lakeland.ws>]=20 CONTACT: Bonnie Urfer or Barb Katt at NUKEWATCH Office: (715) 472-4185 (8) Price Anderson Act PETITION - Aging reactors =3D high probability of nuclear accidents. Will your= homeowners insurance cover the damages? Please sign Price Anderson Act Repeal petition and forward this to all on your lists and ask that they do the same -- =B7 No insurance policy, whether homeowners or vehicle insurance, will cover damages to your property or health in case of a nuclear accident.=20 =B7 This is due to the Price Anderson Act, passed in 1957 to protect= the nuclear industry from financial responsibility in the event of an accident.= =20 =B7 Sign the petition to repeal this archaic law which protects the= nuclear industry and denies adequate protection to citizens.=20 SIGN PETITION at: http://www.petitiononline.com/repealpa/petition.html=20 More Background Information at: http://www.geocities.com/priceanderson/=20 (9) Attention Gulf War Veterans --=20 Anton Antonowicz, a chief feature writer with the Mirror, Britain's second largest daily newspaper is working on a series about birth defects in the children of Gulf War Veterans. The Mirror reaches 8 million plus readers and= is syndicated worldwide. Mr. Antonowicz would like to interview Gulf War= veteran families in the U.S. who believe that their children's birth defects may be related to exposures during their service. He will be working with award winning photographer, Mike Moore on the story. Mr. Antonowitz is a former Foreign Writer of the Year and both he and Mr. Moore are Amnesty= International Press Award Winners. If you are interested in talking with Mr. Antonowicz, please send an e-mail to mailto:betty@birthdefects.org as soon as possible. Include a description of your child's birth defects and both daytime and evening phone numbers.=20 From: Denise Nelson <inner.circle@worldnet.att.net>=20 (10) RADIOACTIVE ROADS & RAILS ACTION OF THE MONTH Pass a resolution in your community! Background --If Yucca Mountain is recommended as a permanent nuclear waste repository this summer, as scheduled, shipments of the waste to the site= could begin within the next decade and last for at least 25 years.=20 --The Department of Energy refuses to specify the exact routes that will be used for waste transportation, making it difficult to assess the impact= on your community. An analysis prepared by Clark County Comprehensive Planning Division in Nevada found that the waste would travel through 734 counties= with a total population of 138 million people in 43 states. --Studies of the casks that will be used to transport waste to Yucca Mountain have been inadequate because they have not included full-scale physical testing of the casks, and the conditions that were used in computer analysis did not represent real-life scenarios. --The DOE's own estimates suggest that at least 50 accidents and as many as 310 accidents could occur during shipment of radioactive waste. A severe accident in a rural area could contaminate a 42-square-mile area, require= 462 days to clean up and cost $620 million. Most communities don't have adequate emergency response personnel or equipment to deal with an incident that= could occur as a result of nuclear waste transportation. --Property values have been shown to decline along nuclear waste transportation routes even without an accident or act of sabotage.=20 --Many jurisdictions, including Los Angeles county, Denver, St.= Louis, Philadelphia, and the UE National Convention have passed resolutions= officially opposing nuclear waste transportation through their communities. Such resolutions are very useful in raising the issue with Members of Congress. Take Action! Bring this issue to your city, county, church/temple, university,= union local, or other organization, and urge your officials to pass a resolution opposing nuclear waste transportation through your community. Once a= resolution is passed, forward it to your Members of Congress and send a copy to Public Citizen. For more information, see our web page= (http://www.citizen.org/cmep/) or email lisa_gue@citizen.org.