From: owner-abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com (abolition-usa-digest) To: abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: abolition-usa-digest V1 #351 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, August 2 2000 Volume 01 : Number 351 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 01 Aug 2000 19:48:45 -0400 From: ASlater Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Action Alert: CWC in Danger Dear Friends, It may seem out of place to post this action alert to save the Chemical Weapons Convention on our abolition mailing lists. But it's clear that if chemical weapons become a threat in the world because of US failure to live up to its agreements for Chemical weapons disarmament, then the neanderthals in the US Congress will have all the more reason to say we need nukes to defend against weapons of mass destruction--which is now the recently expanded Clinton/Gore US policy for when nuclear weapons may be used. So all things are connected, and if you're so inclined, please let the Congress know that we want to honor our promises to Russia on Chemical weapons disarmament. Don't let's give these guys (and gals) and military contractors, who are itching for a fight with Russia, an excuse to resume the nuclear arms race. Many thanks. Alice Slater >Date: Tue, 01 Aug 2000 18:06:00 -0400 >Subject: Action Alert: CWC in Danger >To: aslater@gracelinks.org >From: ipis@igc.org (ipis@igc.org) > >Write/call your Representative and Senator to save the Chemical Weapons >Convention! The Defense Appropriations Conference committee deleted the >Administration's $35 million request last month to support Russian chemical >weapons destruction under the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR or >"Nunn-Lugar") program. The House Armed Services Committee has also deleted >the funds and ordered the program "closed out" (HR 4205, Sec. 1301). >Fortunately, the Senate Armed Services Committee has supported the program >under certain conditions (S 2549, Sec. 1208). > >If US support for Russian chemical weapons destruction stops, the Duma is >likely to withdraw from the CWC, thereby endangering the entire CWC regime. >Ask your Senator and Representative to have the House recede to the Senate >in the Defense Authorizing Conference next month, thereby allowing the >program in the Russian Kurgan region to move forward. >________________ >Paul F. Walker, Ph.D. >Legacy Program Director >Global Green USA >1025 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 300 >Washington, DC 20005-6303 >202-879-3181; -3182 fax >pwalker@globalgreen.org >www.globalgreen.org > Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) 15 East 26th Street, Room 915 New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 726-9161 fax: (212) 726-9160 email: aslater@gracelinks.org 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 "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, 2 Aug 2000 20:26:53 +1000 From: FoE Sydney - Nuclear Campaign Subject: (abolition-usa) Press Release from Mayak PRESS-RELEASE from the All-Russian Anti-nuclear camp 2000, near "Mayak" plutonium producing and reprocessing plant, Chelyabinsk/Ural region Chelyabinsk, August 1, 2000 RADIATION DANGER ON THE ROAD BETWEEN TWO OF RUSSIA'S BIGGEST CITIES Scientists discovered undeclared highly contaminated spots close to plutonium facility Scientific group headed by the Novosibirsk University' specialists discovered high levels of radiation by the road where thousands of cars running every day between two large cities of Russia - Chelyabinsk and Ekaterinburg. Chelyabinsk with its over million population is the closest big city to famous "Mayak" plu-tonium producing and reprocessing facility where the USSR' largest nuclear accident happened in 1957. Ekaterinburg is the 3th largest city of Russia and the capital of Ural region. On July 28, scientific group based in the Anti-nuclear camp near "Mayak" facility inspected the area of Toskino village, in 60 km to the west from Chelyabinsk, by the bridge over Techa river. Group took ground and water samples for detailed analisys. Anti-nuclear camp made a statement today on discovered levels of radiation near Toskino. According to the camp spokesperson, "there is no dount that high level of radiation caused by "Mayak" facility. Radio-active contamination on the bridge over Techa river is 10 times higher compared to the background level (200 mkR/h). 10 meters far of the bridge there is a little marsh formed by the river with radioactive con-tamination up to 3000 mkR/h. In spite of the extreme dangerous for people radioactive level at the bridge and near the river and thousands autos passing the road every day there are not warning signs there. The radioactive level in the reed growth near the river is 1500 mkR/h. Anti-nuclear camp notifies that radioac-tive level in a case of fire in the reed grows able to grow quickly and cause extremely dangerous situation in the nearest regions. It was also discovered that near Toskino village many inhabitants and passing the road drivers often use the river water for drinking." Activists of the anti-nuclear camp installed warning signs at the bridge: "Attention! Higher radioactive level: 3000 mkR/h" and "Techa - the most radioactive river in the world". The signs of radioactive dan-ger were installed on hard surface and bridge railings. The cause of so grave radioactive pollution of the river and of its banks is "Mayak" plant radioactive release. About 2,76 million Ci of liquid radioactive wastes were released into the opened water system of Techa-Iset-Tobol rivers during 1949-1951 and yet unknown amount of waste in the next 50 years. After that the mostly contaminated localities were reset-tled to relatively safe parts