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The Sky is Not Always Blue (Star Wars Op-Ed) * 17 DAYS TO Y2K AND 5,600 WARHEADS ON ALERT *

December 13, 1999




I. The Sky is Not Always Blue
{an op-ed piece by Greg Robie}

II. Y2K Nuclear Dangers
RE: 17 DAYS TO Y2K AND 5,600 WARHEADS ON ALERT -
PLEASE FAX TO TAKE THEM OFF!

III. 21 plants in Japan are shutting down during the Y2K rollover!

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I. The Sky Is Not Always Blue
an op-ed piece by Greg Robie (11/25/99)

In the movie "Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee" a Native American elder questioned the Whiteman's integrity due to our forbearers' failure to honor treaties whose permanence was for "as long as the sky was blue." Entering into negotiated agreements implies that the involved parties respect one another and act with integrity. In such a process the resulting mutual trust is the groundwork on which lasting cooperation and security is built.

The Native Americans treaties were not honored. The United States government, feeling superior by race and being political in nature, found it pragmatic to act without integrity. It allowed its citizens to violate with impunity, agreements it made with sovereign nations. The shameful "Indian Wars" (or more accurately described as indigenous people eradication initiatives) were its subsequent resolution to the dilemma.

Repeating history, our government is willing to "withdraw"--what a wonderful wordsmithing for the term "break"--rather than renegotiate, the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Aren't those who break treaties "the bad guys?" Walter Slocombe, undersecretary for defense policy said: "We will not permit any other country to have a veto on actions that may be needed for the defense of our nation." This attitude, and the pending decision next summer by President Clinton to do the first deployment of a "Star Wars" defense system in Alaska lack integrity and need a reality check. Let us thoughtfully consider the family of nations' judgment of our behavior.

In a 54-7 vote on November 5th, with all of the members of the European Union abstaining or, like France, voting with Russia, the UN's First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) opposed the pending unilateral US action "to undermine or circumvent the ABM Treaty." That judgment can be joined by an equally important question: Has the planned Star Wars "defense" system passes the technological feasibility requirement of the Congressional resolution that support its deployment?

It is always wise to see one's behavior from perspectives that are different. Such a discipline demonstrates respect. It can clarify perceived differences and their meaning. The US is clearly understood by the vast majority of nations--as our own behavior in the 19th Century can be viewed in retrospect--to be an action devoid of respect for a process of negotiation that historically secures security non-violently; it reflects a commitment to and trust in violence.

Does not history repeat itself? Why won't a violation of treaties lead us to a future of "Indian" Wars? Why won't future wars also fail to usher in national security and require negotiating the underlying issues we would be so much wiser, as well as economically better off, to resolve through negotiations now? Consider the situation of the potential costs of the unresolved Native American claims in our courts today and their impact on the negotiations surrounding tribal gambling.

Unless we choose to live in the insecurity of a security secured by war and grounded in the oppression and violation of the human rights of others, why wouldn't we choose today, to act with integrity out of the spiritual strengths of patience, trust and love? Why wouldn't we persist with the negotiation process to see what that practice, based on respect, integrity, and trust, may make possible the we cannot otherwise imagine?

The "may" in Mr. Slocombs rationalization is huge. In the 15 years North Korea becomes this supposed threat some very serious destabilizing trends _*will*_ unfold. Another billion and a half people will share this planet. Our industrialized American lifestyles, which we are exporting world-wide (and which we are "investing" billions militarily to preserve), will likely have environmentally displaced or killed 100's of millions of humans and countless other forms of life. The threats to global security of these two very real trends dwarf any minutely possible threat of ICBM attacks
from "evil" countries.

It is time to wake up and realize that the "Star Wars" defense system has next to nothing to do with security. Instead it is predominately about economic security for the military industrial complex. It is about political campaign financing that this industry funds and, in turn, from whence it receives its funding.

The threat to global security is not "out there" among "terrorist" governments. It is right here at home. It is our terrifying exercise of denial about the true nature of our lifestyle choices. Like lemmings, we are fools running blindly to our own historically assured destruction when we repeat the choices of bygone civilizations, kings and empires and trust the lie that might defines right; when we forget that the sky is still blue.

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II. Y2K Nuclear Dangers
RE: 17 DAYS TO Y2K AND 5,600 WARHEADS ON ALERT -
PLEASE FAX TO TAKE THEM OFF!

Date: Sun, 5 Dec 1999 18:52:35 -0800
To: Post Cassini Flyby News
From: Rosa Zubizarreta
Subject: Your Assistance Requested

Dear Jonathan,

We need your help. Could you post information about the following websites to your list?

http://www.y2kwash.org is the site for the World Atomic Safety Holiday campaign, advocating for greater safety measures for nuclear power plants and the deactivation of weapons systems as a reasonable and necessary precaution in face of the year 2000 computer problem.

http://www.geocities.com/mothersalert is another website with good information about this issue.

