Friday, June 13, 2003

I Hate War QUOTE  OF THE DAY "I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity." - - Dwight Eisenhower JUNE 14th IN HISTORY: 1971 -- Publication of classified Pentagon papers on U.S. involvement in Vietnam begins in the New York Times. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the right to publish the documents under the protection of the First Amendment. The NY Times had finally tired of being mouth-piece for the government line/lies on the war, & Daniel Ellsberg had the dirt, which he originally considered publishing in the LA Free Press because he could find no mainstream newspapers who would touch the papers. During this month American vets start admitting to US atrocities in Vietnam. Daniel Ellsberg, a Rand Corporation employee who helped write the history, leaked the history with the help of former Rand employee Anthony Russo. They spent many nights at a friend's advertising agency copying the 7,000-page document, which they gave to several lawmakers & The Times.  The Nixon administration asks the Supreme Court to stop further publication, but the court says this would put a "prior restraint" on freedom of the press.  The government then indicts Ellsberg & Russo for violating the Espionage Act. A judge, however, calls off the trial after Watergate disclosures reveal unfair practices by the prosecution. RHINO HERE: MoveOn has arranged for an exclusive interview of Daniel Ellsberg, who's recent book, "Secrets," undermines the naive assumption of many Americans that political leaders' inexplicable actions in times of war are based on accurate information from reliable sources. "Secrets" provides much needed insight for today's situation as many question the information President Bush used to base his claim that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. Daniel Ellsberg will respond to five of the top questions written by MoveOn members. If you're a move on member, you can, post your questions at: http://www.actionforum.com/forum/index.html?forum_id=257 If you're not a MoveOn member, WHY NOT? You can find out more about them  at: http://www.moveon.org And sign up at: http://www.moveon.org/keepmeposted/volunteer.html MoveOn's latest Newsletter provided a wealth of information regarding the shrub administrations new nuclear weapons policies. Most readers have probably heard about the gang's efforts to create a new generation of nuke weapons in spite of all we know about the thousands of years of damage they will do to life on Earth. The damage done during the wars on Afghanistan and Iraq regarding use of weapons using Depleted Uranium is just now beginning to come out. Today's RHINO'S BOTTOM LINE is a call by the Nuclear Policy Research Institute for the U.S. & U.K. to clean up their nuclear mess. Before that, a few links to related reports by respected organizations. Article by Union of Concerned Scientists on U.S. new military/nuclear posture: President Bush's Nuclear Weapons Policy: Illogical, Ineffective and Dangerous "[President Bush] should ask whether adopting a military posture right now to counter aggressive 'peer competitors' that might arise in the invisible future could create a self-fulfilling prophecy, while also aggravating the dangers that exist today.Ê He should, instead, move towards an unambiguous and whole-hearted endorsement of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and demonstrate this commitment by asking the Senate to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty..." http://www.ucsusa.org/global_security/nuclear_weapons/page.cfm?pageID=1106 Bulletin Of Atomic Scientists on shrub gang's trashing of diplomacy in favor of strong arming: Dominators rule "Forget hawks and doves. The post-Cold War political struggle is between "dominators" and "conciliators." Right now, thanks especially to Osama bin Laden, those who believe U.S. national security lies in raw military power, not cooperative agreements, are in control..." http://www.thebulletin.org/issues/2003/jf03/jf03krepon.html Reports by  the Uranium Medical Research Center on high radioactivity in Afghanistan" US Used Nuclear Weapons in Afghanistan. Uranium Levels Up 400 Times Normal. "Jalalabad: New reference levels based on recent samples show uranium levels 45 times normal. New bioassay studies identify uranium internal contamination in Spin Gar (Tora Bora) area and the City of Kabul are up to 200 times the level of the unexposed population..." http://www.indybay.org/news/2003/05/1613322.php 8:23:34 AM    comment

RHINO'S BOTTOM LINE - Clean Up Depleted Uranium RHINO'S BOTTOM LINE UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN CALLED ON TO CLEAN UP DEPLETED URANIUM IN IRAQ Nuclear Policy Research Institute (NPRI) Points to Public Health and Safety WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Nuclear Policy Research Institute (NPRI) today (May 29, 2003) called on the United States and Great Britain, as the occupying powers in Iraq, to fulfill their obligations to the public health and safety of the Iraqi people. At a press briefing for United Nations correspondents, the organization called on the coalition to set a timeline for the clean up of depleted uranium including the removal of effected tanks and munitions. In addition, it called for adherence to the UK Royal Society and World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations on the monitoring of ground water and milk. "We owe it to the children of Iraq to ensure that they do not suffer further medical consequences of military conflicts," said Charles Sheehan-Miles, NPRI's executive director. "In the army, I was trained to protect civilians. The U.S. and Great Britain must take the necessary steps now to protect the Iraqi people from the detrimental effects of depleted uranium." In a BBC report this week, the US government reportedly took responsibility for the health and safety of the Iraqi people including on nuclear issues. NPRI has raised concerns regarding the inherent dangers of depleted uranium to Iraqi civilians particularly children with access to burned tanks and pieces of exploded munitions. As an immediate step to ensure their safety and health, coalition forces should cordon off effected areas and post appropriate warnings. "In order to truly ensure the health and safety of Iraqi civilians - especially those most vulnerable to even weak radiation - the U.S. and Great Britain must make a public commitment to clean up areas targeted with depleted uranium and establish a monitoring system to ensure that the dust particles have not entered the water or milk supply," said Sheehan-Miles. Multiple studies have called for further investigation into the health effects of depleted uranium including those by the U.N. Environment Programme, the UK Royal Society, and the World Health Organization. Independent examination is also urgently needed for several Iraqi studies that found a marked increase in cancers and birth defects of children living in areas of heavy depleted uranium use during the 1991 Gulf War. Amidst a great deal of conflicting information from the Pentagon and some activists on the issue, NPRI has emerged as an evenhanded source on fundamental issues including the potential danger of depleted uranium, the people most vulnerable to its effects and recommendations for addressing concerns following its use. The Institute was founded in 2001 by Nobel nominee and author Dr. Helen Caldicott. It was established to facilitate a far-reaching, effective, ongoing public education campaign in the mainstream media about the often-underestimated dangers of nuclear weapons and power programs and policies. The "Health Effects of Depleted Uranium Munitions" will be more fully debated at an NPRI forum on June 14, 2003 at the New York Academy of Medicine. For more information on the conference or on NPRI, please call or check the website, http://www.nuclearpolicy.org. "RHINO'S BLOG" is the responsibility of Gary Rhine. (rhino@kifaru.com) Feedback, and requests to be added or deleted from the list are encouraged. SEARCH BLOG ARCHIVES / SURF RHINO'S LINKS, AT: http://www.rhinosblog.info RHINO'S OTHER WEB SITES: http://www.dreamcatchers.org (INDIGENOUS ASSISTANCE & INTERCULTURAL DIALOG) http://www.kifaru.com (NATIVE AMERICAN RELATIONS VIDEO DOCUMENTARIES) Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of international copyright law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html All copyrights belong to original publisher. 7:05:38 AM    comment

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