Tuesday, December 20, 2005

'Depleted Uranium' - Radioactive Tank No. 9 comes limping home

HR: Leuren Moret & DU - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/ctud9

"In a group of 251 soldiers from a study group in Mississippi who had all had normal babies before the Gulf War, 67 percent of their post-war babies were born with severe birth defects. [Url.: http://tinyurl.com/84dbp] - They were born with missing legs, arms, organs or eyes or had immune system and blood diseases. In some veterans’ families now, the only normal or healthy members of the family are the children born before the war." - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/6o4na

Radioactive Tank No. 9 comes limping home

by Bob Nichols

"RADIOACTIVE" is stenciled on Abrams tanks in these pictures taken Oct. 13, 2005, in Topeka, Kansas.
- Photo: Chris Bayruh (via Url.)

ACROSS THE PLAINS OF KANSAS, destroyed, radioactive Abrams tanks, perched on railroad flatcars, rolled towards an uncertain future. Only one thing was certain. They would be radioactive forever. This would be their everlasting death mask. The Pentagon deceptively calls it "depleted uranium."

The Abrams tanks are constructed with a layer of radioactive uranium metal plates. The big tanks fire a giant uranium dart at 2,100 mph, much faster than an F-16 fighter aircraft, mach III to airplane pilots and very, very fast to the rest of us.

American taxpayers paid to ship the tanks to Iraq and to return them for disposal or re-building in the United States. The tanks are 12 feet wide and weigh a stout 70 tons, or 140,000 pounds.

The enduring vigorous stupidity of the U.S. military pretends that radiation is one of those things that if you can't see it, it can't hurt you. They are thoroughly delusional, of course. A National Academy of Sciences report released June 30, 2005, finds that there is no safe level of radiation. Any radiation is bad.

This radioactive tank sitting exposed on a flatbed railroad car in Topeka, Kansas, should have been "encapsulated," according to U.S. Army Regulation 700-48, which has the force of law.
Photo: Chris Bayruh

From America to Iraq and back, these giant radioactive hulks can only sicken and kill Americans. On top of the sheer, unrelenting stupidity of playing with radiation with unsuspecting soldiers, now the neo-con government is involving everyday Americans in their radiation madness.

The Pentagon can't even follow simple radiation hazard mitigation instructions. Their own rules and regulations have the force of law throughout the world. Yet they are ignored in the United States.

Dr. Doug Rokke

Dr. Doug Rokke is the Pentagon's former director of the U.S. Army Depleted Uranium Project. When contacted on Oct. 22, he viewed Chris Bayruh's photographs and made this statement about the radioactive tanks in Kansas: "The radioactive damaged Abrams tanks that were left unsecured on a Kansas railroad track are a perfect example of exactly how not to ship damaged radioactive equipment and how not to protect our Army's Abrams tanks from possible sabotage and compromise of classified battle systems."

On Oct. 10, prior to the discovery of the radioactive tanks, Dr. Rokke made the following statement. It is eerily predictive of what would happen in Kansas three days later. "U.S. Department of Defense officials continue to deny that there are any adverse health and environmental effects as a consequence of the manufacture, testing and/or use of uranium munitions to avoid liability for the willful and illegal dispersal of a radioactive toxic material - depleted uranium."

This is another of the destroyed radioactive tanks in Topeka, Kansas.
Children were playing around the tanks. - Photo: Chris Bayruh

Dr. Rokke continued, "They [the U.S. military] arrogantly refuse to comply with their own regulations, orders and directives that require United States Department of Defense officials to provide prompt and effective medical care to all exposed individuals." (See Note 1 below.)

"They also refuse to clean up dispersed radioactive contamination of equipment as required by Army regulations." (See Note 2.)

"Specifically, they are required (see Note 3) to accomplish four things:

1) Military personnel must 'identify, segregate, isolate, secure and label all RCE' (radiologically contaminated equipment).

2) 'Procedures to minimize the spread of radioactivity will be implemented as soon as possible.'

3) 'Radioactive material and waste will not be locally disposed of through burial, submersion, incineration, destruction in place, or abandonment' and

4) 'All equipment, to include captured or combat RCE, will be surveyed, packaged, retrograded, decontaminated and released.'

"The past and current use of uranium weapons, the release of radioactive components in destroyed U.S. and foreign military equipment, and releases of industrial, medical and research facility radioactive materials have resulted in unacceptable exposures."

Dr. Rokke added, "Therefore, decontamination must be completed as required by U.S. Army Regulation 700-48 and should include releases of all radioactive materials resulting from military operations.

