| Flyby News Home - Flyby News Archives - Casinni NoFlyby - Flyby Links |
China Backs Space Weapon Ban * Disclosure - Art Bell * Lori Berenson
Many thanks for those demonstrating at the White House and lobbying Congress to Stop Star Wars this week. For those continuing this campaign, Carol Rosin, who was described by "Military Space," July 1984, as "..regarded to be the original political architect of the move to stop the SDI and ASATs," suggests that when lobbying we focus on the issue of the willingness of China and Russia to sign and honor Treaties for World Peace (including an immediate
treaty to ban space-based weapons). The Bush administration in the world arena stands alone in its desire to spend billions for a fathom space defense system that endangers life to new heights. Rosin suggests emphasizing that an immediate ban on space-based weapons would not disrupt the economy, but could actually help transform the war industry into new directions to help solve urgent problems of humanity, other life, and the environment.
The U.S. Congressional Switchboard telephone number is 202-224-3121.
= = = = = = = = =
Carol Rosin participated in the May 9th National Press Club conference with the Disclosure Project. This organization has assembled detailed evidences of UFO encounters by highly credentialed witnesses. They are calling for a space weapons ban, too.
Carol Rosin, a former educator, corporate manager of an aerospace industry, space and missile defense consultant, founder of the Institute for Security and Cooperation in Outer Space, ISCOS) can be reached my E-mail at
Announcement:
The founder and director of the Disclosure Project, Steven Greer, will be interviewed on the Art Bell show on Friday night June 15 into early morning on Saturday June 16 from 2 a.m. - 4 a.m. Eastern time [ 6 a.m. - 8 a.m. GMT]. He will be discussing the status of the Disclosure Project. You can listen to it live on radio, or via the Internet, or later via the archives on Art Bell's web site http://www.artbell.com
For more information of the Disclosure Project link to their website, which has been visited 1,356,194 visits since May 1, 2001.
http://www.disclosureproject.org
Please note the address in the last issue of Flyby News was incorrect, regarding the link to the website supporting the sovereignty and health of the Sicangu Lakota (Rosebud Sioux Tribe) in its struggle to avoid becoming the home of the world's third largest hog farm.
http://www.pathshop.com/camp_sovereignty/
1) China Backs Treaty To Ban Weapons in Space
2) Trial of LORI BERENSON Draws to a Close in Peru
**********************************************************************
1) China Backs Treaty To Ban Weapons in Space
By Alexander G. Higgins
Associated Press Writer
07 June 2001
GENEVA (AP) -- China proposed a treaty Thursday to ban weapons in outer space because of the imminent "danger" stemming from U.S. missile defense plans.
Chinese Ambassador Hu Xiaodi made the proposal at the 66-nation Conference on Disarmament, the world's only multinational forum for negotiating arms-control treaties.
"All space-based weapons and all weapons attacking outer space targets from the earth are to be prohibited once and for all," said Hu, who introduced draft wording for the proposed treaty.
There was no immediate U.S. reaction, but Western diplomats said Hu's comments only added detail to China's known position on the issue.
China, a bitter critic of U.S. plans for a National Missile Defense system and the expectation that it would involve deployments in space, has long called for a treaty to prevent an arms race in outer space.
The United States has said it was willing to discuss outer space issues, but that it is too soon to say if a new treaty is needed.
A congressionally appointed U.S. panel in January urged Washington to pay more attention to defending the country's assets in space. Donald H. Rumsfeld, now Secretary of Defense, was a member of the panel.
The panel said the United States depends on space more than any other country for a range of activities from military surveillance to weather forecasts and communications.
Hu noted the panel urged steps be taken to protect against the danger of a "space Pearl Harbor" and said the report and U.S. plans "clearly demonstrate that the weaponization of outer space is by no means a remote issue."
"The danger is imminent," he said.
Following diplomatic practice Hu never named the United States, but his direct reference to U.S. plans left no doubt that he was talking about the
Bush administration.
"Outer space is now faced with the danger of being weaponized, which manifests itself in two aspects, namely the development of the missile defense program and the 'space control' plan," Hu said.
He was referring to the U.S. Air Force's long advocacy of "space control," which could include weapons to deny an enemy the use of space for combat operations against the United States or its allies.
The Bush administration has been trying to allay fears of China, Russia and other countries about the plan to construct a system to defend against limited missile attacks from "rogue" states like Iraq or North Korea.
It has indicated that it hopes the key other countries can be won over to its approach in the long run, but the Chinese speech showed Beijing remains deeply skeptical.
The disarmament conference has been deadlocked over starting any new negotiations since 1996, when it wrote the treaty to ban nuclear test explosions.
Washington has been urging the conference to work on preventing the spread of nuclear weapons by negotiating a treaty to ban the "fissile materials" -- plutonium and highly enriched uranium -- needed for their manufacture.
