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Denis Halliday on `The World'

[IAC] REESE:Sanctions As a Weapon of Mass Destruction.

Charley Reese: Sanctions and Iraqi children

Protestors Arrested

Racists Slogans painted on Bombs

The Irish Times on Iraq and US

IRAQ: Action Prayer for Tranformation

Civil Penalty Proposed against Voices in the Wilderness

Minnesota Hunger Strikers Need Your Help!

Detroit calls for end to sanctions

Chicago Tribune about Iraqi Sanctions

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Chicago Tribune about Iraqi Sanctions


Sanctions exact tragic toll in Iraq
Activists denounce economic 'weapon of mass destruction'

By Ray Moseley
Chicago Tribune Foreign Correspondent
March 16, 1998

LONDON -- The United States and other nations have committed their
prestige
and authority to a program of sanctions against Iraq that have failed
to
topple the regime but have had the effect of killing hundreds of
thousands
of Iraqis and leaving countless others malnourished and sick.

The fabric of Iraqi society has been torn apart by the sanctions. The
once-flourishing middle class that might have provided the only
plausible
opposition to the regime of President Saddam Hussein has been reduced to
penury or has fled the country in large numbers.

The long-term effect, in the view of United Nations humanitarian aid
experts, is likely to be an entire generation of Iraqi children stunted
in
their physical and mental development. The long-term political effect,
say
critics of sanctions, might be generations of Iraqis embittered toward
the
U.S. and other nations that have subjected them to a cruel punishment
for
the crimes of their leader.

This is a burning issue throughout the Arab world but one that generates
strikingly little concern elsewhere. One Asian ambassador in Baghdad
recently said the most frustrating task of foreign diplomats in the
Iraqi
capital is trying to convince their own governments of the degree of
suffering sanctions have caused.

One group of Palestinians in Jordan recently became livid with anger
when
they heard President Clinton, discussing the U.S. military threat to
Iraq,
say: "We are doing this for our children."

They said they were appalled he dared mention children when hundreds of
thousands of Iraqi children have died as a result of sanctions.

But, 7 1/2 years after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait prompted the United
Nations to apply sanctions, some voices in the West also are beginning
to
be raised, asking whether the human tragedy in Iraq should be allowed to
continue.

Most of the international community takes the view that sanctions will
remain until UN weapons inspectors have completed the task of
dismantling
all the programs for the development of weapons of mass destruction.

The U.S., which until recently wanted sanctions to remain as long as
Hussein was in power, now takes the view they will continue until there
is
Iraqi compliance with all Security Council resolutions, not just those
related to weapons.

Western officials may say that all Hussein has to do, if he wants
sanctions
lifted, is to abide by UN resolutions. That, according to critics of the
sanctions policy, avoids the more important issue of who suffers when he
does not.

"We've demonstrated the sanctions don't work, and the cost is
appalling,"
said Rosemary Hollis, director of Middle East studies for the Royal
Institute for International Affairs in London. "Sanctions have taken an
enormous toll on people and have not done anything to unseat the regime.
They ought to be lifted immediately.

"The Western powers will have to accept that the regime will claim
victory
if that happens. It will be a propaganda ploy on their part, but the
West
should make the big decision regardless."

Hollis said that if sanctions were lifted there should still be an
embargo
on arms supplies and that the UN could establish an import-monitoring
program, similar to the one the U.S. applied to the Soviet Union during
the
Cold War, to make sure these do not get into Iraq.

UNSCOM, the United Nations Special Commission for Iraq, could conduct
continuous inspections to reinforce such a program, she said, and U.S.
armed forces on station in the Persian Gulf region could act as the
principal deterrent to Iraqi military ambitions.

"It is time for a new way forward," Hollis said. "Open the floodgates
and
have the place swarming with businessmen and other visitors. That is
less
likely to cement the control of the regime than current arrangements."

Hollis said Western policy toward Iraq should include these elements:
lift
the sanctions because the
punishment cannot go on, deal with Hussein as UN Secretary General Kofi
Annan has done and get rid of Hussein as soon as possible.

"I don't think the American system is sophisticated enough that it can
deal
with these contradictory
messages," she said.

Under a UN oil-for-food program started in 1996, Iraq has been allowed
to
sell $2 billion worth of oil every six months to buy food and medicine.

That was recently increased to $5.2 billion, but only about $3.5 billion
of
the proceeds will be available for food and medicine because 30 percent
of
the total is allocated to meet compensation claims of victims of the
Iraqi
invasion of Kuwait and another part goes to meet UN administrative
expenses.

Iraq says it cannot pump more than $4 billion worth of oil because of
the
deterioration of oil field equipment under sanctions.

Whatever the final amount, it will add up to little more than a
Band-Aid,
according to the UN humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, Denis Halliday.

"There is a real prospect that oil for food will be considered
sufficient
now that the sums have been increased, and it is not," Hollis said.
"According to UN officials, we are building a dependency culture in Iraq
that is without parallel."

As a consequence of sanctions, the UN estimates that 700,000 children
have
died from malnutrition and diseases since 1990 and nearly 1 million
children are malnourished.

Many hospitals are without essential medical supplies and equipment.
Diseases such as tuberculosis, diphtheria and malaria, once almost
eradicated in Iraq, have made a comeback.

Diabetic children are dying from lack of insulin. People are undergoing
surgery, including Caesarean births, without anesthetics.

"Before sanctions were imposed, Iraq had a very high standard of
education
and health," Halliday said. "Its health-care program was a model for the
Arab world."

The World Health Organization says there has been a sixfold increase in
childhood leukemia since 1992. The cases are concentrated in the south,
near the scene of fighting in the 1991 Persian Gulf war, and some
medical
experts attribute the increase to the presence of depleted uranium in
the
tips of Western missiles to enhance their armor-piercing capabilities.

They theorize the uranium may have gotten into the soil and contaminated
water supplies.

The oil-for-food program makes no allowance for needs of a humanitarian
nature beyond food and medicine. Thus the Iraqi electrical, water and
sewage systems are falling into ruin, UN officials say, and there are no
funds to repair and maintain them.

Abdullah Mutawi, an Iraqi-born London lawyer who took part in a 1996
survey
in Iraq for the New
York-based Center for Economic and Social Rights, said water drawn from
rivers now contains untreated sewage because of the breakdown in the
sewage
system and that this is contributing to the spread of disease.

Iraqi school buildings also are falling apart, and there is no money for
school books or other materials. So a generation of Iraqi children faces
the threat of growing up without adequate education.

The ability of Iraq to feed itself, never developed to a great extent,
also has been eroded as farm equipment and machinery rusts away for lack
of
spare parts.

The sanctions prohibit the import of any materials that could have a
dual
use -- that is, civilian and military. Thus tires and spare parts for
ambulances and sheets for hospital beds are proscribed because they
could
be used by soldiers. Most Iraqi hospital beds have no sheets.

"Sanctions have become a weapon of mass destruction," Mutawi said. "The
middle class has been wiped out, and now the majority of people depend
on
the government for a lifeline. This is a regime that is capable of
making
any political development look like a victory for itself. We have to
separate people from the regime."

He likened the Iraqi situation to that of a hijacked plane. "You don't
shoot down the plane because the hijackers are on board," he said. "The
people are not responsible for the actions of the regime."

Haris Gazdar of the London School of Economics, who also participated in
the 1996 survey in Iraq, noted that Iraq was once a rich country and
salaries averaged $225 to $300 a month.

As a result of the decline brought on by sanctions, he said, salaries
are
$10 or less a month and the economy is less than one-tenth the size it
was
in 1990.

"Wage rates are half of those in Bangladesh and the poorest parts of
India," he said. "Until 1990, Iraq's income was slightly below that of
South Korea, but now it is among the poorest nations in the world."

Many Iraqis have sold their household silver, furnishings and books to
be
able to buy food.

Dr. Bushra Al-Rubeyi, a British consultant pediatrician of Iraqi origin,
said that until 1990 food supplies in Iraq met 120 percent of the
requirements for calories and nutrition and there was even a problem
with
some people being overweight.

According to official figures, she said, there were 27,334 deaths of
children in Iraq in 1989 and 140,231 in 1996, an increase of 500
percent.

"Iraq will suffer for generations to come," she said.

George Galloway, a Labor member of the British Parliament who is
critical
of his government's policy on sanctions, said: "It is particularly
revolting to me to deprive a country of the ability to buy food and
medicines that are not covered by sanctions."

Hollis said the British government argued several years ago that
sanctions
were a policy with diminishing returns and tried to persuade Washington
to
think of a way to come out of them.

Then, she said, Hussein's son-in-law, Hussein Kamel, defected to Jordan
and
brought with him such appalling evidence of Iraqi deceit about the scale
of
its chemical- and biological-weapons programs that the British attitude
hardened.

Now, she said, British officials have shifted ground again and are
talking
of the need to look at all humanitarian needs, not just food and
medicine.

On Saturday, British International Development Minister Clare Short
announced that the nation is planning to send $11.7 million worth of
humanitarian aid to Iraq.

The U.S. government carries the sanctions policy to the extent of making
it
difficult for humanitarian organizations to provide assistance to the
Iraqi
people. It bars American citizens, with the exception of journalists,
from
traveling to Iraq without special authorization.

Kathy Kelly of the Chicago-based Voices in the Wilderness, which
campaigns
for an end to sanctions, said her passport was confiscated when she
recently returned from an unauthorized mission to take medical supplies
to
Iraq.

She and members of her organization have been advised by U.S.
authorities
that they could face up to 12 years in prison for violating the travel
ban.

For more information on Voices in the Wilderness, please contact:

Kathy Kelly, Coordinator, Voices in the Wilderness
A Campaign to End the US/UN Economic Sanctions Against the People of
Iraq
1460 West Carmen Ave.
Chicago, IL 60640
ph:773-784-8065; f: 773-784-8837
email: kkelly@igc.apc.org


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Detroit calls for end to sanctions



DETROIT CITY COUNCIL

The following Testimonial Resolution to Ramsey Clark was
passed by the Detroit City Council on April 14, 1998.

WHEREAS Ramsey Clark, former United States Attorney General,
attorney, author and distinguished humanitarian, has embarked on an
effort to
deliver medical supplies to the people of Iraq, and

WHEREAS Hospitals in Iraq are currently unable to provide antibiotics,
anesthetics, dialysis or even aspirin to millions of people who are in
desperate need of these basics, and

WHEREAS The policy of sanctions against Iraq by the United States
government and the United Nations has resulted in the deaths of one and
one-half million Iraqi civilians, mainly children, due to lack of food
and
medicine over the past seven years, and

WHEREAS The policy of sanctions unjustly victimizes the population of an

entire country, especially children and the elderly. NOW, THEREFORE
BE IT

RESOLVED That the Detroit City Council salutes the humanitarian efforts
of Ramsey Clark and welcomes him to Detroit on April 14, 1998. We
commend his challenge to the genocidal policy of sanctions and join him
in urging the immediate end to this policy.






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Minnesota Hunger Strikers Need Your Help!





ACTIVISTS HAVE PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE TO SAFE SACRED SITES AND
ENDANGERED ECOSYSTEMS THREATENED BY AN UNWANTED ROAD!
YOUR SUPPORT IS NEEDED!

Minnehaha Liberated/Free Zone
(612) 729-0595
earthfirst@juno.com
October 20th, 1998

* To a11 organizations and individuals,
On August 10th of this year Earth First!, the Mendota Mdewakanton
Dakota Community and the American lndian Movement, began an occupation near
Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis, MN to protect sacred sites, the park land,
old growth oak savannah and the homes that will all be destroyed by the
re-route of Minnesota State Highway 55. The stated purpose of this
multi-lane highway is to take 2 minutes off the travel time from downtown
Minneapolis to America's largest shopping mall - the Mall of America.
For the last 40 years community residents have been struggling to
stop this road. They have exhausted al1 of the standard means for
addressing their grievances. Over l0,000 signatures have been gathered in
opposition to this project. Law suits and lobbying have al1 been ignored
by the municipa1 and state governmental agencies through a facade of a
public inclusion process. Finally left with no other options, the
community and their supporters resorted to non-violent direct action and
occupied the 5 houses and surrounding area directly in the line of the
road. The occupation has been successfully stopping the bulldozers for
over two months, and in spite of this principled and non-violent
resistance, the authorities continue to wait us out, hoping that we will
fade away.
On October 14th, 1998, we held our a rally at the State Capitol in
St. Paul and several hundred people attended. In the first ten minutes of
the rally, we received the report that our encampment was being raided by
over 30 squad cars, both city police and state troopers. We raced back to
camp to find that they were digging up the gas and water lines and that the
equipment was surrounded by over 100 police and state toopers in full riot
gear, many of them from sniper units. Hundreds of peop1e poured in, in
opposition, and when several people non-violent crossed their line they
were brutalized and injured. All of this was documented by the media and
independent videographers. The Minneapo1is police have a long record of
brutality and human rights abuses against native peoples and several young
Native American girls were badly beaten by officers who removed their
badges. Despites these abuses, the principled non-violent stance was
maintained and the authorities were only able to removed the gas and water
lines to two of the five houses. A lawsuit is currently being organized
against the City of Minneapolis police department around the issue of
brutality, and the encampment is still strong and in the way of the road.
On October 12th, Indigenous People's Day, the Minnesota Department
of Transportation received a press release informing them that any further
attacks upon the encampment and any further attempts to continue with this
re-route would be met with a hunger strike.
In response to this sneak raid on the encampment two women and two
men began a hunger strike on October 14th, and this has been announced on
both local and national media.