=20 (11) Call for papers re DU, Yugoslavia, NATO - Res publica, Prague Civic organisation Res publica, association for information (Czech= republic, Prague), are beginning http://www.publica.cz, a discussion FORUM (www.publica.cz/tituly/forum.htm) on some themes. At present our interest is concentrating on: =B7 DEPLETED URANIUM: USES AND HAZARDS=20 =B7 BOMBARDEMENT OF YUGOSLAVIA 1999 AND ITS INTERNATIONAL AND POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES=20 =B7 ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN PREVENTION AND PEACEFUL SOLVING= OF CONFLICTS,=20 =B7 NATO and its role based on a new doctrine of the Washington summit=20 - Stanislav Kliment, chairman | Jiri Horak, Ph. D., vice-chairman |= Res publica, Association for information mailto:publica@publica.cz (12) Chechnya and Landmines [From: "Ross Wilcock" <mailto:arwilcock@sympatico.ca>] ... I met the Chechen doctor who treated lots of landmine victims in= Chechnya since he is now a refugee (from both sides) in the USA. He says the landmine situation is ten times worse now in Putin's War than Yeltsin's. In Yeltsin's 1.2 million were scattered (one for every human foot). Does this translate= to 12 million landmines now? - I don't know the answer to that. (Among other things, they mine Chechen bodies in mass graves in case someone tries to dig= up the bodies to bury them properly as Chechens are likely to.) At any rate he said there are now thousands of Chechen child landmine victims and there are= no local treatment facilities left. Some Chechen child landmine victims have= been untreated since Yeltsin's War (ended August 1996) Baiev said. Ban Landmines= - http://www.pgs.ca/pages/ldmn0.html [And now, talk about absurd....] (13) British protester charged with racist abuse for dragging US flag on= ground 20 February 2001, UK The Independent, By Severin Carrell An anti-nuclear protester has been charged with racial abuse against the American people after she allegedly dragged a United States flag along the ground during a demonstration against the Star Wars missile defence system. In an unprecedented case, the Crown Prosecution Service has accused Lindis Percy of being motivated by racist hatred of the American people when she "trailed" the US flag on the road at the US military eavesdropping base at Menwith Hill in North Yorkshire. At a pre-trial hearing atHarrogate magistrates' court=20 yesterday, the prosecution claimed this offence, which carries a =A32,500= fine, caused "harassment, alarm and distress" to US personnel driving out of the= base during the demonstration last December. It is thought to be the first time= the new anti-racism powers introduced under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 have been used in this way. ... Ms Percy is alleged to have draped the flag across the road at the= gates to the USbase. It was driven over by a member of the American Legion, a staunchly patriotic ex-servicemen's association based at Menwith Hill. In the United States, ex-servicemen's groups and politicians have= campaigned for desecration of the flag to be made a federal offence. The trial of Ms Percy, a veteran anti-nuclear campaigner, has been set= for late April. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/UK/This_Britain/2001-02/flag200201.shtml http://nucnews/2001nn/0102nn/010220nn.htm#03=20 [From: "Lindis Percy" <mailto:percy@lindisandchris.freeserve.co.uk>] (14) Profbooks.com - Nuclear Engineering Bookshop=20 Over 10,000 Specialist Nuclear Science Books=20 Visit http://www.profbooks.com/nuclear From: "Profbooks.com" <info@profbooks.com>=20 (15) Added to NucNews links at http://prop1.org/briefslv.htm: * New link for White House news - http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/ * "Nuke Info Tokyo," by CNIC (#82 is now available on the web=20 (pdf) at http://www.cnic.or.jp/english/nit/ Citizens' Nuclear Information Center (CNIC)=20 1-58-15, Kotobuki-bldg., 3F,Higashi-nakano,=20 Nakano-ku,Tokyo 164-0003, Japan=20 phone 81-3-5330-9520,fax 81-3-5330-9530=20 URL: http://www.cnic.or.jp/=20 Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2001 15:39:30 +0900=20 From: "CNIC(IIJ)" <cnic-jp@po.iijnet.or.jp>=20 Satoshi Fujino=20 ___________________________________________________ Today's News and Archives: http://prop1.org/nucnews/briefslv.htm Submit URL/Article: mailto:NucNews@onelist.com OneList Archives: http://www.onelist.com/archive/NucNews (subscribe online) Other Excellent News-Collecting Sites - DOE Watch - http://www.egroups.com/group/doewatch Downwinders - http://www.egroups.com/group/downwinders Quick Route to U.S. Congress: http://www.senate.gov/senators/index.cfm (Senators' Websites) http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.html (Representatives' Websites) http://thomas.loc.gov/ (Pending Legislation - Search) Online Petition to Abolish