**********************************************************************
2. Trial of LORI BERENSON Draws to a Close in Peru
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 12, 2001
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Gail Taylor, 202-548-8480
http://www.freelori.org/mediacenter/
On Monday, June 11, defense lawyer Jos・Sandoval presented his closing remarks in Peru in the trial of U.S. citizen Lori Berenson. The court is expected to reconvene to hear final comments from Berenson on Wednesday June 20 at 9 a.m. and a verdict may be announced by the three-judge panel later that afternoon. Berenson, 31, was convicted of treason and sentenced to life in prison in a secret proceeding in 1996 by hooded military officers. After serving almost five years in harsh conditions, the Peruvian Supreme Military Council annulled that conviction on August 28, 2000 on the grounds of insufficient evidence. Despite issues of double jeopardy and international judicial and public opinion that Peru's Civilian Terrorism Courts cannot provide a fair trial until reformed, these courts began taking testimony in formal proceedings immediately thereafter. The open court hearings began on March 20, 2001.
Berenson has consistently maintained she is innocent of all charges. In his closing remarks, Mr. Sandoval pointed out that there is no direct evidence whatsoever to lead to a conviction and any circumstantial evidence is totally inadequate to support a conviction. Only the most prejudiced mind could decide otherwise. Mr. Sandoval reminded the court that much of that circumstantial evidence was presented by Pacifico Castrellon who five years ago decided to "cooperate" with the Security Police in order to secure a reduced sentence and has commenced a retrial looking for another reduction in sentence. The prosecutor has accused Berenson of belonging to the Peruvian rebel group, the MRTA. But no witness, including Castrellon, has claimed she was a member and no other evidence supports this charge. Although Berenson and Castrellon had rented a house which was subsequently used as a safehouse for this group and where a shootout occurred on November 30, 1995, evidence showed that she moved to an apartment in August 1995, visiting the house only occasionally after that time. Testimony indicated that MRTA members moved into the house and were hidden on the 4th floor after Berenson had moved out. During this trial, no witness testified Berenson was ever on the 4th floor. Those who lived on the 4th floor testified they never saw Berenson until after their arrests. A videotape of this large house showed that the 4th floor was in a different wing, separated from the rooms Berenson visited, and it would have been unlikely that she would have known of their whereabouts. She was not in the house during the shootout. Sandoval also observed that there was no evidence that Berenson knew anything about any MRTA plans to seize the Peruvian Congress. As a freelance journalist, Berenson attended sessions of Congress and sat in the press gallery. She had interviewed members of Congress in their offices, not in the Congress itself, and members confirmed the professional nature of the interviews. Castrellon testified that he knew nothing to connect Berenson to any MRTA plans concerning the Congress and that even though he was building a model of the Congress which he never mentioned to her, she never provided him with any information.
After the closing remarks, Berenson's father Mark said, "The failure of the prosecutor to present evidence to support his charges requires an acquittal. This Fujimori-Montesinos persecution must end." He cited the Peruvian Penal Code which states that doubt must favor the accused and that when evidence is not sufficient to establish guilt, the judges must acquit.
###
This is a special update from the National Office of the Committee to Free Lori Berenson, listing important upcoming events:
Thursday, June 14: Demonstrations to protest unjust trial of Lori Berenson
Chapel Hill, NC
Downtown Post Office
Noon - 1:00 PM
Contact Joe: jstraley@email.unc.edu
202-548-8480
San Francisco, CA
Peruvian Consulate
4 - 6 PM
Contact Deborah: dl_hirsh@yahoo.com
202-548-8480
Washington, DC
Peruvian Embassy (fliering)
12 - 1 PM
Contact Gail: gtaylor@freelori.org
202-548-8480
Thursday, June 28
Washington, DC
Peruvian Embassy (demonstration)
5:30 - 6:30 PM
Contact Gail: gtaylor@freelori.org
202-548-8480
OTHER EVENTS:
Washington, DC
Tuesday, June 26
10 - 10:30 pm
U.N. INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SUPPORT OF SURVIVORS OF TORTURE
Lafayette Park, White House
We will be part of a 24-Hour Vigil
Contact Orlando Tizon at (202) 529-6599 or otizon@ghrc-usa.org
Sponsored by The Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition (TASSC)
www.torture-free-world.org
Kingston, NY
Friday, June 29
8 PM
Benefit Concert to Free Lori
Holy Cross Church, Pine Grove Avenue (behind Rite-Aid)
$10 donation
local musicians: Helen Avakian, Stephanie Fix, and Susan Maclean (3 talented rock/pop/folk female artists)
www.helenavakian.com
www.stephaniefix.com
www.susanmaclean.com
Contact Mark: 845-883-5674
**********************************************************************