THIS IS NOT A SYMBOLIC HUNGER STRIKE. IT IS NOW DAY SEVEN!
The hunger strikers will not eat until the re-route is cancelled

We are calling on all organizations and concerned people to help in
any way they can to support this hunger strike. We understand that you will
not be able to set aside all of the important work that you are doing on a
wide scope of issues, but whatever you can do be it a phone call to MnDOT,
a letter to the print media or in helping to spread the word, we need
whatever you can do. We humbly ask for whatever support you can lend to
defend Grandmother earth from the bulldozers.

For more information contact Big Woods EF! Hotline at (612) 362-3387
For hunger strike direct support and media : Solstice (612) 701-8327
For information on the sacred sites: Jim Anderson, Cultural Chairman of the
Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Community (612) 910-0730

WHAT YOU CAN DO!

1. Call to express your outrage at this ridicolous road project which
jeopordizes endangered ecosystems, and disregards indigenous
spirituality. Tell them that the whole world is watching and that you
demand they stop this road project! Call :

James Denn MnDept. of Transportation Commissioner (651) 297-l467
U.S. Representative Martin Sabo (612) 644-6000
MN Attorney General Skip Humphrey (612) 297-4272
Minneapolis. Mayor Sharon Belton (612) 673-2100
U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone (651) 645-0323

2. Send your prayers to support the hunger strikers in their fast for
justice. Ask local faith based communities to lend their support. This is
a freedom of religion issue as well as an ecological and human rights
issue.

3. Send Money, food, supplies or warm clothes! Checks can be made out to
MNRAG (Minnesota Rainforest Action Group) and mailed to Big Woods EF! PO
Box 580936 Minneapolis MN 55458-0936.

4. Contact the local media and ask them why they aren't covering the
story. Tell them the international press have been covering it why don't
they? Write a letter to the editor.

5. Send people! Activists are desperately needed to help out at the
liberated zone and partcipate in the mass civil disobedience on Monday
November 2.




----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
This is the letter delivered by the hunger strikers to the head of the MN
Department of Transportation when they began their hunger strike :


Minnehaha Liberated Zone
5307 Riverview Rd.
Minneapolis MN 55417
(612) 701-8327
earthfirst@juno.com
October 15th, 1998

Dear Mr. Denn and other MnDoT officials:
To Whom it may concern

It seems appropriate to ask ourselves, "How did we come to all this
anyway?" It is important to reflect upon the conflicts in our lives, and to
think long and hard about how we could have perhaps avoided some of the
most unpleasant outcomes.

Now, we know that you are kept well informed of the developments
out at the occupied houses and land on Riverview Rd, and that the most
recent developments could not have happened without your informed consent.
The sneak raid on the encampment yesterday, October 14th, was cynically
timed to coincide with our first large public demonstration, which you knew
all too well. I believe that the quote in the paper from Kent Barnard of
MnDoT was to the effect of "Carpe Diem" which translates roughly and
crudely from the dead language of another fallen empire into "Seize the
day." Fortunately the future is ours as you can see demonstrated every time
you move against the people who have principally and non-violently defended
the park land, sacred sites and homes from your wanton destruction. Every
attack you perpetrate upon this land returns to you like a mirror in your
face saying "the opposition is strong and getting stronger every day," and
yes, "the opposition is highly intelligent"

Mr. Denn we stand at a crucial point in a global ecological crisis
of such magnitude that we can no longer laugh at the messengers of
catastrophe and call them fools. We say "we" for, in fact, we are not
enemies; we breathe the same air, drink the same water, and the choices we
make will effect all of us, including all of the generations yet to come.
You have a historic opportunity to end decades and centuries of ignoring
the common people, the little peoplc that have been crushed by the
advancements of "civilization's roads" ever since the time of the Roman
Empire. In fact, listening to the the little people is what this country
professes to be founded upon.

Two days ago you received a press release informing you that any
further attacks upon our encampment or any continuation of this road
project would be met with a hunger strike. This is not a symbolic hunger
strike, Mr. Denn. We will not eat until this project is cancelled.
Understand, that every day without food does not make us weaker, it makes
us stronger, in the eyes of spiritual and faith-based communities and in
the eyes of the world. We are appealing all the way to the United
Nations, Mr. Denn to those who must watch out for the violations of human
rights at the hands of municpal, state and federal levels of .government.
Understand, Mr. Denn that you will be violating the religious freedoms of
the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Community if this re-route is completed. You
will also be in violation of your own federal law. And we will hold you and
your bureaucracy responsible, in the courts, but most importantly with our
very lives.

Our lives are in your hands. Do not say that you were just
following orders, that you were a good German. There are higher laws than
even the laws made by humans, Mr. Denn, and this generation is waking up to
this fundamental understanding. We are following those laws Mr. Denn.
Understand that we will be victorious. We would like to invite you to that
victory feast.


Sincerely, for Grandmother Earth,
The Hunger Strikers

=======================================
Patrick Reinsborough, Grassroots Coordinator

RAINFOREST ACTION NETWORK
221 Pine, 5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: (415) 398-4404 Fax: (415) 398-2732
rags@ran.org www.ran.org

Rainforest Action Network works to protect the Earth's rainforests and
support the rights of their inhabitants through education, grassroots
organizing, and non-violent direct action.

T O S U B S C R I B E T O T H E
R A I N F O R E S T A C T I V I S T E M A I L L I S T
Send a message to with only the following in the body:
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Don't forget to turn your automatic signatures off.
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Civil Penalty Proposed against Voices in the Wilderness


Dear Friends-

Yesterday afternoon Voices in the Wilderness received a Prepenalty Notice
>from the Department of the Treasury in Washington DC. The notice
included Proposed Penalties directed at Voices and four individual
delegates: Bert Sacks, Randall Mullins, Dan Handelman, and Joe Zito. We
are charged with violating the embargo on Iraq through "exportation of
donated goods, including medical supplies and toys, to Iraq." The
proposed penalty for Voices is $120,000. The proposed penalty for the
individual delegates ranges from $10,000-$12,000.

Following is the notice. We are asking that you pass this on to as many
people as possible. This is a great opportunity to draw attention to the
ongoing crisis in Iraq. The US government tells us that we have engaged
in "prohibited" transactions, but in the eyes of humanity, who is the rea=
l
criminal? Five to six thousands children die each month in Iraq due to
the sanctions, according to the most recent UN report. We will be meetin=
g
in the next few days to plan and strategize the ways in which we respond
to and challenge this letter. Spreading information through word of mout=
h
(or e-mail!) is one of the most powerful tools we have in resisting
injustice. We would like to ask you to seize this opportunity to bring
light to the humanitarian disaster in Iraq. We welcome any suggestions o=
r
feedbacks from you.


As always, we deeply appreciate your continued support. Thank you very
much.

Sincerely,

Jeff Guntzel
for Voices in the Wilderness



Prepenalty Notice

December 3, 1998

Dear Ms. Kelly and Messrs. Handelman, Mullins, Sacks, and Zito:

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (=93OFAC=94) has reasonable cause to
believe that you and Voices in the Wilderness (=93VW=94) have engaged in
certain prohibited transactions, detailed below, relating to the embargo
against Iraq in 1997. Inasmuch as no license or approval had been issued
by OFAC prior to such transactions, they violated the Iraqi Sanctions
Regulations, 31 CFR Part 575 (the =93Regulations=94), and underlying stat=
utes
and Executive orders. See, specifically, =A7=A7 575.204-.207 and 575.211=
of
the Regulations.

Violations:

The violations of the regulations and underlying statutes and Executive
Orders for which this Notice is issued concern your and VW=92s exportatio=
n
of donated goods, including medical supplies and toys, to Iraq absent
specific prior authorization by OFAC and transactions relating to travel
to Iraq and activities in Iraq. Additionally, the violations involve
transactions for the purpose of , or which have the effect of, evading or
avoiding, or which facilitate the evasion or avoidance of any of the
prohibitions of the Regulations, as well as a conspiracy formed for the
purpose of engaging in transactions prohibited by the Regulations. In
this regard, VW has organized members to deliver goods to Iraq in
violation of the embargo and made express statements of the organization=92=
s
knowledge of its violative actions. As to Messrs. Handelman and Mullins,
the violations also concern the importation of goods and services of Iraq=
i
origin. Specifically, the violations are as follows:

1. In March 1996, VW exported goods, including medical supplies, valued
at approximately $18,000, to Iraq absent prior specific license or other
authorization issued by OFAC;

2. In August 1996, VW exported goods, including medical supplies, valued
at approximately $8,000, to Iraq absent prior specific license or other
authorization issued by OFAC;

3. In November 1996, VW exported goods, including medical supplies,
valued at approximately $10,000, to Iraq absent prior license or other
authorization issued by OFAC;

4. In November 1997, VW exported goods, including medical supplies and
toys, valued at approximately $30,000-40,000, to Iraq absent prior licens=
e
or other authorization issued by OFAC;

5. On or about November 21, 1997, Mr. Handelman exported film and
videotape to Iraq, through Jordan;

6. Between on or about November 21-30, 1997, Messrs. Handelman, Mullins=
,
Sacks, and Zito, engaged in currency travel-related transactions
to/from/within Iraq absent prior license or other authorization from OFAC=
. =20
These currency transactions included, but are not limited to, the purchas=
e
of food, lodging, ground transportation, and incidentals;

7. On December 3, 1997, Mr. Handelman imported goods and/or services,
into the United States at Detroit, Michigan. Upon entry of the goods, th=
e
Untied States Customs Service (=93USCS=94) seized them (District Case Nos.
98-3801-000235). The goods included an Iraqi water bottle label, an Iraq=
i
stamp, photographic film, video and audio tapes and/or cassettes,
postcards, and assorted papers;

8. On December 3, 1997, Mr. Mullins imported goods and/or services, into
the United States at Detroit, Michigan. Upon entry of the goods, the USC=
S
seized them (District case No. 98-3801-00238). The goods included a
necklace, a wooden drum, audio tapes, a computer disc, notebooks,
pictures, and miscellaneous papers and cards;

9. In July 1998, VW exported goods to Iraq absent prior specific license
or other authorization issued by OFAC; and

10. In September 1998, VW exported goods, including medical supplies, to
Iraq absent prior specific license or other authorization issued by OFAC.

Proposed Penalty:

Section 206 of IEEPA, 50 U.S.C. =A7 1705, provides, in part, for a civil
penalty not to exceed $10,000 per violation. section 586E of the Iraq
Sanctions Act of 1990, PL.101-513, 104 Stat. 2049, provides, in part, for
a civil penalty not to exceed $250,000 for each violation occurring after
Nov. 5 1990**. See, Regulations =A7 575.701. Pursuant to =A7 575.702 of =
the
Regulations, you are hereby notified that OFAC intends to issue a claim
against each of you and VW for a monetary penalty in the amounts set fort=
h
below:

As to VW : $120,000, computed at $20,000 for each Counts 1-4, 9 and 10

As to Mr. Handelman: $12,000, computed at $1,000 for each of Counts 5 an=
d
7, plus $10,000 for Count 6

As to Mr. Mullins: $11,000, computed at $1,000 for Count 8, plus $10,000
for Count 6

As to Mr. Sacks: $10,000 for Count 6

As to Mr. Zito: $10,000 for Count 6

With respect to the disposition of goods seized in the above-cited USCS
District Cases >from Messrs. Handelman and Mullins, we recommend that,
inasmuch as goods have been involved in the violation of U.S. law by U.S.
persons, such goods be forfeited to the United States in accordance with
USCS procedures.

Election of Proceedings:

1. You have the right to make a written presentation to FAC within thirty
(30) days of the mailing of this Notice. Such written presentation in
response to this Notice need not be in any particular form, but it should
contain a response to the allegations herein, and set forth the reasons
why the penalty should not be issued, or if issued, why the amount should
ne less than proposed in this Notice. Such response should be addressed
to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (Attention: Civil Penalties),
U.S. Department of the Treasury, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20220.

2. In the event that you elect not to respond, OFAC will conclude that
you have decided not to submit any new facts or explanations for our
consideration. In such instance, OFAC will issue a Penalty Notice in
accordance with =A7 575.704 (b) of the Regulations, finding a violation a=
nd
assessing a penalty generally in the amount proposed herein.

