Maine Owl

If Iran did not exist, the U.S. nuclear terror state would have to invent it.

Senator Susan Collins (along with Senators Levin of Michigan and Nelson of Florida) are back from a missile defense selling mission to Russia, Poland, and the Czech Republic--but the Russians will be a tough sale. Here is a 14-second quote that is pretty close to the sum total of how her trip has been reported locally:


SENATOR COLLINS: "I don't know that we've convinced them, but I think we've advanced the dialogue. And my hope is that the Russians will cooperate with our efforts against this growing threat from Iran."

I've been through several careful reads of the quite important speech on nuclear weapons that President Obama delivered in Prague on April 5. (See HERE and HERE for previous posts citing this speech.)

Sadly, President Obama now has decided to own the Bush missile defense Euro-deployment scheme for himself. Apropos of what Senator Collins has been peddling is this statement from the Obama speech:

PRESIDENT OBAMA (April 5): So let me be clear: Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile activity poses a real threat, not just to the United States, but to Iran's neighbors and our allies. The Czech Republic and Poland have been courageous in agreeing to host a defense against these missiles. As long as the threat from Iran persists, we will go forward with a missile defense system that is cost-effective and proven. If the Iranian threat is eliminated, we will have a stronger basis for security, and the driving force for missile defense construction in Europe will be removed.

Despite the loftily stated desire for a "world without nuclear weapons" and sustained hatred of the proposal on the part of the Russians, it looks like business as usual straight from the Bush playbook. Obama seems to want to continue taunting the Russians and proceed apace with the Czech/Polish missile interceptors.

What standard the president will use to determine that these systems, deployed far away from any extremely speculative Iranian missile sites, is "cost-effective and proven" is a total mystery. An examination of the technical issues is HERE. But my simple bottom line is that no sane person believes these missile interceptors would be of any use in dealing with Iran--ever--even if Iranian intercontinental missiles emerge from the Pentagon's Rumsfeldian dream state and are pointed at Europe on some date far in the future.

So how'd the Collins/Levin/Nelson sales pitch go?

Abolish the national security terror state now!


Anti-nuclear activist John Dear arrested in Nevada while protesting drone aircraft

Amy Goodman was in New Mexico yesterday where she interviewed an anti-nuclear activist and Jesuit priest who coordinates an annual Hiroshima day peace vigil at Los Alamos, Father John Dear. See the video above.

I wrote HERE about the drone aircraft, subject of the recent protest. And also HERE about nuclear weapons and the recent statement by President Obama while in the Czech Republic.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: So today, I state clearly and with conviction America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons. I'm not naive. This goal will not be reached quickly ?- perhaps not in my lifetime. It will take patience and persistence. But now we, too, must ignore the voices who tell us that the world cannot change. We have to insist, "Yes, we can."

Now, let me describe to you the trajectory we need to be on. First, the United States will take concrete steps towards a world without nuclear weapons. To put an end to Cold War thinking, we will reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy, and urge others to do the same. Make no mistake: As long as these weapons exist, the United States will maintain a safe, secure and effective arsenal to deter any adversary, and guarantee that defense to our allies ?- including the Czech Republic. But we will begin the work of reducing our arsenal.

To reduce our warheads and stockpiles, we will negotiate a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with the Russians this year...

In the interview, John Dear questioned Obama's commitment to abolish nuclear terror when he qualifies it with "not in my lifetime." Despite all of the other good quotes and potentially good moves described in the April 5 speech, has President Obama nullified them all by admitting the nuclear terror state is too big and powerful effectively to challenge in any reasonable time?

NPR just loves 'em

Update: In THIS story from last week, according to figures provided by Rabia Ali, spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, "546,000 have registered as internally displaced people" in Pakistan due to drone attacks and army activity. Sheesh! That certainly is beginning to look like the U.S. Iraq playbook being run by President Bush Obama!

With appropriate sarcasm, NPR Check posted Monday on a...

... Pakistani News report that -- according to Pakistani authorities -- US drone attacks since January 2006 have killed 14 al-Qaeda leaders and 687 civilians. Dang! 687 to 14. Last time I did my maths that came to 49 civilians killed for every al-Qaeda operative killed.

The post mentions previous pieces describing the NPR reporting as "gooey" and "weak-kneed."

Yes. And I've been deeply concerned myself (see HERE and HERE) about the way these diabolical machines are celebrated. Sadly, I have had very little community response to the messages I have sent regarding these extremely important issues. I have written to NPR and Mike Michaud. The result is zilch. Reapers evidently are great. This is how President Obama evidently also feels, while he escalates the Afghan-Pakistan war. No way I can campaign on this all alone.

Perhaps THIS report on Democracy Now! yesterday provides news of an effort worthy of support.

Peace Activists Arrested After Protesting US Drones in Nevada

AMY GOODMAN: ... last week a group of peace activists staged the first major act of civil disobedience against the drone attacks in the United States. On Thursday, fourteen people were arrested outside the Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, where the Air Force tests the unmanned drones used in Pakistan. The activists were arrested after holding a ten-day vigil dubbed "Ground the Drones."

Interviewed is Father Louis Vitale. A lot is said in the segment about how the drones work, how they're flown by remote control thousands of miles from their targets (as I've written in the earlier posts). But here's a stunning aspect of the drone program--the effect on some of those who fly them. Wouldn't you think that as NPR's Mary Louise Kelly has reported, members of the Air Force all would see the "distinct advantage to flying by remote control, instead of long tours of duty overseas," including "dinner with your wife" after a day at the office.

Not so fast, according to Father Vitale, "You don't get rid of PTSD":