THE NEW YORK CITY INDEPENDENT MEDIA CENTER ISSUE NO. 24 JANUARY 2003 WWW.NYC.INDYMEDIA.ORG

IMAGES FROM THE PEACE PGS.MOVEMENT 16-17 THE INDYPENDENTINDYPENDENT Landlords Discover Life WARHEADS on the Dole

BY HEATHER HADDON

With a face hardened by struggle, ON Rosaura Robles stares out of the window of the northwest Bronx apartment she can’t call home. The mother of five was placed in the apartment as part of the “scatter-site program”—a temporary THE “fix” to the city’s exploding shelter sys- tem that, before placing the homeless in more permanent dwellings, pays top-dol- lar for private rooms. When she first moved into the cramped one-bedroom, which only had bunk beds, LOOSE Robles slept on the floor. She was eight months pregnant at the time. While her social worker helped Robles get a couch (landlords are supposed to provide basic furniture in the program), her unit in the 2234 Davidson St. building remains decrepit. Her walls are covered with an overpoweringly foul-smelling mildew from perpetually leaking pipes. Yet this substandard shelter didn’t come cheap. In the six months of putting up Robles and her family, the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelled out more than $18,000 to Buchanan Realty, despite the fact that the building has racked up over 300 housing code violations. Before placing homeless families in an SPECIAL NUCLEAR apartment, DHS is required to make sure the unit is cleared of housing code viola- ISSUES SECTION tions. The Department of Housing PAGES 10–15 Preservation and Development (HPD), another city agency, has a publicly avail- Illustration by Alicia Kubista able website that lists housing code viola- BY IMC STAFF setting aside the U.S. legal system; scuttling the ABM treaty; tions for every building in the city. DHS trashing the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 against introducing also claims to conduct periodic visits to From rusting weapons factories to a Baghdad brewery to the weapons in space; conducting extra-judicial assassinations; ensure standards. But tenants say this bedrooms of Saddam’s gilded palaces, United Nations organizing a coup; engaging in unprovoked aggression against doesn't happen and that there is little if weapons inspectors have searched without success for Iraqi sovereign nations, and violating virtually every convention on any communication between the two weapons of mass destruction. As we go to press, the Bush conduct during wartime. agencies. “The Homeless Services administration is set to push ahead with escalated war on Iraq, Worse, the lawlessness of these nuclear desperados is fast Department and HPD don’t talk to each despite overwhelming international opposition and growing becoming the international norm. Pakistan has adopted a other,” said Yvette Smith, who was placed resistance at home. U.S. first-nuclear-strike position against India. In turn, India in the building through the scatter-site The strange spectacle being played out in Baghdad comes at has been threatening a White House-style pre-emptive war. program. a moment when the nuclear genie is in fact slipping out of the Israel is in on the game, pummeling the Palestinians under According to Barbara Flynn, chief of bottle once again. However, the world’s most dangerous war- its own nuclear umbrella. North Korea may already have staff for HPD, 2234 Davidson Ave. is cur- heads—Bush, Cheney, Powell, Rice, Rumsfeld and nukes and Iran is racing to join the club before its regime rently under review by her agency’s “anti- Wolfowitz—won’t be found under Saddam’s bedcovers. changes. abandonment unit”—the last stage for a These individuals are heavily armed and on the loose with Yet, following the example set by nuclear resisters like problem building with an uncooperative more than 10,000 strategic and tactical nuclear weapons at Philip Berrigan (page 11), civilian weapons inspectors (page landlord before HPD brings legal action. their command. They believe their arsenal is divinely ordained 10) around the world are challenging the right of any govern- “[DHS] doesn’t tell us what buildings they (page 14), want to extend their power to the heavens (page 14) ment to control nuclear weapons and to threaten the ultimate are going into beforehand,” Flynn said. “If and will only sign arms control treaties (page 12) that don’t form of terrorism: nuclear war. they were to say, ‘What do you think of require them to give up a single weapon. On several occasions, Decisions being made by our current rulers may well make this building?’ we would tell them.” they have explicitly stated that they may use their nukes pre- the world much more dangerous for decades to come. The rise Working with the Northwest Bronx emptively against other “rogue nations.” of a passionate, life-affirming peace movement is the best Community and Clergy Coalition, tenant Their offenses include the use of depleted uranium weapons hope for halting the war in Iraq and braking the descent into in Afghanistan and Iraq; violations of the U.S. Constitution; nuclear chaos. Regime change starts at home. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

INSANITY JOE STRUMMER IRAQ JOURNAL Government expands spe- Remembering a legendary On the ground reports from cial registration process to musician...pg 9 Basra and Baghdad...pg 18 18 immigrant countries...pg 6 Bronx Action for Peace and Justice: NYC PEACE DIRECTORY Peace Action: (212) 870-2304 (718) 583-1765; (917) 418-5792 [email protected] [email protected] www.peaceactionnewyorkstate.org Park Slope Greens: (718) 788-2260 (718) Brooklyn Parents for Peace: 768-3202; www.parkslopegreens.org North Bronx Social Action Committee: (718) 624-5921; [email protected] (718) 548-7844 www.brooklynpeace.org Greenwich Village Coalition for Prospect Lefferts Voices for Peace and Brooklyn Heights Peace Action: Peaceful Priorities: (212) 989-3123 Justice: (718) 488-1110 (718) 625-6380; [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] DRUM (Desis Rising Up and Moving): Harlem Anti-War Coalition: Queens Peace Action: (718) 275-3932 (718) 205-3036; drum@drumnation@org 212-316-2240 http://www.drumnation.org/drum.html Racial Justice 9-11: (718) 220-7391 International A.N.S.W.E.R. 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hood or workplace. Give extra copies to The Indypendent ake a bundle back to only radical citywide needs your help with run if a war starts in Iraq. Pass the paper out at SPREAD T your school, neighbor- To Where is all this organizing headed? Where is all this organizing distributing New York’s call 212-684-8112 or email ********************* ********************* We [email protected] hom were people of color. hom were riday, that’s a good turnout.” a good turnout.” that’s riday, out to hear anti-war speakers, almost all of speakers, out to hear anti-war w diffi- that it will be does not deny Bailey people out of their lethargy. cult to shake recent speak outs organized But, she says color, featured people of in Harlem have of numbers large been drawing and have she says, made progress,” people. “We've gotten larger. “and our numbers have on a 90 people at an event have When you F The United atrick Leahy (D- atrick Leahy ied by the ied by (D-Mass.) and P Immigrants certi- f Attorney General as “suspected ter- rorists” can be sub- jected to an inde- terminate period of detention with no opportunity for court challenge. States Department of Education has that the view taken personal informa- tion cannot be obtained without a court order or sub- poena, a position Senators by backed Kennedy Edward Meanwhile, the Coney Island Avenue Island the Coney Meanwhile, A mandatory compliance date for new Act, the FBI claims Citing the Patriot Judging from recent events, many orga- many Judging from recent events, hites within political meetings and hites within political meetings hites and blacks. At the New School, a pre- School, At the New hites and blacks. ersities. The Center for Constitutional ersities. Vt.) who notifiedAttorney General John Vt.) who Ashcroft of their position in mid-December. of free Project has announced a program A protest letter signed by counseling. legal the Guild, The National Lawyers Liberties Union and oth- American Civil memories of Nazi Germany: ers evokes “Let them not look back on history and and did nothing.” stood by we say base of information on all foreign students available. will be readily students has been set for Jan. 30. personal information the right to receive on foreign faculty and students from uni- v of information a wide range Rights warns are can be obtained about students who wrongdoing. not suspected of any dominantly white audience listened intently white dominantly speak about the “European ethnic to Bailey at And progressives. chauvinism” of white Church speak-out, an audience the St Mary’s turned but also some whites blacks of many mends that African-Americans challenge mends that w voice. demand their own to overcome nizers are thinking about ways separating the cultural and racial divide w A mother and daughter march with Black Voices for Peace, Washington DC, October 2002 for Peace, Washington A mother and daughter march with Black Voices UNITY AT HOME UNITY AT the Student and Exchange Visitor the Student and Exchange Anarchism and The Black Revolution, The Black and Anarchism In hundreds of other cases, New The Immigration Reform and for an on-going tracking It provides Students from four Colorado colleges Island Kahn of the Coney Bobby Other organizers are encouraged by Other organizers whites African-Americans saw “When Ervin need not be suggests that blacks Ervin also notes that anarchists must do enue Project reported that as many as enue Project reported that as many

oid pursuit, prosecution or persecution. ere detained and threatened with depor- orkers from affected countries have from affected orkers Y decided to ignore the call to register. adopted was Act Immigrant Responsibility in 1996. It is currently being implemented by Information System (SEVIS). system to ensure that an electronic data- tration, between 1,000 and 2,500 persons tration, between presenting in California, upon obediently arrested. were for registration, themselves w tation for not carrying full course loads. Av immigrants100,000 Pakistani (including left the country to residents) have legal av Haughton of Harlem Fight Back said, Back Haughton of Harlem Fight depression, “Harlem is already feeling a is inade- trying to end the war so simply to fight need for affordable We quate. and envi- housing, education, health-care ronmental protections.” of the polit- but warn recent political activity whites ical and cultural disconnect between Ervin, author Lorenzo Komboa and blacks. of must now the global justice movement says movement. transform itself into an anti-war a lot of protests against the IMF, at large ‘What them felt disconnected and asked, doing fightingare those crazy whites in Ervin. the streets?’” says amalgamated into the global justice move- but movement, ment or the incipient anti-war instead might form tendency” “an alternative or a separate caucus. an anti-racist a better job at developing consciousness, and must support black providing by tangibly movements resources and political support. “Whites African-American must not look upon the but as politi- community opportunistically he remarks. Ervin also recom- cal allies,” CUNY students protesting tuition hikes for immigrants OZLOFF K OPKINS H ming lasting alliances with whites could ming lasting alliances with whites IKOLAS r ANDI ifteen years ago, it ifteen years P N The City University of New York of New The City University The latest source for apprehension on number of CUNY students. a large It affects During the first phase of national regis- Older students with full-time jobs or F a Stephanie Perez, Another student, from There is overwhelming opposition in opposition There is overwhelming Fo that patronizing also remarked Bailey that white leaders argue Other black eeps in Brooklyn of Middle Eastern men. eeps in Brooklyn as willing to support ho is watching. as CUNY policy to ask as CUNY policy hite organizers sometimes alienate black hite organizers elcome. Y Y round needed bolstering. amilies were welcome to earn their welcome amilies were ace formidable challenges in the community. ace formidable challenges in the community. AFRICAN-AMERICANS FIGHTAFRICAN-AMERICANS ABROAD, PEACE FOR Harlem to a potential war in Iraq, Nellie Bailey Harlem to a potential war at conference told an anti-war recently School. But Bailey, New Manhattan’s Tenants Director of the Harlem Executive organizers Association, also noted that anti-war f the promi- due to daunting, she said, prove Another nationalist sentiment. nence of black which Party, obstacle is the Democratic has often co-opted leader- according to Bailey African-American community. ship in the African- many said, Bailey Additionally, political cli- of the present Americans are wary lot of people are fearful about attend- mate. “A ‘Those and remark of organizers, ing events people could be Communists.’” w include residents. “These residents, who leaders,” and local civic tenant organizers the power have always “don’t said Bailey, organiz- white On the other hand, of words. respect to their capabilities.” ers must give must concentrate on more organizers At an October bread-and-butter issues. Jim Church, speak-out at St. Mary’s FOREIGN STUDENTS FEEL THE HEAT FROM FEDERAL DETAINMENTS THE HEAT FOREIGN STUDENTS FEEL B B (CUNY) of old was like the ivy leagued the ivy like (CUNY) of old was safe campuses of the well-to-do—a and four-year two- Both CUNY’s haven. had abundant remedial classes colleges academic back- to serve those whose g campus is the Security Entry and Exit the System under which Registration Justice Department is requiring that all visa-holding male aliens from specified with the department.countries register f degrees through part-time an extended study over period of time. Moreover, City York the New Welfare Department of w education, and college immigrant students were w w no further questions. CUNY student from the says Dominican Republic, one feels threat- that now one’s looking over ened, knowing never shoulder, w Guyana (of Middle East his abruptdescent), explained absence from class: his uncle had been a victim of one of the government sw PAGE 4 THE INDYPENDENT JANUARY 2003 Against OlympicStadium W http://www.nbfo.net. onIraq.Formoreinfovisit report Blix willbeattheUNtopresenthisinitial a.m. ChiefUNWeapons InspectorHans side theUnitedNationsbeginningat9 Name haveplannedvariousprotestsout- NYU PeaceCoalitionandNotInOur groups includingNoBloodforOil,the On Jan.27,severalNewYork peace Jan. 27UNProtest confront them. local andglobal,skillsneededto highlighting commonissues,bridging devoted toaseriesofworkshops in theirwork.Thebulkofthedaywas and differentgroupsaddressingthem focused onlinkingthemesoftheday Large openingandclosingsessions of socialjusticeissuesandideas. cuss, debateandreflectonarange at theCUNYGraduateCentertodis- Alegre, theseNewYorkers gathered Brazil’s World SocialForuminPorto Social Forum.Insolidaritywith attended NewYork City'sfirst-ever Forum NYC HoldsFirstSocial [email protected] (917) 807-3877oremail call March 27.Formoreinformation, shops willbeheldFeb.27and ing workshop.Subsequentwork- Ron Haydukwillspeakattheopen- College politicalscienceprofessor Borough ofManhattanCommunity Councilman CharlesBarronand rience. leaders toshareknowledgeandexpe- activists andgrassrootscommunity W. workshops attheBrechtForum(122 NYC) willlaunchaseriesofmonthly Popular PowerNewYork City(OPP- tom-up? OnJan.23,Organizingfor can createrealchangefromthebot- people really worksandhowordinary ments. EverwonderhowNewYork ing arrayofcityagenciesanddepart- Improvement Districtsandabewilder- OPP ExplainsABCsofNYC http://www.hellskitchen.net. see Coalition. Formoreinformation, Fisher oftheClintonSpecialDistrict to showupandworkonit,”saidJohn but onlyifcityresidentstakethetime idents fortheJan.30hearing. Chelsea forumJan.23,tomobilizeres- nizing forumJan.22,followedbya elected officialsareplanninganorga- Clinton/Hell's Kitchengroupsand buildings. apartment luxury neighborhood withskyscrapersand to overruntheirmixed-uselow-rise ofalargerplan dium isonlyonepart for the2012SummerOlympics. Y 12th Avenues. LastNovember, New 30th and34thstreets10th over therailyardsbetweenWest stadium proposed billion-dollarsports tell CityCouncilwhattheythinkofa have achanceJan.30at1p.m.to ork wasnamedU.S.nomineetobid est SideOrganizes On January 11, over400people On January BlackPantherandCity Former Community Boards,Business “Communities canbepreserved, Neighborhood activistsfearthesta- W

27th St.,10thFl.)tobringtogether est Sidecommunitygroupswill A mixedbagofbenefitsandcompromises TRANSIT WORKERSCONTRACT UNEMPLOYMENT RATE USES FUZZYMATH B two distinctbussystemsinthecityand totheconsolidationof the uniontoagree accepts zeroes!” The contractalsocallsfor “hell would freezeover beforeLocal100 a week earlier, Toussaint hadvowed that y of theworkforce”). The secondandthird recognition ofsubstantialpastproductivity ioned by a$1000lump-sumpayment “in year (cush- for awage freezeinthefirst they accept. The proposedcontractcalls contract theirleaderswere proposing w feltbysatisfaction many transit becameknown,agreement the up toDec.7.) g Labor Notesprovides back- issueof in theJanuary (Anarticle able agreement. could notreachanaccept- possibility ofastrike ifthey they would notrenouncethe national union by f press, threatenedwithmassive members were demonizedinthe w max toseveral intenseweeks during cli- contract. This seemedtobeafitting T withtheMetropolitan agreement (TWU) 100,was on TV announcingan President of Transport Workers Union 16, word camethatRoger Toussaint, Bridge todemandadecentcontractonDec. marchedacrosstheBrooklynsupporters B av pling theseworkers felttherewere nojobs after losingtheirjobs. At thetimeofsam- those who looked forwork for12months w anyone working atleastonehour aweek as toogreat. The calculationsexcludeof error people surveyed istoosmallandthemargin tistics areunreliable becausethesampleof ofLabor’sDepartment unemployment sta- of theNew York Unemployment Project. enter thejobmarket,” saidJonathanRosen many people arekillingthemselves to culate unemployment, itmeasureshow not includedintheunemployment rate. Y applying company. atanationallaundry industry, Salvedra soughttostay init, v w tories, Alvaro Salvedra foundpart-time New York’s many fac- clandestinegarment this time,” saidSalvedra who wants to ly pay forthehousetogether. But Ipersonal- w w other costs.Buthismajoreconomichopes on hisfamily topay hisshareofrentand ines and arrest,and deserted ines andarrest,and ear eachhave a3percentincrease.Barely round and a report oneventsround andareport ransportation ransportation Authority (MTA) onanew aluable work experience inthegarment Y et he—andmany otherslike him—are orkers gave way todisbeliefatthe hich Toussaint andLocal100 Y ell as discouraged workers, defined as ell asdiscouragedworkers, defined ork inarestaurant.Having acquired ere dashed. hen Ididnothave ajob,becausewe all couldnotsendmoney toMexico during ailable tothemandhadquitlooking.

However, ofthe astheterms As several thousandtransitworkers and Rosen andothercriticscharge thatthe “The unemployment ratedoesnotcal- Recently laidoff fromhisjobinoneof “My family was able tohelpmeout W S B the presidentoftheir TEVE ENNETT ithout work forweeks, Alvaro relied D O WNS B — A UMER all because full health benefits tobeprovided for full healthbenefits And co-payments areincreased. control over theprovision ofhealthbenefits. theMTAadministered trust, now hassole usedtobeprovided viaajointlybenefits However, arepreserved. bankrupt, where which were threatened Health benefits, amount ofdisciplinetransitworkers face. reduction inthe produce asignificant dure isoverhauled inways thatwilllikely loss ofprotectionagainstlayoffs. ment ratesforbothethnic w ofeconomic bear thebrunt Americans andLatinos policies. But African- stered by action affirmative at anall-timehigh,bol- moving intothejobmarket effects, such aswomen did leave somepositive booming market ofthe’90s the endofyear. And the w e e news. In January, Congress rose, to8percent. New York City’s rate also recently roseto6percent. unemployment rate,which reduction ofthecountry’s w sector ents andinformal To e ability thecountry’s mostexpansive and A recentincreaseinrecipientsmadedis- million Americans receive disabilitypay. ofLabor,According totheDepartment 5.4 couraged workers qualifyfor disability. them duringunemployment, otherdis- no governmental resourcestosupport abusiness. enough money tostart toMexico inthreeyearsreturn with xpensive welfare program. xtra 13weeks forthose xtended unemployment an orkers constitutealarge oes, withtheunemploy- hose benefits ranoutat hose benefits gether, disabilityrecipi- New provisions intheproposalcallfor proce- On theplusside,disciplinary There issomegood As workers like Salvedra have littleor because the was Tr ust Roger was serious member,100. TWU fate. itsfinal concerning unpopular, remain cloudsofuncertainty 21. January Although thecontractisquite ballot, withtheballotsbeingcountedon about astrike.” (NYPost, 12/17/02) Rapid Transit and Local's Recording-Secretary VP for Executive Boardmembers wouldagreement passeasily, nine “humanized” sickleave policy. retirees; apilotchildcareprogram anda prescription planforpre-Medicare workers; andpart-time domestic partners a among theunemployed. those receiving disability, theuncounted sectorand for peopleintheinformal ing. This combinationdoesnotbodewell proposing cutsontaxes andsocialspend- the Persian Gulf,thegovernment is w g urged memberstorejectthecontractand roups significantly higherthanfor roups significantly remarked, “TheMTA always believed hites. Steve Downs isanExecutiveBoard Local 100membersarevoting inamail While President Toussaint predictedthe W send thenegotiators backtothebar- P ith thenationpreparingforwar in gaining table. They have beenjoined aterson, anadvisertotheunion, this latterdebatewhen Basil by ready tostrike. Fuelwas addedto officers andstewards.officers For its made itclearthatwas, infact,

part, theLocalleadershiphas part, about astrike seriously and a large numberoflow-level hired aPublic Relations con- if ithadtaken itsown rhetoric sultant andhasmountedan union couldhave donebetter aggressive pro-ratification and whether onethinksthe — campaign. ments outweigh thenegative one thinksthepositive ele- tract revolve aroundwhether v Differences over thecon- oted againstitandhave — but never serious — including the ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT: NYC Cop Suspended for Refusing to Arrest Homeless Man BY DIANA WURN More than 37,000 people struggle to Brooklyn’s East New York—none of which Policy Analyst for the Coalition for the locate a place to sleep each night in the sounded like safe locations. Homeless, the organization responsible When Officer Eduardo Delacruz city. “Jose” is one of them. He stands at I then tried the Red Cross, which advised for the landmark State Supreme Court rul- refused his supervisor’s order to arrest a the corner of Carmine and Bleeker Street me to first appear for a city intake. I was ing 20 years ago that ordered New York homeless man in late November, as per in Manhattan every morning holding a informed that I would need two pieces of City and state to provide emergency shel- NYPD policy, he wasn’t looking at the sign that says: “I am homeless. God identification and that I would be finger- ter for the homeless. people under their blankets as an inevitable Bless.” He has kind eyes and holds out a printed. Phone numbers of the shelters are Officer Delacruz’s action took place blight upon the urban landscape. Instead, dirt brown “I love NY” paper cup. He unavailable due to “security reasons” so I two days after the city’s commissioner of he saw them as people who needed help wears a couple of coats and a gym bag could not call for information about how Homeless Services used the mayor’s pri- and in turn he acted with compassion and over his back with his hands through the long it would take or if there was room. vate plane to take a trip to the Bahamas. a sense of justice. At the NYPD, this is straps, with one hand on a cane. Clients often must wait 10-12 hours at According to the Associated Press, grounds for insubordination. Jose understands why many homeless an intake location before being transferred Commissioner Linda Gibbs took the trip The Nov 22 incident resulted in 30 days do not use the shelters. “[Shelters are] hor- to a shelter. This results in only a few to research cruise ships in order to deter- of suspension and over $3000 in lost wages. rible,” he said. “If you are a woman in a hours of sleep before they’re out again. If mine if it would be feasible to convert Officer Delacruz has been reassigned to a shelter you could get raped. If you have a person is trying to hold onto a job or has them into shelters in New York. transit post in Brooklyn, according to his kids, you’re better to stay on the street.” a mental illness, the intake process could While the city considers jails and lawyer. The New York Post called for The shelters are also difficult to access. exacerbate their situation. The cruise ships as solutions, the New York Delacruz’s resignation, warning that “chaos” When I called information to locate a shelter Department of Veteran’s Affairs estimates Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit to will result if officers think for themselves. for myself, I was directed to the New York 45 percent of homeless veterans suffer address the constitutionality of the Yet the benevolent act resonated with City Department of Homeless Services. An from mental illness and 50 percent have a NYPD’s policy of arrests. “The situation many people, including the homeless. automated hotline informed me that I must substance abuse problem. at the shelters could easily be improved, Through Housing Works, an AIDS ser- go to one of three shelters since I was an “The problem is the intake shelters are but the city is focused on a ‘bed of nails’ vices organization, homeless New Yorkers adult woman without children: one in the some of the worst-run places…. The city philosophy,” said Markee, “It can be seen raised $3000 for the officer and presented Bronx involving a subway trip and a bus mismanages it so badly that there is a bot- as an attempt to deter the homeless, to a check to his family at Christmas. ride, another in Jamaica, Queens or a third in tleneck,” said Patrick Markee, Senior make it as hard as possible for people.”