around Chelyabinsk. Still, several villages are situated near the river.and the inhabitants of the region pick up mushrooms and berries at that radioac-tive area and use water of Techa river for their household needs. There are not warning signs anywhere in the region. Anti-nuclear camp near "Mayak" was established on July 23 in 3 km from the "Mayak" site and Karachay lake which for over 50 years serves as dump site for nuclear waste of facility. More then 60 representa-tives if environmental, scientific and human rights organizations from Russia, Latvia, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, USA are working in the camp. The camp makes its set as educational and agitation work among the inhabitants, mainly about the health' consequences of radioactive contamination. The camp demands from local authorities to improve the social protection of inhabitants - victims of radioactive contamination - and to reject the plan of foreign nuclear waste' import for dumping and storing at "Ma-yak" site. Campers were warmly welcommed by the authorities of several villages around the camp site, while Chelyabinsk regional government and "Mayak" facility' press-service blamed activists for lack of cooperation with nuclear industry. For more information Call the camp press-service: +7(351)9009280 - Vladimir Slivyak, Call the camp' representative in Chelyabinsk: +7(3512)135457 or 357163 - Eduard Meylah. Camp' emergency phone:+7(095)7766546 E-mail: ecodefense@glasnet.ru or watch camp chronicles at: http://www.ecoline.ru/antinuclear PRESS-RELEASE All-Russian Anti-nuclear camp 2000, near "Mayak" plutonium producing and reprocessing plant (Chelyabinsk/Ural region/Russia) Chelyabinsk, August 2, 2000 RADICAL PROTEST IS NECESSARY. TO TAKE PLACE ON THURSDAY Participants of the Antinuclear camp near 'Mayak' nuclear complex consider the position of the authorities unacceptable/subject to protest On Thursday, August 3, in the center of Chelyabinsk the radical protest action will take place in order to call to the authorities of Chelyabinsk region to reject plans of importing foreign nuclear waste, to improve the social protection of local residents living in radioactively contaminated areas, and to begin the real rehabilitation of such areas. Meeting point for journalists is the central post office, at 1.00. p.m. The action is organized by the Antinuclear camp near 'Mayak' nuclear complex, in which about 60 representatives of environmental, scientific, human rights' organizations from Chelyabinsk, Tomsk, Novosibirsk, Moscow, Voronezh, Kaliningrad and other cities of Russia as well as other countries are participating at the moment. This summer, activists striving to draw attention to the bad living conditions of the residents of areas of Chelyabinsk region, heavily contaminated with radioactivity, gathered in the annual antinuclear camp. Due to this reason the camp was established in Argayash district, where radioactive contamination is still not recognized officially. This allows the government to refuse compensating the damage caused upon the local residents by 'Mayak' operation and to response to the legal requests of the district's citizens. At the same time, instead of the efforts focused on supporting the harmed people, on the side of Chelyabinsk authorities the astonishing uniting on efforts directed to make 'the radioactive problems' even worse may observed. All the branches of the regional authorities have joint in the willingness to make big money on importing the foreign nuclear waste. From the point of view of the antinuclear camp participants, the authorities must direct funds, both of the region budget and of the 'Mayak', toward solving problems related to the radioactive contamination that already exist, while the aggravation of the radioactive waste problem, that still has no solution, means radioactive catastrophe for the future generations in Chelyabinsk region and in other regions of Russia. Moreover, importing of nuclear waste from abroad will benefit the businessman at the Russian Ministry of atomic power (Minatom), but not the federal or local budgets or social and environmental programmes. Instead of publicizing the information on the radioactive contamination discovered, the authorities are trying to hide it and pressing other citizens to stop their public and journalistic activities. On Friday, July 28, during the visit to Muslyumovo village on the Techa river in Chelyabinsk region, Russian-German group of journalists of ZDF (German TV company) was arrested. The arrest was ordered by Gilyazov, the head of the police of Kunashak district, and conducted by the group of policemen of Ozersk town (where 'Mayak' is located), Muslyumovo village and Kunashak town without any explanation, in the area that is open for visiting and moving without any special permission. The Anti-nuclear camp participants consider necessary to carry out more radical expression of their protest, as the activities of the Chelyabinsk authorities are damaging interests of their own voters and, indirectly, interests of all citizens of Russia. For more information: Call the camp press-service: +7(351)9009280 - Vladimir Slivyak, Call the camp' representative in Chelyabinsk: +7(3512)135457 or 357163 - Eduard Meylah. Camp' emergency phone:+7(095)7766546 E-mail: ecodefense@glasnet.ru or watch camp chronicles at: http://www.ecoline.ru/antinuclear - - 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, 02 Aug 2000 10:32:44 -0500 From: Kevin Martin Subject: (abolition-usa) Los Alamos Action for Abolition August 7 - 9 FYI, here's an announcement for next week's conference and demonstration at Los Alamos, organized by Peace Action New Mexico and a host of peace and justice groups. I'll be there, hope to see