Nuclear Weapons - http://www.PetitionOnline.com/prop1/petition.html Subscribe to NucNews Briefs: mailto:prop1@prop1.org Distributed without payment for research and educational=20 purposes only, in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107. - - 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, 19 Mar 2001 13:06:39 -0800 From: Jackie Cabasso <wslf@earthlink.net> Subject: (abolition-usa) Arming the Heavens - --=====================_2357464==_.ALT Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Surprisingly good op-ed! http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/chronicle/archive/2001/03/= 18 /ED217078.DTL&type=3Dprintable=20 www.sfgate.com Return to regular view=20 Arming the Heavens=20 Sunday, March 18, 2001=20 =A92001 San Francisco Chronicle=20 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/chronicle/archive/2001/03/= 18 /ED217078.DTL=20 "IF THE U.S. is to avoid a 'Space Pearl Harbor' it needs to take seriously= the possibility of an attack on U.S. space systems."=20 You might think this is the opening of a science fiction novel. But these= words appear in a federal government document. Specifically, this is the= conclusion reached by the Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management and Organization, which presented its long-awaited= recommendations to Congress on Jan. 11, 2001.=20 Chaired by Donald H. Rumsfeld -- before President Bush appointed him= secretary of defense -- the commission seeks to protect American military and surveillance satellites from future attacks. To thwart such aggression, the commissioners recommend that the United States develop a space-based= "military capability" to defend its space "assets."=20 Just as Rumsfeld delivered this report to Congress, President Bush decided= to suspend all further military expenditures and asked the new secretary of defense to conduct a complete review of the armed services, including their strategies and weapons.=20 Although no one knows what Rumsfeld will ultimately conclude, he has already provided us with a disturbing vision of how he imagines America's military future.=20 America will prepare to fight in space. The U.S. will control space to= maintain strategic dominance on Earth.=20 If adopted, the Rumsfeld report could ignite an arms race that would make= the proliferation of nuclear bombs seem almost quaint.=20 In Rumsfeld's view, space is the next arena of warfare. While politicians debate whether the United States should build a defensive national missile defense, the Rumsfeld commission regards a ground-based missile defense as= the first step in deploying space-based weaponry, which could become an= offensive threat.=20 His is not an isolated view. In a recent issue of the New Republic, Senior Editor Lawrence Kaplan suggests we drop all pretenses and admit that= "missile defense is about preserving America's ability to wield power abroad. It's= not about defense. It's about offense. And that's exactly why we need it."=20 U.S. weaponry is obsolete, says Rumsfeld. The next president must "have the option to deploy weapons in space to deter threats and, if necessary, defend against attacks on U.S. interests."=20 The Rumsfeld report proposes a full-scale effort to prepare for space= warfare. It recommends, for example, that the president declare space a national security priority, that a Space Advisory Group report directly to the= president and that the Air Force create "a Space Corps" that will eventually morph= into "a military department for space." With these steps, the report concludes,= the United States will gain "the capability to use space as an integral part of= its ability to manage crises, deter conflict, and if deterrence fails, to= prevail in conflict."=20 The resolve to build a space-based military is hardly new. Much of the commission's report is, in fact, a tamer and toned-down version of documents already published by the U.S. Space Command, which the Pentagon established= in 1985 to "help institutionalize the use of space."=20 These documents, readily accessible on the Web site of the U.S. Space= Command (www.spacecom.af.mil/usspace), reveal a more ominous vision of space- based warfare. The cover of one document, called "Vision for 2020," depicts a= laser weapon shooting a beam down from space, zapping a target below. Beneath this sci-fi image crawl the words: "U.S. Space Command -- dominating the space dimension of military operations to protect U.S. interests and investments."