Landlords...... continued from cover activists are beginning to organize to draw the city’s overflowing shelter system. wife in their two years of occupying their buildings. “The pushing of [scatter-site attention to the scatter-site program’s fail- Homeless people placed in private hous- apartment than it has from Robles in only tenants] into buildings is making residents ures. Earlier in January, a group of East ing jumped from less than 5 to over 40 six months. angry with each other,” McKeiver said. New York tenants filed a lawsuit against percent between 1989 and 1997. As of “The landlords have found a cash cow,” “It's not good for the community.” their landlord, charging him with wrong- February, DHS paid about 60 private enti- McKeiver said. “Most [landlords] in the ful eviction of some 125 permanent resi- ties to house the homeless. Scatter-site area have found it…and it's too hard for Lead paint and rats dents to cash in on the scatter-site pro- management companies account for 16. them to look away.” Yvette Smith will tell you there’s a lot gram’s generous subsidies. There are 14 scatter-site properties in at stake. Down the rickety stairs at 2234 “If [the landlords] are getting money from the northwest Bronx, and according to A dangerous environment Davidson Ave. and past the mailboxes, the city for us, we should be getting something residents, the proportion of scatter-site Tenants, organizers and housing experts which no longer lock or receive mail, for the building,” said Marta Cruz, a long-time tenants has been increasing rapidly. Willia say the way scatter-site has been imple- Yvette Smith lives with her four children. tenant who is working on a multi-building McKeiver, a resident of 1920 Walton Ave. mented is a recipe for destabilizing build- About a year ago, she accepted the EARP organizing campaign with the Coalition. for 24 years, remembers there were 12 ings and neighborhoods. A main concern is placement when her daughter got asthma scatter-site tenants in her building last that landlords have been filling vacant after a three-week stint at the Emergency Program started in 1983 year. Now, over a quarter of the 80-unit apartments exclusively with EARP place- Assistance Unit. While an improvement, The city’s scatter-site program—officially building is devoted to EARP. ments. “Increasing the density of homeless she remains unsatisfied. When Smith known as the Emergency Assistance Doing the math explains why. A one- families to unsupportive levels becomes a moved into her first EARP placement in Rehousing Program (EARP)—began in time bonus received by landlords to house dangerous environment to those living there the building, she discovered that the apart- 1983. EARP paid stipends and bonuses to a family starts at $2,000 and caps off at before,” according to Frank Barconi of the ment had dangerous levels of lead paint. private and non-profit landlords to house $10,000 (for eight). Landlords also receive Citizens Housing and Planning Council. Now in a second apartment, there are still homeless families in hotels and apartment roughly $95 a day per family. To date, This is especially true if temporary resi- problems. “My cats are scared of the rats,” buildings. Ineffective for its first 10 years, Buchanan Realty, the management com- dents are not getting the services they need said Smith. She is even more fearful of the EARP only grew when landlords received, in pany for 2234 Davidson, has made an esti- from the program. Landlords are contractu- building’s environment where, according to addition to the bonuses, federal Section 8 mated $25,000 from the Robles family. ally obligated to provide support services many tenants, drugs and burglary are on the subsidies for low-income housing. In 1994, a Though a weathered “apartments avail- like help with finding permanent housing. rise. Smith has her brother stay there during peak of 3,072 homeless families were placed able” sign is still tacked to 2234 Davidson Too often that support is poor or non-exis- the day and, she said, “I keep the phone near in private housing according to a report Ave., permanent residents are far less tent, organizers say. “The quality of support the bed.” issued by the Citizens Housing and Planning profitable than the 10 EARP tenants there. services [the homeless] are getting has Council, a city public interest organization. For instance, Buchanan Realty has always been an issue,” Barconi said. Reprinted with permission from Scatter-site has become the principal received only half as much from perma- Tenants say all this makes for strained Norwood News, Bronx method of housing the homeless outside nent resident Anthony Holmes and his relationships within already difficult WHEN BUSH COMES TO SHOVE..... WHERE DO YOU TURN FOR NEWS?

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Or for even faster service email your address to [email protected] AGE 5 and we will begin your subscription right away! PAGE 6 THE INDYPENDENT JANUARY 2003 w has continuedintheopeningweeks of2003topushfor- ing hasdippedto53percent,hislowest sincebefore9/11. to aU.S.-led attackonIraq.PresidentBush’s approval rat- impeachable offenses?... The answer isaresounding yes.” civil nothing...HasGeorge Bushcommitted liberties, T of theConstitutionandpeople,beingabove thelaw. Clark calledfortheimpeachmentofPresidentBush. nating therealaxisofevil ---poverty, racismandwar.” come together today [tohonorKing’s vision]forelimi- U Moscow. Antarctica to Tokyo toLondon anti-war events tookplacefrom in day-long protests.Scoresofother and 200,000respectively tookpart organizers claimedupto500,000 tion’s domesticpolicies. w toprotestthepossibilityof January Luther KingJr. weekend inmid- across theglobeover theMartin demonstrators tooktothestreets B HOMELAND INSECURITY: applications for permanent residenceto applications forpermanent the menwere simply waiting fortheir January, accordingtotheINS.Many of nationwide ofmenwho registered in deportation. There were 125arrests themselves subjecttoimprisonmentand w isexpected tobelight, butthose turnout plan. abouttheINS ing fearanduncertainty Y communityinNewMuslim immigrant Pakistanis arethelargest at INSoffices. P same islikely onFeb. 21when Saudiand Downtown Moreofthe Manhattanoffice. includingtheagency’saround thecountry by community.”immigrant wa w “the targeting ofMuslimimmigrants Coney Island Avenue Project,callsthe and Kuwait. Bangladesh, Egypt,Indonesia,Jordan Jan. 16when theINSadded or refugeestatus. The listincreased resident nations who lackpermanent from 18predominantly Muslim targets almostallmales sixteenorover INS’s “SpecialRegistration Program” fi tobe acrossthecountry at INSoffices Arab Emiratesand Yemen stoodinline Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Tunisia, United Korea,Lebanon, Morocco,North Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain,Eritrea, B reating anybody any way hewants to—nocivil rights,no Y .S. Congresswoman BarbaraLee(D-CA).“And we ard itswar abroadandathome: ar inIraqandtheBushadministra- Jan. 18: Defense Secretary DonaldRumsfeldsaysJan. 18:DefenseSecretary the Despite thegrowing resistance,theBush-Cheney junta The protestsmarked thelatestsignofgrowing opposition ““What George Bushisdoingnow thepower isusurping In Washington, U.S. former generalRamsey attorney “George Bushhaswoken upasleepinggiant,” said In Washington andSanFrancisco, Hundreds ofthousandsanti-war akistani menwillberequiredtoregister ork Cityandmany ofthemareexpress- Y orst form of racial profiling …anew ofracialprofiling orst form ngerprinted, andinterrogated. The ho doshow may upatINSoffices find Based onrecentevents, theFeb. 21 The Jan.10registration was greeted Bobby Khan, oftheNew York-based On Jan.10,thousandsofmenfrom

M ve E pickets andprotestsatINSoffices IKE RIC

of harassmentandfeartothe PROTESTING THEWAR AT HOMEANDABROAD B S URKE CHWARTZ Protester at the INS registration, January 10,2002 Protester attheINSregistration,January k socks. The detaineessleptwithoutblan- prison jumpsuitswithoutunderwear or as sixteen,forceddetaineestochangeinto asyoung cers strip-searchedimmigrants locked upinfreezingjailcells.INSoffi- least athousandwere handcuffed and inLos to register atINSoffices Angles, at who came al thousandIranianimmigrants especially thoseinLos Angeles. Ofsever- activists advocates, andimmigrants-rights deadline, were even moredisturbingto Responsibility Act. andImmigrant Reform Immigration required by thedraconian 1996Illegal to long-agocriminalconvictions, as come through.Otherswere locked updue ets onmetalbenchesorcementfloorsin Developments on Dec. 16, the first INS Developments onDec.16,thefirst Circuit Court of Circuit Court backingtheadministration’sAppeals ruling 350,000 willeventually besent. troops willbenearIraq. ABC News asmany reports as Rumsfeld dispatched35,000.Byearly February 150,000 ov action unconstitutional theUniversity torule ofMichigan’sCourt affirmative announces the White Housewould urge theSupreme off ofthe inthehistory American Arctic. panies. Environmentalists say itwould bethebiggestsell- million acresof Slopetooilandgascom- Alaska's North in monthsoryears," Rumsfeldsays. on goingtowar willbemade"inamatterofweeks, not tors say they needtoadequately dotheirjob. A decision U .S. can’t wait the10thmonthsthatweapons inspec- Jan. 8: GeneralJohn Attorney Ashcroft hailsaFourth Jan. 12:Rumsfeldsignsthelatestdeployment order LutherKing’sJan. 15:OnMartin birthday, Bush admititplanstolease9 Jan. 17: White Houseofficials ernight, sending27,000troops. ernight, Two days earlier N STEPSUPREGISTRATIONS &ROUND-UPS INS vices, andtheBureauofBorderSecurity, responsible forser- Services, Immigration into theBureauofCitizenshipand agencies. ernment The INSwillbesplit 170,000 employees from22different gov- of HomelandSecuritywillthrow together al government in50years, theDepartment Security. another challenge:the communitieswillface Soon immigrant unleashed by the“war onterrorism.” anddeportations ues themassarrests General John Attorney Ashcroft, contin- their addressorschool. andanythe country timethey change

back after30days, every timethey leave Fred Askew visitors and immigrants mustreport visitors andimmigrants inspector says so.Oncethey register, visitor canbeforcedtoregister ifanINS on anyAshcroft's list.Infact, foreign affect future visitorsfromthecountries under thenew rules. also The rules register may ordeported be arrested people." deportable Anyone who to fails tion program "createsanew classof (AALDEF), pointsoutthattheregistra- Legal DefenseandEducationFund others. todeport still trying many ofthedetainees,butINSis nity helpedforcetheINStorelease rally by thecity's large Iraniancommu- inothercities. arrests A 3,000-strong istered inLos Angeles, andmadesome ofthosewho reg- aquarter had arrested by hosed down withcoldwater orkicked werefreezing cells.Someimmigrants In the biggest restructuring ofthefeder- In thebiggestrestructuring ofHomeland Department The registration program, initiatedby Homeland Insecurity Saurav Sarkar, ofthe Asian American Criminalizing Immigrants

guards. Bytheendofday, theINS Is CompletingPlantoPromoteaDemocraticIraq.” bunals. The Times “U.S. headlinedtheirfront-pagearticle tri- inmilitary government seniorIraqiofficials andtry f Hussein. UndertheplanU.S. would take over Iraqioil following theexpected ousterofIraqiPresidentSaddam occupationofIraq House isdraftingplansforamilitary actually losemoney undertheso-calledstimulusplan. thatsomelow-incomePriorities reports would families $100,000. Meanwhile theCenteronBudgetandPolicy nation ofdividend taxes. VP Cheney alonewould save economy. The richstandtosave billionsfromtheelimi- late thenation’s growing wealth gapbutnottheoverall lus” packagethatmany economistssay willhelpstimu- coupleinMississippi. of aninterracial ofaneight-footcrossonthelawn acttheburning drunken civil rights. As astatejudgePickering onceexcused asa ields forupto18months,appointaviceroy the torun Jan. 6: The New York Times thatthe reports White Jan. 6:Bushproposesa$674billion“economicstimu- NATIONAL discrimination." hate crimesandemployment andhousing As aresult,there'sbeenanincreasein mate thatfostersattacksby individuals. attacksarealso"creatingacli- ernment up inNew Jersey countyjails. k inQueens,calls Asian organizing group Rising upandMoving (DRUM), aSouth restaurants andapartments. At Desis violations,inbusinesses, immigration neighborhoods tolookforpeoplewith thattheINShastargeted Muslim reports detentions heatedupeven more. cent. After September11,INSraidsand ple heldinINSdetentionshotup70per- the 1996laws passed, thenumberofpeo- continues today." Inthethreeyears after 1996 laws, acceleratedwith9/11,and g is thecontinuingescalationofanti-immi- ev New York, says that“they're judging Mexican group Associacion Tepeyac in INS. EsperanzaChacon,fromthe ofthecurrent accountable incarnation abuses fromamorepumped-up,less and work visaswillincrease. cards long waits like green forservices NA automatically takes abackseat." A Homeland Security, services immigration missionis an organization whose first (NAPALC),Consortium argues that"in Legal American Pacific National Asian charged with enforcement. eep rolling in from immigrants locked eep rollinginfromimmigrants rant policy withthe that began inearnest Sarkar explains thattheongoinggov- And they haven't stopped.Bobby Khan According toSarkar, "what we're seeing Continued Crisis Other advocates predictanincreasein Katherine Newell ofthe Bierman, eryone asiftheyeryone were aterrorist.” P ALC statementpredictsthatalready the Democrats' support for the Democrats'support Republicans in1964 inprotest tojointhe Democratic Party judgeship. Heleftthe Charles Pickering toafederal sympathizer cross-burning Jan. 7:Bushrenominates and fromseeinganattorney. appeals fromfiling be barred dence ofguilt.Citizenscanalso f captured overseas withoutever holdU.S.indefinitely citizens saidthegovernmentcourts can “enemy combatant”policy. The iling charges orpresentingevi- Cheney Scuttles Life- Saving Drug Deal FAITH BASED INITIATIVES During Geneva WTO talks in December, Vice President Dick Cheney THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS blocked a deal that would have relaxed the global patent law, providing cheap BY DON MONKERUD cut through government red tape based drug treatment program, racked life-saving drugs to poorer developing because Bush claimed that religious up a list of violations 49 pages long, countries. The pharmaceutical industry Showing an impeccable sense of groups achieved worthy results. Texas including no properly qualified coun- contends that the billions a year spent on timing, President Bush chose became the first and most aggressive selors, no chemical dependency ser- research will disappear once pirated Christmas to order all federal agencies state in implementing taxpayer-funded vices, illegal handling of medications drugs are sold at discounted prices, but to allow religious groups to compete religious services. and failure to inform clients of their others argue that the drugs would only be for funding, breaking down the consti- After five years of such experimen- rights. Clients were supposed to pray sold to countries that needed the dis- tutional wall separating church and tation, according to the report, Texas to get well. count. “George Bush is arguing that state. He presented it as a compassion- discovered: —Another program, Jobs [treatments for] diseases his own children ate effort to more efficiently deliver —The Department of Criminal Partnership, illegally spent $8,000 on government services to those in need. Justice used $1.5 million to fund the bibles, and courts found that evangeli- receive treatment for are off-limits to poor But a new study by the Texas Freedom Inner Change prison pre-release pro- cal Christianity permeated the job children in poor countries,” said Jamie Network casts “faith-based initiatives” gram, the purpose of which was to cre- training. Love, director of the Consumer Project on in not quite so celestial a light. ate respect for “God’s law” and —The Institute for Responsible Technology, a US lobbying group. The October 2002 report, “The encourage “the spiritual and moral Fatherhood and Family Revitalization Texas Faith-Based Initiative at regeneration” of offenders. State funds was given $1.5 million for a faith- Share Your Vacation Five Years,” examines programs paid for the program’s Bible-based based teaching structure that incorpo- Plans with Uncle Sam begun by Bush when he was gover- counseling and Christian-centric mate- rated a religious mission that required Later this year, the Immigration and nor of Texas. rials. a “total surrender to Christ.” Naturalization Service (INS) may require In 1996, then-Governor Bush —The Department of Protective The faith-based initiative became all U.S. citizens to check in and out of the appointed a “task force” made up and Regulatory Services, which regu- a vehicle for fringe religious country by providing their itinerary. The almost entirely of Christians to lates childcare providers, children’s providers to avoid legitimate state guide Texas in eliminating regula- homes and child-placement agencies, oversight, and led to the abuse and new rule proposed by the INS would tions that prevented faith-based stopped licensing and overseeing neglect of people in the programs. apply to passengers and crew on all providers from receiving govern- faith-based childcare providers. Rates The program created so many prob- commercial airlines, cruise ships and ment funds. He pushed agencies to of confirmed abuse and neglect at the lems that in 2001 the Texas legisla- cargo flights and vessels, with the excep- open funding to faith-based groups faith-based facilities were 25 times ture chose not to renew the state’s tion of most ferries, according to a Jan by changing agency policies and higher than at state-licensed facilities. accreditation program for faith-based 14 news report in the Toronto Star. contracts and eliminated licensing Complaints at these facilities were 75 childcare providers. With such a Commercial buses and trains, as well as and inspection requirements for reli- percent, compared to 5.4 percent at track record in Texas, its seems best private transportation, would not be gious charities. state-licensed facilities. not to put any faith in the success of affected. Deputy Prime Minister John Bipartisan groups supported the —One of Bush’s highly touted Bush’s national initiative. Manley has reported that such restric- legislative and regulatory changes to models, Teen Challenge, a Christian- tions would clog the U.S.-Canadian bor- der. “It would turn cities like Detroit into a parking lot,” he said. NE States Say Bush’s BUSH PRESCRIBES BITTER Clean Air Plan Stinks Nine northeastern states ranging from Maine to Maryland recently filed suit in MEDICINE FOR SENIORS federal court challenging the Bush adminis- tration’s decision to ease national industrial BY ERIC LAURSEN low-income households into accepting Sources in Washington say Bush will pollution restrictions for the first time since inferior coverage and eventually end have a tough fight getting his plan enactment of the Clean Air Act in 1970. Gov. George Pataki is threatening to Medicare as a collective social insurance through Congress, even with a The filing occurred as the Environmental make 2003 a grim year for New York’s program. Republican majority. First, he must pass elderly poor by refusing to promise that If Bush decides to allow recipients his $674 billion tax-cut package—a Protection Agency formally issued final revi- Medicaid won’t face cutbacks if he can’t to opt out of Medicare, he will argue bruising process. And aside from some sions to the New Source Review clean air squeeze more assistance out of the feder- that private plans can supply care more “mavericks” like Sen John Breaux (D- enforcement rules that would likely prevent al government. Now, the state’s 2.4 mil- cheaply and efficiently. But the evi- LA), Democratic lawmakers are acutely future government legal action in all but the lion elderly—and those who will follow dence points in the opposite direction. aware that Medicare along with Social most flagrant cases of pollution. Under the them into retirement over the next While Medicare costs are growing Security is their greatest source of voter new rules, refineries, manufacturers and decade—may face the biggest shakeup rapidly, private health care costs are loyalty. They will be reluctant to bargain some utilities will be presented with new in health care coverage since Lyndon shooting even higher. Edith Rasell, it away. At the same time, though, both ground rules for upgrading or expanding Johnson introduced Medicare over 35 minister of labor relations and com- sides of the aisle will hesitate to go home their plants without the threat of lawsuits years ago. munity economic development at the from Washington without a prescription and without having to add costly antipollu- President Bush and his advisors see United Church of Christ, notes that drug package. tion equipment required by law to control spiraling prescription drug costs as an while health care spending rose 8.7 One possibility: a compromise that opportunity. In exchange for new percent in 2001, Medicare costs rose would create a limited drug benefit for smog, acid rain and soot. During the Medicare prescription benefits, the only 7.8 percent, even though the neediest seniors, leaving Republicans Clinton Administration, federal and state White House will likely demand that Medicare’s recipient population was to push Bush’s partial privatization plan authorities used New Source Review to sue Medicare be open to competition from growing faster. another year. more than 50 power plants in 12 states. insurance companies, HMOs and other Why? “Medicare is more efficient private providers. than private insurance,” Rasell says. “It Backed by a Republican Congress, has no marketing costs, no big CEO Bush plans to offer sweeping propos- salaries, and it doesn’t sell 16 different Place your ad in als to restructure Medicare in his policies with 18 different conditions. It’s State of the Union address on Jan. 28. much more straightforward.” The Indypendent Administration officials recently But the healthier and wealthier indicated that they are considering seniors who make up some 20 percent and reach 10,000 socially THE INDYPENDENT two options: either adding a drug pro- of Medicare’s recipient population conscious readers in all five gram and other new benefits in might find private providers that can exchange for higher Medicare premi- offer them lower prices plus a bigger boroughs. ums, or giving seniors the choice to package of benefits and still make a leave the program for one of a menu profit. If they opt out of Medicare, leav- Call (917) 584-0913 or email [email protected] of private plans. ing it with a pool of poorer and sicker JANUARY 2003 Washington is betting that Bush will recipients, the program may find itself take the second track. But critics— in a real cost spiral. Eventually, free- Starting as low as $40 per issue. including church groups, liberal policy market ideologues could use this as a think-tanks and senior advocates—are rationale for ending Medicare as we P

