Text Fwd: New U.S. Ship Deployment to Costa Rica Heightens Tensions

* Text informed by John Lindsay-Poland on Jan. 13, 2011

AP Americas Program
New U.S. Ship Deployment to Costa Rica Heightens Tensions
Posted on: 12/01/2011 by John Lindsay-Poland

The Costa Rican legislature on December 20 approved another deployment of dozens of U.S. ships to its territory for the next six months, but denied permission for warships to deploy to the country until a full debate occurs after the New Year.

The decision came at a moment when the country’s relationship with neighboring Nicaragua remains tense. Congress granted permission for the deployment of 46 U.S. Coast Guard ships, 42 armed helicopters, and up to 4,000 sailors to combat drug trafficking.

Only four legislators voted against the deployment. Juan Carlos Mendoza, leader of the Citizen Action Party, explained that his opposition to the agreement is based on the United States being at war and that, as such, even Coast Guard ships are under the mandate of the military. “Costa Rica signed a patrolling agreement with civilian authorities and not with the military part. This could be violating the active and permanent neutrality of our country,” he said.

Another deputy, José María Villalta of the Broad Front, said there is no evidence that the deployments have contributed to reducing drug addiction or to traffickers changing their routes away from Costa Rica.

Meanwhile, the day after its approval of the U.S. naval deployment, Costa Rica denounced Nicaragua at the United Nations for the presence of troops along the San Juan River that serves as a border between the two nations. Its government alleged that Nicaragua had “invaded” and “occupied” Costa Rica. The same day, Nicaragua protested an “incursion” into Nicaragua by Costa Rican ships and a plane. Costa Rican ambassador to the UN, Eduardo Ulibarri, said that his country has no military, and has instead appealed to the OAS, but that Nicaragua had rejected the OAS’s jurisdiction. Nicaragua asserts that its troops dredging the river are in their own territory, which extends to the Costa Rican side of the river.

The approval to deploy armed U.S. ships and helicopters to Costa Rica sends a message that the United States could use the threat of force to arbitrate the conflict, probably in Costa Rica’s favor. Republican Senator Richard Lugar took Costa Rica’s side in a December 15 letter to the Millennium Challenge Corporation, urging action against Nicaragua.

At the same time, the United States government continues to deploy troops in smaller numbers to Nicaragua as well, mostly for training missions. Nicaragua authorized more than 700 U.S. troops to conduct exercises and training in Nicaragua this year, including a Special Forces unit that conducted an exercise in May. Nicaragua reportedly approved another U.S. deployment for 2011 on December 13.

Last July, when the United States and Costa Rica agreed to deploy up to 7,000 U.S. Marines and 46 warships, some of them assault ships armed with Sparrow missiles, to armyless Costa Rica for counter-drug operations, some Costa Ricans were upset. “I love my country without soldiers,” read a popular statement. One legislator sued in the courts to turn back the agreement, so far unsuccessfully.

Only two of the announced ships have so far deployed to Costa Rica, one of them for ‘humanitarian missions.’ The other, USS Rodney Davis, conducted counterdrug operations in August.

The U.S. Navy’s Fourth Fleet again plans to deploy ships to Costa Rica for the first six months of 2011. This time, there are no Navy ships on the list (and no U.S. Marines), only U.S. Coast Guard vessels. Although the Coast Guard is an armed, foreign entity, the fact that Navy warships were excluded from the proposal represents a victory for the efforts opposing the deployment of warships to Costa Rica.

It is possible that the Navy did not anticipate opposition to the arrival of the ships. “We are not sure why there is this uproar,” said U.S. ambassador Anne Slaughter. Or they could be testing reactions, experimenting in order to inoculate the public to the idea that the United States can send its troops wherever it wants. This time the political response fell short of the full approval they seem to have expected.

The current proposal continues to insist that Coast Guard personnel may wear their uniforms in Costa Rican territory and enjoy freedom “to carry out the activities necessary to fulfill their mission” (without naming those activities). It also confers immunity from Costa Rican laws for damages caused by the presence of ships or personnel.

John Lindsay-Poland (forlatam@igc.org) is coordinator of the Fellowship of Reconciliation Task Force on Latin America & the Caribbean and is a contributor to CIP Americas Program.

Editor: Laura Carlsen

Fellowship of Reconciliation
Research and Advocacy Director
436 14th St. #409, Oakland, CA 94612
Tel: 510-763-1403-o; 510-282-8983-c
http://forusa.org

Video Fwd: CLIMATE CHANGE UPDATE 기후 변화 엎데이트: 수면 상승, 파나마 위협

Bruce Gagnon's organizing Notes blog
Friday, December 03, 2010
CLIMATE CHANGE UPDATE

Text Fwd: S. Korea bids to sell warships to Brazil 남한, 브라질에 무기팔러 입찰

Korea Times
11-18-2010

S. Korea bids to sell warships to Brazil

Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, a leading ship builder in Korea, submitted a proposal for a $4 trillion warship procurement contract in Brazil, a military source said Thursday.

