Vieques Update & Dr. Strangelove

Date: Monday, April 23, 2001 11:35 AM


Subject: Vieques Update 4/23


Hey y\'all,


Two days after sending out the last updates, the Navy announced that it
will be bombing in Vieques staring on April 27th. There has been
sporadic bombing over the last year. However, this will be the first
bombing of the new administration both here and there.


And what a difference that can make. Not in the US. The Cheney
administration is taking the same tack of Clinton: stall, deny and
bomb. But here in Puerto Rico, the announcement has brought the loudest
uproar in a year. A demonstration is planned for this Thursday in front
of the Capitol. The next day bombing is scheduled to begin. Also
scheduled is the first civil disobedience in months, and amongst those
planning to be arrested are 20 legislators. There is even talk of
convening a session of the Puertorican legislation in the Navy
territory. (This was suggested by one of the most fervent pro-Americans
politicians as a taunt- If you really believed.... )


Today or tomorrow the legislature is expected to pass a law regulating
sound in Vieques. In theory, this would effectively shut down the
bombing. When asked if this law would violate the accord with the US
which calls for a referendum between three years of bombing or unlimited
bombing, the governor replied: \"Accord? What Accord? There is no accord!\"


The legislation is based on studies that infra sound vibrations can
cause damage to the heart. The Navy of course denies this as well as
every other study that has shown health problems in Vieques. Recently,
John Hopkins was hires by the Navy to look at one such study. JH
announced that the findings of the study were \"incomplete.\" Thus no
scientific proof. A couple days later the Navy admitted that it had not
given all of the data to JH.


Speaking of lack of scientific proof, the PR government recently
released a report that had been conducted by the previous government but
then buried. Taking advantage of the peace, a team from the University
of Georgia found \"the existence of thousands of barrels and compressed
gas cylinders sunk onto the coral reefs of Vieques. We have now
demonstrated that toxic substances are leaking from the underwater
bombs, and that this toxic material is now found in living marine
organisms on the reef. \" The report said that further study needs to be
done by the EPA. The EPA however is refusing because it\'s too dangerous
to see if it\'s dangerous or not. Really.


{}April 19th was the second anniversary of the death of David Sanes, the
Viequense whose death sparked the movement here. On April 19th, the
second anniversary of the death of David Sanes, his mother died.


{}{}In Virginia, a group of 500 people have signed on to a lawsuit
against the US Navy over noise from its jets.


{}{}{} In sporting news, PR baseball player Igor Gonzalez recently met
with Bush in the oval office. The two had known each other when Bush was
employed as Son-of-the US-President by the Texas Rangers. Gonzalez told
Bush of his support for an immediate end to the bombing of Vieques. Bush
responded that he believes there are not enough peanuts in cracker jack
boxes.


{}{}{}{}In more sporting news, the new mini-fly (?) weight boxing world
champion is from Vieques. Like most events in Vieques, his arrival
turned into a peace rally, being greeted by activists Ismael Guadalupe
and Carlos Ventura.


{}{}{}{}{}For those of you in NYC there will be a demonstration Sat
April 28th at 12 noon at 26 Federal Plaza - near Duane Street on
Broadway Lower Manhattan, New York City


{}{}{}{}{}{}Corrections, the name of the US Secretary of Defense is not
Lumphead, it\'s Chumfed. My apologies once again.


dave