you, too! Kevin Martin Director, Project Abolition THE LANL 2000 - ACTION FOR ABOLITION RALLY & PROTEST ON AUGUST 9TH - 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ASHLEY POND IN LOS ALAMOS Colorful rally, musical guests, famous speakers and a great non-violent civil action. CONFERENCE ON NUCLEAR ISSUES AUGUST 7th AND 8th,IN SANTA FE, N.M. Rally and non-violent civil action at New Mexico's nuclear weapons factory, Los Alamos National Laboratory. There are many good reasons why this year's rally will greatly surpass the attendance of last year's rally, which was the largest in Lab history. People are more concerned today about the threat of accidental or deliberate nuclear disaster than at any time since the height of the Cold War. During the past year there have been major and very public setbacks in the world-wide effort to abolish nuclear weapons. The public outcry has increased exponentially with an overwhelming demand that the U.S. government work for peace, not for the multinational weapons manufacturing corporations. 1. Last year's partisan defeat of the ratification of the nuclear Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) by the Senate weakened the leadership position of the United States in an area of deep concern to the vast majority of people in the world. This Treaty was overwhelmingly supported by U.S. voters and its defeat further undermined people's confidence in their elected Representatives in Washington. This public policy failure also sent a bad signal, though accurate, to the rest of the world. Spokespeople around the world wrote that the U.S. believes international treaties are only for others to abide by, even though President Clinton signed the Treaty at the United Nations. This was the first time in U.S. history that a Treaty, although signed, came to a vote in the Senate and failed to be ratified. 2. The Russian ratification of the CTBT and the START II Agreement last month shows very clearly that the Right Wing faction of the House and Senate are radically out of step with the times and with the will of the public. The hawkish determination of Senator Jesse Helms and others to continue the policies of the Cold War is extremely irresponsible. U.S. citizens have shown overwhelmingly that they want to redirect obscene Pentagon and Department of Energy spending on military arms and weapons of mass destruction to domestic programs for universal health care, improved public education and environmental cleanup. 3. Although negotiations have now begun on the START III agreement, there appears little hope that the U.S. will follow the Russian willingness to destroy their nuclear weapon capability. In fact, U.S. officials seem to be encouraging the Russians to keep all their missiles on alert in an effort to get them to agree to changes in the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. 4. The abrogation of the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty by deploying a National Missile Defense (NMD) by the U.S. is conceivably the most destabilizing of all the current U.S. plans. This "Son of Star Wars" has proven to be a fraud and a failure in all the tests performed thus far. It will cost, even in a limited deployment, at least $60 Billion and in a more grandiose version an estimated $120 Billion. However, it is admitted by the government that NMD, even if eventually successful, would theoretically only protect the U.S. from a very limited type of nuclear missile. Additionally, in all probability, this type of nuclear missile would not be used by the much vaunted and feared 'rouge states'. NMD is yet another way to transfer tax money to private military sector corporations instead of to the public sector where it is badly needed. 5. Although the U.S. has recently recommitted to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) , Article 6 of which calls for the abolition of all nuclear weapons, there has been no timetable established for nuclear weapons abolition. Other nations see this as a publicity stunt to blunt some of the harsh criticism rightly leveled at the U.S. by most of the nations in the U.N. 6. The accelerated planned production of the vital plutonium parts, called 'pits', for nuclear weapons, is now being scheduled for Los Alamos National Lab. This was the mission of Rocky Flats in the past. Rocky Flats has been hopelessly contaminated and shut down for safety violations. We need your help to make "LANL 2000-Action for Abolition" a high-profile message to the policy makers in Washington D.C. and to our allies around the world who, like us, want a safe, nuclear-free world. CONFERENCE ON NUCLEAR ISSUES: WHERE: Temple Beth Shalom, 205 E. Barcelona St. in Santa Fe, N.M. WHEN: August 7th and 8th 12:00 Noon- 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. CONTACT: Peace Action New Mexico 505.989.4812 or LANLaction@aol.com RALLY/PROTEST: WHERE: Ashley Pond in Los Alamos, in the center of the town. WHEN: Wednesday, August 9th, 2000 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. CONTACT: Peace Action New Mexico 505.989.4812 or LANLaction@aol.com COALITION PARTNERS Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice* Citizen Action to Clean-up Sandia Lab* Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping (CARD)* Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety (CCNS)* Eastern Navajo Dine Against Uranium Mining (ENDAUM)* First Nations North & South* N.M. Green Party* International Depleted Uranium Study Team (IDUST)* Los Alamos Museum Project (LAMP)* Los Alamos Peace Project* Loretto Community* Nuclear Watch of New Mexico* Peace Action New Mexico* People for Peace* TEWA Women United* Water Information Network (WIN) - - 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, 2 Aug 2000 10:03:54 -0700 From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) your message for Global Peace Walk 2000 - --------------------sponsor's message-------------------------- Join The Legal Revolution for equal justice under the law! Free Legal Resource Center -- National Legal Protection Plans http://www.prepaidlegal.com/go/dcwilliams Your website's {Legal Resource Center} link to this url will help support Global Peace Walk 2000 - and increase your site traffic. A customized link gives your website an internet revenue stream. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Global Peace Walk 2000 wants to carry your message to DC and the UN: Living On The Globe With All Our Friends We need your message on your survival issue problems and solutions for the Global Peace Walk 2000 to carry on to Washington DC and to the United Nations. This spiritual walk offers to unite all survival issue messages, and all of humankind, in our great cry to the heavens for "Global Peace Now!" as a universal human resolve. These messages will be delivered to the US Government in Washington DC (October 10-11), and to the United Nations for its 55th anniversary October 24th to help inaugurate the UN Decade of Creating a Culture of Peace for the 21st Century while marking the mid-point of the UN Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples. We have already received many such letters, messages, and proclamations of support from such diverse issues, organizations and people as New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and Senator John McCain, from convicted felons such as Leonard Peltier and Ira Einhorn, from the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Nuclear Abolition 2000 Network, Friends of The Earth, Greenpeace, Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC), National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, President Clinton, Vice President Gore, and many many more. (see some in postings at http://www.egroups.com/group/global-peace-walk) We want your important survival issue messages, represented and referenced for the walk to carry on its way, empowered by its prayer for "Global Peace Now!" as a universal human resolve. Please fax signed copy (on your letterhead if available) to me at 561-658-2735. Please subscribe to above list to submit email copy for public archive, and to receive updates on walk's progress towards gathering a million people in DC Oct9. (you can select "view at website" for walk updates if you do not want to receive occasional emails from this local coordinators list) This walk from San Francisco will begin again on August 15th, after its delegation returns from taking part in the Sundance in South Dakota, from St. Louis where a coordinating team is now organizing events for August 12-15 while staying at the City Recreation Center kindly offered by the City of St. Louis which hired two overtime city workers to open the facilities for the walkers' use for two weeks (pool, indoor stage, room for 300 to stay). Until then the walkers may be reached in the evening at the phone number on their voicemail where you may also leave a message for the coordinators 415-267-1877. Walk coordinator Crispin Clarke says, "if you know good people who want to join the walk, tell them to 'meet me in St. Louis' asap". The American Spiritual Revolution begins August 15th, the 55th anniversary of the end of World War II, with the call for a Global Peace Treaty to, as John McCain says in his support letter for walk, "end war forever" -- a treaty idea that the walk will be offering along the way to DC and to the UN. To help activists and friends raise funds for their families and good projects such as Global Peace Walk 2000, our General Agency Service is offering the opportunity for their association with either or both of two large and rapidly growing national firms to help them develop a profitable home-based part-time business offering unique high-demand and little-known services of well established legal and accounting firms networks that can easily convert social conversations and internet activism into a revenue stream, and can significantly decrease any present income tax withholdings from your current employment by converting personal expenses to home-based business deductions and exemptions. We can even help you convert your hobby into a profitable home business. For more information, please email me or call me at my home number below. If you received this message from an email discussion list, please respond to me directly, off list, at email address below. Living On The Globe With All Our Friends, David Crockett Williams, C.L.U. Tehachapi, CA 661-822-3309 gear2000@lightspeed.net Chartered Life Underwriter Activist - Chemical Physicist Global Peace Walk 2000 http://www.globalpeacenow.org Updates/Voicemail 415-267-1877 Global Emergency Alert Response http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000 General Agency Services http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/genagency.html And Home-Based Business Networking Systems Join the Legal Revolution for equal justice under the law Free Legal Resource Center -- National Legal Protection Plans http://www.prepaidlegal.com/go/dcwilliams More Income, Less Taxes (phone me for details) Tax Relief System lowers taxes, increases income http://www.thetaxpeople.net 888-302-9737 Toll-free 5minute recorded intro Science and Technology in Society and Public Policy http://www.egroups.com/group/dcwilliams The Vision of Paradise on Earth http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/vision.html Leonard Peltier & Presidential Campaigns http://www.egroups.com/group/williams-peltier - - 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, 2 Aug 2000 10:50:45 -0800 