Aloha Peace Ohana,
Below is a draft resolution on DU at Pohakuloa sent to State Senators Gil Kahele, Josh Green and State Rep. Faye Hanohano.   Isaac Harp, Cory Harden, Dr. Lorrin Pang, and others  gave input in drafting the resolution.  Our hope is that it can be passed by both the House and Senate. We’ll keep you posted on its progress and if and when we need to mobilize support.

Jim Albertini

Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action

P.O.Box AB

Kurtistown, Hawai’i 96760

phone: 808-966-7622

email: JA@interpac.net

Visit us on the web at: www.malu-aina.org

Resolution calling for comprehensive independent testing and monitoring to determine the extent of radiation contamination at the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA).

WHEREAS, the Army repeatedly denied the use of depleted uranium (DU) in Hawaii, but it now has been confirmed that the Army used DU at PTA, Schofield Barracks, and possibly other sites in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the documented use of Davy Crockett DU spotting rounds, and the possible use of other DU spotting rounds or weapon systems, have created the presence of radiation contamination at PTA; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Army’s license to possess DU in Hawaii expired in 1964, thereby making the Army’s possession of DU in the form of on site contamination for nearly half a century illegal possession without a license; and

WHEREAS, the full extent of radiation contamination at PTA is unknown since less than 1% of the 133,000-acre base has been tested, and only a few fragments of an estimated 2000 Davy Crockett DU spotting rounds have been found; and

WHEREAS, DU is a chemically toxic and radioactive heavy metal with a half-life of 4.5 billion years; and

WHEREAS, DU emits radioactive alpha particles that can cause cancer, cell mutations, birth defects, and other possible health problems; and

WHEREAS, on July 2, 2008, the Hawaii County Council (HCC) passed Resolution No. 639-08 by a vote of 8-1 urging the military to order a complete halt to bombing, all live firing, and dust creating activities until there is a clean up of the depleted uranium; and

WHEREAS,  live-fire continues at PTA and the DU has not been cleaned up, thereby risking the spread of radioactive contamination on and off base; and;

WHEREAS, HCC Resolution 639-08 also called on the military to establish a citizen monitoring system to work closely with the military to assure transparency and community confidence; and

WHEREAS, HCC Resolution 701-08 passed unanimously on Aug. 13, 2008 named  Dr. Lorrin Pang, MD, MPH  to be the official council representative and community liaison with the military to assure transparency and community confidence; and

WHEREAS, the military has failed to establish a citizen monitoring system to work closely with the military to assure transparency and community confidence; and

WHEREAS, independent action is needed to address the potential hazards to troops, citizens and visitors of radiation contamination at Pohakuloa Training Area, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HAWAII STATE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES , that comprehensive, independent testing and monitoring be done with citizen oversight led by Dr. Lorrin Pang, MD. to determine the extent of radiation contamination at the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) and that federal funds be sought to pay for this effort through Hawaii’s Congressional delegation.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that copies of this resolution to be sent to the PTA Commander, Hawaii Army Garrison Commander, Commander -in-Chief Pacific (CINCPAC), members of Hawaii’s Congressional delegation, members of the United States Senate and House Subcommittees on Defense Appropriations, and the President of the United States of America.

Sad State of the Union

Obama proposes:
Freeze Non-War Spending for Five Years?
Full Speed Ahead with the Wars!

“So tonight, I am proposing that starting this year, we freeze annual domestic spending for the next five years.”  Thus spoke the President Jan. 25, 2011.

“Domestic” spending means non-war and non-military spending.  Over half of our public spending goes to wars and the military.  Even the President’s own  (deficit) commission recommended cutting $100 billion from military spending.  Why leave it out of the freeze? This may be why:

Obama: “And we’ve sent a message … to all parts of the globe: We will not relent, we will not waver, and we will defeat you.”   Obama and the Wall St./Banker/Military Corporate Empire against the world.

That’s going to be expensive, and President Obama promised lower taxes on corporations in  same speech.  He’s already signed off on tax cuts for billionaires.  Spending cuts will have to come somewhere else.

It’s time to resist:  http://warisacrime.org/primary

Obama: “Already, we’ve frozen the salaries of hardworking federal employees for the next two years. I’ve proposed cuts to things I care deeply about, like community action programs. The Secretary of Defense has also agreed to cut tens of billions of dollars in spending that he and his generals believe our military can do without.”

But those little cuts out of the $1 trillion we spend on the military each year are planned for future years, not this one.

The President is expected to propose a larger military budget for the third year in a row next month.  And he has thus far consistently used off-the-books supplemental bills to add more funding to his wars.

It’s time to make your voice heard!

Demand an end to these Wars!

Demand a Peace Dividend for Working People

Jobs or Income for All!