3. Should you elect to resolve this matter informally absent any final
agency finding of violation, you may initiate settlement negotiations by
telephoning the OFAC staff member named below under =93Contact Person=94 =
at
any time before you are issued a Penalty notice. If the negotiations
result in settlement, you are not required to make a written response to
this Notice, which will be withdrawn without a formal determination of
violation, provided settlement occurs within the time period set in this
Notice.


Collection:

Section 575.705 of the Regulations provides that this matter shall be
referred to the United States Department of Justice for collection if the
penalty is not paid within thirty (30) days of the mailing of a Penalty
Notice, should one be issued imposing a penalty pursuant to =A7 575.704 o=
f
the Regulations. Prior to such referral, OFAC may undertake administrativ=
e
collection through the Office of Financial Management of the U.S. Treasur=
y
Department.

Contact:

In view of the short response time, if you have any questions concerning
this matter, please feel free to contact the appropriate member of my
staff, Mrs. B.S. Scott, Chief, Civil Penalties program, at telephone
number (202) 622-6140.

Sincerely,

R. Richard Newcomb
Director
Office of Foreign Assets Control

**Section 4 of the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of
1990 (Pub.L. 101-410, 104 Stat. 890, 28 U.S.C. 2461 note), as amended by
the debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 (Pub.L. 104-134, sec. 31001
(s)1), Apr. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 1321-373 -- jointly, the =93FCPIA=94),
requires each Federal agency with statutory authority to assess civil
monetary penalties (=93CMPs=94) for inflation according to a formula desc=
ribed
in =A7 5 of the FCPIA. Accordingly, on October 23, 1996, OFAC published i=
n
the Federal register the required amendment, effective October 21, 1996,
to the Regulations adjusting its CMP to $275,000. See 61 FR 54936 at
54939.



Voices in the Wilderness
A Campaign to End the US/UN Economic Sanctions Against the People of Iraq
1460 West Carmen Ave.
Chicago, IL 60640
ph:773-784-8065; fax: 773-784-8837
email: kkelly@igc.apc.org
website: http://www.nonviolence.org/vitw





From: Mary Olson
SDAC Home Page

INDEX

IRAQ: Action Prayer for Tranformation

IRAQ: Action Prayer for Tranformation
X-Status

Persons wishing to report their grave concerns and prayers for conflict
transformation to politicians and media outlets may do so by calling one or
several of the following telephone numbers.

Secretary General Kofi Annan --> 212.963.5012
President Clinton --> 202.456.2580
White House Comment Line --> 202.456.1111
Secretary of State Albright --> 202.647.4000 & 202.647.5291
Secretary of Defense Cohen --> 703.695.5261
US Ambassador to the UN --> 212.415.4404 & 212.415.4062
Britain's Ambassador to the UN --> 212.745.9334

Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
(has 20 members) --> 202.224.4651
House Committee on Foreign Affairs
*has 48 members) --> 202.225.5201

Congressional Switchobarod --> 202.224.3121 or 202.225.3121

MEDIA:
ABC 212.456.7777 - ask for comment line then press 4
CBS 212.975.3247
NBC 212.664.2333 ext. 2
NPR Morning Edition - 202.842.5044
New York Times - Natnews@nyt.com
____________________
Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative among Mennonite and Church of the
Brethren congregations and Friends Meetings that supports violence reduction
efforts around the world. CPT P. O. Box 6508 Chicago, IL 60680
tel:312-455-1199 FAX 312-666-2677 To join CPTNET, our e-mail network, fill out
the form found on our WEB page at http://www.prairienet.org/cpt/



Subject: 3,000 demonstrate in NYC (fwd)
Status: O
X-Status:

Sat dec 19th
* Thousands also demonstrated in San Francisco today
* Hundreds of others demonstrated in cities throughout America
* The largest demonstration was in Damascus, Syria - where CNN reports
100,000 Syrians protested against the bombing and called for unity with
Iraq.

Latest news -- Clinton and Blair have just announced the end of the air
strike against the people of Iraq. Continue to protest -- the Iraqis are
still dying from US/UK brutality. The Iraqis are still suffering from the
sanctions, and from the everpresent threat of renewed bombing.

-Rania

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1998 17:57:08 -0500
From: International Action Center

International Action Center
39 West 14th Street, #206, New York, NY 10011 212-633-6646
fax:212-633-2889 email: iacenter@iacenter.org
web page: http://www.iacenter.org

December 19, 1998
Attention Assignment Editor
For Immediate release

Press Contacts:
Brian Becker, Kadouri Al Kaysi, Deirdre Sinnott 212-633-6646

3,000 demonstrators in New York City demand end the bombing of Iraq
Demonstrations held in scores of cities

*If bombing continues, demonstrate Monday, December 21, 5 pm, Times
Square, NYC. Check the IAC web page for actions around the country
and world.

The largest anti-war march this week began at 34th St. and 7th Ave.
in New York City and wound through midtown Manhattan and concluded at
Union Square. Over 3,000 demonstrators chanted "Stop the bombing,
Stop the war, Let Iraq live." They also denounced U.S./UN sanctions
that have killed 1.6 million Iraqi civilians in the last eight years,
according to UN statistics.

Featured speakers at the demonstration included former U.S. Attorney
General Ramsey Clark, Teresa Guttierez of the International Peace for
Cuba Appeal, Clayton Ramsey of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, John
Kim of the Korean American Foundation, Sara Flounders of the
International Action Center, Kadouri Al-Kaysi of the Committee in
Support of the Iraqi People, and others.

"We represent millions of people in this country who oppose this
genocidal bombing of the Iraqi people. Clinton has found $300
million to finance just 300 cruise missiles that have crashed into
Baghdad, Basra, and other Iraqi civilian population centers. We
demand money be spent for jobs, education, housing, healthcare, not
for a war of aggression in the Middle East," said Sarah Sloan of the
International Action Center.

The New York City demonstration coincided with mass marches in San
Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, and in over 50
cities throughout the U.S.

The sponsoring organizations include the International Action Center,
Fellowship of Reconciliation, Pax Christi, Islamic Circle of North
America, Committee in Support of the Iraqi People, War Resisters
League, Islamic Public Affairs Council, Iraqi American Cultural
Society, Queers for Racial and Economic Justice, Metro NY Peace
Action, International Socialist Organization, Catholic Worker, Refuse
and Resist, Workfairness and Workers World Party.

The International Action Center has stated that if the bombing of Iraq
continues over the weekend, they will join others in organizing a
protest on Monday, December 21 at 5 pm in Times Square.





Status: O
X-Status:


SDAC Home Page

INDEX

The Irish Times on Iraq and US

The Irish Times on Iraq and US
X-Status

The Irish Times December 19, 1998

HEADLINE: Recognising roots of conflict key to finding solutions Denis
Halliday says destruction is not the way to deal with Iraq; a peaceful
solution can come from recognising the roots of problems

BODY:
So, apart from speaking out and taking a moral stand, what do we do?

That is a question I am asked frequently. Of course, there is no simple
answer. However, we could start by controlling arms sales and build-up
everywhere, including in the Middle East and in Iraq. I would support that
100 per cent.

Meanwhile, drop the sanctions that are so devastating to the Iraqi people.
For the longer term, we could recognise some of the root causes of the
conflict between Kuwait and Iraq. Maybe we could acknowledge that Kuwait had
been an integral part of Iraq for 3,000 years before some British
cartographer carved it out for geopolitical reasons in the 1890s.

We might recognise some of the debt-related problems between Iraq and Kuwait
after the Iran-Iraq War. We could try to understand the charges of
slantdrilling of Iraqi oil by Kuwait in the border area.

In my view, none of these issues warrants the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, no
matter how undemocratic and exploitative the Kuwaiti family regime, but it
helps us to focus on a rationale for aggression rather than the misleading
political spin we usually hear.

And until we establish the root causes of angst and begin to resolve them,
or at least try to assist in a process of resolution by the countries
concerned, the potential for aggressive behaviour will likely remain.

And whereas the US and Britain can destroy the military infrastructure, they
cannot destroy the minds and misapplied skills of Iraqi scientists. And we
know how easy it is to manufacture appalling and deadly devices. So, in
short, physical destruction is not the answer. That is a futile short-term
irrational action of desperate men.

The ultimately constructive and peaceful solution is to begin to understand
the causes of tension and crisis. And offer to support their resolution. It
can be termed preventive diplomacy.

Right now, Iraq is surrounded by much more powerful neighbours, armed
largely by the US. They are militarily well stocked, including missiles
armed with nuclear warheads. Worse, some have proved to be inexcusably
aggressive themselves, as we have seen in regard to Lebanon, and much more
recently than the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, sadly ignored in the double
standards of the member-states controlling the UN Security Council.

And as for the appalling nuclear, chemical and other weapons of mass
destruction, one might well ask who supplied Iraq with chemical weapons for
use against the Iranian forces in the first place? Who has used nuclear
force anywhere in the world? Not Iraq.

Regarding other ghastly means of killing, including chemical weapons, many
countries of the world, and some in the Middle East, are armed to the teeth,
courtesy of the US and Europe. Yesterday's ally is today's monster, and can
become one or the other when politically convenient. In the meantime, the
responsibility has to be shared.

For the United Nations, its credibility is undermined by the Security
Council's improper resolutions sustaining economic sanctions, leading to the
deaths of hundreds of thousands in Iraq. UNICEF estimates that approximately
5,000 children die every month from preventable diseases; another 30 per
cent suffer malnutrition, and many more are likely to be stunted physically
and mentally for the rest of their lives.

This is caused by the actions of member-states of the UN. And people ask me
why I resigned after more than 30 years!

I would like to see the Irish Government take a lead in proposing that a
panel of international jurists be assembled to review the resolutions of the
Security Council and establish some constraints for the future.

The council needs a legal watch-dog, an international authority higher than
the International Court so that its actions would ensure acceptable
standards consistent with the United Nations Charter, the Declaration on
Human Rights and the Rights of the Child.

It is sad to note that whereas warfare is governed by international
conventions (The Hague and Geneva), the application of often deadly
sanctions is not.

Today, we not only have the killing of innocents via sanctions, we have an
illegal attack on Iraq that has split the five permanent members of the
Security Council and further offended the Arab and Islamic world, a part of
the world that is integral and essential for world peace now and even more
so for the future.

To be less than altruistic: whereas the power and influence of European and
North American "culture" declines, the influence of Islamic culture is
growing. Fewer people speak English today than 10 years ago. Many more speak
Arabic, and projections show a rapid increase in the next century.

Rather than warfare, let us focus on bringing Iraq back into the community
of nations. Let us talk rather than kill. Do missiles bring about sincere
co-operation?

No matter how difficult, let us try dialogue. Encourage the peoples of the
Middle East to find compromise and solutions to their many differences. They
might look at the ASEAN model - the co-operative association of nine nations
of south-east Asia - and see how it fits. Focus on trade, financial support,
development co-operation, employment opportunities and sustainable economies
for the years ahead when oil runs out.

They do not need the continuing interference of Europe and the US, but they
may need support, investment and a global environment conducive to positive
results, including shutting down arms manufacture and sales.

And let us also take the United Nations back to the moral and legal high
ground where it belongs.

Denis Halliday, an Irishman, is the former United Nations humanitarian
director for Iraq

Also, see http://www.accuracy.org/halliday

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sam Husseini sam@accuracy.org
Institute for Public Accuracy Tel: 202-347-0020
915 National Press Building Fax: 202-347-0290
Washington, DC 20045 http://www.accuracy.org
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INDEX

Racists Slogans painted on Bombs

Racists Slogans painted on Bombs
Status: O
X-Status:


ADC PRESS RELEASE:
Inhuman Policy, Dehumanizing Slogans: "Die, You Magats"

Some of the American bombs dropped on Iraq last week were "decorated" with
anti-Arab racist slogans, including "Die, You Magets," "This is Gunna
Hurt," and "Hold Onto Yer Butt." They also were defaced with slogans
defamatory to Islam such as "Here's a Ramadan present from Chad
Rickenberg," and parodies of the holiday spirit such as "To Saddam, Mery
X-Mas."

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is extremely
disturbed by the vicious bombing of Iraq and the economic sanctions which
have killed hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis. In our view, the
anti-Arab bigotry that pervades American society is clearly the
underpinning of these policies, which evince no concern for the humanity
and suffering of Iraqis.

The Pentagon has distanced itself from the "religious intolerance" of the
"Ramadan" graffiti, but has given no indication that it plans to either
investigate the incidents or discipline those responsible. Moreover, no
officials have repudiated the characterization of Iraqis as "magats."