Brazil, which is seeking to beef up its maritime defense of offshore oil deposits, plans to purchase 11 naval ships ― five destroyers, five frigates and a support ship ― the source said.

“The Brazilian navy has been considering purchasing 11 warships in the form of a government-to-government project since June,” the source said. “Specific details for the bid have yet to be publicized.”

The project will take shape after the new Brazilian government is inaugurated in January, he added.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is set to leave office at the end of this year and President-elect Dilma Rousseff is scheduled to take office on Jan. 1.

Italy, France and some European nations are expected to make rival bids for the Brazilian contract, according to the source.

The 4,500-ton KDX-II destroyer would be a favorite for the Brazilian warship project. Korea’s Navy has six KDX-II destroyers one of which is operating in waters off Somalia on an anti-piracy mission.

The KDX-II is equipped with Harpoon ship-to-surface missiles, RAM Mk 31 ship-to-air guided missiles, a 30mm Goalkeeper system for engaging sea-skimming anti-ship missiles and several torpedoes.

The 150-meter-long, 17-meter-wide ship is able to sail at a top speed of 29 knots and carries two Lynx anti-submarine helicopters.

Text Fwd: Latin America and the Caribbean is a peaceful region – no foreign military bases!

* Text Fwd from Cebrapaz (cebrapaz (at) uol.com.br) through No US bases on Feb. 8, 2010

Latin America and the Caribbean is a peaceful region
– no foreign military bases!

Gathered in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in the occasion of the events held to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the World Social Forum and facing a new aggressive escalation of imperialism, we, members of social and popular movements, networks and organizations with varied aims, meet once more in a campaign that is similar to the one we organized against the FTAA in order to affirm that Latin America is a peaceful region and to say no to foreign military bases!

For more than a decade, Latin America has experienced a process of changes. The struggle for sovereignty, rights and the well being of its peoples intensifies. At the same time, the imperialism of the United States and its allies increase the threats to peoples and offers a conservative reaction to the developing political transformations.

Within that context we have seen:

- The multiplication of military bases, as seven bases are being established in the Colombian territory and the signature of treaties with Panama for the placement of 11 military bases;

- A military invasion in the guise of humanitarian help after the catastrophe in Haiti;

- The reactivation of the Fourth Fleet of the US Navy, armed with nuclear weapons and projected to sail the rich oceanic waters of Latin America and the Caribbean;

- Coup attempts such as the one that took place in Honduras with the logistic support of the American military base of Palmerola;

- Plans to destabilize countries such as Paraguay, Bolivia and Venezuela;

- Intensification of hostilities and the maintenance of the blockade against Cuba;

- Criminalization of the social struggle.

Besides intimidating transformative political processes in the region, the intensification of the military presence of the USA in the region is intended to position its war power in strategic zones of great natural wealth, such as the biodiversity of the Amazon region and the oil found in Southern Atlantic deep waters. It constitutes a clear attack against peace, security and sovereignty of all countries in the region.

Much to the contrary of what is divulged by the circles of power and conservative forces, the world has not become a peaceful, safe or stable place. Severe threats are facing humankind, putting at risk world peace, international security and the sovereignty of all countries and peoples in the region.

In Central Asia, the United States and its NATO allies position more troops and intensify occupation and war, including air strikes and devastating actions against civilian population. Iraq is still in flames, turned into the prototype of a new sort of militarized colonialism inaugurated in the Bush era and maintained by the Barack Obama administration.

In Palestine, the martyred people, having its territory occupied by the State of Israel, is being victim of a genocide with the consent and tolerance of the United States and Europe.

As international law is attacked, militarization reaches unprecedented levels. Military expenditure increases, nuclear weapons multiply, the United States develop new plans of antimissile defense, NATO ratified its aggressive role, the naval presence of imperialist countries in the Indian Ocean grows, while Africa becomes even more vulnerable with the creation of AFRICOM, the military command of the United States for the continent. An immense network of military bases is being spread all over the world.

All that power is not a necessity of the world, but one of the economic system that the empire imposes on the world. The objectives are the same that have kept the imperialist system moving – controlling economic resources and national wealth, ruling markets and fighting against social transformations.