1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties. 4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, etc. 5. Seek peace through justice in Hawai`i and around the world.
Contact: Malu `Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box AB Kurtistown, Hawai`i 96760.
Phone (808) 966-7622.  Email ja@interpac.net   http://www.malu-aina.org
Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet (Jan. 28, 2011 – 489th week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office

Aloha Peace Ohana,
Reminder: There will be a peace organizing meeting on Monday, Jan. 24th from 7-9PM at the Keaau Community Center.  We meet on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month.  Please mark your calendars.
Among agenda items are:

Solidarity appeal; Pohakuloa expansion plans; military helicopter training on Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa for Afghanistan; investigate drone training at PTA.
Evaluations of the recent military hearings, news articles,
continuing Friday peace vigil,
Major anti-war rally planned for April 9
Come and bring your ideas and energy for peace.
Mahalo.
Jim

The US Military Should Be Ashamed of Its Treatment of Pfc. Bradley Manning

by Ann Wright  (Edited article below)

As a U.S. presidential candidate in 2008, in referring to the Bush Administration’s use of phone companies to illegally spy on Americans, Barack Obama said, “We only know these crimes took place because insiders blew the whistle at great personal risk … Government whistleblowers are part of a healthy democracy and must be protected from reprisal.” Candidate Obama was referring to the Bush Administration’s use of phone companies to illegally spy on Americans…

Now, the Obama administration’s warning to Bradley Manning and to other whistle blowers is this: blow the whistle on government criminal actions and we will put you in solitary confinement before you are charged, much less go to trial.  You will be treated as an “enemy combatant,” in America’s ongoing wars on about everything, including the truth…

Bradley Manning,  a U.S. Army Private First Class (PFC) intelligence analyst who turned 23 years old in late December, allegedly leaked a video of a US helicopter attack that killed at least eleven Iraqi civilians, including two Reuters reporters, to the website Wikileaks. Two Iraqi children were also severely wounded in the attack.

PFC Manning’s alleged actions are just as important as those of the whistleblowers who informed us of the Bush administration’s use of phone companies to illegally spy on Americans.  The video taken from the U.S. military helicopter that fired the killing rounds of ammunition,  graphically showed US military pilots firing on and killing innocent civilians in Iraq.  In addition to this “Collateral Murder” video, PFC Manning is suspected by the government of leaking the “Afghan War Diaries” – tens of thousands of battlefield reports that explicitly describe civilian deaths and cover-ups, corrupt officials, collusion with warlords, and a failing US/NATO war effort.

Manning had the legal responsibility to disclose evidence, even classified evidence, of criminal actions conducted by government officials…   If indeed, Manning did give the video to Wikileaks, his actions show clearly that he reasonably believed that war crimes were being covered up, and that he took action based on that belief.  Exposing criminal actions done under the cover of government orders is a responsibility and duty of military personnel as codified in the Uniform Code of Military Justice as well as the Geneva conventions and the Nuremberg Principles.

Ann Wright is a 29 year US Army/Army Reserves veteran who retired as a Colonel and a former US diplomat who resigned in March, 2003 in opposition to the war on Iraq.  See the full article at http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/01/06-8

Stop These Criminal Wars Now!

Contribute to Manning’s defense fund at www.couragetoresist.org

1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties. 4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, etc. 5. Seek peace through justice in Hawai`i and around the world.
Contact: Malu `Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box AB Kurtistown, Hawai`i 96760.
Phone (808) 966-7622.  Email ja@interpac.net   http://www.malu-aina.org
Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet (Jan. 21, 2011 – 488th week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office

Pohakuloa Military Expansion Opposed Unanimously!

Below is a brief report on the public hearing held Jan. 11th at Hilo Intermediate School cafeteria on plans for military expansion at Pohakuloa. The plans call for new live-fire ranges and training, and construction activities, at Pohakuloa, as well as high altitude helicopter flights and landings on Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa in training for Afghanistan/Pakistan high altitude mountainous warfare.

The first hour and a half was taken up with “open house” science fair type displays by military people who knew very little about the history of militarism in Hawaii and couldn’t answer many questions asked. But the public testimony portion on Pohakuloa was powerful.

The public hearing portion started with Kumu Paul Neves and his Ohana/halau doing chants and then Paul led a Pule.  Lots of young Hawaiians testified both in their native tongue and English.  They spoke eloquently against the military desecration of the sacred mountains and aina.  Other Hawaiians and people of all ages,  testified as well.  The testimony went for 2 hours.  Not one person spoke in support of the military expansion plans. The PTA new commander and the Army Garrison commander from Oahu sat stone-faced throughout the 2 hours of public testimony

Many citizens noted that no further military activity at the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) should go forward.  On July 2, 2008 the Hawaii County Council passed a resolution by a vote of 8-1 calling for a complete halt to all live-fire at PTA and any activities that create dust until there is a comprehensive independent assessment of the depleted uranium (DU) at PTA and a clean up of the DU present.  The council’s resolution also called for 7 additional actions, none of which have been implemented.

Several people emphasized that stopping the bombing and all live-fire, construction, and other activities that create dust at PTA is key.  DU particles are particularly hazardous when inhaled.  People testified that the federal government should pay for the comprehensive independent assessment, testing and monitoring for radiation contamination and that federal funds should be sought through Hawaii’s congressional delegation –senators Inouye and Akaka, and representatives Hirono and Hanabusa.  There has been plenty of money over the years for military build up but very little funding for military clean up.  It’s time to change those priorities.

The bottom line is this: Hawaii residents don’t want the U.S. military training to do to others what the U.S. has already done to Hawaii: overthrow and occupy its government and nation, and contaminate it’s air, land, water, people, plants, and animals with military toxins.

Stop the Bombing!  Stop All the Wars!

Military Clean Up NOT Build Up Now!

End all Occupations! Restore the Hawaii Nation!

1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties. 4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, etc. 5. Seek peace through justice in Hawai`i and around the world.
Contact: Malu `Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box AB Kurtistown, Hawai`i 96760.
Phone (808) 966-7622.  Email ja@interpac.net   http://www.malu-aina.org
Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet (Jan. 14, 2011 – 487th week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office