Given that the United States government indulges in policies, such as
sanctions and bombings, that devalue and disregard the humanity of the
Iraqis, we are saddened but not surprised that some military personnel
express similar attitudes, albeit in cruder terms. This shocking evidence
of a culture of racism in the military towards Arabs is the logical
corollary to pervasive attitudes in our country which demonize and
dehumanize Arabs in general and Iraqis in particular. These attitudes
have been expressed by some soldiers in this racist graffiti. But, far
more seriously, they are the very bedrock of a policy that engages in
repeated unjustified bombings of Iraq and considers the needless deaths of
hundreds of thousands of Iraqis as a result of economic sanctions to be
"worth it." Offensive as it may be to paint such slogans on bombs,
dropping them on the innocent people of Iraq is an outrage of an entirely
different magnitude.

ADC demands a complete and through investigation of how these slogans came
to appear on the bombs and a program of sensitivity training for military
personnel to begin to counteract the received anti-Arab bigotry which this
graffiti has so powerfully expressed. Beyond this, the United States
government as a whole must rethink its attitude towards the Iraqi people,
and abandon a foreign policy which has merciless victimized them while
achieving no policy goals whatsoever. The longer the Administration
clings to its cruel and failed approach to Iraq, US policy will continue
to amount to little more than "Die, You Magats."

________ ______ American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
/\ |_ ___ \ / ____| 4201 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 300
/ \ | | \ | | | Washington, D.C. 20008, U.S.A.
/ /\ \ | | | | | | Tel: (202) 244-2990, Fax: (202) 244-3196
/ ____ \ _| |_ / | | |____ E-mail: adc@adc.org
/_/ \_\________/ \______| Web : http://www.adc.org

========================================================================
ADC is the largest Arab-American grassroots organization in the United
States. It was founded in 1980 by former Senator James Abourezk. To
receive membership information, please send us your name and mailing
address.
========================================================================


from: "melissa pelsor"
To: DRovics@aol.com
SDAC Home Page

INDEX

Protestors Arrested

Protestors Arrested
X-Status:

Hi David..

A lot has happened with the freestate since I last talked with you..
This email from the Macalester Student Coalition Against the Reroute
list pretty much sums up what is going on and the horrible details of
the raid... Knew that you would be interested even though it may cast
an unpleasant tone on your holidays. There is one more thing to add--
it is rumored that MnDoT plans to take out the trees before the 28th of
December.. As of yesterday they had not been touched so hopefully that
will not happen.. They are trying to file a restraining order against
the state because lawsuits are pending on the trees and the area but we
will see.

It is really hard to be at home while all of this is going on.. it
seems like such a desperate time and it is hard to not become
preoccupied with it and just sad overall..

Your friend Joe Hill is okay though despite the careless actions of the
police.

I guess that is about all that I know right now... do hope that you
have had a happy holidays and have a happy new year.. That is pretty
exciting about going to Alaska.. you have been there before?

for now,

melissa


>Student Coalition Against the Reroute
>
>Hi everyone,
>
>I'm really sorry that I haven't kept everyone who has left informed of
the
>status of the Free State and the raid that occurred early Sunday
morning. I
>started to write an update twice but both times wasn't able to finish.
>
>A bit before 4:30 am, 600 state troopers, city police, highway patrol
and swat
>team officials, carried in Ryder moving trucks, city buses and squad
cars,
>raided the Minnehaha Free State. The Riders pulled up at an angle to
each of
>the houses, and out came piling approximately 30 officers garbed in
full riot
>gear, brandishing firearms, pepper spray, and other assorted chemicals
of
>torture. The riot squads swept through the lawns yelling, "Everyone
down,
>you're under arrest." As protesters gathered around the sacred fire
and the
>front lawns fell to the ground, the troopers made straigth for the
houses with
>battering rams. Anyone not in the very front of the houses was
completely
>unable to leave peacefully.
> It was noticed that the officers ran straight towards each lockdown
>site, and knew exactly where each one was, the details of each, and the
number
>of people locked at each site. Although the majority of lockdowns were
>prepared and expecting the raid, it came so suddenly that many did not
even
>have the chance to get fully locked down. There was a great show of
police
>brutality, what with pain compliance holds, tear gas, a swabbing of the
eyes
>with either tear gas or cs gas, and pepper spray---sprayed about two
inches
>from thwe faces of the victims. In addition, several of the protesters
were
>beaten by the police. Luckily, none sustained permanent injury.
> Eyewitness lockdown from the north end(tarzana) account.....
>At approximately 417am, the my lockdown partner and I were warned
through the
>window that "they" were coming. My partner called m-------- to warn
him, and I
>started to put the u-lock around my neck. When she got back, the
bullhorn was
>already activated, and although we struggled to put the cobra lock on
also, we
>settled for the conventional arm lock when we heard our barricades
being
>knocked down. They knew exactly where our site was, although it was
very well
>hidden.(?) Going thriough the wall directly adjacent to our heads,
they came
>in full force...with pepper spray and pain compliance. My partner
complied
>after the second dose of pepper spray, and at that time, I decided to
comply
>also. I asked her "are you really unlocking???are you unlocking??should
>I????"....but I had a very hard time unclipping my caribeener, and they
were
>getting a little bit impatient with me, so in order to speed me up a
bit, they
>took my hair, pushed my head down, took the flat of their hand under my
nose,
>and pushed up with extrem force for about a minute. Shortly thereafter,
I
>managed to overcome panic and unclip my beener. Due to that, I have so
far
>lost my sense of smell, and all of tyhe peaceful protesters arrested
have
>bruises attesting to the force that was used in this raid.
>
> In the kitchen house, two locked down protesters were wearing gas
>masks. The raiders knew all of the details about their lock-down,
including
>that their tear gas would not have the desired effect. When they
reached the
>protesters, they ripped off their masks and "headwatersed" one,
swabbing tear
>gas directly on her pulled down inner eyelid with two fingers. The pain
was
>excruciating. Her lock-down partner was severly beaten and so covered
in tear
>gas that his presence in the arrest van caused allergic reaCtion in
other
>protesters. In fact, the troopers wore gas masks as they accompanied
>protesters in the van to prevent their own side-stream inhalation. They
did not
>provide medical attention to anyone and several people were suffering
reactoins
>to the teargas, wounds from being beaten, and various other problems.
>
>In the ABC house, the support person was arrested at gunpoint and the
two
>persons locked down in the basement were severely teargassed. They
managed to
>use their cell phone to dial up the Pacifica radio show Democracy Now!
and
>their experience being teargassed was recorded on the answering machine
there.
>It was supposedly played over the air at 1:00 pm on Monday but both of
us
>(Sarah and Tarzana) failed to hear it. Obviously Tarzana missed the
opportunity
>to hear it...she was in jail along with 35 others, all of whom were
released as
>of 3 am Tuesday morning on their own recognizance. Unfortunately,
their
>release was not unconditional and they were forced to sign evil papers.
(To
>qualify : these papers restrict their involvement with the highway 55
project
>and prevent them from going on the encampment site until at least Dec.
28).
>The two protesters in the ABC house unliocked themselves when they
heard guns
>cocking and were told to come out with their hands up. Remember, no
one could
>see them and the troopers may likely have been planning to fire and
claim that
>they were threatened by the non-violent protesters.
>
>
>The two lock-down partners in the tripod house were asleep until the
last
>minute and woken by the noise of the breaking barricades. Their
lock-down site
>is said to be the best hidden and yet the troopers did not even have to
look
>for it. hmmm. They were badly teargassed. A---- was beaten badly by the
police
>while he was still in the house and his partner was hit several times
after she
>had come out. They never had the chance to lock down. A's head was
bleeding
>badly and he was not allowed to see a doctor.
>
>Joe Hill had mounted the tripod again, after his three week stint in
august.
>His neck locked by a u-lock to the tripod, any motion could have left
him
>either dead or paralyzed. Luckily other protesters were able to
prevent police
>who stood posed to jiggle the tripod. The clipped the ulock and tipped
over the
>tri=pod. Thankfully Joe is okay. No thanks to the brutality of the
troopers.
>
>Santa Claus made an early appearance at the Minnehaha Free State. Wes
was
>locked down to the chimmney stack dressed in a santa suit. He was the
last
>person to be arrested and managed to stay on the chimmney in far below
zero
>temperatures for 3 1/2 hours. Good job wes. He also made the
firefighter trying
>to convince him to come down ("Could you come down so we can talk about
this"
>"If I came down, we wouldn't have anything to talk about.") return him
his hat
>when it fell from his head at one point.
>Originally it was thought that he had been pepper sprayed, but it
turned out
>that he hadn't been although he was indirectly teargassed by the clouds
of gas
>coming up from the basement through the chimmney.
>
were
>being restricted and we watched as our friends were hurt and brutalized
by
>these "violent primates". I had been slightly out of the range of the
ryders
>when they came in and walked around the sweep and toward the tripod
house,
>where I had told the support person there that I would take his place
because
>he did not want to be arrested. Onm the way I was grabbed by a police
officer
>and asked where I was going. I said I was just walking. He said "get
out or
>you're under arrest" and I said again, "I'm just walking." and he
repeated it
>again and kind of shoved me away. I was in the street and that might
have been
>why he let me go back up the street toward the sacred fire. At that
point the
>police cars that were closing off a 3600 foot perimeter of the camp
were
>pushing together and I decided to cross to the other side of the
perimeter. I
>still feel pretty badly about that decision but I guess it was what was
right
>for me at that point in time. In my naivete, I hadn't expected a raid
to be
>anything like this. In hindsight that was pretty stupid.
>
>The troopers wporked to extract people for several hours. Once people
had been
>taken out, they immediately brought in the bulldozers. Arne Carlson
had first
>come when santa was still on the chimney and stayed to shake hands and
pass
>congratulations while the hosues wwere destroyed. Two catering
electronic carts
>served hot coffee and donuts. Porto-potties were brought in. In fact,
Carlson
>warmed himself over a fire made from parts of Carol and Al Kratz's
house as
>their children looked on crying.
>
>By the time the bulldozers and other machinery (there were more
different
>types of vehicle on that site than I have ever seen before in one
place) had
>flattened the houses, brought in top-soil, and the debris removed, the
area
>looked like it had never been the site of homes or the location of one
of the
>most amazing communities of resistance in the United States and beyond.
>
>Those arrested were held until Monday night between 6pm and 3am. While
they
>were in the jail, supporters gathered in the release area with food,
rides,
>shelter, liquids, and hugs ready for their consummation.
>
>A press conference is being held today at 5pm in the State Capital
building,
>Media room.
>
>The protest is far from over.
>
>--Sarah Jordan and Tarzana 12.22.98
>
>
>______________________________________________________________________
>To unsubscribe, write to scar-unsubscribe@listbot.com
>Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/
>
>


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Charley Reese: Sanctions and Iraqi children

Charley Reese: Sanctions and Iraqi children
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Hi, friends,

Here's a column published in the Orlando Sentinel March 2, forwarded by
Rania Masri through the Araq Action Coalition list. [printed here without
quotation marks]. Perhaps if they saw this, some other journalists could
take heart and write about the intensification of the merciless treatment
of the country of Iraq.
-- Jerry
...................................................
Date: Wed, 3 Mar 1999
From: Rania Masri
To: iac-list@leb.net
SDAC Home Page

INDEX

[IAC] REESE:Sanctions As a Weapon of Mass Destruction.

[IAC] REESE:Sanctions As a Weapon of Mass Destruction.
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Please thank Charley Reese, a courageous and honest journalist, for this
latest article in The Orlando Sentinel. His e-mail is:
In peace,
-Rania Masri
================

Iraqi children
Published in The Orlando Sentinel on March 2, 1999.

By Charley Reese
Commentary

Johanna Berrigan, a Catholic Worker lay person out
of Philadelphia, is used to working with poor people, but she wasn't
prepared for a "death row for infants" that she found in Baghdad
hospitals.

The hospitals, devoid of almost everything they
need, and staffed by doctors exhausted and grieving, are just a place to
die for the thousands of Iraqi children suffering from diseases and
infections brought on by the malnutrition and contaminated water.

Our government is responsible for that. The
embargo on Iraq, which even denies the Iraqis chlorine to use for
purifying their water supply, has become a weapon of mass destruction.
Half a million dead children -- and that's a United Nations number -- is
mass destruction, I would say.

Berrigan said in 1989 about 92 percent of the
Iraqis had access to health care and that education was free through the
university level. In that year, there was not a single case of cholera in
the country. Today, there are thousands of cases -- a direct result of
contaminated water. There has been a fourfold increase in childhood
leukemia, possibly linked to the depleted uranium the United States used
in its shells.

She said a small infection that easily could be
dealt with escalates to kidney failure and coma for the malnourished Iraqi
children whose doctors lack medicines and even antiseptics. In one
hospital ward she toured, they were using kerosene in an attempt to
sterilize because it was all they had.

