Since 2004 the United States has illegally
killed 3105 people in Pakistan to eliminate 47
high profile targets. Among those killed it is
estimated that 176 were innocent children. [www.
thebureauinvestigates.com/category/projects/drone-data/,
http://drones.pitchinteractive.com/]

• Initial drone strikes are often followed by strikes
on those who come to the aid of the victims of
that attack—frequently rescuers, loved ones,
or neighbors (a practice the U.S. military calls a
“double tap”). [See “Outrage at CIAs Deadly Double Tap
Drone Attacks,” The Independent UK, Sept 25, 2012.]

• Signature Strikes are strikes drone operators
fire on people whose identities they do not know
based on evidence of suspicious behavior or
other “signatures.” These strikes on unidentified
targets account for many, or even most, drone
casualties. [www.propublica.org]

• Drone strikes endanger us all. Each strike
generates more anger, violence and plots for
revenge. [Op-ed by Ibrahim Mothana, NY Times, June 13,
2012] Many American and international human
rights studies suggest that US drone strikes have
instigated wide-spread anti-Americanism with the
potential for further violence against Americans
and facilitated recruitment to violent non-state
armed groups. [www.livingunderdrones.org/#_ftn5]

Hawai‘i plays a crucial role
in the U.S. military’s ability to carry out
its illegal and immoral drone warfare.
Both Wheeler Air Force Base and Kaneohe
Marine Corps Air Station are authorized drone
bases; U.S. Army Garrison—Pohakuloa has an
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle landing strip. [www.
nodronesnetwork.blogspot.org, www.hawaiiarmyweekly.com/
2012/07/14/shwedo-takes-command-of-pohakuloa-garrison/]

U.S. Representative Colleen Hanabusa is a
member of the Unmanned Systems Caucus
(USC), which was formed to increase the use
of drones. [https://hanabusa.house.gov/contact-me,
http://unmannedsystemscaucus.mckeon.house.gov/about/
membership.shtml]

We, the undersigned, believe that people of
conscience must take responsibility for what their
government does in their name.

We object to illegal US
assassin drone strikes in sovereign countries in which we
have not declared war and urge the U.S. government to
bring our drone strike policy into compliance with international
and United States laws; to permanently end all
“signature strikes” against unknown persons; to permanently
end all “secondary strikes,” particularly those that
target and endanger civilian rescuers in grave violation
of international law; to address questions about civilian
casualties from drone strikes publicly and in detail, and to
compensate drone strike victims and their families.

Unacknowledged civilian fatalities and wide swaths
of civilians living in fear of American drones are unacceptable.
We call for an immediate moratorium on assassin
drone strikes.

We humbly urge you to research the facts that we
have presented, and if you feel as we do, please contact
our elected officials.

www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

in solidarity with all persons nationally & internationally
challenging this reckless assassin program, we are:
Aloha Aina Ea Ea • Nancy Aleck • Jack ie Beckett & Brooks
Walsh • Barbara Bell • Brian Bilsky & Anja li Puri • Fumie & Ken
Bonk • Dr. Marilyn Brown • Arlene & Pau l Buklarewicz •
Michele Chave z-Pardini • Michael Christ opher & Keiko Bonk
• Bob & Norma Eva ns • Lila Flood • Dr. Tim Freeman • Renate
Gassma nN • Ann Gleas on • Kath leen & Peter Golden • Donna
Grabow • Isaac “Paka” Harp, citizen, Hawa iian Kingdom •
Nelson & Jennifer Ho • Jim Good & Ted Paiva • Cory Harden •
Ramona Husse y • Aaron Jac obs • Lorna Jeyte • Caki & Robert
Kennedy • Arlene Kimata • Maur ine King • Krist ine Kubat •
Jesse Law • Dr. Marta Lepes • Kahu Napua McShane Burke •
Malu Aina • Jillian Marohnic • Mary Marvin Porter • Kim
Miller • Liz Miller • Mike P. • Robert Ramirez • Bonnie Raymond
• Krish & Jack Renauer • Cather ine Robbins & Tom Peek • Ruth
Robison • Dr. Noelie Rodriguez • Andrea Rosa noff & Steve
Sparks • Shannon Rudolph • Karin Schlappa • Samantha
Shelda n • Bunny Smith • S.T. • Dan Taylor • Tim Tunison • Mark
Van Doren, Green Part y HI • Cynee Wenner • Jea nne Wheeler
• Kai White • World Can’t Wait Hawa i’i • Anonymous (8

Aloha Peace Ohana,

We had a good protest today at the Military Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) in the heart of the Big Island, in solidarity with protests taking place globally against U.S. drones.  Surprisingly, the “Gathering of Eagles,” a right wing pro-war group that usually is there to counter our message, was no where to be seen.  A local friendly Sergeant at the base who came out to greet us, said he appreciates our personal spirit of aloha and respect for all people, even those who disagree with us.  He said the “Eagles” can be mean spirited and insulting.