The public health risks of the year 2000 problem have been trivialized by p.r. campaigns designed to downplay and ridicule any serious concern about this issue. Rather than broad-based public participation in addressing these risks, we are told that "everything is being taken care of".

Please, if you are not informed about this issue, take a few minutes to do some research and make up your own mind. One good place to start is the website of the Center for Y2K and Society, http://www.y2kcenter.org

With all best wishes,
Rosa Zubizarreta

From: FoE Sydney - Nuclear Campaign,
RE: 17 DAYS TO Y2K AND 5,600 WARHEADS ON ALERT -
PLEASE FAX TO TAKE THEM OFF!

Dear All who are concerned about the safety of our planet,

How you react to this email really makes a difference to the safety of this planet on Dec 31.

At only 17 days from the Y2K rollover, the largest, oldest, and poitentially least Y2K compliant computer systems in the world are still those that control the 2000US warheads and the 3,600 Russian warheads in land-based silos, that are kept on 24 hour a day hairtrigger alert. So far there has been no indication that they will be removed from alert. However there are many little indications that your faxes to Cohen, Clinton, and Yeltsin are having an effect, and that people in the pentagon
are noticing.

The Canberra Commission, the Tokyo Forum, four resolutions in the United Nations General Assembly (two last year two this year), two motions in the Australian Senate, and a resolution carried on Thursday 18th Nov by the European Parliament have all called for them to be taken off alert.

Please write to US defence secretary William Cohen, President Clinton, and to Russian Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev, asking them to take nuclear weapons off hairtrigger alert at least over the Y2K 'rollover' period.

Defence Secretary Cohen's fax number is +1-703-695-1149 President Clintons fax number is +1-202-456-2461 Yeltsin/Sergeyev's fax number is +7-095-205-4330.

Faxing a single A4 page should not cost you more than a dollar.

You can fax for free on http://www.fax4free.com

*If you are an organisation* and want to sign a large sign-on letter, please sign the letter to Presidents Yeltsin and Clinton that is being periodicaly faxed to them on
http://homepages.tig.com.au/~foesyd/nuclear/bbletter.html

Sample letters to Cohen/Clinton and to Sergeyev are below.
Please customise and/or abbreviate.


1)SAMPLE LETTER TO COHEN/CLINTON
(You can also post it to The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington DC.)

TO:
WILLIAM COHEN, US SECRETARY OF DEFENCE,
+1-703-695-1149,

PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON,
WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON, US,
+1-202-456-2461, +1-202-456-2883.


Dear President Clinton and Secretary for Defence Cohen,

I am writing to urge your administration to take US nuclear forces off 'hairtrigger alert' even if only during the Y2K rollover period.

As you will be aware, the European Parliament recently voted to ask you and President Yeltsin to do as the UK has already done, and de-alert nuclear weapons.

It is particularly disturbing that Secretary Cohen has been reported as having stated in Moscow some time ago that de-alerting of nuclear forces is 'off the table' as a stability building measure. You have also been quoted as saying that 'The better course is reduction, limiting the number of weapons, and establishing shared early warning centers'.

The recent Europarliament vote clearly puts de- alerting back on the table. De-alerting of nuclear forces was strongly recommended by the Canberra Commission in 1996 and then by the Tokyo Forum, as a way to develop strategic stability and build trust between the US and Russia. It has also been incorporated into last year's and this years text of the New Agenda Resolution in the UN General Assembly. It has also been reccommended by a resolution specifically on the subject passed by last years General Assembly and by this years First Committee on Reduction of Nuclear Dangers. In addition it has been the subject of two resolutions passed by the Australian Senate on 12 August and 20September, and finally it has been clearly requested by the European Parliament. It is also the subject of congressional resolution H.Con Res177 put by Edward Markey, and most recently, the City of Berkley has asked for it.

These measures are not in competition with each other. All of them - reductions in the number of weapons, the establishment of shared early warning centers and de-alerting - are vital to the reduction of tension and the establishment of strategic stability.

This is particularly the case in view of the uncertainties posed by the millennium date change (Y2K). As you are well aware, the largest and oldest computer system complexes in the world are those that control nuclear weapons systems.

The very nature of the Y2K problem makes it impossible to be sure everything has been fixed until well into the new year.

Russia has, until recently, made little effort to even acknowledge the Y2K problem, let alone fix it. It is therefore quite possible that Russian computerized control systems are not Y2K compliant and that they will experience widespread failures during the Y2K rollover period.

Even more disquieting is the fact that that the Russians have constructed the system known as 'Perimeter', or the 'dead hand'. This system seems to include additional ways in which Y2K failure might lead to an accidental launch.

The establishment of a Y2K strategic stability center in Colorado is certainly an advantageous move and an absolutely essential one.

However, it does not entirely remove the danger of an accidental launch of nuclear weapons.