= =20 "Vision for 2020" emphasizes how the global economy will widen the gulf= between "the haves" and the "have-nots." By deploying space-based weaponry and surveillance, however, the United States will have the ability "to control space" and from space, "to dominate" the Earth below.=20 U.S. military leaders are blunt in describing their plans for space warfare.= =20 "It's politically sensitive, but it's going to happen," Gen. Joseph Ashy, former commander-in-chief of the U.S. Space Command, told Aviation Week &= Space Technology in 1996.=20 "Space is the ultimate 'high ground,' " reported "Guardians of the High Frontier," a 1997 U.S. Air Force Space Command report. "Tomorrow's Air Force will likely dominate the air and space around the world," declares "Almanac 2000," recently published by the U.S. Space Command.=20 All this, remember, was before George W. Bush became president.=20 Yet candidate Bush never hid his enthusiasm for Star Wars. On the campaign trail, he repeatedly proposed that the United States leapfrog over the next generation of weapons -- still meant for fighting the Cold War -- and= proceed directly to high-tech weapons. By choosing Donald Rumsfeld, Bush appointed a man whom the Washington Post has called the "leading proponent not only of national missile defenses, but also of U.S. efforts to take control of outer space."=20 Spending billions of tax dollars to deploy space-based weaponry is a serious matter, though most Americans seem unaware of an idea that appears to be gaining currency -- including the cash -- within government. Last year, for example, a multimillion-dollar contract was signed for a "Space-Based Laser Readiness Demonstrator."=20 The militarization of space would violate international law. In 1967, the U. S.-initiated Outer Space Treaty banned all nations from deploying weapons in space. Last year, 163 nations voted to reaffirm that U.N. agreement.=20 Three nations abstained and refused to support the resolution: The United States, Israel and Micronesia.=20 So, is Donald Rumsfeld's "strategic review" a charade? Have the decisions already been made?=20 Some experts and activists think so.=20 An editorial in the Economist recently argued that "the long-promised transformation of the American defense system from a Cold War fighting force= to the high-tech -army of the future" is finally going to take place. The= Center for Defense Information has criticized the "concerted effort in the administration" to push ahead with the militarization of space.=20 Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, says, "We have this one chance, this one moment in history,= to stop the weaponization of space from happening."=20 If he is right, the American people face an urgent need to become informed about our government's future military plans.=20 Look up at the heavens. Imagine laser or nuclear weapons orbiting in space. Then decide whether space-based warfare will make you feel any safer here on Earth.=20 =A92001 San Francisco Chronicle Page A - 20=20 **************************************************************************** *************** Jacqueline Cabasso WESTERN STATES LEGAL FOUNDATION 1440 Broadway, Suite 500 Oakland, California 94612 USA Tel: + 1 (510) 839-5877 Fax: + 1 (510) 839-5397 Western States Legal Foundation is a founding member of the=20 ABOLITION 2000 GLOBAL NETWORK TO ELIMINATE NUCLEAR WEAPONS **************************************************************************** *************** - --=====================_2357464==_.ALT Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html> Surprisingly good op-ed! <a= href=3D"http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/chronicle/archive= /2001/03/18/ED217078.DTL&type=3Dprintable" eudora=3D"autourl">http://www= .sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/chronicle/archive/2001/03/18/ED21707= 8.DTL&type=3Dprintable</a> <a href=3D"http://www.sfgate.com/"= eudora=3D"autourl">www.sfgate.com</a> <font= color=3D"#0000FF">Return to regular view Arming the Heavens Sunday, March 18, 2001 =A92001 San Francisco= Chronicle URL: <a= href=3D"http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/chronicle/archive= /2001/03/18/ED217078.DTL" eudora=3D"autourl"><font= color=3D"#0000FF">http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/chro= nicle/archive/2001/03/18/ED217078.DTL</a> "IF THE U.S. is to avoid a 'Space Pearl Harbor' it needs to= take seriously the possibility of an attack on U.S. space systems."