Our protest began with an opening Pule (prayer) and Oli  (chant) ceremony of Ti-leaf blessing of the land and people by Kanaka Maoli women, Napua and Lia.  It was a beautiful sunny day on the mountain and the spirit of the group was very positive and peaceful.  It was pleasant not to have to endure insults from the “Eagles” shouted from bull horns from across the highway.  We were blessed to have Kupuna “Uncle Sam” Kaleleiki, a 30-year Marine, retired Sergeant Major, join us.  Uncle Sam is now with the Reinstated Lawful Government of the Kingdom of Hawaii.  He had a large plywood sign that read “End U.S. occupation.”

For 2 hours our group of 20 ( a good cross section and mix of all ages) stood opposite the main gate holding signs with a variety of messages: “Stop the Bombing,” “Shut Down PTA,” “Ground the Drones,” “Void the PTA Lease,” etc.  Messages also called for Testing for Depleted Uranium contamination.  We erected a large Hawaiian Flag on a bamboo pole topped with Ti-leaves  to hover above our protest and we placed peace flags along the highway fencing.  There was a lot of support from passing cars.

It should be noted that drones train at the 133,000-acre PTA base.  It has been confirmed that the Shadow and Raven drones train at PTA and possibly other drones as well.  There is a drone airfield which can be viewed from Google Earth located close to Mauna Kea State Park –about 1/2 mile south and east of the park between the old and new Saddle Rd.  It should also be noted that the military is attempting to renegotiate a long-term lease with the State of Hawaii for it’s live-fire training base at Pohakuloa.  We need to oppose this illegal lease and the continuing desecration and contamination of Hawaiian Kingdom Crown and Government land.  Government documents state that up to 14.8 million live-rounds are fired annually at PTA.  The State Board of Land & Natural Resources will be addressing the PTA lease in the next few months and we need to speak up in protest.

Kaho’olawe is an example of the mess the military makes of Hawaii’s land.  It bombed the island for 50 years before protest forced it to be stopped.  Over $400 million dollars was spent to clean up the island but there are still lots of unexploded ordnance on the island.  Pohakuloa is nearly 5 times larger than Kaho’olawe plus it is confirmed to be contaminated with Depleted Uranium (DU).  As we have said, ” We pray that the U.S. not do to others what the U.S. has already done and continues to do to Hawaii: unlawfully occupy its government and nation, desecrate its sacred sites, contaminate its air, land, water, people, plants, and animals with military toxins.”

Following the protest we had a pot luck lunch at Mauna Kea Park. Our radiation monitor, which we had operating throughout the entire time picked up two spike readings at the park of over 30 counts per minute.  Normal background readings are between 5-20cpm. The winds were coming from the south — from the direction of the training ranges known to be contaminated with DU.

Uncle Sam had to leave the pot luck a little early.  He was taking a flight to Maui with his wife‘s ashes for burial.  We are very grateful for him joining us at Pohakuloa.
We have plenty of work to do to return Pohakuloa to a place of peace and healing.  Please join in this effort.  We need you. We owe it to future generations and the earth itself. Mahalo
Jim Albertini

Legislators:
“No” on HB 622.
I am a blogger www.malu-aina.org and I don’t believe I should be deprived of even common law protections against having sources revealed.  I’m opposed to narrowing news sources.  This bill needs to be defeated.
Mahalo.
Jim Albertini
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Jim Albertini Malu ‘Aina Center For Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box AB Ola’a (Kurtistown) Hawai’i 96760 Phone 808-966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org www.malu-aina.org

“NO on HB 622”

The Bill specifically isolates modern journalists, (Like Civil Beat, Bloggers, Even Huffington Post!) and deprives them of even common law protections against having their sources revealed.

(No) Shield Law Passes Conference – Will Limit Our News Source

Link: http://www.senatorlaurathielen.com/no-shield-law-passes-conference-will-limit-our-news-sources/

Link: http://westhawaiitoday.com/sections/news/local-news/pta-plans-pared-%E2%80%94-partially.html

PTA plans pared — partially

Quonset huts are seen at Pohakuloa Training Area. (HOLLYN JOHNSON/Tribune-Herald)

1

By Erin Miller

West Hawaii Today

emiller@westhawaiitoday.com

The Army is scaling back its plans for improvements at Pohakuloa Training Area — kind of.