The fact that the Center is scheduled, as far as we the public are aware, to come into operation only on December 27th, four days prior to the rollover, is far from reassuring. A four day delay will render it useless.

Similarly, the center itself will depend on the availability of ultra-reliable hotlines between it and Moscow. The Y2K vulnerabilities recently discovered in six of the seven hotlines on which US/Russian communications depends, are also cause for deep concern.

If nuclear weapons are removed from a status in which they can be launched within minutes, and placed in one which would require at least days to launch, the risk of an accidental missile launch induced by Y2K or other errors in command and control systems will be virtually eliminated.

This has been done by the UK, which has moved the 'notice to fire' for its missile forces from minutes to days.

In taking De-alerting 'off the table', the United States is making a serious error. Failure to take nuclear forces off hairtrigger alert over the Y2K 'rollover' period is an error that has the potential of causing unthinkable consequences.

The probability of this may be low, but it will never be zero as long as nuclear forces remain on hair-trigger alert.

In a previous administration, President Bush took strategic bomber forces off alert. We urge you to do this with all US nuclear forces.

(SIGNED) etc.

2)SAMPLE LETTER TO YELTSIN/DEFENCE MINISTER SERGEYEV

THIS SAMPLE LETTER IS FOR YOU PERSONALLY TO FAX, CUSTOMIZED AS YOU FEEL BEST, TO YELTSIN AND DEFENCE MINISTER SERGEYEV. PLEASE DO FAX IT AND SEND IT NOW.

You can also post it to Boris Yeltsin, C/O The Kremlin, Moscow - but its really too slow. A single A4 page fax will cost you about a dollar.

PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN,
IGOR SERGEYEV, RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTER,
+7-095-205-4330,

Dear Defence Minister Sergeyev and President Yeltsin,

I am writing to convey my deep concern that Y2K-related computer failures in the command and control systems for nuclear weapons may lead to an accidental nuclear war.

I am aware that both Russia and the US have taken this problem seriously enough to establish a joint strategic stability center in Colorado. However, I am very much concerned that this facility will come into operation only by 27th December 1999, so that a delay of just four days will make it useless.

I am also very much concerned that Y2K problems have been found recently in six out of seven of the 'hotlines' that would be used if a crisis of any sort arose over the Y2K rollover period.

I am aware that there have been a number of occasions when either the US or Russia have mistakenly believed that the other nation was in the process of launching a nuclear attack.

With 3,600 Russian warheads on 700 missiles and 2,000 US warheads on 500 missiles, with each side capable to launch within roughly 20 minutes, this must never be allowed to happen, either over the Y2K 'rollover', or at any other time.

The use of 5,600 warheads would certainly mean the end of what we call civilization, would likely mean the end of the human race and could possibly mean the end of all life.

I therefore urge both you and the United States, to place all your nuclear forces in a status in which at least days not minutes, would be required to launch . The United Kingdom has, I understand, already done this.

The European Parliament has recently called on both the US and Russia to de-alert nuclear weapons and to place them in a state similar to that in which the UK has placed its weapons. The recent Europarliament vote clearly puts de- alerting back on the table. De-alerting of nuclear forces was strongly recommended by the Canberra Commission in 1996 and then by the Tokyo Forum, as a way to develop strategic stability and build trust between the US and Russia. It has also been incorporated into last year's and this years text of the New Agenda Resolution in the UN General Assembly. It has also been reccommended by a resolution specifically on the subject passed by last years General Assembly and by this years First Committee on Reduction of Nuclear Dangers. In addition it has been the subject of two resolutions passed by the Australian Senate on 12 August and 20September, and finally it has been clearly requested by the European Parliament. It is also the subject of congressional resolution H.Con Res177 put by Edward Markey, and most recently, the City of Berkley has asked for it.

The immediate stakes are so high and the potential for global catastrophe is so great, that mutually verified de-alerting of nuclear forces in the face of the Y2K computer problem must take precedence over all other considerations of political and national security.'
(Signed) etc.

John Hallam
Friends of the Earth Sydney,
17 Lord street, Newtown, NSW, Australia,
Fax(61)(2)9517-3902 ph (61)(2)9517-3903
nonukes@foesyd.org.au
http://homepages.tig.com.au/~foesyd
http://homepages.tig.com.au/~foesyd/nuclear/bbletter.html

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III. 21 plants in Japan are shutting down during the Y2K rollover period!

Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 07:11:04 +0000
To: y2k-nuclear@egroups.com
From: Paul Swann
Mailing-List: contact y2k-nuclear-owner@egroups.com
From: "Soula "

NEWS: 21 plants in Japan are shutting down during the Y2K rollover period! This is from the December 4th edition of the Asahi Newspaper, local edition (Tokaimura area). This is big news. But they are trying not to make this look like a big deal -- no headlines or anything. We are trying to get more information from the activists in Japan, who are in close contact with some of our members.

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