"The extent of adverse health and environmental effects of uranium weapons contamination is not limited to combat zones but includes facilities and sites where uranium weapons were manufactured or tested, including Vieques, Puerto Rico, Colonie, New York, and Jefferson Proving Grounds, Indiana.

"Therefore, medical care must be provided by the United States Department of Defense officials to all individuals affected by the manufacturing, testing and/or use of uranium munitions. Thorough environmental remediation also must be completed without further delay.

"I am amazed," exclaimed Dr. Rokke, "that 14 years after I was asked to clean up the initial DU mess from Gulf War I and almost 10 years since I finished the depleted uranium project, United States Department of Defense officials and many others still attempt to justify uranium munitions use while ignoring mandatory requirements.

"But beyond the ignored mandatory actions, the willful dispersal of tons of solid radioactive and chemically toxic waste in the form of uranium munitions just does not even pass the common sense test.

"Finally, continued compliance with the infamous March 1991 Los Alamos Memorandum (see Note 5) that was issued to ensure continued use of uranium munitions cannot be justified.

"In conclusion," Dr. Rokke urged, "the president of the United States, George W. Bush, and the prime minister of Great Britain, Tony Blair, must acknowledge and accept responsibility for willful use of illegal uranium munitions - their own "dirty bombs" - resulting in adverse health and environmental effects."

"President Bush and Prime Minister Blair also should order:

1) medical care for all casualties,

2) thorough environmental remediation,

3) immediate cessation of retaliation against all of us who demand compliance with medical care and environmental remediation requirements,

4) and ban the future use of depleted uranium munitions," Dr. Rokke concluded.

A little old lady in tennis shoes

Leuren Moret is a world famous scientist and radiation specialist who formerly worked at the Lawrence Livermore Nuclear Weapons Lab, where she became a whistleblower in 1991. She has spoken out about the danger of uranium munitions to humanity in more than 42 countries.

Moret has appeared in four documentaries about uranium munitions (depleted uranium). "Beyond Treason" debuted in August 2005 and won the Grand Festival Award at the Berkeley Film Festival. The newest film, "Blowin' in the Wind," was nominated during its debut the first week of November in Australia for an Academy Award.

Moret was an expert witness at the International Criminal Tribunal for Afghanistan and serves as an adviser and expert witness in court cases regarding radiation exposure. Her statement, made Oct. 24, about the dead tanks in Kansas follows:

"Sally Devlin, a little old lady in tennis shoes, went to a public meeting several years ago, held by the Air Force in Pahrump, Nevada. Two officers told the citizens of the town that the Air Force would be moving 80 old target practice tanks and tons of old depleted uranium munitions through their town.

"The radioactive bullets had been picked up off the Nellis gunnery ranges by order of the state of Nevada and were being transported to the Nevada Test Site [a nuclear weapons test site] to be buried as radioactive waste.

"When Mrs. Devlin politely asked them how they would prevent the residents of the town from being contaminated by the radioactive dust on the tanks and bullets, the officers said, 'We're wrapping them in Saran Wrap.' She told them that would be unacceptable and stopped the Air Force dead in their tracks," Moret concluded.

Whether it is Saran Wrap in Nevada or nothing at all in Kansas, the Pentagon just doesn't get it when it comes to uranium radiation dispersing weapons. It is way past time to take all their nuclear weapons and uranium munitions away from them and send them home to get real jobs. They are clearly incapable of protecting this country from all dangers, including those created by our own U.S. military.

The U.S. military shows so little regard for Americans in Kansas, one wonders what on earth they have done to Iraq. The U.S. military has distributed an estimated 8 million pounds of weaponized ceramic uranium oxide gas, aerosols and dust on a practically defenseless little country of 26 million people (see Note 6), according to an estimate by former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark.

What is this lethal radioactive weapon supposed to do? Why was it used? Ceramic uranium oxide gas is a genocidal weapon, for God's sake. It persists in the environment forever. In Leuren Moret's pithy words, "The Iraqis are uranium meat."

The politicians, Pentagon staff, generals, commanding officers and others responsible for this war crime must be arrested, tried, convicted and appropriately punished for their crimes against humanity.

There is another explanation

Another explanation is that the U.S. Army and other branches of the military are far from stupid. They are, in fact, the most lethal and carefully planned military in the history of the world. The extensive use of weaponized uranium oxide gas, aerosols and dust is not an accident or an oversight. They did it on purpose.