According to a final environmental impact statement released Friday, Army officials decided not to build a Military Operations on Urban Terrain Assault Course or a live-fire shoothouse on the Saddle Road base.

“A number of factors caused the Army to carefully reconsider the programmatic portion of this analysis: the highly uncertain nature of the future projects in the modernization program, a rapidly changing austere fiscal environment, as well as the many public and agency comments received on the draft (programmatic environmental impact statement),” the document said. “The proposed IPBC would improve the quality of training at PTA and reduce a current shortfall in collective (group) live-fire training capabilities for units stationed in Hawaii.”

PTA Commander Lt. Col. Eric Shwedo said officials weren’t really ever intending to build the amenities being dropped from the environmental review. PTA already has a range and urban assault course, he said, but the standard Army plan is to consider building all the facilities in one document.

“There really was no need” for those amenities at PTA, Shwedo said Friday, adding officials began to question “why go through that consultation over something you’re never going to build?”

The Army had budgeted building just an Infantry Platoon Battle Course for next year, Shwedo said. That battle course is the Army’s “most pressing need” at PTA, the document said.

Officials said the planned changes will not increase the number of soldiers stationed at PTA, do not require the Army to acquire new land and do not call for expanding training beyond PTA’s existing footprint. Officials said they don’t expect a “substantial increase” in the number of soldiers who train at the base each year.

However, officials added, as the military decreases operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, many units stationed overseas are returning to Hawaii and spending more time here, so training at PTA may increase to “historic” levels.

“While at PTA, some units may fire more ammunition (this correlates with Army-wide training requirements),” the document said.

Officials also claimed the number of aircraft using the base wouldn’t increase over “historic” levels, but noted changes in which Navy and Marine aircraft units are stationed on Oahu — three new squadrons have been assigned — and those units will bring 9,900 more operations a year compared to current levels by 2018.

Those levels are lower than in the past because of Army and Marine Corps’ deployments overseas, officials said.

The project will build a battle course “that is compliant with current Army training requirements to ensure our soldiers receive training in accordance with existing Army training standards,” the environmental document said. “The proposed (course) would support the live-fire collective training needs of Army, Army Reserve Component and Hawaii Army National Guard units, as well as other service components that are stationed or train in Hawaii.”

The PTA range complex has 31 direct-fire ranges in the installation’s northern, eastern and southern regions and 23 training areas within PTA and the Keamuku Maneuver Area.

The public has 30 days to comment. People may mail comments to PTA EIS, PO Box 514, Honolulu, HI 96809, or email comments to USARMY.JBSA.AEC.MBX@mail.mil. The final EIS is available for review at the Hilo Public Library, the Kailua-Kona Public Library, the Thelma Parker Memorial Public and School Library or online at garrison.hawaii.army.mil/pta_peis/documents.htm.

Aloha ‘Aina

Stop Bombing Pohakuloa!

Stop the desecration & contamination of Hawaiian Kingdom crown Lands at Pohakuloa

Sunday, April 28, 2013

10AM till Noon

Pohakuloa Main Gate

Pot Luck Picnic at Mauna Kea Park following the protest

(car pools leave Hilo bayfront parking lot makai/Hamakua side of Pauahi St. Kamehameha Ave. intersection at 9AM sharp. Bring water, sunscreen, and be prepared for cool, possibly wet, weather) This is a peaceful, non-violent protest, in solidarity with global anti-drone protests taking place throughout the month of April. Please show respect to all, even those that disagree with us.

      Pohakuloa is the largest U.S. live-fire training area outside the U.S. It is 133,000-acres, nearly 5 times the size of Kaho’olawe. The base is known to be contaminated with Depleted Uranium (DU) and other military toxins. Continued live-fire, and other activities that create dust, risks spreading the radiation and other toxic contamination.

      Pohakuloa is also used for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Drone) training. The U.S. is using drones in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, etc. for surveillance and targeted assassinations. Thousands of people, including many innocent children, have been terrorized and killed by missiles and bombs from U.S. drones resulting in increasing hatred of the U.S. around the world.

      We pray that the U.S. not do to others what the U.S. has already done and continues to do to Hawaii: unlawfully occupy its government and nation, desecrate its sacred sites, contaminate its air, land, water, people, plants, and animals with military toxins.

Ground the Drones!

Void the Unlawful Military Lease

Pohakuloa is a Place for Peace

& Healing!

1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties. 4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, etc.
5. Seek peace through justice in Hawai`i and around the world.
Malu `Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box AB Kurtistown, Hawai`i 96760.
Phone (808) 966-7622.  Emailja@malu-aina.org   http://www.malu-aina.org

Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet (April 26, 2013– 605th week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office

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