But don't think the U.S. government isn't on the
job. It has just threatened another group of Americans with tens of
thousands of dollars in fines and long prison sentences for taking
"medicines and toys" to Iraq. Under this administration, compassion for
dying children is apparently a criminal activity.

But, as Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf said, long before
he came back to do speeches at $50,000 a pop, "We have bombed Iraq back
into the pre-industrial age." That was a great feat for a superpower,
taking on a Third World country with only 100 or so out-of-date airplanes.
But he was admitting what is now evident: We bombed a heck of a lot more
than just military targets.

We need to halt this asinine and inhumane policy
of killing children and elderly. It has not hurt Saddam Hussein one bit.
In fact, people in Berrigan's group picked up the information that the
army and the Baath party are pressuring Hussein to take a tougher line.
Bill Clinton, of the forked-tongue tribe, tries to pretend that letting
Iraq sell a little oil can solve the problem. Unsaid, of course, is that
Iraq's oil-producing equipment is in such bad shape that it can't even
pump what it would be allowed to sell. And unsaid is all the delays and
outright blocking of contracts the United States does behind the scenes.
And, of course, we now know that the United Nations arms-inspection team
was riddled with spies and covert agents. So much for all those lies.

There's food in Iraq, smuggled and at black-market
prices. People suffering are the poor, the rural, the elderly, the
chronically ill -- and the children. Berrigan noted that in the gift
shops in the Al Rashid Hotel were nothing but the personal possessions of
Iraqis who had pawned those belongings to get money for food or medicine.

If you have no compassion for Iraqis, then
consider your own welfare. If we keep this up, long after Saddam Hussein
is only a memory, Iraqis will be stalking Americans, in search of
vengeance.

We are showing the world a cruel and ugly face,
and sooner or later there will be payback. And, by the way, don't
blaspheme by calling yourself a Christian while turning your back on these
dying children.

[Posted 03/01/1999 7:23 PM EST]



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INDEX

Denis Halliday on `The World'

Denis Halliday on `The World'
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Here is the text of an interview with Denis Halliday that occurred around
3:35 PM EST 2/22/99 on the PRI/BBC/WGBH Boston's `The World'. If you'd
like to respond, you can send email to webmaster@world.wgbh.org
(I can't find another way to conact them, but the website is at
http://www.theworld.org/)
- Brian Carnes
*******************************************************************************

Lisa Mullins (host) - "When the Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds a
hearing this Wednesday on proposals to expand the UN Oil-for-Food program,
the senators will be missing the point. That's the judgement of Denis
Halliday, a former UN humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, who oversaw the
program. Five months ago, Halliday resigned in protest over the
continuation of UN sanctions against Iraq. Today, he continues to insist
that the Oil-for-Food exemption, whether expanded or not, cannot possibly
alleviate the suffering those sanctions cause."

Denis Halliday - "When you arrive in Iraq, in Baghdad in particular, you
are very conscious of the damage done by the coalition bombing of '91,
which has not been, in fact, repaired for lack of resources, due to
sanctions. You're also conscious of the conditions of water supply, sewage
in the streets, children begging. Of course, once you go to a hospital,
you're very conscious then of the real health crisis that exists,
particularly for young children, who are dying in large numbers for lack
of the very basics - it's very basic preventative medicine that is missing
at the moment in Iraq."

LM - "Although, when we look at the Oil-for-Food program, the
international community permits Iraq to sell a considerable amount of oil,
and in fact - correct me if I'm wrong - but I believe it's npw more oil
than it was selling prior to the Gulf War. I wonder if, in that case, you
accept that the principle itself is humanitarian, and that the intention
of the international community is to try and alleviate the suffering, and
that that is an honorable intention."

DH - "Well, I think originally the plan was indeed to improve the
humanitarian crisis that existed then and exists today. The fact is that
the program has always been underfunded. The fact that there is now a
ceiling of 10.4 billion per year is not addressing the problem because
Iraq doesn't have the capacity to produce. At the moment Iraq can produce
about 6 billion U.S. dollars worth of oil per year. The net result is
about 4.1 billion because off the top of that, you know, comes UN
overheads and compensation payments. Now 4 billion net does not begin to
address the nutritional needs of the Iraqi people, nor even begin to
address the need to rebuild civilian infrastructure. By that I mean water
supply systems, sewage systems, electric power systems, which are almost
totally destroyed by the coalition bombers."

LM - "So where does the problem really lie then? Is the problem with the
program itself or how it's implemented in Iraq? There are certainly some
accusations that Saddam Hussein has been hoarding some of these materials
- from medical supplies to food supplies - to try and get the
international community to be outraged, to try and push for the lifting of
sanctions."

DH - "I don't believe he needs to do any of that. I think the situation is
already outrageous. I mean, I think we are up to our necks in genocide,
and there's no other word to use, and the member states deliberately are
sustaining a sanctions program in full knowledge. As people like Madeleine
Albright have said again and again, they know they are killing thousands
of children per month, but somehow, unbelievably, it's worth it to them,
to Washington, to London."

LM - "But what, what do you think the motivation would be for, as you
accuse Madeleine Albright of having no sense of sentiment about what's
happening to the people of Iraq? Where would that kind of motivation come
from, because certainly there are humanitarian aims behind this kind of
policy - U.S. policy and United Nations policy? I mean, do you really
believe that there's absolutely no sense of sympathy for what's happening
to the Iraqi people?"

DH - "I think, though, that the Security Council and the member states
have been blinded by Saddam Hussein and the demonization of Saddam
Hussein, and the problem that he represents for all of us. I mean, none of
us can possibly apologize for the work of this man. But the fact is, we
are now punishing the Iraqi people, and we're killing the Iraqi people in
very large numbers because we're frustrated in our efforts to communicate
successfully with Saddam Hussein. It's unjustifiable."

LM - "But if you're calling for a humanitarian approach on the part of the
West, how could the West turn its head when Saddam Hussein has been known
to use weapons of mass destruction, in fact against his own people? I
mean, isn't the true humanitarian response to try and get him to curb his
tendencies toward procuring or developing these weapons?"

DH - "Well, you know the...his capacity and his holding of weapons of
mass destruction, in my view, is largely exaggerated. I mean, he is
surrounded by much more dangerous neighbors. The fact is, that he has done
some appalling things - in terms of the Kurds, and elsewhere. He's used
weapons, provided, of course, by the West, by the United States, by Europe
- the gas, the other chemical weapons, of course, came from this part of
the world. The fact that he used them, nobody said a word when he used
them, you know, back in the 80's. It only became an issue later. In those
days, of course, he was a good guy. He was an ally of the United States.
He took on the Iranians when noone else would. You know, it's a very
confused situation, a very complex [situation]. And, we only address
Saddam Hussein when it suits us - as a bad guy, a good guy, whatever the
situation requires at that moment."

LM - "Denis Halliday is the former United Nations humanitarian coordinator
in Iraq. Thanks for coming into our studio."

DH - "Thank you."