determined to fight any proposal that know it and throwing the remaining AGE 7 smacks of privatization, which they say recipients onto the private market if any could drive costs up for retirees, push providers will have them. PAGE 8 THE INDYPENDENT JANUARY 2003 Peace Alert Code PinkIssues Connection Thomas Kean’s Osama Picket Line GE StrikerDieson News No NewsisGood pink4peace.org. more,seehttp://www.code-learn Women’sbrate International Day. To with apeacerallyMarch8tocele- White Housethatwillculminate peace vigilintheshadowof in-law. Oil, isOsamabinLaden’s brother- ofDelta whose familyownspart Arabia. KhalidbinMahfouz, venture withDeltaOilofSaudi is involvedintheHess-Deltajoint Amerada HessCorporation,which out,isadirectorof it turns family ofOsamabinLaden.Kean, ishowclosehetothe reported tims.” Whathasn'tbeenwidely to thefamiliesof9/11vic- “close because hewasreportedly Commission, hasbeenselected Bush toheadthe9/11 Thomas Kean,chosenbyPresident money care costs.“GEismakingsomuch abrupt increaseinemployees’health struck onJan.14toprotestGE’s Louisville. line inHollowCreek,KY, near killed byapolicecarwhileonthe “Michelle” Rodgers,40,washitand marred bytragedyasKjeston economy. indicatorofthenation’simportant of thedecisiontoshutdownan industries, weresurprisedandcritical people tojobsingrowingorstable tohelpsteerunemployed the report dollars. Stateofficials,whorelyon budgetof$44billion Department lion dollarsayearoutofLabor funding. Theprogramcost$6.6mil- stated theprogramhadrunoutof releasedChristmasEve longer report once. Aparagraphburiedina laying offmorethan50peopleat states tocollectdataoncompanies The programgavemoneytothe number ofmasslayoffseachmonth. Labor Department’s onthe report Administration quietlykilledoffthe what shebelievedin.” Randy Payton.“Shewaskilleddoing IUE/CWA Local761President person force,wasdrivingthecar. major strikeagainstGEsince1969. locations in23states,wasthefirst WGY news. DiPaolotoldAlbany's Carmen year. Itdoesn'tneedtodothis,” Code Pinkisanon-stopwomen’s NewJerseygovernor Former Nearly 20,000U.S.workers A recentstrikeagainstGEwas On ChristmasEvetheBush “It’s devastating,”said very Roy Truax, chiefofthelocal two- The two-daywalkout,affecting48 — a projected$16billionthis B the last100,000years andbeyond. climatechangeoverwidespread abrupt recordsrevealand sedimentary large, ten years. Tree rings,icecoreevidence to theother—insomecases,inlessthan switches quicklyearth fromone“regime” shift fromaniceagetoawarm era,the instead oftakingthousandsyears to Change: Inevitable Surprises,” warns that hills. soon needthoseSUVstoheadforthe Academy ofSciences,by 2007we may releasedlastyear byreport theNational bylight trucks 2007. According toa increase infueleconomy forSUVsand tration hascalledforawhopping 1.5mpg gas emissionstodate,theBushadminis- Plan Rejected SmallPox Vaccine screening process for first responders screening processforfirst the public.” not thehealthofhospitalworkers and companies who producethevaccine but “protect[ing] thewealth ofthedrug andtheadministrationfor Congress healthcare organization, criticized Union (SEIU),thenation’s largest Employeesthe Service International statement, Andrew presidentof L.Stern, their patientsisminimal.Inascathing tion given tohealthcareworkers and ing immunityfromliability, theprotec- f v andlegal protectionsfor ample financial couldbedeadly.virus ments orHIV, contactwiththe Vaccinia systems duetocancer, transplanttreat- disorders orhave suppressedimmune have ofeczemaandotherskin a history Americans who areeitherpregnant, tics. For themorethanoneinsix since thenwilllikely alterthesestatis- (CDC). However, demographic changes ing totheCentersforDiseaseControl e ev ued inthe1970s,aboutathousandof pox-type pustules. of sideeffects fromanitchy rashtosmall- into thebloodstream, generatingarange duces aliving ofthevirus form Vaccinia Health, thesmallpox vaccination intro- director oftheNationalInstitutes today by Dr. Anthony Fauci, current the mostdangerousvaccines available sionals feelinguneasy. Declaredoneof many hospitalsandhealthcareprofes- emergency. other personnelcriticalinabio-terror ders,” includinghealthcareworkers and v opting insteadtooffer thecontroversial population-wide smallpox vaccination, decided inDecembertorejectplansfora theBushadministration health experts, B allout frommassvaccinations, includ- xperienced seriousreactions,accord- accine to some 500,000 “first respon- accine tosome500,000“first accine manufacturers againstpotential accine manufacturers Y Y ery onemillionpeoplevaccinatedery The report, titled“AbruptThe report, Climate In itsonly move tocurbgreenhouse Although theplandoesmandatea While theBushplanhasprovided Before vaccinations were discontin- This revised plan,however, stillleaves ofcriticismfrom Amid abarrage M C A IKE TRIONA THE CLIMES,THEYAREA-CHANGIN’ Recent Report WarnsRecent Report ofRapidClimate Change W U S TEWART mean forhumansocietiesisunknown climatechange.”abrupt What thiscould clude that“humanactivities couldtrigger ClimateChange,”Abrupt theauthors con- “Global Warming asaPossible Trigger for However, titled ina chapterofthereport w times inthelast110,000years. like thishave morethan24 occurred tion doubling injustthreeyears. Events in justtenyears, andtheannualprecipita- al meantemperaturejumping14degrees a warmer “regime,” annu- withtheearth's y into amini-iceage.Butabout11,600 wenta coolingtrendbegan andtheearth last majoriceageabout12,800years ago, Event. Dryas cameoutofits As theearth most studiedexample ofthisthe Younger f something there. The vaccines areonly a symptoms, andyou’re treatedifthereis Y said, “Thesediseasesarealloutthere. public healthworker fromStatenIsland Administration’s hastyplans. As one professionals arerejectingthe with thisknowledge many healthcare not beforcedtotake any vaccine, and sion oftheearly 1900s,individuals can- suppressed population. will reactwithtoday’s moreimmune- there isnoway toknow how thesedrugs relatively limitedtesting,andassuch aw that thethreepossible vaccines still Human ResearchProtection,pointsout member oftheboard Alliance for Dr. Nass,amedicaldoctorand Meryl Sardi said. ratio is‘allriskandnobenefit,’” Mr. risk forsideeffects, therisk/benefit no smallpox casespresently, andonly employees thevaccine. “Sincethereare have already optednottooffer their inoculating theirworkers, andsome of reassessing therisksandbenefits fund “homelandsecurity,” hospitalsare potential hazard.” for exposing vulnerable patientstothis ulation andhospitalsmay lawsuits face V for this.Healthcareworkers couldspread themselves. Noprovision hasbeenmade w infectiontotheirpatients heals, orface 3 weeks off work untilthevaccination site impact. “Healthcareworkers needtotake ly Knowledge ofHealth,Inc.,theserelative- are permanently injuredby thevaccine. after beingvaccinated, orforany who w tion fortheestimated30percentof toprovideThe planalsofails compensa- disorders priortoreceiving thevaccine. f rently lacksprovisions forfreeandcon- w ears ago the earth suddenlyears agotheearth switched to alse protection.” idential testingforimmuno-suppressant hat triggers these abrupt changes. hat triggerstheseabrupt ou wash your hands,you know the accinia (cowpox) totherest ofthepop- orkers who willfeeltoosicktowork ho have tobevaccinated, agreed itcur- ho areoftenimmune-compromised

No onecansay withany exact certainty Scientists callthemostrecentand aiting FDA approval have undergone simple provisions couldhave agreat According to a Supreme Court deci- According toaSupremeCourt Sardi ishardly aloneinthisopinion. Under thespecterofbudgetcutsto According toBillSardi,Presidentof od betweenvaccinations. or revaccinationafteraprolongedperi- smallpoxvaccination following primary vaccine sitereactionandprogression reaction–Expected Major (primary) astating changes. the mostvulnerable toany rapidanddev- the poorercountriesofworld willbe isthat lands intodeserts. What iscertain crop- Centuries ofdroughtcouldturn upandburn. cause rainforeststodry Radically alteredweather could patterns intoanewplunging theearth iceage. couldweakenOcean currents or collapse, mate flip?Nightmarescenariosabound. climatechange.”the potentialforabrupt addressing themany raisedby concerns andnopolicy-making body is identified the issue,noresearchprioritieshave been plan forimproving ourunderstandingof change. impact embracethescenarioofgradual given onclimatechange thatmostreports What willhappenintheevent ofacli- The authorspointout,“Thereisno a 21 Day 14 Day 4 Day a 7 Day SITE REACTION V ACCINATION SMALLPOX Source: CDC THE INDYPENDENT JANUARY 2003 PAGE 9 As entertainment many and star vehicles, Those films should carry a special warn- “The only band that matters” was a CBS a band that matters” was “The only of Exit 25 author Wishnia, Steven recent American films the idea recent are advancing thing. an awful be such wouldn’t that nuclear war ing label. Hell” captured that mood best. Hell” captured that mood best. but it contained slogan, Records marketing a taste of truth.rock’n’roll If the idea of into a rebellion has long been co-opted Joe soundtrack for SUV commercials, bands a relic of a time when Strummer was meant more than just they when did matter, corporate Clash The entertainment product. anthems for a community that hated played justice, that despised authority and wanted of their getting out musical pap and loved and passion. heads on energy the bassist in the False Utopia, was plays in Gateria. and now Prophets CULTURE EMAIL [email protected], rack down your favorite domestic or imported war Get your copy today! A handy poster-sized color map of U.S. terrorist A handy poster-sized infrastructure. Whether you’re a budding weapons inspector or just a trivia buff, A Threat to Peace can give you the scoop on U.S. nuclear manufacturing facilities, chemical and biochemical weapons facili- ties, weapons manufacturers, nuclear testing and launch sites, and much, much more. Quickly pinpoint the locations of terrorist training camps and private mercenary companies! T criminal in minutes! Joe Strummer, 1952-2002 Joe Strummer, The Indypendant proudly presets... Armageddon So Bad Not www.nyc.indymedia.org A THREAT TO PEACE A THREAT CALL US AT (212) 684-8112 OR WRITE NYC IMC, 34 E. 29TH ST. 2ND FL., NEW (212) 684-8112 OR WRITE NYC IMC, 34 E. 29TH ST. CALL US AT YORK, NY 10016 TO ORDER COPIES OF THIS MAP: But their U.S. success backfiredcultur- But their U.S. and weary By 1982, the Clash were er Baghdad.) At their legendary series of er Baghdad.) roove funky enough to get on WBLS- enough to get on funky roove et. Strummer’s bitter, elegiac “Straight to elegiac bitter, et. Strummer’s Atomic Cafe” openly mocked American mocked Atomic Cafe” openly desks as instructed by their teachers. desks as instructed by “ about the bomb, a reality much naivete pushing Affleck more terrifying than Ben buttons on his cell phone. broke them commercially in the U.S. in in the U.S. them commercially broke of the swing 1980, with the apocalyptic militance of title track, the bass-heavy a minor hit “The Guns of Brixton” and Vain.” in “Train with the soul-flavored them to stretch That success enabled their next out as musicians; Sandinista, three-record a sprawling album, was but self-indulgent, highly set. It was contained some great including cuts, a Brit-rap “The Magnificent Seven,” g FM in 1981. a conserva- drew increasingly as they ally, “rock” audience. (Their militant/mili- tive sword; a double-edged tary stance was numerous anti-imperial despite the Clash’s their 1982 I pilots played War songs, Gulf hit “Rock the Casbah” on bombing runs ov Square in 1981, Times in at Bond’s shows got Grandmaster Flash and the they The rappers to open for them. Furious Five left the stage within 10 minutes, battered by stage, you the a hail of bottles and “get off from the fucking niggers” catcalls. “We’re some rough played South Bronx and we’ve never “but we’ve Flash announced, places,” this.” like had anything as the “Combat close to breaking up, even Rock” album became their biggest seller y 80s, when Reagan reanimated 80s, when ’ ith chainsaw-guitar tunes like tunes ith chainsaw-guitar ilms of the 1950s and ’60s were far more ilms of the 1950s and ’60s were at Houston, Baltimore or that poor These films in the pre- reside entirely F These films also did not underestimate the In the And the comedic documentary “Atomic W They followed up with a string of followed They their third album, “London Calling,” hite rock fans anything dismissed ould fuse high-energy guitar anarchy ould fuse high-energy .S. branch of CBS Records, their label, .S. branch of CBS Records, roup of brave “Terranauts’travel to the center of “Terranauts’travel roup of brave xample, in the 1954 B-movie “Them!” xample, in the 1954 B-movie xploding dangerous asteroids before they can xploding dangerous asteroids before they irst album the next year. year. irst album the next e the damage the earth. In “Independence Day,” and redeeming: bomb is both destructive in a nuclear attempt to van- Houston is destroyed annihi- quish aliens, and the aliens are ultimately moth- a bomb planted in their hovering lated by Smith, no less). Will a cigar-smoking ership (by Then, in the forthcoming sci-fi thriller “The pilot light goes out. a the Earth’s Core,”wherein g the planet and reignite it with a nuclear bomb. of the consequences showing sent, never sees The audience never these weapons. wh are nuked. after they look like Florida Key “Dr. concerned of the bomb. with the dangers The Beach” (1959) (1964) and “On Strangelove” ending with usual happy replaced Hollywood’s could that nuclear weapons the pointed warning bring about the end of humanity. such as radiation. For impact of nuclear effects e Angeles. Similarly, Los ants destroy radioactive 1970s films “The China Syndrome” realis- like the risks and consequences of portrayed tically and radioactivity. nuclear power fears of The Soviets and war threats and war The Soviets fears of more were nuclear portrayals surged, realistic, frightening and shattering, as in After” and “Special Bulletin.” “The Day The British film “Threads” (1985) rats devouring heroine the young showed after a nuclear surviving and barely ones. her loved attack vaporized a hard-hitting look at the Cafe” (1982), was nuclear era and all its lunacies, including clips of children hiding under their school mat, Strummer (born John Mellors) formed with Jones and the Clash in 1976 recorded their They Simonon. bassist Paul f with soul, funk, and reggae grooves—and with soul, funk, and reggae a so it wasn’t bring enough of their own But the imitation or a racist ripoff. slavish U for the raw too thought the album was and refused to put it out American market until after it set a record for years, for two sales as an import. three shining singles, including the epic “White Man in Hammersmith Palais.” guitars and a light, melodica- heavy Over riddim, Strummer on expounded flavored with a show his night at a London reggae honesty, and blunt brilliant mix of naivete confronting his disappointment at find- Afro-British clubgoers quite apoliti- ing cal, and castigating commercial punk and celebrity culture for “turning rebellion into money.” “White Riot” and “Garageland,” The “White Riot” and “Garageland,” punk, one of the classics of ’77 Clash was more, with something but it also revealed hit reggae of Junior Murvin’s their cover when In an era Thieves.” and “Police w the Clash as “disco,” danceable remotely w ISHNIA EINHARDT W R ell lead to disaster. the dictators of the world

MILY TEVEN w ankee dollar wanna talk dollar wanna ankee

E the “beautiful” sight of a nuclear bomb S The wildly popular Arnold Schwarzenegger popular The wildly and “Deep Impact,” In both “Armageddon” Since the end of the Cold War, nuclear War, Since the end of the Cold Using his cell phone, the famous faux- Those scenes are from the 2002 summer I saw the Clash at their first New York the Clash at their first I saw New Y To orders giving In fact it’s to miss a word afford can’t And they died lead singer, the Clash’s Strummer, British diplo- The son of a mid-level

ry ould survive intact. ould survive Y ant to overthrow the government and the government ant to overthrow as tuning his Telecaster, guitarist Mick Telecaster, as tuning his Y lockbuster “Sum of All Fears,” a highly All Fears,” lockbuster “Sum of last with no long-lasting repercussions—no xplosions in films become mere annoy- have is one of this phenomena’s biggest culprits. In is one of this phenomena’s Lies” (1994), a romantic moment between “True and Jamie Lee Curtis is framed Schwarzenegger by Schwarzenegger’s a Florida Key. destroying hand shading their faces from the bomb is appar- need. protection they the only ently the world, are used to save nuclear weapons e American “unimportant” ances, destroying humanity from allies, saving cities, and valued This the Earth itself. asteroids, aliens and even furthers the fiction as a of nuclear weapons threat. In a country most cit- sustainable where and izens learn from the movies about nukes rather than from scientists or books or the TV, left-wing media, this misrepresentation may ve B res- Affleck) CIA agent Jack Ryan (Ben cues the president from a nuclear device planted in a soda machine at a football Baltimore game. Once the bomb goes off, but obliterated, city) is (an expendable comes out of the catastrophe with Affleck cuts on his face. He then heads a few only around without for Ground Zero, walking has hap- what to discover gear, protective Freeman. Morgan pened to his mentor, b filmimaginative depicting a nuclear bomb b nuclear winters, no children born with six be rebuilt, and arms. Baltimore would American football games and soda machines w NOUVEAU NUKE FILMS: NOUVEAU NUKE LONDON STILL CALLING: CALLING: STILL LONDON City gig, at the old Palladium on 14th Street City gig, at the old Palladium the best probably 1979. It was in February life. seen in my ever I’ve show rock’n’roll nervous, representing obviously were They produced British punk-rock in the city that Velvet the the Ramones, the Dolls and that made them but in a way Underground, Joe StrummerAs up for the gig. uniquely w muttered, Jones leaned into the mic and And then it, Strummer.” get on with “Let’s with the blazing-octaves off blasted they U.S.” the With intro of “I’m So Bored Dec. 22 of heart failure, aged 50. He left of music both furious legacy an extensive you and soulful, radical enough to make w rocking enough to put on at the peak of a for a band so political— Ironically, party. “Career Opportunities,” with songs like and “Washington “Clampdown” the most com- Bullets”—the Clash were successful group come out of to mercially admission to won British punk, and even the canon of “classic rock.” B NUCLEAR ISSUES Radical Nuns Face 30 Years for Inspecting U.S. Nukes