= You might think this is the opening of a science fiction novel. But these= words appear in a federal government document. Specifically, this is the= conclusion reached by the Commission to Assess United States National= Security Space Management and Organization, which presented its= long-awaited recommendations to Congress on Jan. 11, 2001. Chaired by Donald H. Rumsfeld -- before President Bush appointed him= secretary of defense -- the commission seeks to protect American military= and surveillance satellites from future attacks. To thwart such aggression,= the commissioners recommend that the United States develop a space-based= "military capability" to defend its space "assets."= Just as Rumsfeld delivered this report to Congress, President Bush decided= to suspend all further military expenditures and asked the new secretary of= defense to conduct a complete review of the armed services, including their= strategies and weapons. Although no one knows what Rumsfeld will ultimately conclude, he has already= provided us with a disturbing vision of how he imagines America's military= future. America will prepare to fight in space. The U.S. will control space to= maintain strategic dominance on Earth. If adopted, the Rumsfeld report could ignite an arms race that would make= the proliferation of nuclear bombs seem almost quaint. In Rumsfeld's view, space is the next arena of warfare. While politicians= debate whether the United States should build a defensive national missile= defense, the Rumsfeld commission regards a ground-based missile defense as= the first step in deploying space-based weaponry, which could become an= offensive threat. His is not an isolated view. In a recent issue of the New Republic, Senior= Editor Lawrence Kaplan suggests we drop all pretenses and admit that= "missile defense is about preserving America's ability to wield power= abroad. It's not about defense. It's about offense. And that's exactly why= we need it." U.S. weaponry is obsolete, says Rumsfeld. The next president must "have= the option to deploy weapons in space to deter threats and, if necessary,= defend against attacks on U.S. interests." The Rumsfeld report proposes a full-scale effort to prepare for space= warfare. It recommends, for example, that the president declare space a= national security priority, that a Space Advisory Group report directly to= the president and that the Air Force create "a Space Corps" that= will eventually morph into "a military department for space."= With these steps, the report concludes, the United States will gain= "the capability to use space as an integral part of its ability to= manage crises, deter conflict, and if deterrence fails, to prevail in= conflict." The resolve to build a space-based military is hardly new. Much of the= commission's report is, in fact, a tamer and toned-down version of= documents already published by the U.S. Space Command, which the Pentagon= established in 1985 to "help institutionalize the use of space."= These documents, readily accessible on the Web site of the U.S. Space= Command (<a href=3D"http://www.spacecom.af.mil/usspace"= eudora=3D"autourl"><font= color=3D"#0000FF">www.spacecom.af.mil/usspace</a>), reveal a= more ominous vision of space- based warfare. The cover of one document,= called "Vision for 2020," depicts a laser weapon shooting a beam= down from space, zapping a target below. Beneath this sci-fi image crawl= the words: "U.S. Space Command -- dominating the space dimension of= military operations to protect U.S. interests and investments." "Vision for 2020" emphasizes how the global economy will widen the= gulf between "the haves" and the "have-nots." By= deploying space-based weaponry and surveillance, however, the United States= will have the ability "to control space" and from space, "to= dominate" the Earth below. U.S. military leaders are blunt in describing their plans for space warfare.= "It's politically sensitive, but it's going to happen," Gen.= Joseph Ashy, former commander-in-chief of the U.S. Space Command, told= Aviation Week & Space Technology in 1996. "Space is the ultimate 'high ground,' " reported "Guardians= of the High Frontier," a 1997 U.S. Air Force Space Command report.