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INDEX

11th Hour Statement

11th Hour Statement
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> The 11th Hour Peace Coalition
>
> Larry Jackson, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
> (518)-580-7544
>
> News Release
>
> For Immediate Release
> For more information contact Larry Jackson, (518)-580-7544
> ljackson@skidmore.edu
>
> Students Criticize Bombing
>
> The 11th Hour Peace Coalition strongly criticizes the NATO strikes
> against the people of Yugoslavia.
>
> The student peace organization, located at Skidmore College, has
> released a statement listing 10 reasons why it opposes the NATO
> strikes against Serbia. The statement is the product of over 30
> students' input.
>
> "We chose dialogue as a means to educate one another and speak out on
> this issue," Co-Minister of Information Eileen Schwartz '01 said. The
> group held two open discussions at which students could share their
> thoughts and learn more about the conflict in the Balkans.
>
> Students came to the discussions with various opinions and varying
> degrees of knowledge about the situation, Schwartz said. By consensus
> they arrived at several conclusions.
>
> "A big part of this is educational," Co-Minister of Information Aaron
> Simon '00 said. "We chose to educate the community while educating
> ourselves. We are allowing anyone with any opinion to talk, which only
> makes our own argument and our own understanding stronger," Simon
> said.
>
> The 10 points, which include concerns about the legality, morality and
> practicality of the bombings, will be sent to other communities around
> the country. They have also been truncated for a pamphlet the group is
> distributing on campus and at weekly peace vigils.
>
> "Our hope is for other communities to use this as a base for their own
> discussions and formulation of ideas," Schwartz said.
>
> Minister of Programming Nick Parrish '01 sees the significance of the
> statement as broader than the issue itself. "In order for democracy to
> work," he said, "all opinions must be expressed."
>
> -30-
>
>
>
> The 11th Hour Peace Coalition
> Official Statement Regarding NATO Strikes Against Serbia
>
> The following statement is the product of over 30 students'
> concern about the NATO strikes against Yugoslavia. The statement is
> the product of a consensus and accurately represents the sentiments of
> these students.
>
> The students who participated in the discussion of this issue
> did not all have previously formulated opinions about the NATO
> bombings. Some people had no opinion whatsoever, others had stronger
> views. After much discussion and research into the topic, we arrived
> at the following conclusions.
>
> We did not initially intend to draft this document. We had
> hoped merely to share ideas with one another, to help generate
> discussion and inform those who were uncertain. We could not remain
> silent. We decided we must share these thoughts with others so others
> may learn, speak up and express their own ideas -- be they in agreement
> with our own, or contradictory to them.
>
> Our goal is to pass these ideas on to others in the hope that
> they may become talking points for their communities. We encourage
> responses and we urge all of you to open up discussion on these
> issues, to share the conclusions you make with others. Communication
> is the first step toward solving any crisis and the essence of peace.
>
> The current NATO strikes against Serbia have raised important
> questions that all people of conscience must address. In response to
> these strikes and, in light of what appears to be an increased pattern
> of irresponsibility in U.S. foreign policy, we have committed to paper
> our criticism and concern. We encourage all people, particularly those
> members of our government and civic organizations, to consider our
> objections. We hope our suggestions may not only generate the kind of
> dialogue and interaction that is essential in democracy and is too
> often overlooked during times of crisis, but also assist in the
> evolution and transformation of foreign and political policy.
>
> Recognizing that dialogue is the only solution to conflict, we
> encourage the leaders of the world to work toward a relationship in
> which the needs of nations can be communicated to one another absent
> of terror or the threat of force. Likewise, we ourselves hope to
> create dialogue and to open discussion rather than closing it. This
> document is merely a beginning, an opening statement in what we hope
> will be a working relationship between various individuals and
> communities. We encourage your use of these ideas in your own
> discussions and actions related to the current crisis in the Balkans.
>
> We recognize the urgent nature of the crisis in Kosovo. As
> such, we do not question the necessity for some kind of international
> intervention. The question before us is not as to whether or not the
> nations of the world should express their moral outrage at the
> disregard for human life and dignity that the Yugoslav government has
> shown in recent weeks. Our question is whether the path NATO and the
> United States have chosen is the proper path, one that will lead to a
> truly just peace.
>
>
> 1). NATO's actions are legally questionable and violate the spirit of
> international law.
>
> Military intervention violates Article Two of the UN Charter
> prohibiting the use of force against sovereign states not engaged in
> outside aggression; the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties,
> which forbids the use of force in compelling any nation to sign an
> international agreement; and the Helsinki Accord Final Act, which
> guarantees the boundaries of European States ("Destroying Kosovo," The
> Nation, April 19, 1999).
>
> The international cooperation that the laws of the United Nations
> represent is essential if we are to create a world of peace. Laws are
> of secondary importance to ethical principles, and when laws and
> principles are in direct opposition, it is a moral imperative to
> resist those unjust laws. However, NATO's disregard for international
> law is not in the name of justice, it is in the name of expedience.
>
> Understanding the importance of these laws, we express our concern
> over the disregard for these international standards in NATO's strike
> against Serbia and in recent actions on the part of the United
> States. We fear that the United States is fast on its way to becoming
> a "rogue superpower," with no sense of obligation or responsibility to
> its neighbors or the human rights standards these nations have
> collectively established.
>
> We sincerely urge the United States to recognize the importance of
> these standards, particularly when it claims to be enforcing them. If
> those nations that are supposedly speaking in the name of justice do
> not properly follow these standards, there is little hope for nations
> that have no regard for them to ever do so.
>
> While there is clearly a crisis in Kosovo that must be addressed, it
> must be addressed in a fashion that recognizes international laws and
> pays proper respect to the standards by which international relations
> are judged. To disregard these laws is counter-productive and
> unethical.
>
> In expressing concern over the legality of NATO's actions, we also
> recognize our growing concern over the very existence of NATO. In the
> post-Cold War era, NATO's existence may be a divisive force causing
> strife in a world in which globalization is bringing nations into
> inevitable interdependence.
>
> 2). We question the methods of international diplomacy that the United
> States has employed.
>
> In recent months our relationships with many nations have deteriorated
> and we have become increasingly belligerent toward these nations. We
> worry that the United States understands only two steps in its
> international relationships: 1) issuing demands, and 2) the use of
> force to impose those demands. The prominent economist James
> Galbraith, in an up-coming article in the Texas Observer, suggests
> that U.S. diplomacy has failed to progress beyond arrogance and the
> use of force. Galbraith writes:
>
> Agreements, by definition, must be mutual. We have not
> sought, and certainly have not achieved, a settlement acceptable to
> Serbia as well as to the Albanian leaders of Kosovo. We have
> instead operated by threat, and agreements reached under threat
> of force are not valid in any event. In our dealings with
> Belgrade, we have flagrantly ignored this principle of
> international law and common sense (Galbraith, April 3, 1999).
>
> We not only believe that the United States relies too much on threats
> and jeopardizes the validity of diplomacy with its use of force, but
> we also question if there are other methods of convincing nations to
> alter their agenda. If other means of persuasion exist, we encourage
> their use. If there are other steps in the diplomatic process, we ask
> that those be explored and developed.
>
> Finally, we encourage the United States to realize that peace and
> non-violent forms of political pressure do not employ terror or
> threats and do not seek to demoralize, intimidate, destroy or
> humiliate one's opponent. Instead, the true goal is transformation, a
> legitimate change in the motives and goals of oneUs opponents. The
> NATO solution has not been a constructive one and we feel more
> constructive possibilities exist. Coercive diplomacy, the use of
> threats, denies the true essence of dialogue and reduces international
> relations to a school-yard bully mentality.
>
> 3). We are seriously concerned about the agenda of the Kosovo
> Liberation Army, NATO's undeclared ally. We are appalled by the abuses
> of human and civil rights that Slobodan Milosevic has been responsible
> for. We consider these abuses to be such that his resignation or
> arrest is warranted.
>
> Conversely, we recognize the serious accusations that have been levied
> against the Kosovo Liberation Army. The KLAUs dubious methods and
> objectives are such that NATOUs alliance with them is wrong. The KLA
> has been connected to the slaughter of Serbian civilians and the
> European heroin trade. Their political agenda aims not only at
> KosovoUs independence from Serbia, but also the expulsion of Serbs
> from Kosovo. This amounts to the same destructive mentality Milosevic
> is using against Albanian Kosovars: ethnic cleansing. We strongly
> encourage NATO, the United Nations and the United States to turn its
> support and attention to generating a peaceful means of resistance
> with Kosovo similar to those used in the Indian Independence Movement
> and the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. When these means were used by the
> people of Kosovo, their plight was ignored. The United States must
> learn to support constructive efforts to achieve justice, not just
> forceful guerrilla factions.
>
> 4). NATO's campaign not only raises many serious moral and legal
> concerns, but it also has been disastrously ineffective in achieving
> its stated objectives. After nearly three weeks of bombing, NATO has
> only worsened the situation in Kosovo by escalating the conflict and
> further creating the chaos necessary to expand the state's campaign of
> terror. The vast majority of refugees have left Kosovo since the
> bombing campaign began. Many refugees have told reporters from papers
> such as the London Sunday Times, that they have left their homes
> because of the threat of bombs falling on them as much as the threat
> of Serb atrocities (London Sunday Times, March 27).
>
> We urge the United States to consider the apparent ineffectiveness of
> this strategy and we view any "victory" that may be achieved by NATO
> forces at this point to be a Pyrrhic one. The longer the conflict
> extends, the more difficult it will become to withdraw from it; we
> suggest immediate withdraw, while such an option remains a
> possibility.
>
> 5). Bombs cannot and will not provide a solution to ethnic conflict;
> jingoism and ethnic strife will only become more heated with increased
> violence. The counter-productivity of the NATO strikes goes beyond
> merely escalating the conflict and refugee crisis. The conflict has
> progressed so far that it is questionable that the Kosovar and Serbian
> people can ever coexist. With this kind of resentment and hostility
> building, peace is virtually impossible. In its search for immediate,
> short-term solutions, NATO has precluded the possibility for more
> long-term answers to the conflict in the Balkans. Bombs cannot erase
> ethnic strife. Serious efforts must be made toward reconciliation and
> away from conflict. In a complicated age we cannot expect easy
> solutions. NATO has offered easy solutions that are not solutions at
> all. The killing must stop, but to expect immediate results in all
> facets of this issue is to expect the impossible.
>
> 6). The United States has been inconsistent in its defense of human
> rights. The U.S. finances and supports human rights abuses in nations
> such as China, Indonesia, Turkey and throughout Latin America. While
> maintaining destructive sanctions against the people of Iraq;
> maintaining landmines throughout the world, which take the life of a
> civilian every 20 minutes; and while maintaining an arsenal of weapons
> of mass destruction which violate all human rights standards, the
> United States claims to be defending human rights. In light of this
> inconsistency, the United States must alter its own policies and focus
> on deligitimizing the use of force to punish human rights
> violators. We may be among the most in need of punishment.
>
> We resent the United States' use of the "human rights card" in this
> issue. Until the United States illustrates a consistent approach to
> human rights issues, it is virtually impossible to believe its
> insistent use of human rights as a reason for military intervention in
> the Balkans.
>
> 7). In light of the counter-productivity of NATO strikes and the
> inconsistency of the United StatesU human rights policies, we question
> the motives of NATO. We worry that the show of force is intended to
> test new weapons and a new alliance, and maintain a fragile balance
> within NATO that might crumble under unilateral intervention in this
> conflict. We also worry that the ill-defined post-Cold War NATO may be
> attempting to prove the necessity of its existence at the expense of
> human lives.
>
> This is not a NATO issue. The United Nations is more suited for the
> issue, will achieve better results and will not act in a manner
> contradictory to moral and legal provisions, as NATO has apparently
> done. Without the involvement of nations the Serbs trust, it will be
> virtually impossible to achieve an objective in which all sides are
> treated fairly and compromise is attainable.
>
> 8). The exorbitant budget devoted to defense far exceeds the threats
> we face throughout the world. Our nation is the most well armed nation
> in the world and the presence of a gargantuan military threatens peace
> at virtually every level. Not only do we risk the misuse of weapons,
> but their presence is a constant reminder of the hostility and
> antagonism of war. As the most powerful and richest nation in the
> world, we are teaching smaller, less powerful nations that a potent
> military force is enviable and we are thus promoting further
> militarism and conflict.
>
> Most importantly, the tax dollars devoted to defense and the payment
> of war-time debts is money detracted from social needs, such as
> education, health care, social security and other important social
> programs that benefit the people. The increasing chasm between the
> haves and the have-nots; the growing inaccessibility to education,
> deprivation, want and starvation of the poor; and the creation of a
> climate in which the basic rights of education, food, health care, and
> comfort are denied to a significant portion of the worldUs population
> are the most dangerous threats to peace that can exist.
>
> Over 43 million working people in the United States have no health
> care. Meanwhile, NATOUs strikes against Serbia cost nearly $100
> million per day. These funds could easily be used for more
> constructive social needs, such as providing health care for those who
> go without. Meanwhile, there are more poor people in America now than
> there were 10 years ago, contradicting the myth that the military is
> good for the economy. We have drained the coffers that matter in our
> society to fill a coffer that serves no productive end.
>
> A nation that sustains such high levels of poverty and substandard
> education is in no position to defend freedom throughout the
> world. Our status as the nation with the number two incarceration rate
> in the world further attests to the destructive forces of racism and
> poverty in our own nation.
>
> Therefore, we suggest the United States focus energy, time, talent and
> financial support toward redressing these issues. We not only display
> tremendous hypocrisy in sustaining such domestic problems while
> fighting the worldUs human rights battles, but we also exacerbate
> these subtle abuses of human rights by feeding a military monster.
>
> If there is a better way toward peace, it is of urgent importance that
> we pursue it. If the people of the world suffer any more at the hands
> of war or any more because of poverty, we will usher in an age of
> formidable misery.
>
> 9). According to the Just War Theory, a theory we cite because of the
> integral role in plays in dictating the nature of a war, NATO's
> strikes are not justified.
>
> A). The authority waging the war must be legitimate. If NATO is indeed in
> violation of international law and if NATO is superfluous, its
> authority is illegitimate.
>
> B). War must be the final resort. As we have stated earlier, we believe
> there must be some other forms of diplomacy that can be explored. We
> are of the opinion that diplomacy was not in fact exhausted, but was
> instead hastened unduly by an eager drive for conflict (as reported by
> some international diplomats who were annoyed with the behavior of
> Madeleine Albright). The constant threat of force tainted any
> meaningful opportunity for diplomacy and compromised the integrity of
> international dialogue.
>
> We think the peace plan was not the most accommodating for both sides
> and might be legitimately seen as a breach of national
> sovereignty. While compromises cannot be made on issues of human
> rights, they must often be made in less urgent political matters, such
> as the composition of a peacekeeping force. We understand the dangers
> of having NATO forces in Serbia and think any peacekeeping force must
> consist of more neutral nations that are genuinely interested in
> peace.
>
> C). Success must be probable. NATO officials and U.S. administration
> officials have doubted the success of this mission from the
> beginning. Even Madeleine Albright admitted she was not confident that
> the air strikes would achieve their objective. Now that we see an
> enormous refugee crisis, any probable success is likely to be
> meaningless.
>
> D). The means must be indispensable to the achievement of the ends. Again,
> we think other diplomatic and political efforts could have been
> employed to halt Serb atrocities.
>
> E). The means used must be discriminating. The means must not cause more
> harm than they prevent. The refugee crisis and the leveling of Serbia
> both violate this provision. The innocent must not be
> jeopardized. Clearly, this is impossible in war. Regardless of our
> efforts to protect civilians with technologically advanced weapons,
> our technology is not free of flaws. While it may lack the heated
> emotion of a foot soldier, it does not lack that soldier's
> inaccuracy. We have already seen reports of what is coldly called
> "collateral damage."
>
> F). Actions must respect the provisions made by international law. Again,
> this is not the case.
>
> 10). NATO policy and, to a distressing degree, the policy of the
> United States, is being placed too much in the hands of military
> officials. Generals should not be involved in politics and their place
> is not in diplomacy. The militaristic mentality that drives us into
> war has no place in negotiations. When militarism and diplomacy are
> intertwined, as we have seen recently, the effect is distressing and
> defeats the notion of diplomacy.
>
> Alternatives
>
> NATO must immediately halt its campaign against Serbia. While the
> United States has an obligation to participate in an effective, just
> and moral peace-keeping plan, it must not dominate the process,
> particularly after waging war against the Serbs.
>
> The issue must be placed in the hands of the United Nations. It is
> only in the agenda of an international body that we can avert disaster
> and the increasing global partisanship that is staining the policies
> of nations in regard to this issue. A peacekeeping police force could
> address the refugee crisis, halt the atrocities that both the KLA and
> the Serb government are committing and maintain a human rights
> monitoring system.
>
> We urge the world not to be taken in by charlatan claims to immediate
> solutions. No solution to this conflict will arise in the
> short-term. We must expect long diplomatic processes and extended
> international intervention before there can be reconciliation between
> the people of Kosovo and the people of Serbia. Reconciliation between
> the two ethnic groups should be our objective.
>
> We are not asking for appeasement. Milosevic deserves to be tried for
> war crimes. What we want is a moral and effective solution that
> respects the provisions of international law.
>
> -30-
> -------------------
> End of message.
>


-------------------
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Chinese Embassy Bombing (fwd)