BY JOHN TARLETON War II war crimes tribunal. “They felt they were justified in what they A year after the U.S. began bombing were doing.” Afghanistan and seven weeks before U.N. The nuns are currently being held weapon inspectors returned to Iraq, three in the Clear Creek County Jail in Dominican nuns performed their own Georgetown, Colorado. Bill Sulzman weapons inspection on the windswept of the Colorado Springs-based high plains of northeastern Colorado. Citizens for Peace in Space is doing Sisters Carol Gilbert, Jackie support work for the women and Hudson and Ardeth Platte entered promises that there will be supporters Minuteman III missile silo N-8 near on hand from all over the country. He Greeley, Colorado at dawn last said a local minister in Georgetown October 6 wearing white mop-up suits has also gathered hundreds of signa- which said “Disarmament Specialists” tures of support for the three nuns. in front and “Citizens Weapons “They have become celebrities in that Inspection Team” in back. After cut- little mountain town. It’s hard to overes- ting through two fences, they ham- timate their magnetism…You’ve got to mered on the silo and on the tracks see them in action.” used to open the silo’s 120-ton con- Sulzman, an anti-nuke activist crete lids. They also used their blood to since the early ‘70s, realizes that few make the sign of the cross on the tracks people will ever take the risks that and on the silo. They concluded their Platte, Hudson and Gilbert have. inspection with a liturgy and a burst of Still, he hopes that more people will songs and hymns. Sisters Carol Gilbert, Jackie Hudson and Ardeth Platte entered Minuteman III missile be inspired to take some kind of Within an hour of the first fence cut- silo N-8 near Greeley, Colorado at dawn last October 6 wearing white mop-up suits action. ting, military personnel arrived in which said “Disarmament Specialists” in front and “Citizens Weapons Inspection “If you had a lot of people putting humvees with their machine guns Team” in back. their body on the line, things would pointed at the nuns. The three women start to change,” he said. “Maybe were arrested and forced to lie face don’t distinguish between combatants and United Nations Charter that the U.S. has someday we’ll get that critical mass of down in the cold for four hours. They non-combatants and are first-strike signed. people who won’t take government hand- now each face 30 years in prison on weapons and thus illegal under treaties “Nuremberg says you have to speak up,” out answers, who will ask more questions charges of sabotage and destruction of like the Geneva Convention and the Geresh said, referring to the post-World and take some risks.” government property. “For some of you this news may be dif- ficult,” the nuns wrote afterward. “We can respond only by telling you that we are Activists Inspect Nuclear Sites Worldwide breaking through our own fears and intim- idation, that we refuse to be immobilized While U.N. weapons inspectors struggle weapons are manufactured and main- military police, while others in a boat by the intense call to patriotism that masks to find any sign of Iraqi weapons of tained, to conduct a site inspection were stopped by police on the water. the lies, theft and killing of permanent mass destruction, civilian weapons determining whether the UK govern- war-making." inspectors around the world have made ment is complying with international *Dec. 29—Two activists entered the “If anyone did something like this in some unsettling discoveries of their own laws on weapons of mass destruction. RAF Fylingdales Ballistic Missile Early Russia or Iraq or Pakistan or India, we in recent months. Police refused to let the inspectors into Warning station in Yorkshire and were would be applauding them,” added the base, and representatives from the arrested while attempting to reach the Anabel Dwyer, a Lansing, Michigan- *Oct. 5—1,117 people were arrested on Aldermaston management declined to satellite communication dome. based human rights lawyer and longtime or near the Kleine Brogel Air Force meet with them. The inspectors then friend of Sister Platte. “But if you do it Base, in what is likely the largest mass handed in a letter requesting a meeting *Sometime in February—Civilian here, it’s criminal.” arrest in Belgian history. Kleine Brogel with the Aldermaston management to weapons inspectors from the Toronto- The inspection of silo N-8 was the is home to 10 U.S. B-61 nuclear discuss international inspection regimes based Rooting Out Evil (www.rootin- first Plowshares action (see Berrigan weapons. for the UK's nuclear weapons and goutevil.org) will cross into the United page 11) performed on American soil arrangements for allowing inspectors States in Buffalo, New York to begin since September 11 and the three nuns *Oct. 6—Several protesters managed to into the site. No United Nations what they hope will be an extensive have been hit with the heaviest charges enter Pine Gap, a giant American spy weapons inspectors have ever been search for caches of U.S. chemical, bio- ever given to Plowshares activists. base in the middle of Australia. Pine Gap known to visit the UK to investigate logical and nuclear weapons. Organizers Hudson and Gilbert will both have high- is used to provide satellite intelligence to operations at Aldermaston. The inspec- for Rooting Out Evil say they have powered attorneys when their trials US operations in Afghanistan, in the tors took soil and water samples from made the United States their first priori- begin March 31 while Platte will argue preparation for military action in Iraq and the area surrounding the base and then, ty based on criteria provided by the her case pro se. in the monitoring and interception of in a spirit of cooperation, allowed the Bush Administration. “It’s utterly outrageous for the govern- email and mobile phone communications. Ministry of Defense Police to inspect a ment to have brought sabotage charges collection of their own weapons—water According to those criteria, the most against these nuns,” said Scott Poland, a *Oct. 6—Greeley, Colorado Three pistols, a toy tank, plastic swords and a dangerous states are those run by lead- Colorado attorney who will serve as Dominican nuns were arrested for enter- six-foot high model Trident missile. ers who: 1.) have massive stockpiles of Platte’s legal advisor along with Dwyer. ing a Minutemen III Missile silo. They chemical, biological and nuclear “They’re just trying to cut them off at the now face 30 years in jail. (See story *Nov. 16—80 civilian inspectors weapons 2.) ignore due process at the knees. If they are convicted, they’ll die in above.) approached the Kattenberg Military United Nations 3.) refuse to sign and prison.” Base in Amsterdam to determine the honor international treaties, and 4.) have Hudson’s lawyer Walter Geresh said *Nov. 8—Members of the Berkshire extent to which the base was cooperating come to power through illegitimate the nuns have scrutinized international CIA (Citizens Inspection Agency) visit- in preparations for an attack on Iraq. means. law and U.S. Constitutional law closely ed the Atomic Weapons Establishment Two inspectors managed to get onto base and concluded that nuclear weapons like at Aldermaston, where Britain's nuclear terrain, where they were overpowered by —JOHN TARLETON the Minuteman III cause undue suffering, JANUARY 2003 JANUARY

duced a world situation Charter signed at San Francisco on June 26. NUCLEAR CHRONOLOGY of great tension, uncer- World’s first nuclear explosion, at tainty and anxiety. Alamogordo, NM on July 16. Atomic

THE INDYPENDENT At the beginning of the new millenni- first-strike and preemptive nuclear The following chronolo- bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on um, the world has some 30,000 nuclear attack policy, the U.S. withdrawal in gy puts in perspective August 6 and 9, respectively. World War II weapons. This is more than enough to end 2002 from the Anti-Ballistic Missile some events of the past ended September 2. life on earth. (ABM) Treaty and its current nuclear five decades. •1949 First nuclear test by the Soviet

AGE 10 Recent United States assertions of a dispute with North Korea have pro- •1945 United Nations Union at Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan. P THE INDYPENDENT JANUARY 2003 PAGE 11 pabil- •1971 The Sea Bed Treaty prohibited Treaty The Sea Bed •1971 banning biological A convention •1972 •Peace Action, 1819 H Street, NW, •Peace •Physicians for Social Responsibility, •Physicians •Union of Concerned Scientists, 2 International League for •Women's ashington, D.C. 20009, (202) 667- ashington, D.C. eace and Freedom, 1213 Race St., eace and Freedom, y@peace-action force in 1970. on or the placement of nuclear weapons a 12-mile under the ocean floor beyond limit from the coast line. It entered into force in weapons. and toxin 1975, the first major disarmament agree- #420, Washington, D.C. 20006, (202) D.C. Washington, #420, pdec- 862-9740. www.peace-action.org c 1875 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 1012, Suite NW, Ave., 1875 Connecticut W [email protected] 4260. www.psr.org Brattle Square, Cambridge, MA 02238, (617) 547-5552. www.ucsusa.org/securi- www.thebulletin.org ty/oweapons.html P 19107, (215) 563-7110. Philadelphia, PA www.wilpf.org/disarm/disarm.html [email protected] NUCLEAR ISSUES NUCLEAR •1968 The Nuclear Non-Proliferation •1968 •Friends Committee on National Committee •Friends •International Action Center, 39 W. for the •International Physicians ashington, D.C. 20002-5795, (202) ashington, D.C. ashington, D.C. 20002, (202) 546- ashington, D.C. reaty (NPT) balanced a commitment by T not to States without nuclear weapons or possess them, with one by develop their States to negotiate nuclear-weapon The NPT entered into total elimination. and other celestial bodies for military pur- poses. 307 Massachusetts Ave., NE, Ave., 307 Massachusetts W [email protected] 3300, www.fas.org 245 Second St., NE, Legislation, W 547-6000, (800) 630-1330. www.fcnl.org [email protected] NY 10011, York, 14th St., #206, New (212) 633-6646. www.iacenter.org iacenter@action- www.actionsf.org mail.org 727 War, of Nuclear Prevention Cambridge, MA Massachusetts Ave., 02139, (617) 868-5050. www.ippnw.org [email protected] , 6042 St., Mountain View, CA 94041, View, St., Mountain

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Bulletin of the •1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibited Treaty •1967 Outer Space •Center for Defense Information, 1779 222 •Center for Economic Conversion, •Council for a Livable World, 110 World, •Council for a Livable American Scientists, of •Federation • ew .C. 20036-2109, (202) 332-0600. .C. 20002, (202) 543-4100. nuclear weapon testing in the atmosphere, nuclear weapon outer space and under water. military of and the placing maneuvers of mass nuclear and other weapons destruction in earth orbit and on celestial a 1979 supplemented by This was bodies. the use of the moon agreement to prevent PHILIP BERRIGAN, 1923-2002 PHILIP BERRIGAN, Swords into Plowshares A Lifetime Spent Beating S. Kimbark Ave., Chicago, IL 60637, Ave., S. Kimbark bul- (773) 702-2555. www.thebulletin.org [email protected] Washington, NW, Massachusetts Ave., D [email protected] www.cdi.org Vi (650) 968-8798. www.conversion.org [email protected] Washington, NE, #409, Ave., Maryland D [email protected] www.clw.org ARLETON T Booker prize-winning author, looks at the conflict over Kashmir from her home in New Delhi, June 2002 Delhi, June her home in New Kashmir from looks at the conflict over Booker prize-winning author, OHN —J ---- ARUNDHATI ROY, ROY, ---- ARUNDHATI “We think what a shame it would be to die now. Life’s normal, only because the macabre has become normal. While we wait While we because the macabre has become normal. normal, only Life’s be to die now. a shame it would think what “We or an extensive internet list of anti- or an extensive .com [email protected] The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Treaty Atlantic The North an demilitarized Treaty Antarctic •1959 banned Treaty Ban Test •1963 Partial Philip Berrigan remembered as is best injunction to the Biblical Inspired by Berrigan arrested was numerous times This is not an exhaustive list. There are list. This is not an exhaustive F Accountability, •Alliance for Nuclear Ave., 520 S. Murphy •Antiwar.com, ity, as though they're discussing a family board game. My friends and I discuss Prophecy, the film of the bombing of Hiroshima board game. My friends and I discuss Prophecy, discussing a family as though they're ity, the man who remember especially we stripped of their skin and hair, the living and Nagasaki, the dead bodies choking the river, that, as stains on staircases.” like imagine ourselves we just melted into the steps of the building and for rain, for football, for justice, on TV the old generals and the eager boy anchors talk of first ca old generals and the eager boy TV the and second strike strike for rain, for football, for justice, on r ashington, D.C. 20009, (202) 833- ashington, D.C. eapon-free zone. It forbids all military ar movement in May 1968 by leading a 1968 by in May ar movement activists ar” (Micah 4:3), Plowshares eapons are the scourge of the earth;eapons are the scourge to (NATO) was established by 12 States. by established was (NATO) and created the firstentire region nuclear- w kind of weapon the testing of any activity, and disposal of nuclear waste. the rebel priest who galvanized the anti- galvanized who the rebel priest w raid on an army middle-of-the-night in Catonsville, Marylandinduction center of draft filesand setting hundreds ablaze napalm. However, with homemade Dec 6, also Berrigan, passed away who movement helped launch the Plowshares others he and seven in Sept 1980 when in King of entered a General Electric plant and hammered on Prussia, Pennsylvania warhead, nose cones for the Mark 12A two and offered on documents poured blood for peace. prayers that into plowshares “hammer swords or against nation nation will not lift sword again be trained to make ever will they w continued battering have around the world and short on long and pouring their blood submarines, range missiles, nuclear and satellite bombers, transmitter antennas of them since. Many control facilities ever as done hard time in federal prisons, have The 79th and most much as five years. action occurred Oct. 6 recent Plowshares (See page 10). CO. near Greeley, landed him in activism and his anti-war Shortly prison for a total of 11 years. Berrigan gathered family before he died, and close friends at his side. “I die with the held since 1968 and conviction, “that nuclear he said, Catonsville,” w mine for them, manufacture them, deploy the them, use them, is a curse against God, and the earth itself.” human family, MAJOR ANTI-NUCLEAR GROUPS IN THE U.S. MAJOR ANTI-NUCLEAR many local groups and general-focus many to that are also committed organizations nuclear disarmament. sites, nuclear groups with links to their web page of Proposition One, see the web http://prop1.org/prop1/azantink.htm. Suite 9-2, 1801 18th St., NW, W 34th St., Suite 407, And 1914 N. 4668. 98103, (206) 547-3175. WA Seattle, ananuclear@earth- www.ananuclear.org link.net CA 94086. www.anti- #202, Sunnyvale, wa PAGE 12 THE INDYPENDENT JANUARY 2003 STRATEGIC ARMS:TRICKORTREATY? ing for that is currently undernegotiation.ing forthatiscurrently andaprotocolprovid-cation arrangements possession. The BWC does nothave verifi- w ers) notonly tostopdeveloping biological (now pow- including all themajormilitary committingStatesParties ment inhistory B According to scandals. Andersen and Arthur Enron akin totheaccountingpracticesof erous Pentagon numbersgameexists different floorsofthesamewarehouse. them indifferent warehouses, orperhaps a strategic nuclearweapon, andplace is toseparatethetwo basiccomponentsof ofwarheadsdestruction orlaunchers. is theabsenceofany provision forthe that keeping 2,200weapons isnecessary) b phoniness areatoperationhere. The most less attheendof2012.Multiplelevels of nuclear weapons oneachsideto2,200or cut innumbers,from6,000strategic society. or with nodebateeitherinCongress e tooverhaulwishes andfantasies and leafforthePentagon’stions fig plans, nuclear weapons theU.S. willpossess. reductions inthenumberofstrategic subterfuge andfarce. merely thelatestinstanceof White House their strategic nuclearweapon arsenals,is claiming torepresentradicalcutbacksin the UnitedStatesandRussiapro- xpand U.S. capabilities nucleararms latant andabsurd(excluding thenotion eapons buttodestroy all stocksintheir Y An Anti-Ballistic Missile(ABM) Treaty Alongside thisstockpiling,atreach- controlinthiscase The extent ofarms adramatic The massmediatrumpeted The treaty’s functionisapublic rela- entailsnosignificant The agreement The 2002 Treaty ofMoscow, signedby I RA P of 200 miles per hour. Masonry and Masonry of 200milesperhour. pounds persquare inchandwinds w theblast wave thisdistance, melt.At Glasswould mobile sheetmetal. concrete andsteelstructures. ev w per hour;thesetitanicforces and windsinexcess of650miles sures of25poundspersquare inch w b F rise to20milliondegrees Temperatures would two miles. downtown andreaching outfor from Ground Zero enveloping ball would form inevery direction hit amajor American city*. w This iswhat would happenifmodern nuclear ANETH idns re,cars andpeople— trees, uildings, hehi,andeverything— ahrenheit, ould create pressures of7to10 ould ripbuildings andlevel apart ould bevaporized. rtig includingreinforced erything, arheads withtheforce of20megatons of TNT W Ground Zero totwo miles: The heatwould vaporize auto- 4 to10milesfrom Ground Zero: The blast would produce pres- 2 to4milesfrom Ground Zero: ti /0 fascn,afire- ithin 1/100ofasecond, F aking Nuclear Restraint: (SALT) setlimitsonthenumberof withdrawn from thetreaty. and onmobilelaunchers. The U.S. has systems basedatsea,intheair, inspace the Soviet Union. The treatybanned ABM missile systemsby theUnitedStatesand restricted thedevelopment ofdefensive be foundinhow thethree-pagedocument 160 sparewarheads won’t becounted. heads notondeployed systems.Finally w ofweaponsgory called“responsive force” w asnonstrategic, discount240 15 fighters categorize 800warheads onF-16andF- accounting. The Pentagon willcontinueto gic warheads willbemetby morecreative heads, 656fewer thannow. and 4,910inactive: atotalof9,980war- numbers shiftto5,070active warheads “radical cutback”willhave produceda study shows thatattheendof2012, 2,686 inactive warheads in2002.NRDC’s components neededforthebigboom. heads lacktritiumandotherlimitedlife that areinactive, meaningthatthewar- f “nonstrategic” thatsitonF-16andF-15 submarines inoverhaul; bombslabeled includes suchweapons asthoseon Trident the Moscow treaty’s point, starting loons to10,656. heldbycurrently the UnitedStatesbal- the numberofstrategic nuclearweapons accounting “flexibility” iseliminated, Council (NRDC),ifthePentagon’s byreport theNaturalResourcesDefense f The Bush Administration’s Secret Plan or Strengthening U.S. Nuclear Forces, ighters or cruise missiles;andweaponsighters orcruise arheads inoverhaul andestablish acate- hich willcomprise1,670active war- A Strategic Limitation Arms Treaty The treaty’s next level ofabsurdityisto The treaty’s goalof2,200active strate- This tabulationcounts7,970active and This number, which isalmost double Responsibility. 3,000,000 people. injuries. w Another500,000 fatally injured. more than1,100,000would be Among the1,800,000survivors, e sumed by flames. this entire area would becon- Everything within square miles. covering 800 30 milesacross, moreinto agiantfirestorm than would these fires merge per hour, winds stillinexcess of100miles Fanned by blast sands offires. ae,coh aoie heating gasoline, fuel cloth, paper, f 16 milesfrom Ground Zero: w lammable materials—houses, xploded 1,000,000would die. ood frames would beleveled. ould sustainmajormedical ore Physicians for Social Source: *Assumes acityofabout W The heatwould ignitealleasily — ithin minutes afterthebomb starting hundredsstarting ofthou- a P launchers ofstrategic weapons. mament. gave thehighestprioritytonucleardisar- documentby consensus. It adopted afinal f regard he is correct. Over theCold regard heiscorrect. War the Cold War,” Bushstated, andinone gone fromthesceneby 2012. y to ensurethatthetreatyispushedforward, bear. BushandPutinaresupposedly going men whose signaturesthey happento fellow-feeling ofthe mentation onthefine tive consequences. g T ing tothetreatyprocessitself(aBush achieved inastep-by-step way isdamag- methods by which solutionsaretobe the U.S. oncerantedabout. Russia toredeploy weapons whose danger Bush I. This stepbackward willallow missiles, which had been negotiated under rent banonmultiplewarhead land-based control history, thetreatyscrapscur- And, ironiesofarms inoneofthegreat sea orland, was given aprecisenumber. area ofweaponry,past, eachspecific air, eate how weapons aretobecut.Inthe need bedismantled. 2012 cancomeandnotasingleweapon the treatyisnotextended oraugmented, if actionisdelayed endand untilthevery expires in2012. and theagreement Thus, w no timetable for the dismantlingof is designedforeasysubversion. There is irst specialsessionondisarmament okharan, intheRajasthanDesert. et itisanticipatedthateachwillbelong roundwork forfar-reaching anddestruc- eam generalstrategy) andlays the eapons intowarheads andlaunchers, •1974 First nucleartestby India,at •1978 The U.N. General Assembly’s “This treatywillliquidatethelegacy of T The treaty’s lackofconcretelimitsor Additionally, thetreatydoesnotdelin- reaties shouldnotrely fortheirimple- Hiroshima, Japan,August7,1945 agree on a final document. onafinal agree couldnot special sessionondisarmament force. e of nuclearstrategic missiles(SALT II).It Soviet Uniontolimitthenumberandtypes nuclear arsenalmoney canbewasted on. the way, buttressingits power withthebest else’s nuclearweapons, itwillbeleading ofeveryoneStates preachesthehorror more dangerous,andwhile theUnited Until thishappens,theworld willgrow w competitors;andnuclear significant racewithnoother resources onanarms stances; thesquanderingofprecious bysoning oflifeforms radioactive sub- the Cold War, includingtheextensive poi- toaddresstheactuallegacies of ernment canrallycitizenry itselftocompelitsgov- States empire. out ofanyone who challengestheUnited ing theabilitytokickorthreatenshit dominance,”spectrum afancy way ofsay- nuclear weapons asamainstay of“full and civilian government tocontinueusing desire intheeliteranksofPentagon duction ofnucleartriggers. He hasannouncedplanstoresumepro- statestoseektotaldisarmament. armed Proliferation Treaty thatrequirenuclear- those provisions oftheNon- 2002. Hehasnointentionofadheringto tled the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in other moves inthispursuit.Bushscut- wrecked thatfragileentity. tive—was built. The Bush Team has however shaky, incompleteandineffec- controlinfrastructure— decades, anarms xpired in1985withoutenteringinto eapons andpower inalltheirvariety. •1982 U.N. General Assembly’s second •1979 byAgreement theU.S. andthe The criticalquestioniswhether theU.S. ofthesame All theseactionsarepart The treatydovetails withnumerous

