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Relations, Congress discussed ways to deal with Afghanistan to | 6: US Government Pushing Nuclear Revival make way for an oil pipeline. lhe US government is blazing a trail of nuclear weapon revival Jane's Defence Newsletter reported in March 2001 that an inva- leading to global nuclear dominance. A nuke-revival group, sion of Afghanistan was being planned. The Times of India supported by people like Stephen Younger, Associate Director for reported that in June 2001, the US government told India that Nuclear Weapons at Los Alamos, proposes a "mini-nuke" capable there would be an invasion of Afghanistan in October of that year. of burrowing into underground weapon supplies and unleashing a In July 2001, George Arney, with the BBC, also reported the small but contained nuclear explosion. This weapons advocacy planned invasion. group is comprised of nuclear scientists, Department of Energy Sources: The Guardian, London, November 7, 2001; The Times of (DOE) officials, right-wing analysts, former government officials India, November 8, 2001; Pulse of the Twin Cities, January 16, 2002) and a congressionally appointed oversight panel. The group wants to ensure that the US continues to develop nuclear capacity 5: US Intentionally Destroyed Iraq's Water System into the next half-century. uring the Gulf War, the United States deliberately bombed Princeton theoretical physicist Robert W. Nelson has studied Iraq's water system. After the war, the US pushed sanctions the question for the Federation of American Scientists. Nelson to prevent importation of necessary supplies for water purifica- concluded: "No earth-burrowing missile can penetrate deep tion. These actions resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent enough into the earth to contain an explosion with a nuclear yield Iraqi civilians, many of whom were young children. Documents even as small as one per cent of the 15-kiloton Hiroshima have been obtained from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), weapon. The explosion simply blows out a massive crater of which prove that the Pentagon was fully aware of the mortal radioactive dirt, which rains down on the local region with an impacts on civilians in Iraq and was actually monitoring the especially intense and deadly fallout." degradation of Iraq's water supply. The destruction of civilian (Source: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, July/August 2001) infrastructures necessary for health and welfare is a direct violation of the 7: Corporations Promote HMO Geneva Convention. . . Model for School Districts After the Gulf War, the United The Times of India reported F: decades, public schools have Nations applied sanctions against Iraq, that in June 2001 ; the US purchased innumerable products which denied the importation of spe- and services from private compa- cialised equipment and chemicals, such government told India that nies—from textbooks to bus trans- as chlorine for purification of water. i i portation. Within the last decade, There are six documents that have been there would be an invasion however, privatisation has taken on a partially declassified and can be found of Afghanistan In October whole new meaning. on the Pentagon's website at "Education today, like health care http://www. gulflink.osd.mil. These of that year. 30 years ago, is a vast, highly documents include information that localised industry ripe for change," proves that the United States was fully says Mary Tanner, Managing Director aware of the costs to civilians, especially of Lehman Brothers. "The emergence children, by upholding the sanctions against purification of Iraq's of HMOs and hospital management companies created enormous water supply. opportunities for investors. We believe the same pattern will The primary document is dated January 22, 1991, and is titled occur in education." "Iraq Water Treatment Vulnerabilities". This document predicts So while the aptly named Educational Management what will take place when Iraq can no longer import the vital Organisations (EMOs) are being promoted as the new answer to commodities to cleanse their water supply. It states that epi- impoverished school districts and dilapidated classrooms, the real demics and disease outbreaks may occur because of pollutants emphasis is on investment returns rather than student welfare and and bacteria that exist in unpurified water. The document educational development. acknowledges the fact that without purified drinking water, the (Sources: The Progressive Populist, November 15, 2000; North manufacturing of food and medicine will also be affected. The Coast Xpress, Winter 2000; In These Times, June 2001; possibilities of the Iraqis' obtaining clean water, despite sanctions, Multinational Monitor, January/February 2002 ) along with a timetable describing the degradation of Iraq's water supply, were also addressed. 8: NAFTA Destroys Farming Communities in US and The remaining five documents from the DIA confirm the Abroad Pentagon's monitoring of the situation in Iraq. In more than one he North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the document, the likely outbreaks of diseases and how they affect International Monetary Fund (IMF) are responsible for the civilians, "particularly children", are discussed in great detail. impoverishment of and loss of many small farms in Mexico and The final document, titled "Iraq: Assessment of Current Health Haiti. NAFTA is also causing the economic destruction of rural Threats and Capabilities", is dated November 15, 1991, and dis- farming communities in the United States and Canada. The cusses the development of a counterpropaganda strategy that resulting loss of rural employment has created a landslide of would blame Saddam Hussein for the lack of safe water in Iraq. socio-economic and environmental consequences that are The United States' insistence on using this type of sanction worsening with the continued dismantling and deregulation of against Iraq is in direct violation of the Geneva Convention. The trade barriers. United Nations estimates that more than 500,000 Iraqi children When NAFTA came before Congress in 1993, US farmers were have died as a result of sanctions and that unclean water is a told that the agreement would open the borders of Mexico and major contributor to these deaths. Canada, enabling them to sell their superior products and achieve (Source: The Progressive, September 2001) previously unknown prosperity. Corporations which operate Relations, Congress discussed ways to deal with Afghanistan to make way for an oil pipeline. Jane's Defence Newsletter reported in March 2001 that an inva- sion of Afghanistan was being planned. The Times of India reported that in June 2001, the US government told India that there would be an invasion of Afghanistan in October of that year. In July 2001, George Arney, with the BBC, also reported the planned invasion. Sources: The Guardian, London, November 7, 2001; The Times of India, November 8, 2001; Pulse of the Twin Cities, January 16, 2002) The Times of India reported that in June 2001, the US government told India that there would be an invasion of that year. 8: NAFTA Destroys Farming Communities in US and Abroad he North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are responsible for the impoverishment of and loss of many small farms in Mexico and Haiti. NAFTA is also causing the economic destruction of rural farming communities in the United States and Canada. The resulting loss of rural employment has created a landslide of socio-economic and environmental consequences that are worsening with the continued dismantling and deregulation of trade barriers. When NAFTA came before Congress in 1993, US farmers were told that the agreement would open the borders of Mexico and Canada, enabling them to sell their superior products and achieve previously unknown prosperity. Corporations which operate NEXUS 13 of Afghanistan in October DECEMBER 2002 — JANUARY 2003 www.nexusmagazine.com