Chinese Embassy Bombing (fwd)
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===================================
FAIR ACTION ALERT: U.S. Media Overlook Expose on Chinese Embassy
Bombing
>
>October 22, 1999
>
>A detailed investigative article in the October 17 London Observer
reported that NATO deliberately bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade last
May, after discovering that the embassy was relaying Yugoslav military radio
signals.
>
>The report contradicted the public assurances of NATO leaders that the
>missile attack had been an accident. The Observer's sources included "a
>flight controller operating in Naples, an intelligence officer monitoring
>Yugoslav radio traffic from Macedonia and a senior [NATO] headquarters
>officer in Brussels."
>
>So far, the reaction in the mainstream U.S. media has been a deafening
>silence. To date, none of America's three major network evening news
>programs has mentioned the Observer's findings. Neither has the New York
>Times or USA Today, even though the story was covered by AP, Reuters and
>other major wires. The Washington Post relegated the story to a 90-word
>news brief in its "World Briefing" (10/18/99), under the headline "NATO
>Denies Story on Embassy Bombing."
>
>By contrast, the story appeared in England not only in the Observer and its
>sister paper, the Guardian (10/17/99), but also in their leading rival, the
>Times of London, which ran a follow-up article on the official reaction the
>next day (10/18/99). The Globe and Mail, Canada's most prestigious
>paper,ran the full Reuters account prominently in its international
>section(10/18/99). So did the Times of India, the Sydney Morning Herald and
>the Irish Times (all 10/18/99). The prominent Danish daily Politiken,
>which collaborated with the Observer on the investigation, was on strike,
>but ran the story on its website.
>
>The difference in perspective with which American journalists have
greeted this story can be observed by comparing the headlines over several
international news agencies' dispatches about the Observer expose:
>
>Reuters (U.K.): "NATO Bombed Chinese Embassy Deliberately--UK Paper"
>(10/18/99).
>
>Agence France Presse (France): "NATO Bombed Chinese Embassy
Deliberately: Report" (10/18/99).
>
>Deutche Presse-Agentur (Germany): "NATO Bombed Chinese Embassy
Deliberately, Observer Claims" (10/18/99).
>
>Associated Press (U.S.): "NATO Denies Deliberate Embassy Hit."
>
>The U.S. media may today be uninterested in evidence that the attack
was deliberate, but they had no trouble last May accepting NATO's
explanation that the bombing was a mistake. Even before U.S. officials
emerged with a full account of how the embassy could have been "mistakenly"
targeted--an "outdated map" of Belgrade played a prominent role in the
official explanation--the U.S. media began regularly referring, without
evidence, to the "accidental bombing" of the embassy.
>
>When Chinese officials disputed the U.S. account, protesting that the
attack could not have been a mistake, establishment journalists immediately
took sides in this debate. New York Times diplomatic correspondent Jane
Perlez(5/10/99) referred to "the accidental bombing, portrayed in China as
deliberate." A Washington Post editorial (5/17/99) that discussed China's
reaction to "NATO's unintentional bombing of China's embassy" was indignant
that the official Chinese press was "milking the bombing for propaganda
value" by reporting that the missile strike had been intentional. USA Today
continues to refer to the "accidental bombing" of the embassy (10/20/99).
>
>Since the New York Times hasn't published the new information about the
>embassy attack, it's unclear whether the paper stands by its earlier
>reporting. Since May 7, the Times has referred to the "accidental bombing
>of the Chinese embassy" a total of 20 times. The last reference was in its
>October 17 edition--the day the Observer published its report. Since
>then,the Times has run an AP article on the Chinese president's visit to
>London(10/19/99), which mentioned only that "China broke off talks with
>Washington >and the European Union after NATO bombed the Chinese embassy in
> >Yugoslavia"--taking no stand on the intention behind the attack.
>
>Even before the Observer's expose, there was no lack of evidence that
>China's suspicions were correct. A few days after the bombing, German
>Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder took the highly unusual step of publicly
>questioning NATO's explanation of the attack. "The explanation given by
>NATO on the tragic incident so far is far from enough and the Chinese
>government has every reason to demand a comprehensive, thorough, and
>in-depth investigation into the incident and affix the responsibility for
>it," Schroeder said in Beijing (AFP, 5/12/99).
>
>The London Daily Telegraph reported in June (6/27/99) that NATO's
>precision-guided missiles "carefully singled out the most sensitive
section >of the embassy complex for attack"--the intelligence directorate.
"That's exactly why they don't buy our explanation," a Pentagon official was
quoted as saying.
>
>In July, CIA director George Tenet testified in Congress that out of
the 900 targets struck by NATO during the three-month bombing campaign, only
one was developed by the CIA: the Chinese Embassy (AP, 7/22/99).
>
>What is perhaps most baffling about the major news outlets'
indifference to the Chinese embassy story is that the same outlets regularly
devote a great deal of attention to other stories concerning China and its
relations with the U.S. Elite media report extensively on China's possible
entry into the World Trade Organization, the political struggle between its
"reformers" and conservatives, and allegations of Chinese nuclear spying and
electoral influence-buying in the U.S. The op-ed pages abound with debates
about >China's intentions toward America: Is the country a threat to be
contained or an opportunity for trade and investment?
>
>The Times of London noted in an October 21 book review that "the
bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade might yet turn out to be an
important episode in a new Cold War." One might think that a well-sourced
investigative article in a respected foreign daily providing evidence that
the bombing was deliberate would be viewed by editors in the United States
with the same interest they have shown in other aspects of China's relations
with the West.
>
ACTION: Please call national and local media and ask them to follow up on
the Observer's investigation of the China embassy bombing. Mention that news
outlets should present the idea that the embassy was bombed by accident as a
claim made by NATO, not an objective fact.
>
>New York Times
>Andrew Rosenthal
>Foreign Editor
>mailto:andyr@nytimes.com
>
>
>Washington Post
>Jim Hoagland
>Chief Foreign Correspondent
>mailto:hoaglandj@washpost.com
>
>USA Today
>Douglas Stanglin
>World Editor
>mailto:dstanglin@usatoday.com
>

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com


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INDEX

The Battle of Seattle: Eyewitness Report

The Battle of Seattle: Eyewitness Report

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> envcent@mail.earthlight.co.nz (Garrick Martin), garrick@freemail.co.nz,
> massapopy@hotmail.com, Lucas Chiappe ,
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> Jim Jontz , Victor Menotti ,
> Mike Brune , tracy@sohum.net
>From: pknight@wildrockies.org (Phil Knight)
SDAC Home Page

INDEX

>The Battle of Seattle: Eyewitness Report

>The Battle of Seattle: Eyewitness Report
>
>The Battle of Seattle:
>Eyewitness Report
>
>November 29 and 30, 1999
>
> The World Trade organization suffered a major loss in Seattle
>Tuesday when scheduled trade talks involving 134 member nations were
>postponed due to massive protests.
> I've just returned from the front lines in Seattle. This was the
>most incredible protest event I have ever taken part in! At least 40,000
>people from all over the human spectrum joined together this week in
>Seattle to send a message to the WTO: Fair Trade, not Free Trade. No New
>Round of WTO Negotiations.
> To me and many others, the WTO represents the consolidation of
>global corporate power. If the WTO gets their way, many of our most hard
>won local, national and international laws will be sacrificed on the altar
>of commerce. Envireonmental destruction and human suffering will increase
>under the WTO unless we organize to reign in its influence.
> In Seattle, the seeds of peaceful, positive revolution have been
>sowed, and, with your help, will continue to grow as we enter the new
>millenium.
> Predictably, the press has focused on the property destruction that
>occurred during the protests. While this damage was entirely unnecessary
>and very unfortunate, it was basically inevitable and was perpetrated by a
>very small (though determined) splinter group. The vast majority of the
>protest was peaceful, nonviolent and extremely well organized.
> Another, perhaps more disturbing aspect of the protests was the
>police reaction. Hundreds of police were out in force in Seattle, clad in
>black helmets and face shields and heavy black padded suits, and armed with
>huge batons, rubber bullet guns, tear gas and pepper spray canisters the
>size of fire extinguishers. They were backed up by armored personnel
>carriers.
> The police reaction to the protesters was a strange mix: In some
>areas they just stood en masse in the street. In other locations the police
>hammered the crowd with all the nonlethal weapons they carried. Many of my
>friends and colleagues suffered from tear gas exposure, and some were
>doused with painful pepper spray. Still others were bruised by rubber
>bullets. Somehow I managed to escape any of these treatments, though at one
>point a huge cloud of tear gas came within 50 feet of the blockade I was on
>before being blown back by a very friendly wind. The police used all these
>weapons on nonviolent protesters, many of whom were sitting down chanting
>"No Violence!" Protesters were hit by police from both sides at one
>intersection, getting chased by tear gas into a hail of rubber bullets. I
>talked to one man who said his gas mask was ripped from his face by police
>so they could shoot him in the face with pepper spray!
> I believe the large amount of property destruction that occurred
>was partly a reaction to the use of force by police.
> About 23 of us from Montana traveled by chartered school bus to
>Seattle for 2 days of protests and meetings. We arrived Sunday night, and
>on Monday most of us joined a huge Sierra Club march into downtown Seattle.
>The newspaper said there were 2,000 in the march, but it was far larger
>than that. Two hundred and fifty people in sea turtle costumes led the
>march. I walked with friends from Chile under a banner proclaiming "Boise
>Cascade Out of Chile's Rainforests." I also marched for a while with a huge
>banner that said "Defend Our Forests, Clearcut the WTO." That banner - and
>several of us who marched with it - appeared in full color the morning of
>the 30th on the front page of the New York Times!
> After the march we joined French farmer Jose Bove for a protest at
>McDonalds. Bove is famous for trashing a McDonalds in France by driving a
>tractor through it. He and other French farmers have targeted McDonalds as
>the most obvious threat to French culture and French farmers, and have
>attacked other McDonalds stores in France. McDeath did not escape activist
>rage this time either, as "Meat is Murder" was spraypainted on the building
>and windows were smashed. Bove and other farmers addressed the crowd from
>atop a van, and a short rave party ensued to the sounds of techno music
>from the van's PA.
> BOYCOTT MCDONALDS!!
> That night we enjoyed a free concert in the Key Arena featuring the
>excellent music of Spearhead. Jello Biafra, Jim Hightower, Ken Kesey, and
>Michael Moore of TV Nation all addressed the crowd. In a bizarre twist, the
>head of the WTO is also named Michael Moore!
> Tuesday the 30th was the day that made history. Forty to fifty
>thousand protesters from all over the world converged on downtown Seattle,
>shutting down the WTO meeting and the entire downtown. My friends and I
>stood on blockade lines, refusing entry to the area around the Seattle
>Convention Center, where the WTO talks were scheduled to take place. Many
>other blockades were in progress, effectively surrounding the entire
>convention center. Each blockade had its accompanying mob of grim-looking
>cops, and ours, at the intersection of Pike and 6th, was no exception. We
>faced about 30 riot cops for 4 hours, but they made no move to disperse us.
>However, the next intersection south on 6th was cleared by riot police at
>least twice.
> This was more than a blockade. This was a street party. Thousands
>of people occupied Pike and 6th, with a group in the center locked down to
>concrete barricades. There were no cars in evidence, but instead a mass of
>people dancing, singing, playing music, chanting, sitting on building
>ledges, waving signs and banners, talking, laughing, crying, and getting to
>know strangers. This was a vision of what cities could be like, instead of
>hordes of wheeled, polluting metal boxes with people sealed inside hurtling
>about in a noisy fury.
> We proceeded down to 4th and Pine to watch a huge march of Labor
>and Environmental activists, at least 20,000 strong. It was amazing to see
>so much involvement from Labor - these people are serious. They know how to
>organize and they have been set in motion by the WTO. Labor and Environment
>are forging strong coalitions which will make unprecedented changes in the
>way corporation do - or don't do - business.
> The Longshoremen in Seattle walked out Tuesday, shutting down the
>entire port. There was no shipping going in or out of Seattle this day.
>Several other West Coast ports were shut down in solidarity as well.
> Unfortunately we had to leave during the big march, as our bus was
>scheduled to depart for Missoula. But the massive protests in Seattle
>continue. Last night, 2 hours after we left, the mayor of Seattle declared
>a state of emergency and brought in the national guard. Today, December
>1st, over 300 people were arrested, and much of downtown Seattle was
>cordoned off. And the bulk of the protestors are not likely to depart soon,
>as the WTO meeting is scheduled to last through Friday.
> We the people were denied a place at the table in the WTO. So we
>invited ourselves. It should be obvious by now to the Clinton
>Admonistration and the 5000 WTO delegates from around the world gathered in
>Seattle that we do not want "Free Trade." We do not want our futures
>dictated by huge multinational corporations and the governments they
>control. We are taking back the power. It is not over once the Seattle
>events die down - this is just the beginning.
> If you want to get involved in building the movement to shut down
>the WTO, contact me. In Bozeman, some local folks who went to Seattle are
>starting a chapter of the Alliance for Democracy, to oppose and expose
>corporate power. I can put you in touch with those folks as well.
> Hell No WTO!
>
>Phil Knight
>Native Forest Network, Yellowstone Branch
>Last Refuge Campaign
>PO Box 6151
>Bozeman, MT 59771-6151
>(406) 586-3885
>pknight@wildrockies.org
>
>Visit:
>
>The Native Forest Network Northern Hemisphere Web Site:
>http://www.nativeforest.org
>
>The Native Forest Network's Last Refuge Campaign web page:
>www.nativeforest.org/campaigns/last_refuge/index.html
> Keeping the Wild in Wild West!
>
>The Native Forest Network Southern Hemisphere Web Site:
>http://www.nfn.org.au
>
>The Native Forest News International website:
>http://www.nfn.org.au/newsletters/newsletters.html
>
>
>


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Email your comments: the Forest Service is Re-Writing the Rules to Protect the Guilty

Email your comments: the Forest Service is Re-Writing the Rules to Protect the Guilty
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Sorry for cross postings, Please forward.

Re-Writing the Rules to Protect the Guilty
Your comments needed on the Forest Service's proposed regulation changes =
in implementing the National Forest Management Act (NFMA)

Use the talking points to write a letter, or cut and paste the sample =
letter at the bottom.