United Nations Photo THE INDYPENDENT JANUARY 2003 PAGE 13 400 440 160 7,200 5,900 eapons W otal Deployed T Strategic Nuclear 2 12/1 64/4 48/3 423/18 332/21 ith Hiroshima Eyes: Atomic War, Atomic Eyes: ith Hiroshima SLBMs/ SSBNs W 13 Authors of the Call hope to secure a Authors of the Call hope to of pro- is director Joseph Gerson, Ph.D., Strategic ArmsStrategic Reduction Treaty reaty (CTBT). riends Service(AFSC) in Committee rams and director of the peace and eco- rams and director of the peace testing and production of nuclear war- testing and production agreementheads, 3) Seek with Russia on verifiedthe mutual and destruction of under treaties withdrawn nuclear weapons Ban Test and 4) Ratify the Comprehensive T million signatures this year and 10 million and 10 million signatures this year presidential election. before the 2004 U.S. g American of the nomic security program F most recent book England. Gerson’s New is Imagination. Extortion, and Moral Nuclear (START II) continued the cuts initiated by (START under and the Russian Federation the U.S. I. By December 31, 2003, land- START ment treaty. It banned the production, ment treaty. stockpiling and use of chemical weapons, and committed States parties to destroy all stocks. It came into force in 1997. 550 771 ______15-20 1,336-1,341 824/47 14,100 Nuclear Stockpiles in the Nuclear Stockpiles Strategic Missile Forces and Strategic Missile Forces Major Nuclear Powers, 1999 otal T Country ICBM’s Country ICBM’s United States Russia China France Great Britain 1. Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles 2. Submarine-launched Ballistic Missiles. 3. 1. Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles 2. Submarine-launched Ballistic Missiles. Estimated. SOURCE: The Military Balance, 1999/2000, The International Institute for Strategic Studies; Natural Resources Defense Council; Center for Defense Information. Defense Council (Washington, Copyright 1998 Natural Resources DC). Reprinted by permission. Birth defects have skyrocketed in Southern Iraq since the U.S. used over 300 tons of depleted uranium weapons in the 1991 Gulf War. this end, an this end, inally, there is the revitalization of the U.S. there is the revitalization inally, manently end manently The Bush administration is on a fast-The Bush administration is on F The human Last U.S. explosive nuclear test. explosive Last U.S. adopted the Assembly •1993 General

r ashington: 1) eapons freeze eapons, 2) ehicles–bombers, intercontinental ballis- reaffirmed will that nuclear weapons military remain the cornerstone of U.S. 50 years. next for the power a missile defense system track to deploy the treaty, ABM of the with the abrogation construction base of a “missile defense” Alaska and the succession of increas- in secret and rigged testing. ingly The NPR calls infrastructure. nuclear weapons of in production for preparing for a “surge” The nuclear weapons nuclear weapons. new new production plants are to be expanded; at the nuclear design teams are to be assembled generations of research laboratories, and new are nuclear weapons to be designed and deployed. race requires the abolition of nuclear weapons. To “Urgent Call to “Urgent End the Nuclear Danger” has been lead- launched by ing figures of the 1980s nuclear w The movement. four Call makes demands on W Renounce first use of nuclear w Pe the development, Chemical Weapons Convention, the first Convention, Weapons Chemical verifiableglobally multilateral disarma- could have, and setting a limit for each of could have, nuclear delivery strategic 1,600 deployed v tic missiles and submarines. editori- Times .S. commitments to illusory nuclear The recent U.S.-Russian agreement The recent U.S.-Russian U reported cri- In one of the most widely In addition to naming Iraq, Iran, North •1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty Arms Reduction •1991 Strategic What other properties does uranium she wrote. it is pyrophoric,” “First, car- it is a potent radioactive “Second, it has a half-life of 4.5 billion “Third, has also used DU Since 1991, the U.S. eapons, the Bush administration has orea, Syria, Libya, China and Russia as China and orea, Syria, Libya, eapons in Kosovo, Yugoslavia, and Yugoslavia, eapons in Kosovo, reaty. Even the New York the New Even reaty. entagon’s “Full Spectrum Dominance” entagon’s reat momentum, cutting through tank ears, meaning the areas in which this ears, meaning the areas in which ighting are made plain with its abrogation ighting are made plain with its the production of new nuclear weapons, of new the production nuclear attacks, embracing pre-emptive nuclear attacks against and threatening countries. both nuclear and non-nuclear Bush and W. Presidents George signed by of their Vladimir Putin is a manifestation tacit alliance rather than an arms reduction committed to agreement. Neither actually a single nuclear warhead. destroying superiority and to first-strike nuclear war f Treaty Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) of the (NPR) Review in 2002, the Nuclear Policy military’s and the planned fusion of the (nuclear) and space commands. strategic Resources tiques of the NPR, the Natural that Defense Council (NRDC) concluded the Bush administration is infatuated with and is “faking nuclear nuclear weapons as it attempts to “break out” of restraint,” the nuclear Non-Proliferation (NPT) T alised on March 12, 2002 that the U.S. had alised on March 12, 2002 that the U.S. State. become a “nuclear rogue” K the admin- nuclear targets, its most likely istration is seeking to reinforce the P of Triad” commitments with a “New with weapons, nuclear and conventional and with a so-called “missile defenses,” more sophisticated technologically from infrastructure. Far nuclear weapons honoring its NPR commitments to negoti- ate the total elimination of nuclear w destruction stocks and each to of existing retain no more than 5,000 tons of chemical agents. and the the U.S. agreed to by (START) the Soviet (formerly Russian Federation Union), reducing to 6,000 the number of each country warheads” “accountable is called ‘enrichment,’” she continued. is called ‘enrichment,’” “What remains, uranium 238, is 1.7 times When incorporatedas dense as lead. into an anti-tank shell and fired, it achieves g armor a hot knife through butter.” like 238 possess? it “When it hits a tank at high speed, bursts into flames, producing aerosolized particles less than five microns in diame- making them easy to inhale into the ter, terminal air passages of the lung. Once inside the body—either in cinogen. in a wound the lung if it has been inhaled, if it penetrates flesh or ingested since it concentrates in the food chain and conta- can produce cancer in minates water—it or kidneys. the lungs, bones, blood y used will remain effec- ammunition was for the rest of time.” radioactive tively w Afghanistan. Oct ons, to The New September S. and the •1990 The U. Union Soviet agreed to stop produc- ing chemical weap begin lesson to learn, it is Baltimore Sun on Baltimore , to “rise up to save them- , to “rise up to save ERSON G September 11 y OSEPH et compared to today’s nuclear war- et compared to today’s ” she said. J attacks has been the inability of United attacks has been the inability of “By the end of that conflict,” she said, “By the end of that conflict,” “The term ‘depleted’ refers to the Helen Caldicott, Australian medical Helen Caldicott, Military planners, scientists, corporate the extraordinary dangers She explains In a piece in the Even before the trauma of the before the Even Dick President Vice Their vision, as One of the tragedies of the to bear be well it would Along the way, Y The Bush administration has exploited r, apons and war doctrine. That doctrine doctrine. apons and war an ecutives and think tanks such as the ecutives orst acts of terrorism. Y amaguchi reminded his audience that the irst atomic bombings were history’s irst atomic bombings were “the U.S. had left between 300 and 800 had left between “the U.S. tons of depleted uranium (DU) 238 in anti- on the bat- tank shells and other explosives tlefields and Saudi of Iraq, Kuwait, Arabia. of the fissionable element urani- removal um 235 through a process that ironically doctor and anti-nuclear activist, appeals to doctor and anti-nuclear activist, Americans in her 2002 book, Danger Nuclear their children, and all future gener- selves, ations” from nuclear war. ex are promoting a new Heritage Foundation of nuclear weapons nightmarish level Caldicott warns. development, of current United States nuclear strategy, sponsored by planning and development, the Bush administration. important 6, Caldicott declared that it was to recall the medical consequences of the a nuclear in effect, “It was, 1991 Iraqi war. wa September 11 attacks and the wars that wars September 11 attacks and the the Bush clear that it was followed, have leading us into a more administration was reconsolida- dangerous period of imperial tion, aggression war. nuclear and possible “the to impose put it, was Cheney arrangement [for] the 21st century.” 11 and to understand States opinion makers terror- as these communicate that, as awful act not the worst were they ist attacks were, If there of terrorism and violence in history. is is unac- that indiscriminate mass murder intolerable. ceptable, Nagasaki atom- by in mind an observation Yamaguchi. Sengi ic bomb survivor Speaking in Hiroshima last summer, Y f w heads, the Hiroshima and Nagasaki The U.S. small and primitive. bombs were on has threatened to initiate nuclear war more than 20 occasions since Nagasaki, Afghan invasion of the on the eve recently as the Bush administration pre- and now against Iraq. pares for war the anguish and confusion of the past year to promulgate a dangerous nuclear we in calls on the nation to prepare for a surge B Caldicott Warns of Nuclear War of Nuclear Caldicott Warns U.S. IS FAKING NUCLEAR RESTRAINT NUCLEAR IS FAKING U.S. A-NIGHTMARE: THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES

BY DONALD PANETH The End Times is the period during which the Apocalypse will take place. The “To exert power in every form was the Apocalypse, from the Greek word mean- essence of civilization,” wrote Lewis ing “revelation,” is used to describe the Mumford, social philosopher, historian of world’s cataclysmic end and the Second cities and architectural critic. Coming of Jesus Christ. Armageddon rep- “And now, I think, the meaning of the resents the Final Battle between Christ evolution of civilization is no longer obscure and the Anti-Christ, an evil figure whom to us. It must present the struggle between He will defeat. At the Final Judgment, Eros and death, between the instinct of life Christ will resurrect the dead and consign and the instinct of destruction.” the righteous to eternal life and the evil to And now human destiny is about to be eternal damnation. revealed—Armageddon approaches. To true believers, the end of the world On Sept. 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon seems less a threat than the fulfillment of a dropped in on the Temple Mount, igniting promise, observed Time magazine (July 1, the current Palestinian uprising. On Dec. 2002). Time took note that Kyle Watson had 12, 2000, the United States Supreme written on his prophecy news website, Court handed the presidency to George W. AtlantaChristianWeekly.com: “Try viewing Bush. On September 11, 2001, airliners prophecy and current events as how much slammed into the World Trade Center and closer we are to being with Christ in heaven.” the Pentagon, killing some 3,000 people. Other observers also look to the stars The following month, the U.S. bombed above. Karl Grossman, journalist, is the and attacked Afghanistan. author of Weapons in Space (2001). In 2002, Bush took the U.S. out of the Despite the 1967 Outer Space Treaty 1972 Antiballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, which prohibits the placing of nuclear and and directed the Pentagon to build the ini- other weapons of mass destruction in tial stage of an antimissile system in Ft. earth orbit and on celestial bodies, “The Greely, Alaska. U.S. is preparing to make space a new In early 2003, United Nations inspec- arena of war,” Grossman writes. tors searched for evidence of weapons of The U.S. Space Command’s vision for mass destruction in Iraq, and the U.S. 2020 is control of space and from there engaged in a dispute with North Korea domination of the earth. This agenda will over its decision to reinstate its nuclear require the placing in space of laser arms program. beams, orbiting battle platforms and other Will the world of tomorrow be an apoc- nuclear-powered weapons. alyptic, self-annihilating world? Globalization of the world economy will

Christian Fundamentalists put forward continue, the Space Command asserts, Artwork by Lee Gough the viewpoint of the Book of Revelation, “with a widening gap between ‘haves’ and the last book of the New Testament, a ‘have-nots.’” The view is that by control- Alternatives to apocalypse? lot less expensive. For example, $9 billion 2000-year-old work of necromancy, which ling space and the earth below, the U.S. will The reality—without reference to reli- would produce water and sanitation for all refers constantly to the earlier prophecies be able to keep those “have-nots” in line. gious texts—is that each and every prob- who lack it; $13 billion would pay for of Ezekiel, Daniel, and Isaiah. Those true Multiplication of the numbers of lem the people of the U.S. and the world basic health care and nutrition. believers, from whom Bush draws much impoverished human beings in the world faces has known and detailed solutions. The last hope for humankind requires of his support, accept the Book of is the whimper behind the big bang being The solutions are as programmatic as that ordinary people act to save a world Revelation’s end-of-the-world prophecy. planned by the U.S. military. the Pentagon’s extensive plans, though a that may well be destined to die.

APOCALYPSE: FAR RIGHT CONJURES NUCLEAR DEMONS BY MICHELLE GILKES Revelation are going to come true. is Satan’s headquarters, and an evil former found in other parts of the Bible but have The Remnant by Tim LaHaye and Jerry United Nations Secretary-General operat- been meshed into the interpretation of To the surprise of secularists, the Book B. Jenkins is a best-selling novel, the tenth ing from Iraq uses peacekeepers to Revelation. Not all Christians take the of Revelation has seeped into public con- in a series of novels which has sold more enforce global control. The series high- book literally. Mainstream Christianity sciousness. It seems commonplace nowa- than 50 million copies. The books give a lights Israel as the background for interprets the text as allegorical. days to find the media either explaining or dramatized account of what Christians Christian prophetic events. This religious The text of the Book of Revelation touting biblical prophecy. The subject call the Tribulation, the period of seven worldview could explain the reasoning mostly presents an array of esoteric sym- gained the cover of Time magazine in years when the Anti-Christ (Satan’s front behind the Christian Coalition’s stand on bols and violent predictions of God’s 2002 as well as an in-depth study by man) takes over the earth. Israel during their 2002 “Road to Victory” wrath visited on a sinful mankind. There Frontline. The entertainment industry has However, LaHaye is not your ordinary conference of which the Washington Post are seven seals which when broken take often used prophesy as fodder for enter- spinner of tales. According to the Institute wrote: “For more than two hours, promi- peace from the earth and spread death, tainment whether for films—“The for First Amendment Studies, he is nent conservatives… declared that the U.S pestilence, famine, earthquakes and heav- Omen,” “End of Days,” “The Seven founder of the Christian Heritage College, must help protect and preserve Israel at all enly signs. Seals”—or Marilyn Manson crowning member of the executive board of the costs, expand the nation’s current borders, If one adheres to End Times beliefs, himself as “Anti-Christ Superstar.” Moral Majority and on the editorial board and forget about an independent Revelation can only inspire fear and Why is the apocalypse being discussed of the Christian Enquirer. Most impor- Palestine.” paranoia. seriously by conventional news outlets? tantly, he was a founding father of the According to James Tabor, professor in The dangers of the apocalyptic world Because so many people seem to accept a Council for National Policy, an influential the Department of Religious Studies at the view is perhaps best described by Chip system of religious doctrine concerning conservative group whose members University of North Carolina, much of the Berlet, author of Dances With Devils, who last or final matters. It even shapes their include Oliver North, Jack Kemp, Pat chronology Christians attribute to writes, “Ritual purification campaigns by political judgments. A Time/CNN poll Robertson and Jesse Helms. The NCP Revelation is not in the text. There is no the Christian Right continue to spread found that 33 percent of Americans are hosts illustrious guest speakers such as reference to an Anti-Christ, Rapture divisiveness. For some apocalyptic paying more attention to how the news George W. Bush. (when Christians will suddenly rise to Christians, the End Times have arrived, might relate to biblical prophesy, while 59 So it may be no surprise to learn that heaven and the rest will be left behind) or and the witch hunt for satanic agents has percent said they believed the events in The Remnant offers a plot where Baghdad the Tribulation. Those three references are begun in earnest.” JANUARY 2003 JANUARY

based ICBMs with multiple independent- deadline was extended to December 31, •1996 The unanimously that the nuclear-weapon ly-targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRCs) 2007. International Court of States had “an obligation to … bring to a were to be completely eliminated with nei- •1995 The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Justice, in an advisory conclusion negotiations leading to

THE INDYPENDENT ther side having more than 3,000-5,000 Treaty was indefinitely extended, with opinion sought by the nuclear disarmament.” strategic nuclear warheads. START II was strengthened accountability arrangements, U.N. General Assembly Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) ratified by the U.S. in 1996 and in 2000 incorporation into a process of annual on the legality of the to stop all explosive nuclear tests adopted by the Russian Federation. Under a 1997 preparatory meetings leading up to five- threat or use of nuclear by a vote of 158 to 3 with 5 abstentions in

AGE 14 Helsinki Protocol, the implementation year review conferences. weapons and agreed the General Assembly, after Conference on P THE INDYPENDENT JANUARY 2003 PAGE 15 New York New Disarmament: A Basic Guide by Disarmament: er plant operators will run nuclear make matters worse, in mid-January, a in mid-January, worse, matters make

w xas terminated its prison contract with Source: •Jan. 10, 2003 North Korea announced •Jan. 10, 2003 North Korea ainst the construction of the nuclear Currently the private firmCurrently the private Wackenhut Te the oversees Wackenhut And now To is to stay from Entergy Still the word dis- A recent booklet on Indian Point "The current plan is a sham that has put However, today’s operating nuclear today’s However, the Direct and hidden subsidies increase artificiallyMeanwhile, cheap nuclear Po in is an environmentalist Auster Adam State governments could buy and close State governments ackenhut after reports ackenhut that guards were ould require the active intervention of ould require the active ould fail in the event of a nuclear disaster. of a nuclear disaster. ould fail in the event ork Public Interest Group. “This threat ork Public ataki confirmed critics, the fears of many inding that the county’s evacuation plan evacuation inding that the county’s imes. employs the workers at Indian Point Unit at Indian Point the workers employs corpora- the Entergy by is owned 2, which is the second-largest Wackenhut tion. of security services in the coun- provider try with cutting and has long been charged security costs and hiring unqualified staff to maximize profit. W Mexico abusing inmates. In New sexually prisons, nine stabbings and five murders all within watch, occurredWackenhut’s on the first of operations. Investigative year said of the situation: journalist Palast Greg operated prisons privately Mexico's “New vio- are filledAmerica's impoverished, with lent outcasts—and those are the guards.” guards at Indian Point. calm and be patient. Westchester tributed to residents of to react in the event County discussed how as should evacuate You of a disaster: " … will have but you as possible, promptly plenty of time to leave." at risk for Yorkers of New the lives said John Flanigan of the New decades,” Y City York New has been looming over need We cloud for too long. a black like this ticking time bomb once to shut off and for all.” new study commissioned by Gov. George Gov. study commissioned by new P f w Public Pressure plants may be vulnerable to public pres- to public be vulnerable plants may sure against their operating subsidies. profitability of operat- and attractiveness confer the They ing nuclear plants. to are cheaper appearance that the nukes are. really operate than they efficiency discourages energy and power boosts demand for electricity. plants as long as the subsidies flow—but and gov- policy through public flow they ernment blessing. member of a staff MA; he was Cambridge, campaigned Alliance which the Clamshell ag NH. plant at Seabrook, power both insulated from public participation from public both insulated pro-nuclear. and solidly much as the Long Island nuclear plants, sold its Shoreham reac- Lighting Company Authority for tor to the Long Island Power a strategy $5 billion in 1992—but such w basis. on a plant-by-plant state government that it was withdrawing from the 1968 withdrawing that it was its with- Treaty; Nuclear Non-proliferation in three months. effect take would drawal Bhaskar Menon (UN 2001); T ithout this public funding, utilities ithout this public et there are formidable obstacles to •2000 Sixth five-year review confer- •2000 Sixth five-year review Y Nuclear safety and security are regulat- The singular vulnerability of nuclear reac- The regional anti-nuclear alliances of the anti-nuclear The regional While concern acci- about catastrophic Although Congress regula- and federal W eapons.” The next review conference is review The next eapons.” oint reactors 25 miles north of Manhattan. reaty declared that “total elimination of either abandoned their nuclear expansion either abandoned their nuclear bankrupt. plans or went (D-NY) accused the NRC of failing to protect nuclear sites from attacks after Sept. 11. Clinton called for a federal secu- rity coordinator for each nuclear power plant and the creation of federal teams to protect plants from attacks. Nuclear Power Today closing the plants. that is a federal bureaucracy by ed solely tors to terrorist calls to attack has led to new Indian two close plants such as Entergy’s P movement against nuclear energy. against nuclear movement direct action to dra- 1970s used nonviolent issues and confront the matize nuclear safety nuclear industry—tactics mass led to which arrests around the country catapulted and spotlight. into the public nuclear power radiation led dents and routine releases of against nuclear power, the movement finance soon targeted activists as the vulnerability. key industry’s ignored calls for reform of tors generally state gov- nuclear safety and operations, ernments from yielded to pressure to reject electric rates and loans to activists for nuclear construction. pay ence of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation T guarantee is the only nuclear weapons against the use or threat of use of nuclear w scheduled to be held in 2005. nuclear weapons. OF NUCLEAR POWER IN THE U.S. POWER IN OF NUCLEAR INDIAN POINT BY THE NUMBERS adopted a new strategic doctrine, strategic adopted a new