From: Abolition 2000 Subject: (abolition-usa) The Sunflower Newsletter No. 39 August 2000 The Sunflower Newsletter No. 39 August 2000 Free monthly on-line newsletter of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation The Sunflower August 2000 (No. 39) The Sunflower is a free, monthly e-newsletter providing educational information on nuclear weapons abolition and other issues relating to global security. Back issues are available at Http://www.wagingpeace.org/sf/index.html I N T H I S I S S U E HIROSHIMA/NAGASAKI NUCLEAR MATTERS ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE SYSTEMS ACTION ALERT NUCLEAR INSANITY RESOURCES EVENTS for the year 2000 are now listed at Http://www.wagingpeace.org/calendar/events_current.html ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><><><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ********************************* HIROSHIMA/NAGASAKI ********************************* "I continue traveling around the world because I don't want anyone in this world to ever experience what I have experienced." Miyoko Matsubara, Survivor of Hiroshima Fifty-fifth Anniversaries of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Throughout the world, the 55th anniversaries of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki will be commemorated on 6 August and 9 August, respectively. It is a time for reflection of the awesome and awful power that destroyed these cities and now holds the future of humankind at risk of annihilation. Many people would prefer not to look back at these tragic events, but it is for the future that it is important to remember the past. To remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki is a first and important step toward a commitment to eliminate nuclear weapons from the world. The clear vision of the hibakusha -- the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- has been that "Human beings and nuclear weapons cannot co-exist." We must choose: A nuclear weapons free future, or a future without humans. ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><><><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< Message from Mayor of Hiroshima On 1 July 2000, Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba wrote: "Based on its experience of 55 years ago, the City of Hiroshima has, as you know, sought continually to inform the world regarding the cruel tragedy of the atomic bombing. We have protested all nuclear testing by all nations and have consistently appealed for the total abolition of nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, with only a few months remaining in the 20th century, vast stockpiles of nuclear weapons remain on Earth, nuclear disarmament by nuclear powers proceeds little if at all, and it seems we will enter the 21st century with no clear vision or commitment to eliminate these heinous weapons. Hiroshima believes it vital, in the control or resolution of international conflicts, to put our faith in the fairness and virtue of the human race as a whole and resolve our differences peacefully through dialogue, not through military force. It is this belief that led me, in the Peace Declaration I offered at our August 6 Peace Memorial Ceremony last year, to express again our absolute determination to abolish nuclear weapons and achieve lasting world peace." ************************** NUCLEAR MATTERS ************************** Appeal to End the Nuclear Weapons Threat to Humanity The upcoming edition of the Waging Peace Journal, published by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, will include a special section on the Appeal to End the Nuclear Weapons Threat to Humanity. The Appeal is signed by former presidents, admirals, actors and 35 Nobel Laureates. It begins, "We cannot hide from the threat that nuclear weapons pose to humanity and all life. These are not ordinary weapons, but instruments of mass annihilation that could destroy civilization and end all life on Earth." Queen Noor al Hussein, the recipient of the Foundation's "World Citizenship Award" for 2000 and Patron of the Landmine Survivors Network, is a signer of the Appeal. Queen Noor states, "The sheer folly of trying to defend a nation by destroying all life on the planet must be apparent to anyone capable of rational thought. Nuclear capability must be reduced to zero, globally, permanently. There is no other option." A copy of the Appeal is available at the Foundation's website: Http://www.wagingpeace.org ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><><><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< Colin Powell on History's Dust Bin In his recent speech to the Republican National Convention in support of George W. Bush, retired General Colin Powell stated, "The sick nations that still pursue the 'fools gold' of tyranny and weapons of mass destruction will soon find themselves left behind in the dust bin of history. They are investing in their own demise as surely as the Soviet Union did by investing in the Red Army." General Powell did not specify which "sick nations" he was referring to, but among those continuing to develop and rely upon weapons of mass destruction (for example, nuclear weapons) are the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, which of course includes the US. Fortunately, these countries recently agreed at the 2000 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference "to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals...." If these countries do what they have again promised to do and cease to pursue the "fools gold" of nuclear weapons, perhaps they will not end up in the "dust bin of history." On the other hand, if these nations continue to rely upon nuclear weapons, they may put the entire world into history's dust bin. Surely, General Powell is correct in pointing out that by investing in nuclear weapons, states are "investing in their own demise." It was true for the former Soviet Union, and is just as likely to be true for the US. ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><><><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< President Putin Dismisses Six Generals President Vladimir Putin of Russia fired six general on 31 July 2000. The six generals were viewed as allies of Igor Sergeyev, Defense Minister, who has been in an on-going public quarrel with Anatoly Kvashnin, Chief of the General Staff. The six generals who were fired served under Sergeyev in the Defense Ministry bureaucracy and include: head of radioactive, biological and chemical defense Stanislav Petrov, head of anti-aircraft forces Boris Dukhov, procurement chief Anatoly Sitnov, artillery and rockets chief Nikolai Karaulov, head of funding and trade Alexander Zobnin and press service head Anatoly Shatalov. The dismissals come after a failure to resolve an internal dispute over whether the country should concentrate its limited resources on nuclear or conventional weapons as well as how nuclear forces should be controlled. Kvashnin wishes to consolidate nuclear forces under a single command as the US did in 1992 under Strategic Command, while Sergeyev and allies wish to maintain a split command structure. An RTR television show recently reported that Sitnov, one of the generals who was dismissed, criticized the Russian government for spending too little on new weaponry and said that Russia's conventional forces will fall behind other armies within ten years. (Reuters, 31 July 2000) ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><><><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< Downside to Technology: Scientists Conduct First 3D Nuclear Weapons Test For the first time ever, scientists from the US were able to reproduce a three-dimensional simulation of detonations that produce the explosive output of thermonuclear weapons. The simulations allow the scientists to follow the activity of a thermonuclear warhead on a computer as it explodes, which previously could only be done by an actual underground test. Scientists have been developing simulation testing since the US halted underground testing in 1992. Scientists argue that computer simulation testing is needed to refurbish aging nuclear warheads in order to maintain reliability and safety. However, the US still conducts "subcritical" nuclear weapons tests at the Nevada Test Site, just north of Las Vegas. The controversial subcritical tests are detonated underground using explosives and fissile material, but they are not considered a full nuclear weapons test because no nuclear chain reaction occurs. Both Subcritical testing and simulation testing will allow the US to proceed with new nuclear weapons development and improvement. The simulation programs are part of the Department of Energy's "Stockpile Stewardship" program, which has an annual budget of nearly $5 billion. The supercomputers are housed at the nation's laboratories -- Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico and Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in California. Each laboratory is expected to receive a new generation of supercomputers in the next five years. The supercomputers will allow scientists to conduct virtual tests of every existing and new nuclear weapon and view reenactments of accidents. Bob Weaver, a leader of the Los Alamos team, stated, "The ability to computationally simulate each of these components individually will allow us to simulate an entire nuclear explosion in three dimensions, which is the goal of the [Energy Department computer] program." (Washington Post, 22 July 2000) *********************************************** ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE SYSTEMS *********************************************** "Why is public debate mired today in a dual between deterrence and defense, with scant attention to missile disarmament?" --Jayantha Dhanapala ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><><><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< China and Russia Issue Joint Statement on Anti-Missile Systems On 19 July 2000, Presidents Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation and Chairman Jiang Zemin of the People's Republic of China issued a joint statement on ballistic missile defense systems. Recent developments in US plans to deploy the controversial National Missile Defense (NMD) and Theater Missile Defense (TMD) systems prompted the joint statement. In particular, the statement noted deep concerns for US plans to deploy the NMD system, which would violate the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems (ABM Treaty) of 1972. The statement reaffirms the ABM Treaty as the "cornerstone of global strategic stability and international security and the basis of the structure of key international agreements on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive weapons and on the non-proliferation of mass destruction weapons." The joint statement warns that amendment or abrogation of the ABM Treaty that would trigger a new arms race and "turn back positive trends in global politics." Also the statement notes that implementing plans for a NMD system will "have most serious negative consequences for the security of not only Russia, China and other countries, but also for the security of the USA itself and for global strategic stability in the world as a whole." Although TMD is not prohibited by the ABM treaty, its deployment would undermine global and regional security, particularly because the US nuclear umbrella would be extended to Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province. Russia and China expressed "serious concern and resolute protest" against plans to deploy a TMD system in the Asia-Pacific region and warned that the "involvement of Taiwan in any form in the ABM systems created by foreign states is unacceptable and will seriously undermine stability in the region." (Reuters, 18 July 2000) ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><><><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< China Named "Real Reason" for Anti-Missile System Until recently, political figures cited "rogue states" (now called "states of concern"), such as North Korea, Iran and Iraq as the reason for deploying an anti-missile system. However, on 26 July 2000 at a forum hosted by the Heritage Foundation in Washington, Mr. Peter Brookes, the principle adviser to the congressional committee on East Asian Affairs, openly stated that the "real reason" behind deploying a missile shield is a "perceived threat from China." China has already claimed that the proposed $100 billion missile shield is an American attempt to contain its growing power in Asia. Mr. Brookes noted that the real issue involved China's future challenge to US dominance in Asia and that "parity or near nuclear parity with the People's Republic of China is not in the United States' interests." China fears the proposed National Missile Defense system (NMD) would neutralize its small nuclear force and extend protection over Taiwan. The US has thousands of intercontinental warheads in comparison to China's 20 long-range missiles capable of reaching the US. Also, Russia and China, as well as many NATO allies oppose NMD deployment because it will disrupt the nuclear balance by making the US invulnerable to nuclear attack. Both Russia and China have also threatened a new arms race should the US proceed with plans to deploy the NOD system. (Sydney Morning Herald, 28 July 2000) ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><><><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< Israel Calls-Off Radar Deal with China Under US Pressure Israel canceled a $250 million early warning radar sale to China on 12 July 2000 under US pressure. Washington viewed the sale of the sophisticated Phalcon system as a threat to Taiwan's security and threatened to cut $2.8 billion in annual American aid to Israel if it proceeded with the sale. The US also claimed that the system could jeopardize US forces in any future conflict with China. Although China did not immediately respond to the cancellation, media headlines in China criticized the US as "a threat to world peace" (China Daily). An editorial in a Chinese paper called US actions "the major cause of international disarmament setbacks". The editorial also noted, "What is most devastating to global disarmament and arms control is the US attempt to deploy its National Missile Defense (NMD) system and Theater Missile Defense (TMD) system.'' Secretary of Defense William Cohen met with Chinese Defense Minister Chi Hoatian in July 2000 to engage military dialogue, which had been frozen since May 1999 when NATO bombs destroyed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. The talks primarily revolved around Taiwan, which China regards as a renegade province. Cohen reaffirmed that the US did not support independence for Taiwan and China made assurances of peaceful reunification. (Reuters, 12 July 2000) ******************** ACTION ALERT ******************** Earth Action Issues "Call for a Safer World" In a world where we depend on each other more than ever before, we need a more effective and democratic United Nations to protect the long-term interests of humanity as a whole. Those shared long-term interests include a life-giving planet, an end to war and hunger, and the protection of basic human rights. There are seven proposals contained in the "Call for a Safer World" that, once implemented, will go far towards creating the United Nations we need. The purpose of the "Call for a Safer World" is to demonstrate world-wide support for a more just, democratic and sustainable international system for the 21st century. You are invited to sign the "Call for a Safer World" as an individual, or if appropriate, on behalf of an organization to which you belong. The "Call for a Safer World is posted on Earth Action's website, where you can sign it electronically (Http://www.earthaction.org). For more information, please contact: Earth Action 30 Cottage Street Amherst, MA 01002 USA Tel: +1 413-549-8118 Fax: +1 413-549-0544 Email: amherst@earthaction.org URL: Http://www.earthaction.org ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><><><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< Congress Voted to Open School of the Americas Clone On 18 May 2000, Congress voted down the Moakly (MA), Scarborough (FL), Campbell (CA), McGovern (MA) amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill (HR 4205). If passed, the measure would have closed the US Army School of the Americas and set up a Congressional Task Force to assess the impact of US military training on Latin American soldiers in the area of human rights. By rejecting the Moakley amendment, Congress approved a Clinton-Gore-Pentagon proposal to continue the SOA under a new name. The Defense Institute for Hemispheric Security Cooperation will be located in Fort Benning, Georgia to train Latin American soldiers in commando tactics, military intelligence, psychological operations and advance combat techniques. Call your representative and express your concern and disappointment. You may contact your representative by dialing the Capitol Hill Switchboard at +1 202-224-3121. For more information, contact the SOA Watch at: P.O. Box 4566 Washington, DC 20017 Tel: +1 