= "Tomorrow's Air Force will likely dominate the air and space around= the world," declares "Almanac 2000," recently published by= the U.S. Space Command. All this, remember, was before George W. Bush became president. Yet candidate Bush never hid his enthusiasm for Star Wars. On the campaign= trail, he repeatedly proposed that the United States leapfrog over the next= generation of weapons -- still meant for fighting the Cold War -- and= proceed directly to high-tech weapons. By choosing Donald Rumsfeld, Bush= appointed a man whom the Washington Post has called the "leading= proponent not only of national missile defenses, but also of U.S. efforts= to take control of outer space." Spending billions of tax dollars to deploy space-based weaponry is a serious= matter, though most Americans seem unaware of an idea that appears to be= gaining currency -- including the cash -- within government. Last year, for= example, a multimillion-dollar contract was signed for a "Space-Based= Laser Readiness Demonstrator." The militarization of space would violate international law. In 1967, the U.= S.-initiated Outer Space Treaty banned all nations from deploying weapons= in space. Last year, 163 nations voted to reaffirm that U.N. agreement.= Three nations abstained and refused to support the resolution: The United= States, Israel and Micronesia. So, is Donald Rumsfeld's "strategic review" a charade? Have the= decisions already been made? Some experts and activists think so. An editorial in the Economist recently argued that "the long-promised= transformation of the American defense system from a Cold War fighting= force to the high-tech -army of the future" is finally going to take= place. The Center for Defense Information has criticized the= "concerted effort in the administration" to push ahead with the= militarization of space. Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear= Power in Space, says, "We have this one chance, this one moment in= history, to stop the weaponization of space from happening." If he is right, the American people face an urgent need to become informed= about our government's future military plans. Look up at the heavens. Imagine laser or nuclear weapons orbiting in space.= Then decide whether space-based warfare will make you feel any safer here= on Earth. =A92001 San Francisco Chronicle Page A= - 20 <div align=3D"center"> ****************************************************************************= *************** Jacqueline Cabasso WESTERN STATES LEGAL FOUNDATION 1440 Broadway, Suite 500 Oakland, California 94612 USA Tel: + 1 (510) 839-5877 Fax: + 1 (510) 839-5397 Western States Legal Foundation is a founding member of the ABOLITION 2000 GLOBAL NETWORK TO ELIMINATE NUCLEAR WEAPONS ****************************************************************************= ***************</html> - --=====================_2357464==_.ALT-- - - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 16:19:26 -0500 From: Kevin Martin <kmartin@fourthfreedom.org> Subject: (abolition-usa) Call for a National Mobilization to Stop the Star Wars and Abolish Nuclear Weapons - --------------62C969BAFE10859D1B267E88 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by elk1.elkhart.net id f2LLIEH22051 Dear Friends of Peace and Disarmament, Below is a Call for a National Mobilization to Stop Star Wars and Abolish Nuclear Weapons, to held in Washington, DC June 10 - 12. Events are listed below the Call. More details will be forthcoming shortly, including a flier to help publicize the event, but please don't wait to begin mobilizing for this event. Start talking to your friends and colleagues about coming to DC for the event, and if your organization can endorse the Call, let us know so we can list you as an endorsing organization. If you'd like a version of the Call in MS Word, let me know. The new president and Congress need to hear loud and clear that the people will not accept Star Wars "National Missile Defense" (a better name would be "Corporate Welfare Defense"), the militarization of outer space, and a new arms race. Help us raise the call for peace and sanity. In Peace, Kevin Martin Director, Project Abolition ***** CALL FOR A NATIONAL MOBILIZATION Tell President Bush, the Congress and their Corporate Sponsors: Stop Star Wars and the Militarization of Space! Abolish Nuclear Weapons Now! President Bush and his chief Star Warrior, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, have made clear their determination to deploy Star Wars =93National Missile Defense.