2: Number of atomic reactors currently operating at Indian Point. 1,960: Megawatt-hours produced by both reactors at full power. 2,000,000: The number of average homes that can be powered. percent capacity). $438 million: Annual gross income of Indian Point complex (100 miles of Indian Point. 21,000,000: The number of people living and working within 50 resolution 40+: Number of counties, municipalities, and school boards passing calling for Indian Point closure and evacuation plan overhaul. nuclear power safety ranking among 103 currently operating U.S. 103rd: Indian Point’s 2,400: Number of backlogged repairs at Indian Point reactors. (NRC) “Peak Injury”50 miles: Radius of the Nuclear Regulatory Zone. Commission’s “Peak Fatality” Zone. 17.5 miles: Radius of NRC’s Point. 10 miles: Evacuation zone in the event of catastrophic event at Indian evacuation plan. 6-8: Number of hours advance notice of catastrophe required by highways that exit the 10-mile radius. 0: Number of four-lane the current plan. 1: Number of cars each family will use to evacuate, according to given family will be on any given day. number of locations any 3: Average simultaneously. 500,000: Cars that could be attempting to exit the 10-mile radius 100: Evacuation plan percent of children in schools whom parents must abandon to the 100: Percent of parents who must evacuate without their school-age children, according to 0: Probability that most parents will willingly evacuate separately from their children. $5-10 billion: Cost of a truly effective evacuation plan, including several 8-lane radial high- Sources: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NYS Assembly Reports, Poughkeepsie (NY) or instance, nuclear plant operators do or instance, nuclear plant operators TO •1998 India and Pakistan conducted •1998 India and Pakistan meeting of •1999 50th anniversary In early January, Sen. Hillary Clinton January, In early The technical problems of splitting the The technical problems Other subsidies are embedded in the Other subsidies F Additional subsidies are related to uncom- Additional subsidies are related astes for hundreds of thousands of years. aces in the event of a nuclear accident; lax reg- of a nuclear accident; aces in the event plants. evacuation process. the plan. ways and feeder roads, shelters, system-wide communications, training, dedicated staff, dedi- planning, drills, tests, etc. cated vehicles, medical response capability, Nuclear Control Institute, Pace Times, Journal, Union of Concerned Scientists, New York Marist College, Nuclear Energy Project, Natural Resources Defense Council, Riverkeeper, Radiation and Public Health Medical Center, Information and Resource Service, Westchester Project, and calculations from data in those sources. nuclear tests and declared themselves States. nuclear weapon NA The affirming the role of nuclear weapons. also set out a new Russian Federation affirmed doctrine, and strategic a role for federal government and Nuclear federal government been Regulatory Commission (NRC) have assailed for failing to increase repeatedly proper precautions in security or to take of an attack. the event Anti-Nuclear Power atom to make electricity have been subject electricity have atom to make to intense debate among experts since the inception in the 1950s. industry’s not until the 1970s that it was However, a grassrootssafety concerns galvanized such as the liability exemption that saved exemption such as the liability the industry$359 million in avoided in 1999. insurance costs not been structure of the industry have and estimated in dollars. fully not bear the cost of cancers, birth defects, immunity genetic damage or lowered fabrica-related to uranium mining, fuel or routine leaks waste tion, radioactive and emissions from nuclear plants. from effects and health pensated environmental fuel; a legal the mining and milling of nuclear plant operator limit to the liability that a nuclear f to run nukes for cheaper and ulation, allowing but at greater of the year risk; and more days the Congressional by agreement (after lobbying over to take nuclear industry) for government job of storing nuclear the dirty and expensive w USTER URKE A B IKE DAM enty million people live within a enty million people live oday, hidden operating subsidies hidden operating oday, M A Indian Point Plagued by Security Failures Indian Point Plagued •1997 A comprehensive ban on anti-per- A comprehensive •1997 y legislative priority. But at Indian Point priority. y legislative "This report suggests that security at In the 18 months after the Sept. 11 But a recently released study by Indian released study by But a recently The security guards work up to 16 The security guards work These are not the security guards at the Tw T such by These include direct outlays The hidden strength of the nation’s 103 of the nation’s The hidden strength and protections guarantees Government plan, and the fate of the nuclear Nixon’s ork drunk. omen entrusted to protect perhaps the Y Y oint’s owner revealed that 81 percent of revealed owner oint’s xperience. Some even show up for show xperience. Some even xisting reactors. The subsidies include xisting reactors. ied and under-trained in key security in key ied and under-trained inancial risk. In 1973, President Nixon inancial risk. In 1973, President Disarmament was unable to reach consensus unable Disarmament was Senate The U.S. it negotiated. on the text rejected the treaty in 1999. sonnel land mines and destruction of exist- ing stocks agreed to through a process initi- organizations. non-governmental ated by refused to adhere to the ban. The U.S. guards felt they could not adequately pro- could not adequately guards felt they tect the site from an attack. has more holes than Swiss Indian Point cheese," said Sen. Charles Schumer (D- NY). so- Washington, and York attacks in New called homeland security has become a ke the and nuclear sites across the country, 50-mile radius of Indian Point's reactors. 50-mile radius of Indian Point's An attack on the facility could have ren- consequences and could apocalyptic City metro area York der the entire New is no And such an attack uninhabitable. on Sept. to many: longer inconceivable planes that crashed hijacked 11 the two flew directly over Towers into the Twin nuclear site in the Indian Point Buchanan. P B Follow the Money B hours a day, sometimes for seven days sometimes for seven hours a day, Their confi- straight. Morale is low. be even dence in management may admit being under-quali- They lower. f very little often have Also, they aspects. e w local shopping mall, but the men and w York facility in the New most sensitive nuclear power area, the Indian Point plant. underwrite the profitability of running e more than $145 billion in direct federal the aid since 1947, according to a study by Project. Policy Energy Renewable Research and agencies as the Energy Administration ($326 mil- Development lion in 1999 alone) and indirect subsidies nuclear power plants lies in the massive sub- plants lies in the massive nuclear power them profitable.sidies that made and keep weak- a hidden But these subsidies have pressure. ness—their vulnerability to public nuclear electric utilities to build enabled without plants in the 1960s and 1970s f effort announced a Manhattan Project-style (but govern- to complete a thousand private 2000. the year reactors by ment-backed) citizen activists foundered when industry, and ended nuclear constructiontargeted this fund- Without subsidies in the 1980s. ing, construction ground a halt. to HIDDEN SUBSIDIES SUBSIDIES HIDDEN PAGE 16 THE INDYPENDENT JANUARY 2003 Michael GraetzBoulder, CO Theguyintheblacktshirt Tucson, AZ abroad orathome. and corporate-ledglobalizationarequestioningwhethersuchasystemcouldeverproducejustice would beanunwiseuseofAmericanpowerwhilemanyothershavebeguntodrawlinksbetweenwar 15.Someparticipantsseektostopthewarbecausetheybelieveit protests areexpectedFebruary 18-20tohonorMartinLutherKingandspeakoutagainstthewar.January Evenlargerworldwide Sandton, IdahoandKingston,NewYork. HundredsofthousandsmoreAmericanstooktothestreets towns butinunlikelyplacessuchasAugusta,Georgia,SiouxCity, SouthDakota,Centralia,Washington, ins anddie-insbegantakingplacewithincreasingfrequencynotonlyinbigcitiesliberalcollege Boulder123 Pasadena,CA ple. Marches,rallies,vigils,banner-hangs,teach- W weeks laterwithananti-warmarchin andfollowed Our Nameralliesacrossthecountry the AfghanbombingOct.6withspiritedNotIn of 11, protestersmarkedthefirstanniversary descended onmuchofAmericaafterSeptember Shaking offthefearanduncertaintythathad stepped upitscallsforpre-emptivewaronIraq. emerged lastfallastheBushadministration A broad,diversenewanti-warmovement ashington thatdrewupwardof100,000peo- Visualize Resistance Gerald PenaflorAloha,HI Anonymous Philadelphia,PA T om BottoleneTwin Cities,MN Ben KingKnoxville,TN Fred AskewWashington, DC Boulder123 LosAngeles,CA THE INDYPENDENT JANUARY 2003 PAGE 17 David Meinhardt Madison, WI Ella Ft. Benning, GA Garth Liebhaber Chicago, IL lished? Send an e-mail inquiry to [email protected]. Shamar Brown Austin, TX Interested in having a photo essay pub- The Black Ops Crew Boston, MA Brian Marsh Oakland, CA Robert Baxter Seattle, WA Fred Askew New York, NY Fred Askew New York, Cindy McIntyre Camden, ME a collaboration of IMC photographers around the country photographers of IMC a collaboration om King Salt Lake City, UT om King Salt Lake City, T Boulder123 San Francisco, CA PAGE 18 THE INDYPENDENT JANUARY 2003 o giant state- oil andPDVSA, its largest producerofcrude V revolves aroundcontrolofoil. and recalcitrantbusinesslaborleaders ness leadersagainsttheworking poor. nation’s mostpowerful unioncontinuessidingwithbusi- V ev cratically electedgovernment ofHugoChavez. The day’s the two menfortheirrepeatedefforts totopplethedemo- labor union.Outside,pot-bangingprotestersdenounced presidentoftheCTV,Carlos Ortega, Venezuela’s largest Rockefeller’s Councilofthe Americas. At hissidewas commerce, recently spoke inNew York atDavid B What’s withallthestrikes? retain histenuousholdonpower. ov as well ashiswork tosolidifyhiscontrol enfranchised thepoor. The referendums, recent constitutionalreferendumsthat in April of2002by forcesangeredover soured. Chavez coup survived amilitary affected thepoorafteroilboom terity policiesthatdisproportionately administration which implementedaus- coup in1992againstthe Andres-Perez r ment. tion offorcesfromlaborandmanage- “Coordinadora Democratica,” acoali- “Chavistas” –andtheopposition, President HugoChavez’s backers – V coupof Since thefailed April 2002, pants battered, bruised, andeven dead. day inCaracas,oftenleaving partici- counter-demonstrations markatypical in Venezuela. Demonstrationsand the nearly two-month nationalstrike so doesviolenceandthestakes in Coordinadora Democratica President HugoChavez B wned enezuela istheworld’s fifth enezuela’s ongoingeconomicandpoliticalcrisis:the Y ural Venezuela, Chavez ledamilitary I N OIISI VENEZUELA IN POLITICS AND OIL The struggle betweenThe struggle Venezuela’s government Carlos Fernandez, presidentof Venezuela’s chamberof ents highlightedoneofthemoststrikingfeatures enezuela hasbeencaughtbetween Y Sometimes calledthe“opposition,” toschoolteachersin A mestizoborn As therhetoricintensifies, er themilitary, have allowed Chavez to J B OHN ENNETT T ARLETON B A UMER ly V asmany reform rights—an important poor alsogainedconstitutionalland nity bodiesdecision-makingpowers. The thatgaveinstitutional structures commu- f through referendumsduringChavez’s They voted constitutionalchanges paid areChavez’s mainbaseofsupport. the chronically unemployed andunder- CTV union The Poor many say would beunconstitutional. other thanChavez’s which departure, aclearlistofdemands not puttingforth that theoppositionhascrippleditselfby referendum onhispower. Analysts argue strike istheousterofChavez througha central demandduringthenational w in theoppositionarelightskinned, oil industry, andthemiddleclass.Most ment, unionsrepresentingworkers inthe irst years, providing themselves with enezuelans live onlandthatisnotlegal- ealthy professionals. The coalition’s

“Confederacion de Trabajadores Estimated atalmosthalfofthecountry, theirs. o wners, oil industry manage- wners, oilindustry comprised ofbusiness tion ofthe sent atiny frac- company’s 40,000workers repre- of the80percent Venezuelans who live inpoverty. The of dollarsinoilrevenues askey thelives totransforming tized. Chavez andhisfollowers seethecompany’s billions with PDVSA initsefforts tohave thecompany priva- in Venezuela andtheirunion(ledby hassided Ortega) national budget.Oilworkers areamongthehighestpaid accounts for80%ofthecountry’s andhalfthe exports oil monopoly, that isa$50billionperyear enterprise Democratica is Coordinadora the Who arethe that hasshutdown oilproduction. CTV workers arethebackboneofastrike president throughfraudulentelections. theunion’sCarlos Ortega, leader, became in theopposition.Criticscharge that oil industry, isthemostinfluentialunion V porters haveporters protestedthebiasedcoverage ters during April. Although Chavez sup- Owners ofthepressmetwithcoupplot- uniformly backstheoppositiontoChavez. production. have aidedtheCTVinshuttingdown oil and itsstrikingtopmiddlemanagers PDVSA isthestate-owned oilcompany deliveringOrtega, updatesonthestrike. regularly ontelevision with the CTV’s F ness intheprivate sector. The presidentof ment, thoughitsaimistopromotebusi- F andoilplayers.main business The Press Business andOil edecamaras, CarlosFernandez, appears withthegovern-edecamaras isaffiliated enezolanos,” representingworkers inthe The private Venezuelan pressalmost F edecamaras andPDVSA arethetwo players? pipelines, tankers and other ships, trucks andkeypipelines, tankers andotherships,trucks points ex Caracas,oilcompanyupscale neighborhoodsofeastern early electionshasbeenaflopmainly limitedtothe launched December2inordertoforceChavez tocall V labor forcebutarestrategically placedtowreakhavoc on ex clique ofover-paid coup-plottersafterthe andcorrupt V Giordano says, “itwillbeknown asthemonththat enezuela’s economy. enezuelan democracy took its oil industry backfroma enezuelan democracy tookitsoilindustry partner inanypartner new energy venture in Venezuela. While thebusiness-led“generalstrike” thatwas “When the final history iswrittenofDec.2002,” history “When thefinal ecutives triedtosabotageit.” ecutives presidedover thesabotageofpumps, in theflow totheconsumerthat ofoilfromtheground decree thatmakes thegovernment themajority be ontheway asChavez implementsaNov. 2001 has reducedoilproductionfrom3millionto w 600,000 barrels perday.600,000 barrels Someexecutives also Tw ere fired in mid-January andmorechangescould inmid-January ere fired ten extensively aboutthe Venezuelan crisis. made public statements thatsupplieshadbeen Narconews.com’s Al Giordano,who haswrit- o thousanddissidentmanagersandemployees contaminated and oil facilities booby-trappedcontaminated andoilfacilities es thatthey have caused,” notes suing themforthemillionsofdollarsloss- to causeenvironmental disastersifrestarted. locking themupinGuantanamoBay, and The shutdown hascostthegovernment $4 independent unionmovements inMexico Local 1199SEIUandhasworked with an “axisofgood”withCubaandBrazil. Chavez ironically saidhewanted tocreate offoodandoil. economic helpintheform have offered Chavez and moralsupport neutralstance.CubaandBrazil officially April, althoughithasnow assumedan w now backsChavez. disloyal elements,themilitary military regain thePresidency. After apurge ofthe Chavezsectors supported andhelpedhim April 2002coupattempt,thoughcertain F and newspapers. censor theprivately owned TV stations Chavez himself hastaken few stepsto from anti-government mediaoutlets, Other Nations Military the White House callingthemterrorists, edecamaras bossPedro inthe Carmona inside theUnitedStates,we would see hen hemomentarily seizedpower in billion, according to Rafael Ramirez, billion, accordingtoRafael Bennett Baumerisanorganizer for The U.S. hastily recognized Carmona backed ex-Most ofthemilitary “If they hadtriedanything like this the ministerofenergy andmines. THE INDYPENDENT JANUARY 2003 PAGE 19 Manna Jo Greene says she’ll Protesting is good for you. A Organizers for the Stop the War Organizers for the A pair of train drivers in west- racks “do whatever it takes” to stop a war in Iraq. For Greene, a 57-year- old environmental activist from that means trav- upstate New York, eling to Iraq as a human shield against U.S. bombs. As part of the “Become the Change” campaign, Greene is headed to Iraq to live with the Iraqi people before bombs begin falling. Greene believes that “the fact that 5,000 Americans are willing to do this will deter the For more information, visit war.” www.becomethechange.org. British study published last month at the University of Sussex ana- lyzed 160 protests of 40 activists to obtain the results. "The main fac- tors contributing to a sense of empowerment were the realization the sense of the collective identity, of movement potential, unity and mutual support within a crowd," John said social psychologist Dr. Drury in a statement. In other words, taking action can translate into support within the protest group that can help an individual overcome stress, pain, anxiety and depression. The positive feelings appeared to have a long-lasting effect. “Empowering events were almost without exception described as joyous occasions,” said Drury. Coalition expect 10 million people Coalition expect to participate in a worldwide to be held on peace protest February the 15 under Saturday, attack Iraq.” There slogan of “Don't Oslo, will be protests in New York, Berlin, Bangkok, Ramallah, Rome, Cairo, Copenhagen, London, Manila, Amsterdam, Paris, Athens, Stockholm, Glasgow, Antwerp, Skopje, Barcelona, The Helsinki, Belfast, and more. 15 protest was inspired by a Nov. anti-war protest of 500,000 people the in Florence, Italy that capped first-ever European Social Forum. Organizers predict February’s largest- event will be the world’s ever simultaneous political demon- stration. ernJan. 8 to Scotland refused transport arms believed to be des- tined for British forces in the Persian Gulf. The anti-war revolt was the first such industrial action by British workers since 1973 when dockworkers refused to load mili- munitions intended for Chile’s tary regime led by Gen. Augusto Pinochet. NY Woman Heads NY Woman for Iraq as Human Shield Protesting Makes Me Smile 10 Million to March 10 Million on February 15 Halting the War Machine in Its T ggy Gish or more information, see www.iraq- information, or more amilies joke around and tease each amilies joke y North Korea even wants nuclear wants even y North Korea y they are doing this. y they They’re doing this because they fear the doing this because they They’re as a deterrent.” Stephen Schwartz, publisher of the publisher Stephen Schwartz, When North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Il When North Korea’s from the nuclear withdrew North Korea In 1994, the U.S. and North Korea came and North Korea In 1994, the U.S. Theresa Kubasak Jan. 1, 2003 Life Goes On The longer I’m here, the more I see F Pe Dec. 26, 2002 F These generous men, like all others we men, like These generous treat Iraq as guilty until do they “Why food pressing more were And then they most It was My throat ached with tears. here all of this may lead us. lead us. here all of this may ater reactors by 2003, North Korea agreed 2003, North Korea ater reactors by eapons. However, he does believe the situ- he does believe eapons. However, a country give eapons. “Nuclear weapons to understand have We orea does not have. eapons development. .S. Kim Jong Il is using nuclear weapons .S. Kim Jong Il is using nuclear weapons .S. has responded by alternately threaten- alternately .S. has responded by ork and activity. New buildings arise out New ork and activity. eace seems very faint in my own country." own eace seems very faint in my xchange for a U.S. promise not to attack, xchange for a U.S. inancial aid if North Korea dismantles the inancial aid if North Korea U Bulletin for Atomic Scientists, says it’s Atomic Scientists, says Bulletin for nuclear has Northunclear whether Korea w people to ask ation is dangerous and urges wh w North of prestige, which a certain level K wh admitted last October to a secret uranium interpreted Washington enrichment program, it as a violation of 1994 agreement and halt- of fuel oil supplies in December. ed delivery Jan. 10 and the Treaty Non-Proliferation U ing food sanctions that could kill millions in Stalinist state and offering the impoverished f inspec- plant and submits to UN weapons people are just wondering tions. Many w together on an “Agreed Framework.” In Framework.” on an “Agreed together e tons of heavy of 500,000 an annual supply light fuel oil and an agreement to build two w its graphite-moderated reactor to shut down and to suspend its nuclear Yongbyon at w behind the outward picture of normalcy, the normalcy, picture of behind the outward that the people more I feel the heaviness But I also carry day. go through the as they see a very strong spirit and sense of deter- the to rise above mination to survive, for the if it is only even moments of despair, are times of there Yet children. of their sake celebration and joy. of the rubble. Musicians continue to make As much as pos- music that brings them life. life goes on…. in the face of war, even sible, peaceteam.org. talk to all over Iraq, insist that they have no have Iraq, insist that they talk to all over American people. the hard feelings towards in evil the “one main source of view They to be the current adminis- now” the world Washington. tration in ask. innocent?” they proven sugared for stay upon us, insisting that we tea served in little glasses in the traditional good wish- pressing upon us their Iraqi way, left. es as we to be treated with such “Christian humbling in Muslims on Christmas Day kindness” by of the image of the Prince when a year P and mischevious. Children are playful other. The streets of Baghdad still bustles with w shared a lunch of olives and rice, hum- shared a lunch of olives

ation made an unexpected visit to a groupation made an unexpected However, eased relations between the two eased relations between However, The recent election victory of President- between little-to-no dialogue There was and the U.S. between The recent standoff D’Ann Johnson Jan. 12, 003 Baghdad Symphony the imagine Iraq, imagine "When you presented Some of our members had lighted they failed, the power And when Gabe Huck Jan. 2, 2003 Christmas at a Mosque our del- for example, "On Christmas Day, us These men welcomed Muslim clerics. "The mosque in which we sat together was sat together we "The mosque in which oreans and skeptical toward his toward oreans and skeptical orea’s ambitions for a nuclear weapons orea’s olicy Education Project at the Friends olicy ear in office. Then on Jan. 29, 2002 the ear in office. or these are the women of constant sorrow." women or these are the K of peaceful engagement “Sunshine” policy with the North. and dialogue led to increasing personal countries have contact among people of both countries and more economic cooperation. “The Sunshine Karin says has been very successful,” policy Asia Lee, a senior associate at the East P “Kim Committee on National Legislation. South Korea Dae Jung changed the way The Sunshine interacts with North Korea. South Koreans has changed the way policy the North.” view elect Roh Moo Hyun is a harbinger of changing attitudes. Roh, a former human is a firm supporterrights lawyer, of former and calls “Sunshine” policy President Kim’s for continued engagement with the North. of His opponent Lee Hoi Chang, a favorite the Bush administration, endorsed a less policy. open North Korea first during Bush’s and North Korea the U.S. y in included North Korea President suddenly Since that time, relations the “axis-of-evil.” further. deteriorated even have has brought to light a number North Korea aside— swept of serious issues previously one of the most important being North K program. Baghdad Symphony. Baghdad Symphony. Vancouver them with a gift from the rests strings and chin things like Symphony, any here and such that are not available has But the 50-member symphony longer. one of the sym- on. In conversation, played had been what asked members was phony and the war the hardest thing for him about "When a missile The answer: the sanctions. children." two house and killed my hit my the Baghdad at were The night we Bach and Bizet. played they Symphony playing." candles and kept eg of Sunni and Shiite local and sent a messenger to invite sitting on carpets, Together, Christian clergy. we F mus and chicken. The Muslim clerics want- mus and chicken. consider as ed us to understand that they “of brothers and sisters all men and women the Book”- Muslims, Christians and Jews. are not us to understand that they urged They told us They fundamentalists or terrorists. is for peace." that their constant prayer both 1991 the United States in bombed by will rebuild and 1998; the Muslims said they it “again and again and again” as necessary. e're interested in peace on the Korean oices in the Wilderness: oices orea, commented on the Charlie Rose osture Review which listed North which Korea osture Review engage in open dialogue with North with engage in open dialogue or furniture remaining to sell for food. Since September 2002, seasoned nonvio- Since September of Basra The Women port once a beautiful, thriving "Basra was lost husbands of Basra have The women of war from 10 years down are worn They from to extract There is no more suffering Shortly after the Bush administration took Shortly W before its recent “shift” to final- However, Donald peace parley, Soon after Bush’s K seem stressed that NorthGregg Koreans reasons including Bush’s for several P