202-234-3440 URL: Http://www.soaw.org ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><><><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< Washington Gathering to Free Vanunu A three-day conference, vigil and action in Washington, DC is being held in September in support of long-imprisoned Israeli whistle blower Mordechai Vanunu. The events will take place 26-28 September 2000. Among the speakers will be Daniel Ellsberg, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, nuclear resister Elizabeth McAlister, and Vanunu's adoptive parents Mary and Nicholas Eoloff. For detailed information, please contact: US Campaign to Free Mordechai Vanunu 2206 Fox Avenue Madison, WI 53711 URL: Http://www.nonviolence.org/vanunu/ ************************** NUCLEAR INSANITY ************************** The following quote by Robert A. McNamara, secretary of Defense under John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson, explains the rationale behind the theory of "mutually assured destruction," which he conceived in 1961: "Bush doesn't put it this way, but he is really asking what the United States needs minimally to achieve stability of deterrence. To answer this question, one needs to understand the basic intellectual foundations of the mutually assured destruction concept: There is no other basis for stability of deterrence between two nuclear-equipped opponents than the confidence on each side that they have the capability to absorb a first strike from the other side with sufficient weapons surviving to inflict unacceptable damage on the opponent when launching a second strike. When I developed this concept in 1961, I determined that the United States needed 400 surviving warheads to deter the Russians from a first strike. How did we end up, then, with 15,000 on each side at the height of the Cold War? Because we didn't have enough spies, enough information, to know their intentions. We built up according to a worst-case scenario of Soviet production capabilities down the road (which it turned out, exceeded their intentions at the time). And once they saw us building up more than they thought we would, they responded in kind. That is where MAD gave way to an arms race." (Interview appeared in the LA Times on 5 June 2000) **************** RESOURCES **************** "The Responsibilities of World Citizenship" by Queen Noor al Hussein is now available from the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. To order a copy, visit the website at Http://www.wagingpeace.org or send a message of inquiry to wagingpeace@napf.org. William Hartung and Michelle Ciarrocca have a useful report on Star Wars, highlighting fraud and corruption by missile defense contractors. It's titled "Nuclear Missile Deception: Corruption and Conflicts of Interest in the National Missile Defense Program." http://www.worldpolicy.org/projects/arms/updates/nmdtitle.htm Report on Hanford fire and plutonium releases into the air http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/local/hanf134.shtml "Time for a Missile Freeze" by Jurgen Scheffran will appear in the next newsletter of the Economists Allied for Arms Reduction. The article explores and illuminates the idea of international missile control as an alternative to national missile defense. To receive an electronic copy of the article, please contact: Jurgen Scheffran scheffran@hrzpub.tu-darmstadt.de "Hiroshima's Shadow" is a collection of writings on the denial of history and the Smithsonian controversy. The collection, edited by Kai Bird and Lawrence Lifshultz, is now available from the Pamphleteer's Press. To order a copy, send a request to: The Pamphleteer's Press Box 3374 Stony Creek, CT 06405 Tel: 1-800-473-9781, or +1 203-483-8820 Fax: +1 203-483-1429 Email: Pamphpress@aol.com "Hiroshima in Memorium and Today," a collection of memoirs by Hiroshima survivors edited by Hitoshi Takayama. Also includes essays by Arnold Toynbee, Pope John Paul II, and F.W. de Klerk. 300 pp. To Order: Peace Resource Center, Wilmington College, Pyle Center, Box 1183 Wilmington, OH 45177 Email: orc@wilmington.edu "Managing the US Nuclear Weapons Stockpile: A Comparison of Five Strategies," a report by Dr. Robert Civiak, provides the first comprehensive review of alternatives to the US Dept. of Energy's controversial plans for long-term maintenance of the US nuclear weapons arsenal. The report was released by Tri-Valley Communities Against a Radioactive Environment (CAREs) and is available on their website at: Http://www.igc.org/tvc The Council for a Livable World has compiled quotes by political leaders opposing the US National Missile Defense (NMD) program. Comments include present and former presidents and prime ministers in Europe, Australia, Canada, Russia, and the PRC. "Statements by Foreign Leaders Opposing National Missile Defense" Http://www.clw.org/ef/nmdleaders.html The "Litany of Remembrance for the Nuclear Age," by Pamel Meidell, was delivered on Trinity Day, 16 July 2000, in Washington, DC. A full copy of the litany is available on the Abolition 2000 Global Network website at: Http://www.abolition2000.org ******** Editor ******** Carah Ong Carah Lynn Ong Coordinator, Abolition 2000 PMB 121, 1187 Coast Village Road, Suite 1 Santa Barbara CA 93108 Phone (805) 965 3443 FAX(805) 568 0466 Email: admin@abolition2000.org Website http://www.abolition2000.org Join the Abolition-Global Caucus listserv to receive regular updates about the Abolition movement. The caucus provides an international forum for conversation on nuclear-related issues. Important articles and information relating to nuclear issues are also circulated to keep interested individuals and activists informed about nuclear issues. 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