If this is true, they purposely used a genocidal weapon over at least a 15-year period. No, this is not a callous mistake of empire; it is a calculated act of genocide to weaken the oil- and gas-rich countries of Central Asia, including Iraq. Take your choice: they are either stupid or genocidal monsters.

A British group has estimated the weaponized ceramic uranium oxide will account for an additional 25 million cancers in Iraq in the next several years. There are only 26 million Iraqis to start with, minus the nearly 1.7 million killed by war or sanctions since 1991, plus some live births.

A National Academy of Sciences report released June 30, 2005, finds that there is no safe level of radiation. The committee dismissed the idea that any radiation could be harmless or beneficial.

The radioactive tanks in Kansas and Iraq are the same. They are placed there at great expense by the senior American political and military leadership, with premeditated malice. The bottom line purpose of a 140,000-pound radioactive tank is to kill people.

Uranium munitions a war crime

Dennis Kyne, noted speaker and writer, is a former drill instructor (DI) and a 15-year veteran of the Army as well as a Gulf War vet (see www.denniskyne.com). Kyne makes a point of how "hot" or radioactive the tanks in Kansas would be if they were hit by "friendly fire" to get beat up so much. They could be contaminated with as much as 30,000 times background radiation. That is what uranium munitions do to a tank, bunker or building.

Karen Parker, a prominent U.S. international human rights lawyer, says there are four rules derived from humanitarian laws and conventions regarding weapons:

1. Weapons may only be used against legal enemy military targets and must not have an adverse effect elsewhere (the territorial rule).

2. Weapons can only be used for the duration of an armed conflict and must not be used or continue to act afterwards (the temporal rule).

3. Weapons may not be unduly inhumane (the "humaneness" rule). The Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 speak of "unnecessary suffering" and "superfluous injury" in this regard

4. Weapons may not have an unduly negative effect on the natural environment (the "environmental" rule).

"DU weaponry fails all four tests," Parker states. "First, DU cannot be limited to legal military targets. Second, it cannot be 'turned off' when the war is over but keeps killing.

"Third, DU can kill through painful conditions such as cancers and organ damage and can also cause birth defects, such as facial deformities and missing limbs. Lastly, DU cannot be used without unduly damaging the natural environment.

"In my view, use of DU weaponry violates the grave breach provisions of the Geneva Conventions," Parker concluded, "and so its use constitutes a war crime, or crime against humanity."

Notes

1. "Medical Management of Unusual Depleted Uranium Casualties," DOD, Pentagon, 10/14/93, "Medical Management of Army Personnel Exposed to Depleted Uranium (DU)," Headquarters, U.S. Army Medical Command, 4/29/04, and section 2-5 of AR 700-48 .

2. AR 700- 48: "Management of Equipment Contaminated With Depleted Uranium or Radioactive Commodities," Headquarters, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C., September 2002, and U.S. Army Technical Bulletin TB 9-1300-278: "Guidelines For Safe Response To Handling, Storage, and Transportation Accidents Involving Army Tank Munitions or Armor Which Contain Depleted Uranium," Headquarters, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C., July 1996, http://traprockpeace.org/du_pam_700-48.pdf.

3. Section 2-4 of United States Army Regulation 700-48 dated Sept. 16, 2002, specifies these requirements.

4. IAW Technical Bulletin 9-1300-278, DA PAM 700-48. Maximum exposure limits are specified in Appendix F.

5. http://www.tv.cbc.ca/national/pgminfo/du/doc1.html

6. Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark's estimate, http://www.covertactionquarterly.org/demonize.html

© Copyright Bob Nichols. Copying permitted if you credit the source and leave everything intact, including notes. Bob Nichols is a Project Censored Award winner and lives in California. He formerly lived in Oklahoma. He is a contributor to OnLineJournal.com, AxisofLogic.com, DissidentVoice.com and other online publications and is a correspondent for the San Francisco Bay View newspaper. Nichols is a former employee of the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. He can be reached by email at bob.bobnichols@gmail.com.