=94 It=92s dangerous madness that must be stopped! - -Star Wars will initiate the militarization of outer space. =93National Missile Defense=94 is only the beginning. U.S. Space Command plans to deploy all kinds of weapons in outer space, including offensive ones. Their chilling mission statement: =93US Space Command =96 dominating the space dimension of military operations to protect US interests and investment. Integrating Space Forces into warfighting capabilities across the full spectrum of conflict.=94 - -Star Wars is corporate welfare. Weapons contractors have spent over $40 million on campaign contributions and lobbying over the last two years to "milk the government and create for themselves a job for life", acording to former TRW employee Dr. Nira Schwartz. -Star Wars will start a new arms race. The CIA acknowledges Russia and China will beef up their offensive nuclear arsenals to counter a U.S. Star Wars system. The arms race would then likely spread to India and Pakistan. The ABM treaty and all other arms agreements would be scuttled. Nuclear anarchy would result. -American taxpayers have spent over $120 billion on missile defense schemes ($60 billion since Reagan proposed Star Wars in 1983) with absolutely nothing to show for it. The cost of a =93layered=94 land-, sea= - - and space-based Star Wars system, as Bush favors, could cost over $200 billion on top of what=92s already been spent. That=92s our tax money th= at won=92t go for education, health care, affordable housing or the environment. WE MUST STOP THEM. In the 1980=92s, millions of concerned citizens raised their voices against Star Wars and Ronald Reagan=92s nuclear arms buildup. Once again, concerned, peace-mongering people are called upon to mobilize to stop the revival of Star Wars and a new nuclear arms race. We will gather at the White House and in the halls of Congress to oppose Star Wars and the militarization of outer space, and to call for the only realistic solution to the scourge of nuclear weapons =96 their complete, global elimination. ***** EVENTS: 1. National Mobilization: Rally at the White House Lafayette Park (just across the street) Washington, DC Sunday, June 17, time to be announced Please plan to join us, and bring a busload of your friends, family, and neighbors! speakers ~ music ~ art ~ activism Raise your voice against Star Wars and the militarization of space and for nuclear abolition! Free and open to all. Organize a bus from your city! 2. Congressional Education Days Monday and Tuesday, June 11 and 12 Activist Training and meetings with members of Congress Site for training to be announced Learn the latest information on Star Wars National Missile Defense and plans for a new generation of nuclear weapons, as well as initiatives toward the global abolition of nuclear weapons. Then make your views known by visiting your Congressperson and Senators! National Mobilization and Congressional Education Days sponsored by: Project Abolition, Disarmament Clearinghouse, Fourth Freedom Forum, Global Security Institute, The Nation Institute, Peace Action, Peace Links, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Women=92s Action for New Directions Endorsing Organizations (in formation): U.S. Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons For more information, contact Project Abolition, 219-535-1110 or kmartin@fourthfreedom.org - --------------62C969BAFE10859D1B267E88 Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by elk1.elkhart.net id f2LLIEH22051 <!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html> <tt>Dear Friends of Peace and Disarmament,</tt><tt></tt> <tt>Below is a Call for a National Mobilization to Stop Star Wars and Abolish Nuclear Weapons, to held in Washington, DC June 10 - 12. Events are listed below the Call. More details will be forthcoming shortly, incl= uding a flier to help publicize the event, but please don't wait to begin mobil= izing for this event. Start talking to your friends and colleagues about coming to DC for the event, and if your organization can endorse the Call= , let us know so we can list you as an endorsing organization. If you'd lik= e a version of the Call in MS Word, let me know.</tt><tt></tt> <tt>The new president and Congress need to hear loud and clear that the people will not accept Star Wars "National Missile Defense" (a better name would be "Corporate Welfare Defense"), the militarization of outer space, and a new arms race. Help us raise the call for peace and sanity.