orea, the U.S. attitude toward the North attitude toward orea, the U.S. no longer harbor hostile rela- orea would .S.’s swift victory in Afghanistan and the victory swift in .S.’s V IN IRAQ THE GROUND FROM REPORT Bush’s Bullying Frays U.S.-North Bullying Korean Bush’s Relations lent activists from voices in the Wilderness in the voices from lent activists been on the ground people in with the have to at the same time working of Iraq while a US attack. Here are excerpts from prevent some of their recent reports: As city in the southern partthe country. of runs river Iraqi cities, a with most large desertthrough it, bringing life to the and its Arab that al inhabitants. In Basra, it is the Shat the prominent feature of the area. once was flows that This peaceful, meandering river through the city is a mocking reminder slowly its boundaries. of the danger that lies outside to the way and the marshlands give The river States the United of Death-where Highway left army-and bombed a retreating Iraqi identifies now behind what this land-land- mines, depleted uranium, nuclear waste. have They and children to leukemia. to war or with such born more children prematurely deformities wished that God had that they are They child from their wombs. the taken their hair falls out, their sleepless, hungry, no jewel- no work, have They milk dries up. ry seen more troubles have And they with Iran. daily of harsh sanctions. Now with 12 years their bombing attacks and air raid sirens keep the bed at night. children scared and wetting all sorrow known have who these women No pleasure on earth that they their days. seeing their faces you Without found. have and their can see the grief of the women in the their sorrow wear They daughters. relief that The only folds of their garments. is the passing from this life. know may they as one of seven countries the U.S. may pre- may countries the U.S. as one of seven the with nuclear weapons, strike emptively U fear in Iraq. North Korea’s build-up for war has not been next be attacked that it may dispelled. dismissed the office in Jan. 2001, the U.S. usefulness of talking with North Korea. Kim Dae President When South Korean he that February, Washington Jung visited found Bush to be distrustful of the North peninsula," President Bush said in early January after meeting with South Korean and Japanese diplomats. ly K with harsh rhetoric and has been marked cold behavior. Ambassador to South formerGregg, U.S. not gotten have “The North Koreans Show, it got Administration what from the Bush is a Administration, which from the Clinton and North [U.S.] we joint statement saying K for work each other and we’d tions toward relations.” improved fear an attack from the U.S. to genuinely ‘axis-of-evil’ comments, the 2002 Nuclear PAGE 20 THE INDYPENDENT JANUARY 2003 Plants Breed withWild Modified Crops GM-oh!: Genetically Not Bombs Food Lula toArmy: Children Die. Fight. Women and War:Modern Men Caught Napping UK NukePlant the F-16. makerof based Lockheed-Martin, plane contract,amongthemU.S.- peting towinthecovetedfighter foreign companieshavebeencom- social problemhistoppriority. Five da Silvahasmadeeliminatingthe incoming presidentLuizInacioLula lion peoplesufferfromhungerand buying usedaircraft. likerentingor cheaper alternatives er planes,sayingitwouldlookfor purchase ofadozennewjetfight- recently suspendeda$760million arms.” that infringesthe“righttobear promised toblockanyagreement treatynegotiator US arms In2001,a tional criminalcourt. Child andhasblockedaninterna- Convention ontheRightsof US— hasrefusedtoratifytheUN world’s dealer—the biggestarms education. Unfortunately, the tiny sumsavailableforhealthand a conflict,eatingintothealready countries oftensupplybothsidesin in warsfrom1986-1996.Western more thantwomillionchildrendied taken placeinpoorcountries,and conflicts sinceWorld War IIhave hardest. Over85percentofmajor women, children,andthepoor tradehits arms the international revealsthat Advocacy International Press. smashed,” hetoldtheAssociated broken throughandadoor the insulationafterafencewas act whichhascauseddamageto a totallyirresponsibleandcriminal demned theprotestasastunt.“Itis maintainance manager, con- ties. MikeHarrison,theplant’s Sizewell Bandothernuclearfacili- break-in toexposepoorsecurityat nuclear energy, saiditstagedthe which campaignsforanendto England.Greenpeace, eastern Sizewell Bnuclearpowerstationin the centralcontrolbuildingof wire-cutters Jan.13tobreakinto testers usedropes,laddersand grown commerciallyinBritain. whether GMcropsshouldbe studywas to determine government astating,” notingthatthesix-year Independent calledtheresults“dev- well aswithweeds.TheUK with conventionalrapecrops,as oil seedrape(canola)crossbred Affairs onDec24revealsthatGM Environment, Food,andRural lished bytheUK’s of Department pub- with non-GMones,areport modified (GM)cropscrossbreed biotech companiesthatgenetically 25 millionoutofBrazil’s 175mil- Brazil’s newleftistgovernment byChild A recentreport More than30anti-nuclearpro- Despite yearsofdenialby in almosttwo years. The lastZapatista the ZapatistaCommandandrank-and-file Betrayal andOblivion the town.” Lord, Ithinkthey’re down goingtoburn that awoman next to memuttered, “Oh responded withsuchahell-raisingclamor Commandante Tacho.crowdshouted The condemned. “Are we heretosurrender?” ofBushandBinLaden and terrorism Dignity.Rebellion And Evictions From Montes Azules, Globalize andrepressive PRI,No equals thecorrupt decessor, Zedillo,Fox’s Ernesto PAN party uncompromising: Fox isthesameashispre- banners andspeechesfromthestagewere The moodwas combative andthechants, torches. and sticks,holdingupburning from themultitude,bangingtheirmachetes David asked acrowd fromthepodium. that thereisnoconflict,” Comandante A NightTo Remember the conflicthasenteredanew phase. future, theinsurgents madeitclearthat enraged. anuncertain As Chiapasfaces are stillorganized, stillmilitantand the ninthanniversary oftheuprising,they how we have maintainedourrebellion!” shine brightsothatthepeoplecansee hashardlystruggle begun. Letthefires f Lee commandedthecadretobuildbigger rounding streets. aroundthecentralplazaandsur- bonfires neyed fromallover Chiapasandlithuge masked militantsoftheEZLNhave jour- ed oflocalsandsecurityforces. The control ofSanCristobal,which isdesert- 20,000 spiritedZapatistas. They’ve taken colonial streetsarejam-packed with is thickwithpungentsmoke andtheold 1,2003,thesky CO—Midnight, January B Mexico, withMarcos, withtheZapatistas. ires towarm thecoolnightair. “This Y This is the first public mobilizationof This isthefirst The rebellionin Argentina was lauded, “NOOOO!” cametheemphaticreply “Is theconflictsettledinChiapas?” “Fox says we have peaceinChiapas, The feistyrebelsdemonstratedthaton F S R rom thestage,CommandanteBruce AN AMOR C – MexicanPresident Vincente Fox I amveryproud we havepeacein ITBLD LAS DE RISTOBAL Jan. 1ShowsTheyStand X ZAPATISTAS MARK C ASAS , MEXI- my industries. capacity forexport oftheregion, improvingstructure the Zapatista community.” thananymore important indigenous The PPP, says Fox, “isathousand times Mexico andCentral southern America. highways andvast sweatshop areasacross envisages aseries ofcolossaldams,super jects calledPlanPuebla Panama (PPP) change. structural A seriesofmega-pro- Future Uncertain brought peacetoChiapas,” heboasted. conflict hadbeenresolved. “We have er. Fox, ever claimedthe theopportunist, were went deserting, anoth- Rank andfile Committee andhadbeensentintoexile. outwiththeClandestine Marcos hadfallen claimed Onerumor tence andturmoil. provocations, ofimpo- promptingrumors 2002. in August, the ante,murderingfourZapatistaleaders Zapatista areas,andparamilitariesupped The army remainedinpositionaroundthe divisions withinthebasecommunities. 20 months.Fox worked hardtoprovoke and lapsedintoapiercingsilencelasting been exhausted. means toresolve theChiapasconflicthad law, itseemedthelegal andpolitical dialogue. With oftheautonomy thefailure thestalled torestart accords isnecessary 1996. The EZLN says recognition ofthe between thegovernment andrebelsin negated theSan Andres Accords, signed state theoriginallaw. rejectedappealstorein- Supreme Court w Chiapas, government legislators passeda to But assoontheZapatistasreturned ofautonomyform toindigenouspeoples. ofaproposedlaw a Congress granting odyssey was thepresentationtoMexico’s of indigenousdemands. ing outhundredsofthousandsinsupport mand journeyed uptoMexico City, bring- Comandante MarcosandtheEZLNcom- the capitalinFebruary of2001.Sub- ev atered down version ofthelaw, andthe • Catalyze ashiftoftheregion’s econo- •Increase thetransitandindustrialinfra- PPP hasthreegoals: Chiapas isonthebrinkofprofound The EZLNdidnotrespondtothese The Zapatistasseemedexhausted too, The rejectionofautonomy effectively The crowning achievement ofthat ent was thehugely popularcaravan to

from agriculture tolow-wagefrom agriculture manu- sustainable development,” says Fox, flying ofthecommunitiesandpromotea integrity and cultureisindangerofdisappearing. of Tabasco, awhole way ofindigenouslife to work andtheoilfields inCancunresorts g tling totheU.S. bordersuggestsaneven lishment of80new buscompaniesshut- y fromChiapastotheU.S.migrants each record150,000 figures dus. Official Area ofthe Americas, encouragestheexo- to NAFTA andtheproposedFree Trade toruin. ving smallfarmers intheUnitedStatesisdri- mercial farms andwheat fromthegiantcom- cheap corn is oneofthechiefreasons. The influxof Fa land forthecitiesevery singleday. 600 campesinosareforcedtoabandonthe them inextreme poverty. Approximately 25 million,live off theland, 80percentof honoring theSan Andres Accords.” y are againstthePPPandNAFTA…and as forus,thefarmers. Wewith littlebenefit rich andinfavor oftheowners ofmoney... ofthe Chiapas] have doneisforthebenefit them withthoseoftheZapatistas. theirdemands,linking tion, articulated against thePPPandcapitalistglobaliza- (Columbus Day) duringtheDay of Action highway inChiapaslastOctober12 Coordination ofCivil Society, blocking a masked protesterfromtheRegional al coalitionsandcoordinatingprotests. A Central internation- America areforming fa of capitalistaccumulation. the landcanbesold, speedingtheprocess land amongindividuals. Onceprivatized, program offers incentives todivide the Zapatista communities. A government Lancandon jungle,controlledby munally in“ejidos,” andmostareinthe 11 percentoflandinChiapasisheldcom- Land ownership ischanging.Currently, isbooming. Chiapas. Roadconstruction f natural resourcesintheregion. f acturing. irst sweatshop hasopenedinHuixtla ou canseefromthebanners,infavor of ear, butinthelastthreeyears, theestab- reater number. Combined withmigration r “The PPPwillrespecttheterritorial The Fox committed government, firmly ofMexico’sAbout aquarter population, “ Influenced by theZapatistas,small The processisalreadyunderway. The • Expandprivate controlover thevast r All Fox andSalazar[StateGovernor of mers across southern Mexico and mers acrosssouthern ming isinsevere decline,andNAFTA THE INDYPENDENT JANUARY 2003 PAGE 21 AM reports that international cof- F ith all the lip service given to social, ith all the lip service given “Nike often makes decisions that are makes often “Nike upholds the time- Starbucks Nike, Like W OX Despite the tragic plummet of coffee hat we feel is the right thing for our hat we civic and environmental commitments, and environmental civic a hard time hiding corporations still have their drives that the fundamental logic As so eloquently actions and priorities. at the end of the Nike, summarized by just business as usual. it’s day, correctnot the most popular or politically But our decisions are always view. thoughtful, and are based on trying to do w consumers and our business.” honored mantra of most big businesses global economy: operating in today’s profit, means necessary. any by though one need not investigate too though one need not investigate corporate track record into Ford’s deeply the With of the contrary. to be convinced position as a well- authority of CI’s pro- organization environmental known tecting them, participating businesses shade of greencan turn with their own a mere spending only ease while relative fraction of their earnings. Starbucks Laughs Last fee prices have now reached a 30-year now fee prices have more than 50 decreased by having low, the 20 For percent in the last three years. the farmersmillion coffee worldwide, becoming more and scenario is quickly no signs show buyers more grim. Coffee changing their purchasing of drastically practices and farmers increasingly grow rela- more dependent on the exploitative The result is malnutrition and tionship. planting is pri- as coffee health problems food crops that could be oritized over used for local consumption. corporationsprices due to overproduction, their profits Nestle and Starbucks saw like Though fair trade alternatives skyrocket. needed outlets to desper- can indeed offer ate farmers, companies will the big coffee struggle.not cooperate without a public ears ago it would have been unthink- have ears ago it would ounded in 1987 as a green organiza- call itself “one of Ford or example, Starbucks´ adventures with organic Starbucks´ adventures Corporations are turning to Y F F rounds, can also transform its image as Starbucks are the root cause of the eco- of campesinos. nomic suffering On Whose Good Grounds? Saving the Images of Corporations Worldwide coffee in Chiapas, which it calls ¨On in Chiapas, which coffee Good Grounds,¨ are indeed a step in the the reality is right direction, however Starbucks by taken that such efforts production compared to their overall and profitability still only margin cof- amount to a mere drop in the larger it pur- fee pot. In 2001, Starbucks says chased 1 million pounds of “fair trade” Yet costs $1.26 a pound. which coffee, this amounted to less than one percent of its total purchases that year. International,Conservation eager for a The GAP and Nike magical makeover. from corporations can change overnight labor scan- sweatshop steeped in unsavory multicultural companies dals to sensitive a common look and ´tude to a providing global society unifiednew in style. as cham- imagine Exxon and Ford to able with but today, pions of the environment, do it with a danger- the help of CI, they Starbucks, straight face. Similarly, ously a phoenix rising from its dirtylike coffee g profit-hungry to fair monopoly coffee all for the modest initial trade evangelist, of $650,000 paid in full to CI. charge tion focusing on protecting biologically Conservation rich “hotspots,” International teamed up with the private sector to promote corporate participation causes. in social and environmental campaigns ensued as a “Greenwashing” partnership. result of this convenient to allies in the effort most powerful CI’s of life on Earth,” protect the diversity OESCHER GREENWASHING DIRTY COFFEE GREENWASHING R P ARAH ith the CI alliance, Starbucks CEO S While Starbucks advertises organ- their W Across America coffee drinkers are drinkers America coffee Across In the case of Chiapas, Starbucks asks hile their loyal patrons are busy connect- hile their loyal Y xploitative coffee production. Industry coffee xploitative Orin Smith almost seems credible when he when Orin Smith almost seems credible made a claims that ¨Starbucks and CI have in farmers’difference with the sale of lives a pre- paying by coffee… this exceptional coffee, mium price for this shade-grown of cof- the well-being Starbucks improves fee farmers and encourages them to pre- serve the forest environment.” Biosphere Triunfo in El initiative ic coffee pales in in Chiapas, the slight progress eco- light of the enormity of the region’s The manipulation of nomic desperation. opinion obscures the fact that the public purchasing practices of companies such as B ing with jungle wildlife, they will make no will make ing with jungle wildlife, they the $.25 per such connections between campesino producer in pound the average and the billions of dollars Chiapas makes year. brings in every the company being duped into believing that their con- that being duped into believing to sumer choice is a real alternative e promot- leader Starbucks has relentlessly corpo- responsible ed itself as a socially for payoff ration, with a considerable farmingThe reality of coffee itself. by disguised across Chiapas is cleverly made to touting the miniscule effort imbalanced relation- the vastly improve campesino producer and ship between the help of With global purchaser. International,Conservation corporations cash in on the concerns of con- can now maintaining their contract- sumers while ing and purchasing practices. help preserve the world’s can you “How drinking a cup of by simply biodiversity of The answer, coffee?” shade-grown to your course, is to head immediately local Starbucks, order a cup of “Shade the connec- and “discover Mexico” Grown cloud forest and the tions among coffee, Starbucks hopes that magnificent jaguar.” w NEW YEAR’S DAY IN SAN CRISTOBAL, CHIAPAS CRISTOBAL, IN SAN YEAR’S DAY NEW STARBUCKS: Poised to Enter New Phase Poised to Enter

NINTH YEAR OF STRUGGLE NINTH YEAR

are united here,” says Don Anselmo of Don says are united here,”

lthough I do worry about some of the And this is the importance of the Jan. Ex-Zapatista Esteban explains why Ex-Zapatista Esteban explains Government attempts to buy off rebel attempts to buy off Government The nine years of struggleThe nine years of the “This traitorous government and the “This traitorous government Thirty on indigenous communities

orked these lands for centuries. We these lands for centuries. orked ork these territories, a de facto rebel ou get little in return.” Taking advan- Taking ou get little in return.” oracious capitalists know that this land oracious capitalists know xhausted and the enemy takes a more takes xhausted and the enemy 1 rally. As the constitutional path seems 1 rally. e global face, the Zapatistas appear to be the spirit of resistance and renewing strategies. contemplating new he left Diez de Abril to live in a non- Abril to live he left Diez de and I Zapatista village. “ I got tired, The [Zapatista] kids. needed to feed my up a lot of time and takes organization y scheme, he tage of a government some construction materials received state schooling. and his children receive Is he finished with the Zapatistas? Esteban, “I’m taking a rest.” says “No,” villages has had some success. Traditional villages has had some success. pre-1994 Zapatista strongholds are often the focus for persistent counter-insurgency “But had some effect. that have programs we Abril. the Zapatista village, Diez de “A referring to the hand- other communities,” ful of surrounding smaller villages that dropped out of the struggle. have zone under the authority of 38 is the This Autonomous Municipalities. com- of Zapatista one great achievement the munities. On the other hand, autonomous zones are under constant and men- threat, surrounded the army by paramilitaries. aced by Zapatistas has opened up vast swathes of swathes Zapatistas has opened up vast from plantation owners. land taken and Thousands of campesinos occupy w v says abandon it,” won’t [is] ours, and we Rosa, a fiery Zapatista. “Its wealth here and lived have belongs to those who w resist their globalization in the same way the indigenous people resisted the Conquest, and our corn will resist their transgenic corn!” The Ninth Anniversary Montes Azules in the Lacandon Jungle Montes are currently facing violent eviction. in the face of the events on the ground. in the face of the events