Fwd. by:

FOREIGN PRESS FOUNDATION
http://forpressfound.blogspot.com/
Editor: Henk Ruyssenaars
http://tinyurl.com/amn3q
The Netherlands
fpf@chello.nl

* Help all the troops - of whatever nationality - to come back from abroad! - AND WITH ALL THEIR WEAPONS, WHICH WE WERE FORCED TO PAY FOR BY TAXES - [http://www.apfn.org/apfn/reserve.htm ] - We need them badly at home in many countries to fight with us against our so called 'governments' and their malignant managers - Url.: http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/

FPF-COPYRIGHT NOTICE - In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107 - any copyrighted work in this message is distributed by the Foreign Press Foundation under fair use, without profit or payment, to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the information. Url.: http://liimirror.warwick.ac.uk/uscode/17/107.html

-0-




Staffing Issues - The Turf Battle Between Russia's Criminals

THE TURF BATTLE BETWEEN RUSSIA'S CRIMINALS

by Henk Ruyssenaars

It may be interesting to get a rare look in the kitchen: the owner of the daily 'Kommersant' in Russia is Boris Berezovsky, an infamous gangster with good London banking connections, and who is a sworn enemy of the Russian president. He, Putin, is the leader of another pack of globally despised robbing billionairs, and one of the meanest (ex-KGB) players. And not all media in Russia are pro-Putin: 'Kommersant' is one of the few exceptions, and - as the text shows - Boris Berezovsky dislikes president Putin very much. - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/8k7n3 -

But they all are part of the immoral pack of the oligarchs robbing Russia, and with their stolen billions they belong to the richest thieves in the world. They now try to further attract innocent looking 'front men' like Evans and Schroeder, whom they already netted. Former German Chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder accepted the money and position of 'Chairman of the Shareholders Committee' of the company for construction North European Gas Pipeline (NEGP).

It's a risky and often deadly battle for the crooks in this multi-billion business,
who for security reasons - meaning escape - often have double nationalities...

Staffing Issues

Vladimir Putin explained who he sees as the head of Rosneft

Economics / Kommersant* daily, December 19, 2005

Late Friday night, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with journalists in the bar of the International Press Center in “Bocharov Creek” presidential residence and explained why American citizen Donald Evans might become chairman of Rosneft. [HR: Evans declined) The mechanism of this decision making was not revealed for an understandable reason. Kommersant special correspondent ANDREY KOLESNIKOV thinks it was about the same way like it happened with Gerhard Schroeder, the new head of the shareholders committee of the company that constructs the North European Gas Pipeline. Our correspondent learned about this case.

After the Russian president met during the day Friday with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and demonstratively drank beer with him in the International Press Center of the residence, I approached to him. At that point, he already tired to pretend that he still had an interest to talk with one person for several hours in a row. I asked him if he was coming back to journalists.

“Why?” Putin was sincerely surprised.

I answered that there are still some unanswered questions.

“I leave Gromov for me (Press Secretary of Russian President - Kommersant),” Putin responded and left the room together with Kocharyan.

However, it was strange when an hour later he returned and did answer questions. In other words, he not only had something to say, he also felt like he must say some things.

Besides, some answers of the Russian president could be easily evaluated as sensational ones (however they were not properly understood in the sweaty wave of “urgent” Friday news). For instance, while answering about the reason for the slow negotiations with the United States about joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), Putin answered that “WTO was designed and functions as a guarantor of freedom of trade-economic free relations.”

“If somebody offers us an exclusion from the rules that limits this freedom, then joining this organization is senseless,” President of Russia said.

It was absolutely clear what he meant. Putin was talking about his own statement that was made in Novosibirsk: foreign bank affiliates will not operate on Russian territory. On negotiations about Russia joining the WTO, the USA insists that foreign banks should have in Russia the same rights (not only for existence, but also for good life and dignified old age) as Russian ones.

PUTIN WILL NOT GIVE UP TO THE AMERICANS

And now Putin was showing that he will not give up to the Americans any of the negotiation positions. The price of this question is membership in WTO. Putin is ready to sacrifice the membership but not his principles. The problem is - nobody except the president knows these principles (and there are suspicions that he is developing these principles in an experimental way.)

Russian-American intrigue was heated up by the next question as well. Kommersant reported several days ago about the offer made to former US Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans to head Rosneft.

“I think that any of our publicly traded corporations and Rosneft is getting ready to go public,” Putin started uncertainly like he was looking for right words. “You know, Rosneft is getting ready with the IPO. The company is interested in attracting high-class managers no matter of their ethnic origins and citizenship. Rosneft has all the chances to become one of the successful world companies. I am sure it will be like that and for that reason I am not excluding the possibility to invite there a foreign … and highly qualified specialist.”

The context sounded like Donald Evans might really get a serious proposal. However, Putin was saying quite foggy about the matters. I had to ask more precisely.

“Is it important for you that Donald Evans is American citizen?” I asked.

“No, it is not,” the President answered.

I think with this answer Russian President just confirmed the information of Kommersant.

The trick was simple. All Putin had to say that he personally did not say the name of Donald Evans. My naïve calculations were based of the hope that Putin would understand my question about Evans’ citizenship directly and will start to talk. It would not make sense to answer this question if the offer was not made to Evans.

