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A Turn in the War * Critical Opportunity for the End of Terror
10 November 2001
A Turn in the War
An Analysis
by Jonathan Mark
The taking of Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan by forces opposed to the Taliban is significant. It provides land access to Uzbekistan, where American soldiers are stationed, to expand military and humanitarian operations. But this reason, alone, is not what inspired the title of this analysis report. Recently, bin Laden gave an interview, which was published in a reputable Pakistani newspaper, in which he claimed to have access to nuclear and chemical weapons. Bin Laden (during that same interview) also encouraged dissent in America, as during the Vietnam War. You got to be kidding! Is bin Laden working in cahoots with US forces? His comments would make one wonder. The results of his statements will only serve to fuel those justifying the war in Afghanistan, and against the threat of state-sponsored terrorism. This whole war seems to be like one giant scheme to manipulate democracy and freedom by a pseudo democratic government working in cahoots with terrorist forces. They are playing their games, and the result is making the few richer, and the rest of the world more impoverished and controlled.
Just the fact that President Bush used this war to justify missile defense is reason enough to know that the US is committed to a dominating military policy, not a world coalition for peace and the end of terror. By expanding the (offensive/defensive) arms race the US jeopardizes its own nation and the world by continuing policies that add to the proliferation and development of all weapons of mass destruction. This direction of dominance (and fiscal irresponsibility), during an age where civilization has too many vulnerabilities, will never be successful. The war against terrorism has to include an internal struggle for each nation and individual to release fear from guiding us down a road to ruin.
The turn in the House, with the Republican-led Appropriation's Committee denying funding for a key component of missile defense is another significant marker that occurred this week.(1) This is one of the issues leading to a call from the US Pentagon to meet with leaders of industry involved with missile defense. Now is the time to contact these parties to urge them to transform their policies to honor disarmament treaties, and real coalitions and actions for the peaceful use of space.
Please write and call government, military and industrial leaders to support the passing of the Preservation of Space Act of 2001(2) and World Treaty to Ban Space-Based Weapons.(3) By uniting with these efforts, we have the opportunity to transform acts of terrorism into becoming an isolated part of our history. The Act would cap the arms race and lead to a restructuring of the profit incentive for war and ineffective domination, into becoming a vehicle for commercial and environmental growth for a sustainable direction for humankind and many other species of life.
(1) See Flyby News posted November 8, 2001
Item 2 "House Appropriations Recommends Canceling Ineffective/Costly Satellite system"
http://www.flybynews.com/cgi-local/newspro/viewnews.cgi?newsid1005249137,27208,
(2) Flyby News posted October 21, 2001 Preservation of Space Act of 2001
http://www.flybynews.com/cgi-local/newspro/viewnews.cgi?newsid1003706576,63890,
(3) World Treaty Banning Space-Based Weapons
http://www.peaceinspace.com/WORLDTREATY.htm
1. Contact Information for writing to help Ban Space-Based Weapons
2) Letter in support of the Preservation of Space and World Treaty
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1) Contact Information for writing to help Ban Space-Based Weapons
Please see the Institute for Cooperation in Space (ICIS) for their prepared letter and online fax system to contact US and world government leaders: http://www.peaceinspace.com/fax
(You can use the ICIS form letter, or you can use an alternative letter posted in Item 2.)
The following information is for contacting the Aerospace and weapon development industries by snail mail. This information was provided by the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space http://www.space4peace.org
Aerospace Corporate Addresses
Boeing
Philip M. Condit
Chairman & CEO
7755 East Marginal Way South
Seattle, WA 98108
GE
Jeffrey Immelt
Chairman & CEO
3135 Easton Turnpike
Fairfield, CT 06431
Lockheed Martin
Vance D. Coffman CEO
6801 Rockledge Dr
Bethesda, MD 20817
Northrop Grumman
Kent Kresa Chairman, President, CEO
1840 Century Park East
Los Angeles, CA 90069
Raytheon
Daniel P. Burnham Chairman & CEO
141 Spring St
Lexington, MA 02421
TRW
Joseph T. Gorman Chairman & CEO
1900 Richmond Rd
Cleveland, OH 44124
United Technologies
George David Chairman & Ceo
United Technologies Bldg.
Hartford, CT 06101
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2) Letter in support of the Preservation of Space and World Treaty
Dear _______
I am respectfully writing to request your support for the ban of all space-based weapons, development and research. This will not only help the US continue to honor the Anti Ballistic Missile and other treaties for the peaceful use of outer space, but it could enable a prosperous transformation for industries now benefitting from war, to a new era of benign space activity and commerce. Of course this could only be feasible unless we care for the natural environment on Earth, as well.
On October 2, 2001, Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Cleveland), introduced into the House of Representatives of the United States the Space Preservation Act of 2001, a bill to permanently ban space-based weapons: "to preserve the cooperative uses of space for the benefit of all humankind by permanently prohibiting the basing of weapons in space by the United States, and to require the President to take actions to adopt and implement a world treaty banning space-based weapons."
Instead of building space-based weapons, we propose the building of world cooperative space ventures including space habitats, stations, hospitals, schools, industries, laboratories, farms, elevators, hotels and resorts, and craft to travel the universes to learn more about ourselves and our neighbors.
We call for a halt to research and development (R&D), testing, production, manufacturing and deployment of all space-based weapons. This will not disrupt the economy. It will stimulate the economy, jobs and training programs. The largest R&D program in history is now mandated to weaponize space. Removing that mandate to weaponize space will not stop the R&D, but it will stop the R&D intended for space-based weaponry. This will free the industry to create technologies and services that will provide the greatest of benefits and opportunities to all world citizens. The space-based weapons industry will be transformed into a civil, military and commercial space industry without weapons in space.
We oppose the weaponization of space, not the militarization of space. Militaries are not going to disappear. They are well skilled and organized, and have non-space-based weapons roles to play now and after the ban on space-based weapons law is passed.
National and world security will be based on cooperation, on information sharing, on technology development and applications of technology and information services that will solve urgent and potential human and environmental problems.
Please respond immediately to this vital opportunity, and make a statement in support of an agreement to ban all space-based weapons. There is still time for a transformation, to change the course from where we are headed to a more sustainable approach. Please act and support the Preservation of Space Act of 2001 and World Treaty for banning space-based weapons to make survival, peace and prosperity more possible for everyone's future.
Signed
Post Script: I suggest your reviewing these following links to web sites to learn more on this important opportunity for greater security and prosperity on Earth.
http://www.peaceinspace.com
http://www.flybynews.com
http://www.space4peace.org
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Flyby News is a free electronic news service regarding peace in space, human rights, indigenous, and environmental issues.
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