Deadline: February 10, 2000
Send comments to: Planning Regulations, PO Box 7669, Missoula, MT, 59807
(406) 329-3021 (fax)
email: planreg/wo_caet@fs.fed.us
The proposed regulations can be seen at: =
http://www.fs.fed.us/forum/nepa/rule

When a complex piece of legislation such as NFMA is passed by Congress, =
the law often instructs an agency such as the Forest Service (FS) to =
maintain current regulations which translate the intent of the law into =
specific on-the-ground actions. To insure that these "regs" adequately =
interpret the law, the agency is required to follow a well-defined =
process of issuing a proposal with several alternatives, taking public =
comment, and justifying the final decision.=20

The Forest Service is in the process of removing regulations and =
replacing them with broad guidelines, thereby increasing the amount of =
discretion local supervisors have. The last time this occured on a large =
scale was the Salvage Rider and it resulted in the destruction of =
thousands of acres of healthy forest under the guise of Salvage. We need =
more protection, not relaxed regulation!

The Forest Service has recently proposed a substantial rewrite of their =
lengthy NFMA regs. Here are some talking points suggested by Heartwood =
(a sample letter derived from these points follows):

o Neither alternatives nor an environmental impact statement have been =
proposed for these regulation changes; insist an E.I.S. be done on these =
regulations!

o The proposed regulations decrease protection for the environment by =
changing many current requirements into nonbinding suggestions. We feel =
there should be clear, easily enforceable limits on agency actions. Ask =
for specific rules which guarantee streams free from siltation, soil =
conservation, in-the-field surveys of wildlife to determine the impacts =
of management, maintenance of key species populations, and specific =
guidelines on even-aged logging.

o The proposed regulations rely heavily on the findings of =
"assessments". Insist that these include in-the-field data collection =
and full public involvement with the legally required process of public =
comments and environmental analysis with opportunity for appeal of the =
final conclusion.

o Forest Service decision-makers, under the new regulations, would be =
given complete freedom to choose which public concerns to consider. Ask =
that all reasonable concerns be fully analyzed.

o Ask that the public be given more than the proposed 30 days to read & =
comment on an entire ten-year National Forest Management Plan. =
Furthermore, the agency's decision-making record should be open to the =
public and an opportunity should be given for the public to appeal the =
final decision. The proposed regulations simply define the Plan as never =
being "final", even while being carried out!

o Professional review of comments from all citizens on National Forest =
Management Plans should not be diminished in favor of local meetings and =
input from people with ties to the logging, mining and gas drilling =
industries as proposed in the new regulations.

o The definition of "ecological sustainability" should include natural =
disturbance patterns, and not be narrowly referred to as the =
"maintenance or restoration" of ecosystems. While natural systems evolve =
and change in cycles over time, logging is needed to maintain one type =
of forest or "restore" the forest to a previous type. The proposed =
definition therefore ensures logging.


o An environmental impact statement should be conducted when a ten-year =
management plan is revised.

Here is a sample letter you can cut and paste, or use as a model:

US Forest Service

Planning Regulations=20

PO Box 7669

Missoula, MT 59807

February

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am writing to comment on the draft NFMA planning regulations. I would =
like to thank you for the opportunity to express my views, and for =
extending the comment period.

Here are a few thoughts that came to mind while reading through the =
draft:


I believe that there needs to be an environmental impact statement =
developed for the propose regulations. I also feel that the EIS should =
consider many alternatives. There has only been one put forth to date. =
Both of these recommendations are required by the National Environmental =
Policy Act (NEPA).


The proposed regulations decrease protection for the environment by =
changing many current requirements into non-binding suggestions. There =
should be clear, easily enforceable limits on agency actions. I think =
there should be specific rules which guarantee streams free from =
siltation, soil conservation, in-the-field surveys of wildlife to =
determine the impacts of management, maintenance of key species =
populations, and specific guidelines on even-aged logging. In fact, the =
guideline I would like to see enacted concerning even aged logging is a =
ban on the practice.


The proposed regulations rely heavily on the findings of "assessments." =
These assessments must include in-the-field data collection and full =
public involvement with the legally required process of public comments =
and environmental analysis with opportunity for appeal of the final =
conclusion. Do not get rid of the administrative appeal process, as this =
will decrease citizen ability to participate in the management process.

Forest Service decision-makers, under the new regulations, would be =
given complete freedom to choose which public concerns to consider. All =
concerns must be fully analyzed. This is of special importance as the =
Forest Service field offices have routinely ignored citizen requests for =
no logging alternatives to projects.

The public must be given more than the proposed 30 days to read & =
comment on an entire ten-year National Forest Management Plan. =
Furthermore, the agency's decision-making record should be open to the =
public and an opportunity should be given for the public to appeal the =
final decision. The proposed regulations simply define the Plan as never =
being "final", even while being carried out! This sets up a situation in =
which the Forest Service can always change the rules and makes the =
decision-making processes much less transparent.

Professional review of comments from all citizens on National Forest =
Management Plans should not be diminished in favor of local meetings and =
input from people with ties to the logging, mining and gas drilling =
industries as proposed in the new regulations. This has proven to be a =
disaster in California and everywhere else the Forest Service has =
attempted it. Please make sure that all comments are equal, and no one =
constituency is favored.

The definition of "ecological sustainability" should include natural =
disturbance patterns, and not be narrowly referred to as the =
"maintenance or restoration" of ecosystems. While natural systems evolve =
and change in cycles over time, logging is needed to maintain one type =
of forest or "restore" the forest to a previous type. The proposed =
definition therefore ensures logging. Restoration must not become the =
new name for "get the cut out."


Finally, an environmental impact statement should be conducted when a =
ten-year management plan is revised. It is irresponsible to not analyze =
the effects of a plan on the environment. Furthermore it is a violation =
of NEPA.

Please keep me informed about any decisions the Forest Service makes on =
this issue.

Sincerely,

Name and Address


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charset="iso-8859-1"
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http-equiv=3DContent-Type>





Sorry for cross postings, Please =
forward.


Re-Writing the Rules to Protect the Guilty
Your =
comments=20
needed on the Forest Service's proposed regulation changes in =
implementing the=20
National Forest Management Act (NFMA)


Use the talking points to write a letter, or cut and paste the sample =
letter=20
at the bottom.

Deadline: February 10, 2000
Send comments to: =
Planning=20
Regulations, PO Box 7669, Missoula, MT, 59807
(406) 329-3021 =
(fax)
email:=20
href=3D"mailto:planreg/wo_caet@fs.fed.us">planreg/wo_caet@fs.fed.us R>The=20
proposed regulations can be seen at: href=3D"http://www.fs.fed.us/forum/nepa/rule">http://www.fs.fed.us/forum/=
nepa/rule

When=20
a complex piece of legislation such as NFMA is passed by Congress, the =
law often=20
instructs an agency such as the Forest Service (FS) to maintain current=20
regulations which translate the intent of the law into specific =
on-the-ground=20
actions. To insure that these "regs" adequately interpret the law, the =
agency is=20
required to follow a well-defined process of issuing a proposal with =
several=20
alternatives, taking public comment, and justifying the final decision. =


The Forest Service is in the process of =
removing=20
regulations and replacing them with broad guidelines, thereby increasing =
the=20
amount of discretion local supervisors have. The last time this=20
occured on a large scale was the Salvage Rider and it resulted in =
the=20
destruction of thousands of acres of healthy forest under the guise of =
Salvage.=20
We need more protection, not relaxed regulation!

The =
Forest=20
Service has recently proposed a substantial rewrite of their lengthy =
NFMA regs.=20
Here are some talking points suggested by Heartwood (a sample letter =
derived=20
from these points follows):


o Neither alternatives nor an environmental impact statement have =
been=20
proposed for these regulation changes; insist an E.I.S. be done on these =

regulations!

o The proposed regulations decrease protection for =
the=20
environment by changing many current requirements into nonbinding =
suggestions.=20
We feel there should be clear, easily enforceable limits on agency =
actions. Ask=20
for specific rules which guarantee streams free from siltation, soil=20
conservation, in-the-field surveys of wildlife to determine the impacts =
of=20
management, maintenance of key species populations, and specific =
guidelines on=20
even-aged logging.

o The proposed regulations rely heavily on the =

findings of "assessments". Insist that these include in-the-field data=20
collection and full public involvement with the legally required process =
of=20
public comments and environmental analysis with opportunity for appeal =
of the=20
final conclusion.

o Forest Service decision-makers, under the new =

regulations, would be given complete freedom to choose which public =
concerns to=20
consider. Ask that all reasonable concerns be fully analyzed.

o =
Ask that=20
the public be given more than the proposed 30 days to read & comment =
on an=20
entire ten-year National Forest Management Plan. Furthermore, the =
agency's=20
decision-making record should be open to the public and an opportunity =
should be=20
given for the public to appeal the final decision. The proposed =
regulations=20
simply define the Plan as never being "final", even while being carried =
out!


o Professional review of comments from all citizens on National =
Forest=20
Management Plans should not be diminished in favor of local meetings and =
input=20
from people with ties to the logging, mining and gas drilling industries =
as=20
proposed in the new regulations.

o The definition of "ecological=20
sustainability" should include natural disturbance patterns, and not be =
narrowly=20
referred to as the "maintenance or restoration" of ecosystems. While =
natural=20
systems evolve and change in cycles over time, logging is needed to =
maintain one=20
type of forest or "restore" the forest to a previous type. The proposed=20
definition therefore ensures logging.


o An environmental impact statement should be conducted when a =
ten-year=20
management plan is revised.


Here is a sample letter you can cut and paste, or use as a model:


US Forest Service


Planning Regulations


PO Box 7669


Missoula, MT 59807


February


Dear Sir or Madam:


I am writing to comment on the draft NFMA planning regulations. I =
would like=20
to thank you for the opportunity to express my views, and for extending =
the=20
comment period.


Here are a few thoughts that came to mind while reading through the=20
draft:



I believe that there needs to be an environmental impact =
statement=20
developed for the propose regulations. I also feel that the EIS should =
consider=20
many alternatives. There has only been one put forth to date. Both of =
these=20
recommendations are required by the National Environmental Policy Act=20
(NEPA).



The proposed regulations decrease protection for the environment =
by=20
changing many current requirements into non-binding suggestions. There =
should be=20
clear, easily enforceable limits on agency actions. I think there should =
be=20
specific rules which guarantee streams free from siltation, soil =
conservation,=20
in-the-field surveys of wildlife to determine the impacts of management, =

maintenance of key species populations, and specific guidelines on =
even-aged=20
logging. In fact, the guideline I would like to see enacted concerning =
even aged=20
logging is a ban on the practice.


The proposed regulations rely heavily on the findings of =
"assessments." These=20
assessments must include in-the-field data collection and full public=20
involvement with the legally required process of public comments and=20
environmental analysis with opportunity for appeal of the final =
conclusion. Do=20
not get rid of the administrative appeal process, as this will decrease =
citizen=20
ability to participate in the management process.

Forest Service=20
decision-makers, under the new regulations, would be given complete =
freedom to=20
choose which public concerns to consider. All concerns must be fully =
analyzed.=20
This is of special importance as the Forest Service field offices have =
routinely=20
ignored citizen requests for no logging alternatives to =
projects.

The=20
public must be given more than the proposed 30 days to read & =
comment on an=20
entire ten-year National Forest Management Plan. Furthermore, the =
agency's=20
decision-making record should be open to the public and an opportunity =
should be=20
given for the public to appeal the final decision. The proposed =
regulations=20
simply define the Plan as never being "final", even while being carried =
out!=20
This sets up a situation in which the Forest Service can always change =
the rules=20
and makes the decision-making processes much less transparent.


Professional review of comments from all citizens on National Forest=20
Management Plans should not be diminished in favor of local meetings and =
input=20
from people with ties to the logging, mining and gas drilling industries =
as=20
proposed in the new regulations. This has proven to be a disaster in =
California=20
and everywhere else the Forest Service has attempted it. Please make =
sure that=20
all comments are equal, and no one constituency is favored.

The=20
definition of "ecological sustainability" should include natural =
disturbance=20
patterns, and not be narrowly referred to as the "maintenance or =
restoration" of=20
ecosystems. While natural systems evolve and change in cycles over time, =
logging=20
is needed to maintain one type of forest or "restore" the forest to a =
previous=20
type. The proposed definition therefore ensures logging. Restoration =
must not=20
become the new name for "get the cut out."


Finally, an environmental impact statement should be conducted when a =

ten-year management plan is revised. It is irresponsible to not analyze =
the=20
effects of a plan on the environment. Furthermore it is a violation of =
NEPA.


Please keep me informed about any decisions the Forest Service makes =
on this=20
issue.


Sincerely,


Name and Address



------=_NextPart_000_0218_01BF7181.AF36FE80--


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