</tt><tt></tt> <tt>In Peace,</tt><tt></tt> <tt>Kevin Martin</tt> <tt>Director, Project Abolition</tt> <tt>*****</tt><tt></tt> <tt>CALL FOR A NATIONAL MOBILIZATION</tt><tt></tt> <tt>Tell President Bush, the Congress and their Corporate Sponsors:</t= t><tt></tt> <tt>Stop Star Wars and the Militarization of Space!</tt><tt></tt> <tt>Abolish Nuclear Weapons Now!</tt><tt></tt> <tt>President Bush and his chief Star Warrior, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, have made clear their determination to deploy Star Wars =93National Missile Defense.=94</tt><tt></tt> <tt>It=92s dangerous madness that must be stopped!</tt><tt></tt> <tt>-Star Wars will initiate the militarization of outer space. =93Nat= ional Missile Defense=94 is only the beginning. U.S. Space Command plans to deploy all kinds of weapons in outer space, including offensive ones.&= nbsp; Their chilling mission statement: =93US Space Command =96 dominating the = space dimension of military operations to protect US interests and investment. Integrating Space Forces into warfighting capabilities across the full spectrum of conflict.=94</tt><tt></tt> <tt>-Star Wars is corporate welfare. Weapons contractors have spent over $40 million on campaign contributions and lobbying over the last two years to "milk the government and create for themselves a job for life", acording to former TRW employee Dr. Nira Schwartz.</tt> <tt> </tt> <tt> -Star Wars will start a new arms race. The CIA acknowledges Russia and China will beef up their offensive nuclear arsenals to counter a U.S. Star Wars system. The arms race would then likely spread to India and Pakistan. The ABM treaty and all other arms agreements would be scuttled. Nuclear anarchy would result.</tt><tt></tt> <tt> -American taxpayers have spent over $120 billion on missile defense schemes ($60 billion since Reagan proposed Star Wars in 1983) wit= h absolutely nothing to show for it. The cost of a =93layered=94 land-, sea= - - and space-based Star Wars system, as Bush favors, could cost over $200 billion on top of what=92s already been spent. That=92s our tax mon= ey that won=92t go for education, health care, affordable housing or the env= ironment.</tt><tt></tt> <tt>WE MUST STOP THEM. In the 1980=92s, millions of concerned citizens raised their voices against Star Wars and Ronald Reagan=92s nuclear arms buildup. Once again, concerned, peace-mongering people are called upon to mobilize to stop the revival of Star Wars and a new nuclear arms race.= </tt><tt></tt> <tt>We will gather at the White House and in the halls of Congress to oppose Star Wars and the militarization of outer space, and to call for the only realistic solution to the scourge of nuclear weapons =96 their c= omplete, global elimination.</tt> <tt>*****</tt><tt></tt> <tt>EVENTS:</tt><tt></tt> <tt>1. National Mobilization: Rally at the White House</tt> <tt>Lafayette Park (just across the street)</tt> <tt>Washington, DC</tt> <tt>Sunday, June 17, time to be announced</tt><tt></tt> <tt>Please plan to join us, and bring a busload of your friends, famil= y, and neighbors!</tt><tt></tt> <tt>speakers ~ music &n= bsp; ~ art ~ activism</t= t><tt></tt> <tt>Raise your voice against Star Wars and the militarization of space and for nuclear abolition!</tt><tt></tt> <tt>Free and open to all. Organize a bus from your city!</tt><tt></tt> <tt>2. Congressional Education Days</tt> <tt>Monday and Tuesday, June 11 and 12</tt> <tt>Activist Training and meetings with members of Congress</tt> <tt>Site for training to be announced</tt><tt></tt> <tt>Learn the latest information on Star Wars National Missile Defense and plans for a new generation of nuclear weapons, as well as initiatives toward the global abolition of nuclear weapons. Then make your views know= n by visiting your Congressperson and Senators!</tt><tt></tt> <tt>National Mobilization and Congressional Education Days sponsored by: Project Abolition, Disarmament Clearinghouse, Fourth Freedom Forum, Global Security Institute, The Nation Institute, Peace Action, Peace Link= s, Physicians for Social Responsibility,</tt> <tt>Women=92s Action for New Directions</tt><tt></tt> <tt>Endorsing Organizations (in formation): U.S. Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons</tt><tt></tt> <tt>For more information, contact Project Abolition, 219-535-1110 or kmartin@fourthfreedom.org</tt> <tt></tt> <tt></tt> <tt></tt> <tt></tt> </html> - --------------62C969BAFE10859D1B267E88-- - - 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 #432 *********************************** - 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.