PAGE 22 THE INDYPENDENT JANUARY 2003 Golgo, editorofthemuckrakingweekly, lives aregettingworse,” says Fabiano ism didnotbringany solution,thattheir of $6,000. justhalfofthepercapitaincome earned About $1.50heanswered, meaninghe much doyou thinkImake anhour?” w 56-year-old meatcutter, saidhe’s been g w memberstates.Blue-collar ers incurrent subsidiesgiventhe agricultural tofarm- members willreceive only 25percentof the EuropeanUnioninMay 2004,new Republic andnineothercountriesjoin They were upsetthatwhen theCzech andmanure. with eggs, apples, corn ers assaultedthe Ministry Agriculture on Praguetoprotest. Thousands offarm- December day, nearly 10,000descended one-world economy. Onaclammy home inany American exburb. thatwould lookat and “hypermarkets” commercial andresidentialtowers, hotels sprout amongthegothicspires,pullingup carcommercials.Cranes sets andsports another cobblestoned backdropformovie (more than60ofthem).Pragueitselfis cell phonesand, ofcourse,McDonald’s ing down thestreettalkingonseparate architecture,stylishcoupleswalk-Gehry Scientologists, skateboardpunks,Frank latest Hollywood movies, cafes, internet invader: one-world culture. They have the isthreatenedbycountry yet another thattheir response, someCzechsgrumble In sion, clothingandadvertising. nonetheless, appearingonCzechtelevi- with mitre,robesandstaff. red suit,SaintNicholaslooksthepart, maninthe naughty ones.Unlike thefat w angel gives nicechildrenasmallgift, rogating childrenabouttheirbehavior. The about withanangelanddevil intow, inter- Day, December5,when thesaintwanders room like that.” the mantle. And noonehasaliving tradition. We don’t hangstockingson friend who fumed, “Thisisn’t ofour part loot instead.Iwatched withaCzech pantheon—baby Jesushandsoutthe old elfisn’t oftheCzechChristmas part gifts. Santa’s helpers,and, ofcourse,the with theCoke symbol—signs,games, wasderland scene.Everything branded nowhere withthe requisitewinterwon- the mantle,andapicturewindow to as hedispensedgoodies,stockingson f w folks atCoca-Cola. The flatbedscene tor-trailer withalittle helpfromthe didn’t arrive onasleigh,buttrac- To Santa ClauscametoPrague’s Old B CZECH REALITY N LTE OPRAGUE TO POVERTY GLITTER BOTH AND BRINGS CAPITALISM ireplace, aneasychairtoholdSanta rievances. Onedemonstrator, a Y orking for40years. Heasked, “How orkers alsoshowed uptovent their hile thedevil dispensescoaltothe as vintage Norman Rockwell:as vintageNorman faux “A Czechs alsosenseathreatfromthe Santa ismakinghispresenceknown, The episodetookplaceonSt.Nicholas' There was only oneproblem: thejolly PRAGUE, CZECHREPUBLIC— wn SquarethispastDecember. He S ANJAY

lot ofolderpeopleseethatcapital- K UMAR Mayor JanKasloftheCivic Democrats andtakingwhat youtry can.” Prague power, “It’s aboutadministeringthe coun- CSSD ortheCivic Democratsarein Republic. Fabiano Golgosays when the tion, which isrampantintheCzech and createawelfare-to-work program. for joblessployment graduates benefits Blair’s “Third Way,” wants toendunem- minister, borrowing apagefrom Tony giveaways todevelopers. And thelabor nated andreplacedwithgovernment buyers—be elimi- homes by first-time sales—used tosubsidizethepurchaseof percenttaxonproperty that thefive minimum payments. Italsosuggested become apay-as-you-go system,ending though. Ithasproposedthatpensions ment tosocialwelfare isquestionable, situation.”difficult The CSSD’s commit- doesn’t have tobeafraidifhegetsintoa should beaplacewhere “anindividual Skromach says theCzechRepublic and Social Affairs MinisterZdenek conservative rivals, theCivic Democrats. (CSSD)andtheir Social DemocraticParty little difference between Czech theruling Social Democrat,Milosaddsthatthere’s ev ization oftheindustries,public works, wa r pensioner who usedtowork inthestate- privatization that ensued, says Milos,a w Republic hadfew choicesbuttoturn of10million,theCzech But, asacountry talk of“socialismwithahumanface.” Communist regime, therewas revived Revolution oustedthefour-decade-old r stepping down after13almost-uninter- legacy ofPresident Vaclav Havel, who is Europe’s Bangkok.” Praguethetitle“Central earning mertime.” legal, Prostitution isallbut withheroinaddictsinthesum- “carpeted parks beneaththePragueCastleasbeing users. OnePragueresidentdescribesthe estimates thereareabout30,000IVdrug use hasskyrocketed. The government unemployed.cent arelong-term Drug w f However, thereisasensethatthesocial the peacewitharobustwelfare state. living. pension canprovide abearable standardof and ahighrateofhomeownership—a care system,functioningpublic transport activist government—a nationalhealth- ofan Combined withotherbenefits crowns amonth,littlelessthan$200. Minimum payments areabout6,000 income inpensionerhouseholds. Czechs, andaccountfor95percentofthe about 25percentofthe10.4million P av k Novy Prostor. un media.“Itcouldhave gonedifferent abric isunravelling. Ten percentofthe upted years inthepost. After the Velvet eeping pacewithinflation,” which has ensions are a bedrock of support for ensions areabedrockofsupport estward. orkforce isonthedole,andfourper- Both parties arealsotaintedbyBoth parties corrup- The CSSDtalksagoodgame.Labor The solutiondidn’t have tobethemass It would tosay beunfair thatthisisthe The government hasbeenable tobuy eraged 5percentannually since1997. rtig vntepto ttos” A evenerything, thepetrolstations.” satr18. Hefavored “national- ys after1989.” “Their pensionsarenot Pa The average Communist polling around20percent. (KSCM), which isregularly Bohemia andMoravia of Communist Party of thediscontentis further. drive thepricedown even hold, reportedly hopingto chasers have putthedealon insult toinjury, thepur- 2,000 workers. Adding new owners plan tolay off daily Economic News, the according totheCzech of $200million. Already, ten timesits2001earnings T 51 percentofCzech Deutsche Bankpurchased TDC and munications firm e marketplace, however. For price toentertheglobal investments. ov Germany—account for and Netherlands, Austria countries—the choicest assets.Justthree money isbuyingupthe between Eastand West Europe.Foreign low-cost workforce andcentrallocation Republic becauseofitswell-educated, beachfront residencein Tel Aviv. involved inthedealwas rewarded witha the cost.GolgoclaimsoneCzechofficial manage thehighway of forone-quarter w contract couldendupcosting$7billion, Construction.” Petrak saidthe30-year any offered terms by Housingand [to] pressuretoagree under enormous project, told trade deficit andinflation, trade deficit stemming fromarising potential economiccrisis ing unemployment, a only onestalkingaboutris- The Communistsarethe w van pensioner orex-civil ser- fi Moravia. JiriPetrak, aconsultantwhose 80-kilometer-long highway inNorthern tobuildan firm, largest construction Israel’sHousing andConstruction, signedabackroomdealwith ernment open bids.InJune,forexample, thegov- public projectshave hadtherequired of6,853 that since1998,barely one-fifth for apayoff. on thecheaptomultinationalsinreturn industries.Politiciansstate-run sellthem Mostblatant isthelootingof both parties. capitalism,” theenmityof “mafia earning be easedwithbribes.Havel haslabelledit with government usually hadto officials tion. Hecharged thatthepublic’s dealings resigned lastMay, citingpervasive corrup- xample, Dutchtelecom- elecom forasteal—just rm ho feelsleftinthelurch. hile thegovernment couldbuildand The beneficiary ofmuch The beneficiary Czechs arepaying the Big businesshastaken totheCzech One Czechgovernment studynotes er 70percentofthe rt t, butaworker over 40 y voter isnotabitter

w : orked withthegovernment onthe The Prague Post , “We were NA criticalofthedecisiontojoin major party the IMFandEU. They arealsotheonly and cutsinsocialspendingdemandedby w as muchshit.” Life before1989was shit.Now, it’s twice don’t have any work andthatisworse. forced towork, which was bad.Now I says, “UnderCommunismyou were ner’s pensionbarely covers the rent. Jarda a jobasbathroomattendant.Hispart- his job. Fifty-six, hesays hecan’t even get town. Hewas recently hitby acarandlost history, like Jarda,who begs intheold themselves onthedust heap of may find the market. And moreandofthem tenth ofwhat workers inGermany. earn automaker Skoda, pays itsworkers one- course. Volkswagen, which owns Czech are gettingexpensive. It’s allrelative, of y appreciated substantially inthelasttwo atbest. future isuncertain The crown has Europeancousins,their their Eastern Everyone was thesame,butwe hadlittle.” cal theorist.“You couldn’t travel. recalls Roman,a79-year-old mathemati- stores. Nogarlic,noonions,meat,” Communist era.“Therewas nothinginthe ears, andmany businessessay laborcosts ar withIraq. Czechs realizethey areatthemercy of While Czechsarebetteroff thanmostof That’s nottosay there’s nostalgiaforthe TO

and theloomingpossibilityofa GINA 23 EL INDEPENDIENTE ENERO 2003 2003 ENERO INDEPENDIENTE EL 23 GINA

THE INDYPENDENT JANUARY 2003 PA

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leer la transcripción completa de los completa leer la transcripción ‘ Si quieres colaborar en ra a comerciantes libaneses de la región. Deberíamos preguntarnos cuántas cartas similares fueron dirigidas por la mismísima Al-Qaeda a miembros de la familia real cambia- saudita, por ejemplo, sin que haya Arabia Saudita, de aliado do el estatus de de Estados Unidos a guarida de terroristas. de El editorial de un diario local de Foz Iguazú desafió de a los investigadores que Frontera, Triple que están en la EE.UU. hagan bien su trabajo, que “investiguen bien; pero las comunidades les agradecere- mos que, si no encuentran nada, nos den un certificado de inocencia definitiva”. Esa luz simboliza hoy nuestra fuerza y nuestra Esa luz simboliza hoy lucha por nuestra protección en esta larga eso hoy democracia, libertad y justicia. Por esa luz hagamosla grande y fuerte para que que la y las naciones vean los pueblos esa luz de la rebeldía mantenemos viva zapatista.” Comandante David Pa ver Chiapas.indymedia.org discursos regir pruebas, traducir, etc.), [email protected] o asiste a una de nuestras reuniones en IMC EL INDEPENDIENTE (escribir artículos, cor- (34 E 29th St, piso 2) los martes a las 7. aradójico que el mismo jefe de la dele- arece excesivo cuando la única arece excesivo P gación estadounidense para la lucha tenga Frontera Triple antiterrorista en la dificultades el discurso oficial para seguir que rotula a la zona como nido de terro- estuvo Frontera Triple ristas. Si bien la de contrabando y asociada a actividades otros ilícitos desde hace tiempo, fue en de 2001, cuando se encontró noviembre en una “casa de un mapa de la región Al-Qaeda en Kabul, de seguridad” cambió Frontera Triple Afganistán, que la de estatus. Gracias a este cambio ahora frecuentemente se la men- ciona en la misma frase con Irak, Irán, Sudán y Corea del Norte. P prueba mencionada a la BBC por Carlos el comisario paraguayo es una cartaAltemburger de por indi- agradecimiento enviada viduos relacionados a Hezbollah De atracción turística a “nido de turística a De atracción terroristas” cionar nuestras autoridades en rebeldía y así poder autogobernarnos. puede Sólo así la democracia funcionar verdaderamente al interior de un municipio.” Comandante Bruce Lee “Compañeros y compañeras, desde el 1 de Enero del 1994, prendimos una pequeña y esta luz lustre de rebeldía y de dignidad, la han querido apagar los poderosos. Pero no han podido y nadie la podrá apagar, es la luz de la esperanza para los porque indios y no indios de México y pueblos del mundo. NUEVOS DESAFIOS : unque nos estén matando, otros van unque nos estén matando, amos a ganar porque nuestras demandas amos a ganar porque rontera. rontera, que ha devastado a la industria rontera, que ha devastado estirte como te gusta, solo por eso te Otros vieron que era un gesto amistoso hacia momento clave para la renegociación de la para la renegociación momento clave deuda externa(Fondo con el FMI Monetario Internacional). que son los más perjudi- Brasil y Paraguay, Triple cados por la campaña contra la F turística y al comercio de la región. Aires se analizó En la reunión de Buenos el terrorismo y sus fuentes de finan- ciamiento, el narcotráfico, de el lavado dinero, controles aduaneros y migratorios y el tráfico de armas Luego en la región. Triple se trasladó a la la delegación F Cofer Black, Coordinador de Antiterrorismo del Departamento de Estado estadounidense, se y jefe de la delegación paseaba por las pasarelas admirando el las Cataratas del de espectáculo maravilloso qué pen- Iguazú. Un periodista le preguntó saba y Black respondió: “Que le recomen- a daría a mi hijo que cuando se case, venga pasar su luna de miel aquí.” hermanos y hermanas de todo el mundo, mantengan su lucha y les pedimos que que sea sigan luchando todo el tiempo nosotros los zapatistas necesario. Porque a traicionar a todos los no los vamos de todo el luchadores políticos y sociales no pedi- mundo y para luchar en el mundo remos permiso menos a nadie, mucho aceptar que los gobiernos lo que nos digan a vamos debemos hacer o qué es lo que a es un hecho que apoyamos Pero decir. y políticos todos los luchadores sociales tenemos espe- de todo el mundo porque del mundo. ranza en todas las luchas V son justas.” Comandante Mister “A eso no. Por dejarse engañar, naciendo. Pero lo tanto estamos aquí con nuestras bases la pequeña parte en de nuestros pueblos resistencia para demostrar y desmentir todo lo que han dicho los mentirosos de todo ya no se México y el mundo. Jóvenes, nos han engañado Ya dejen engañar más. a muchísimos años. ¿Que esperanza vas tener con los partidos si solo te aprovechan por ellos y después te persiguen, que votes te roban, te matan, te encarcelan o te ame- nazan a tu familia y solo por bailar o cantar como tu quieres o por cortarte el pelo o v sospechan o te acusan que eres terrorista o criminal. No te respetan tu costumbre ni tu cultura.” Comandante Omar es tiempo que todos nos organicemos “Ya y que formemos nuestros municipios que esperar hasta autónomos. No hay cuando el mal gobierno dé permiso. Debemos organizarnos como verdadera- mente rebeldes y no esperar que alguien nos de permiso para ser autónomos, sin ley De manera que así debemos fun- o con ley. HIAPAS C ORG . INDYMEDIA . y a decir con estas humildes palabras iene de la página 24. HIAPAS araguay. La reunión se hizo por invitación araguay. or su parte,acu- presidente Menem ha el ex LUNA DE MIEL EN LA TRIPLE FRONTERA LUNA DE MIEL EN LA iesto una continuidad de la política de orzados de las comunidades indígenas en orzados de las comunidades indígenas V tros de la Triple Frontera. Frontera. Triple tros de la P por Frontera Triple sado a residentes de la los atentados contra instituciones israelíes que ocurrieron durante su mandato. Pero sectores, incluidos dirigentes de la diversos declararon que comunidad judía argentina, y expiatorios Menem está buscando chivos que su gobierno corrupto no hizo nada para esclarecer los crímenes de más de 100 per- AMIA sonas (Embajada de Israel (1992) y (1994). argentina Iniciativa El 16 de diciembre de 2002, se reunieron Aires funcionarios de inteligen- en Buenos Brasil y Argentina, cia de EE.UU., P con el finde la cancillería argentina de intercambiar información y estudiar los Frontera. Triple en la puntos vulnerables Algunos comentaristas opinaron que esta de mani- ponía Argentina de iniciativa f en un Washington subordinación a C el noveno marca de enero El primero zapatista, del levantamiento aniversario Comercio de Libre Tratado el inicio del día en que son América del Norte y el con a las todas las restricciones levantadas de agrícolas importaciones de productos TLCAN). del Estados Unidos (una medida mexicano el gobierno Encima de todo, está conduciendo los desplazamientos f Azules". conocida como "Montes el área zapatistas de miles de Como resultado, las montañas y de todo Chiapas llegaron en la ciudad de San marchar la selva para finCristóbal de las Casas, dando a un casi dos período de silencio que empezó a la años atrás, después de la Marcha del 2001. Ciudad de México en abril de los de las palabras Extractos comandantes zapatistas del EZLN. la voz habla mi voz “Por les yo Hermanas del campo y de la ciudad, vo que hace muchos años que nosotras las sufriendo la discrimi- mujeres venimos y el olvido por los nación, la explotación malos gobiernos. Igualmente nos pasa en nuestras casas pero también nosotros lo administramos y sabemos como vivimos.” a …“Hermanas también quiero invitar yo las mujeres a hacer un llamado que se para que juntas nosotras organicen podamos defender nuestro derecho y tam- bién nosotras tengamos igualdad.” Comandanta Fidelia a luchar por nuestra existencia …”Vamos a Así vamos en contra del exterminio. luchando con la palabra verdadera. seguir hasta que todos juntos Así seguiremos para y conquistemos un lugar logremos eso, todos en la vida de la humanidad. Por PAGE 24 THE INDYPENDENT JANUARY 2003 L EL Antiterrorismo del Departamento de delDepartamento Antiterrorismo el entoncesCoordinadorde En diciembrede2001Francis X. Taylor, c inmigrantes deorigen libanés,egipcio, americano. Viven cientosdemiles Iguazú, lasmásaltasdelcontinente dad comercial estánlasCataratas del (Paraguay). Enestazonadegran activi- Iguazú (Argentina) yCiudad delEste ciudades: Foz deIguazú(Brasil), Puerto terroristas. Elárea estáformada portres tado quela Triple Frontera esunnidode El gobierno deEstadosUnidoshadecre- S ceso de desarrollo. Lasempresas ceso dedesarrollo. rales ylosmercadosenpaísespro- EE.UU. seapoderendelosrecursosnatu- de corporaciones litar quelasgrandes propósito deestaofensiva militaresfaci- llamados apelearenella.Elverdadero serán lospobresquienes porque esinjusta yporque nirespaldarestaguerra parte dadanos, nodebemostomar latinos, seamosonociu- los dounidense, yenparticular El pueblo trabajadoresta- actos del11deseptiembre. tenido vínculoalgunoconlos o cualquierotropaíshaya dencia dequeIrak, Afganistán ahora nosehapresentadoevi- Irak, apesardequehasta contraelpueblo de guerra prepara paraexpandir esa En estosmomentosEE.UU. se W Y To losataquesalas esta guerra ha utilizadocomoexcusa para o hasta20años.Elgobierno tenga unaduraciónde10,15 y queesposible quelamisma mundial” como “elterrorismo contra deloqueellosdefinen aniveluna guerra globalen declarado queconesaacciónhaniniciado yo demás5,000personas,lama- muerte Afganistán, elcualharesultadoenla contralaempobrecidanaciónde tierra ataquemilitarporairey lanzó unbrutal En octubredel2001EstadosUnidos D hino, coreano ycroata. ILVIA ork yalPentágono en ANIEL ashington. ría civiles. Voceros deEE.UU. han r N EME NL RPEFRONTERA TRIPLE LA EN MIEL DE UNA res GemelasenNueva A RANA V ILA ´ INDEPENDIENTE LPROIODLCNR EMDAIDPNINED UV OK EEO20 E LITRE:WWW. INTERNET: EL EL PERIODICODELCENTRODEMEDIAINDEPENDIENTENUEVA YORKENERO2003EN E ´

T OE USR GUERRA NUESTRA ES NO STA ‘ W raban enla Triple Frontera. Eldiario The Al-Qaeda entrelasorganizaciones queope- cia delaadministraciónBush,incluyeron a y otrosmedios,citandofuentesdeinteligen- P proporcionó pruebas. involucrados,gobiernos perono deinteligencialos orden yoficiales porlasfuerzasdel mación compartida mo.” Dijoquesefundamentabaeninfor- pujante comobasedeapoyo delterroris- Gamaat alIslamyya, utilizanestazona del Islam,comoHezbollah,Hamasyal P Estado, declaróen Asunción del canales deventa ydistribucióndeproduc- conquistando yapoderándosedetodoslos e aliviar estacrisisesimprescindible nante deEE.UU. haconcluidoquepara encuentran compradores.Laclasedomi- producción debienesparaloscualesno tra enunacrisisprovocada porlasobre- lado, laeconomíadeestepaísseencuen- esa región quedebajosucontrol.Por otro propósito deasegurar queelpetróleode delMedioOrienteconel gobiernos alos golpes deestadoysobornando petroleras llevan décadasmanipulando osteriormente, frecuentes reportes deCNN frecuentesreportes osteriormente, araguay: “Organizaciones extremistas xpandir susmercadosyestoselogrará ashington Times (muybienrelacionado zación islámicabasadaenelLíbano,tiene P e operativos de Al-Qaeda uotrosgrupos países esquenohay evidencia deque de lostres La posicióndelosgobiernos y Argentina? Paraguay ¿Cuál eslaposicióndeBrasil, islámico. más de$50millonesdólaresalterrorismo de la Triple Frontera hancontribuidocon T militar enla Triple Frontera. ElNew York nistración Bushdeestablecer uncomando sobrelosplanesdelaadmi- Moon) reportó tanto conelPentágono comoconlasecta una vidamejor. Al llegar aestanaciónnos tas haciaEE.UU. enbuscadeempleoy una salidamasiva denuestroscompatrio- millones deempleoslocualhaprovocado hospitales. Al privatizarlas haneliminado fónicas, generadorasdeelectricidadylos empresas antespúblicas comolastele- an anuestrospaísesalapoderarsedelas EE.UU. Estassonlasmismasquesaque- multinacionalesde dial porlasgrandes o fracasodeesteplandominiomun- almomentodedecidireléxito importante Los latinosdeestepaísjugaremosunrol tos de Asia, Áfricay América Latina. xtremistas islámicosesténenlaregión. ero coincidenenqueHezbollah,organi- imes, por su parte, publicó quepobladoresimes, porsuparte, Alfredo Garzón la provincia deMisiones,apocoskilóme- llegue unadelegación deboinasverdes a continuarán enabrilde2003,cuando opinión pública. Lasmaniobrasmilitares yocultándoloala rización delCongreso realicen maniobrasmilitares,sinauto- de Salta,enoctubre2002,paraque especiales estadounidensesenlaprovincia defuerzas elingreso permitió Su gobierno Duhalde haidodelosdichosahechos. más cercanaa Washington. Elpresidente argentina esla ces. Laposiciónoficial A pesardelascoincidencias,hay mati- residentes. recibe apoyo dealgunos financiero simpatizantes enla Triple Frontera y diario corremos elriesgodeserarresta- diario corremos no contamosconseguro desaludya trabajo yalalquilarvivienda. Lamayoría éxodo. Aquí somossuperexplotados enel economías, sonlacausantedenuestro empresas, alapoderarsedenuestras rechaza yquenocomprendesus enfrentamos conunasociedadquenos de Nueva York contra laguerra). New York Labor Against the War (Trabajadores Daniel Vila esunactivistadelaorganización susvidas. sacrifique queotrageneración No debemospermitir con elpropósitodeobtenerlaciudadanía. Sigue enlapágina24. NYC.INDYMEDIA.ORG ción de ingresar alejército ción deingresar en ordenexpresar suinten- que notienensuspapeles escuchado ajóvenes latinos Recientemente hemos más peligrosas. enviados alasmisiones V Mundial, enKorea yen Primera ySegunda Guerra deEEUU.guerras Enla cionadamente altosenlas números despropor- en hanmuerto y losnegros Históricamente, loslatinos Naturalización. y de Inmigración en lascárcelesdelServicio bre ymilesseencuentran dos desdeel11deseptiem- de latinoshansidodeporta- loslatinos.Miles particular yen todos losinmigrantes contra una caceríadebrujas septiembre paramontar de losataquesdel11 estado sehaaprovechado dos porpolicíasracistas.El ietnam, loslatinoseran

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