However, the President started to answer on this question.

“So, there is some meaning between the lines, isn’t it?” I asked while hoping to continue on the subject.

“No, there isn’t,” the president cut me off.

“But we would still try to find it,” I honestly warned him.

“I am sure you will find it,” Putin replied affirmatively.

However, from this point he wasn’t sure that it was the right time to end this conversation like this. He decided to add couple of points.

“I think this is an element of the openness in the Russian economy and openness of Russian companies. It will serve a greater state purpose as well as the interest of Russian companies,” President added without looking for meaning in between the lines.

“But the order about the new appointment was not signed yet, was it?” I got bolder.

Putin could not take such open provocation from me. He already said all he could say and any further words would be senseless.

“I did not mention a name! I just said that we are interested in attracting highly qualified specialists!” Putin voice picked up some metal tones.

“Well, then tell us name!” I suggested.

“I always can say any name,” Putin eyes started to look like merciless steel. “However, in the end -- this is only between the company and the managers, who this company is inviting.

These words reminded me of a story of the appointment of former German Chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder for the position of Chairman of the Shareholders Committee of the company for construction North European Gas Pipeline (NEGP). One of the highest-ranking managers in Gasprom told me how this appointment came about. The head of Gasprom Alexei Miller made an offer to Schroeder, when it was known that he was leaving big politics. They had a personal meeting. Schroeder listened to Miller’s proposal and totally rejected it.

The source did not say if this offer was sanctioned by Putin. However, during the ceremony of the opening of the construction of NEGP, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov sounded exactly the same idea – although, this time not to Schroeder (afraid of another rejection –Kommersant) but to German Minister of Economics Gloss. Of course, the Russian President had to coordinate such large scale staffing intrigue.

According to Gloss, a member of Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union, he had quickly discussed the job opportunity with his bosses (party ones and administrative). His answer to Fradkov was that neither Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union, nor Angela Merkel will be against this appointment. Moreover, they are ready to support it as best they could and would discuss that with Schroeder as soon as possible. And they did.

In the meantime, Putin also had talked with Schroeder about this funny idea. And when Alexei Miller offered the former German Chancellor this position a second time from the name of the NEGP shareholders, Schroeder gave up and with a strange smile accepted the offer. And for the rest of the outside world all this wonderful story looked like Putin’s statement about negotiations with Donald Evans: “This is only between the company and managers, who this company is inviting.”

Andrey Kolesnikov

Russian Article as of Dec. 19, 2005 - Kommersant Url.: http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?id=636607

RELATED REFERENCES & LINKS:

The 'Big Game' for energy - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/5cyzq

Untill next March 19th 2006 - the elections - according to Pravda president Putin will do anything to stop the US from creating another fake revolution in Belarus and 'win' the election after CIA and NED funding - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/ajqrb

President Putin & Kommersant - US/Google News - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/anhhq

It's just dirty business of the multinationals and their London Banks, no anti-semitism: Putin friend and ex Berezovsky partner is Roman Abramovich - Url.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Abramovich

HR: The real story on the Yukos oil snatch - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/7nc8b

Intelligence Newsletter 16 Dec. 1999 - ''Turf Battle Between Russian Crime Elite'' - (Pay) Url.: http://tinyurl.com/cuom5

Soros & CIA - 80.000+ 'hits' - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/4cb3x

* Who's financing? - The 'Federal Reserve' is the absolute biggest crime ever - Url.: http://www.apfn.org/apfn/reserve.htm

* Russia & the US alike: 'Spreading democracy' with Death Squads - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/drnca - A 55' second sound bite concerning the US 'bringing democracy' everywhere - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/5u98v

* Help all the troops - of whatever nationality - to come back from abroad! - AND WITH ALL THEIR WEAPONS, WHICH WE WERE FORCED TO PAY FOR BY TAXES - [http://www.apfn.org/apfn/reserve.htm ] - We need them badly at home in many countries to fight with us against our so called 'governments' and their malignant managers - Url.: http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/

* FPF-COPYRIGHT NOTICE - In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107 - any copyrighted work in this message is distributed by the Foreign Press Foundation under fair use, without profit or payment, to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the information. Url.:  http://liimirror.warwick.ac.uk/uscode/17/107.html

FOREIGN PRESS FOUNDATION
http://tinyurl.com/6v8ru
Editor: Henk Ruyssenaars
http://tinyurl.com/amn3q
The Netherlands
FPF@Chello.nl

-0-