time for environmentalists to become political - oppose war against Iraq

["Jon Campbell" <jon@cqs.com>]

Hi, folks,

      I know people in the environmental arena are usually not involved in
politics or issues of "national security" . But not it is time for us to
recognize that the environmental is enmeshed with the political when it
comes to war.

     The Gulf War of 1991 caused massive environmental devastation on an
unprecedented scale. The combination of oil fires, blazing factories, sewage
and electrical plant destruction, use of uranium shells, and use of chemical
agents (not weapons, per se, but pesticides) has caused damage to land, air,
ecosystems, and people that has not really even been addressed.

      And now it would seem that the Pres is considering another massive
attack, supposedly over chemical and/or biological weaponry. I have not seen
any data on whether the kinds of weapons that are allegedly targeted for
destruction would cause any kind of ecological/environmental/health harm if
they are burned or blown up. I have not seen any ecological impact statement
at all. All I have seen is word to the effect of "Saddam Hussein has
biological or chemical weapons. Saddam Hussein is a madman. Therefore we
must attack Iraq." [I might add: there are a lot of "madmen" who control
whole countries. However, all but four of them are U.S.-aligned or have
favored nation status.]

       The Mideast environment has not yet recovered from the last
devastation. It is time we spoke up to promote diplomacy, environmental
cleanup, and removal of the ecvonomic embargo, which makes it impossible for
Iraq to address the environmental devastation done in the last war.

        Send your cards and letters today to the Pres. Talk about it with
your friends. If the US does attack Iraq, watch what kind of facilities are
destroyed, and provide people around you with knowledge about the real,
long-term environmental costs of any kind of warfare waged today.

        Please don't misunderstand me. I don't think Hussein is a good guy.
But remember he was a US ally until 1990 or so, and he's had biological and
chemical weapons since the 1970s.

Thanks
Jon