The increasing militarization represented by more than 800 US military bases all over the world is part of an imperialist strategy to deal with the economic and political crisis, preserving its economic model and maintaining its role as the hegemonic power in the world – making use of force, if necessary, to achieve those goals.

Our social organizations vehemently condemn the escalation of militarism. We have deep convictions regarding democracy, solidarity and the defense of peace. The peoples are becoming aware that peace, as opposed to militarization and imperialist wars, is not only something worth defending with passion, but an indispensable means to guarantee the survival and the development of humankind with social justice, democracy, universal rights, national sovereignty and the distribution of income and wealth.

We reaffirm at this moment that Haiti does not need the military intervention, but respect to its sovereignty. We call all countries to cooperate with solidarity, putting doctors, teachers and other professionals to the service of the Haitian people.

As patriotic Latin Americans committed to solidarity among peoples, we want to offer our contribution to the fulfillment of those noble ideals and turn Latin America into a peaceful territory free from foreign military bases.

Latin America and the Caribbean – a peaceful region!

No military bases!



Para adherir envie um e-mail para:

americalatinadepaz@gmail.com

Adhesiones hasta el dia 08 de febrero

Organizaciones y redes internacionales:

CMP - Consejo Mundial por la Paz

ASC - Alianza Social Continental -

Vía Campesina - CLOC

Encuentro Sindical Nuestra América – ESNA

Grito dos Excluidos Continental

Marcha Mundial de Mujeres - MMM

Jubileo Sur - Américas

Compa – Convergencia de los Moviemntos de los Pueblos de las Américas

FDIM – Federação Democrática Internacional de Mulheres

OCLAE – Organização Continental Latino Americana e Caribenha de Estudantes

OSPAAAL – Organização de Solidariedade as Povos da Ásia, África e América Latina

Red Mundial por la Abolición de Bases Militares Extrangeras

FSM - Federación Sindical Mundial – Américas

UISTAAC - Unión Internacional de Sindicatos de Trabajadores de la Agricultura, la Alimentación, el Comercio, Textiles y Similares - región America

UITBB - La Unión Internacional de los trabajadores de la construcción, madera y materiales de construcción

Organizaciones nacionales:

Mopassol – Argentina

Frente Popular Dario Santillan – Argentina

Movimiento Evita, de Argentina

Cebrapaz – Centro Brasileiro de Solidariedade e Luta pela Paz - Brasil

MST – Movimento dos Sem Terra - Brasil

CUT – Central Única dos Trabalhadores - Brasil

UBM – União Brasileira de Mulheres - Brasil

CONAM – Confederação Nacional de Moradores - Brasil

CTB - Central de Trabalhadores e Trabalhadoras do Brasil - Brasil

MAB – Movimento dos Atingidos pelas Barragens

Consulta Popular

Assembléia Popular

UJS – União da Juventude Socialista Brasil

MOVPAZ – Movimento Cubano pela Paz e a Soberania dos Povos

CMLK – Centro Memorial Martin Luther King – Cuba

Capitulo Cubano de la Red de Redes en Defensa de la Humanidad

Serpaj-Py - Servicio Paz y Justicia Paraguay

Frente Social y Popular – Paraguay

La Comuna - Paraguay

Frente nacional de Resistencia- Honduras

FRHLA - Frente De Resistencia Hondureña los Angeles,California

RMALC - Red Mexicana de Acción frente al Libre Comercio

Otros Mundos AC/Chiapas México

Red Centroamericana de Ambiente y Desarrollo - CASM Honduras / CUSO-VSO

Condigo Sur

Attac - Argentina

Movimiento de Transformación Social (MTS - México)

Confederación de Campesinos Indigenas del Ecuador

Multisectorial de Solidaridad con Cuba

Marcha Mundial de Mujeres - Colombia

GRUDESA -Grupo de Solidaridad-Arenal - Nicarágua

Movimiento Nacional por los Derechos Humanos - Guatelama

MAVI - Movimiento de Afirmación Viequense – Puerto Rico

Coordinadora Política de Mujeres Ecuatorianas.

EcuaPrensa - Quito-Ecuador

Comité Colombia de Lucha contra el ALCA-TLC

Movimiento Cooperativo Nacional y Latinocaribeño – venezuela

Movimiento Antiimperialista Tohalli

Associación Solidaria de Acción y Propuesta de Petén - Guatemala

CST - Central Socialista de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras de Venezuela

FSBT - Fuerza Socialista Bolivariana de Trabajadores

MOTRAM - Movimiento de Trabajadores "alfredo maneiro"

FUTEP - Federacion Unitaria de Trabajadores de Petroleo y Gas

FENTRASEP - Federacion Nacional de Trabajadores del Sector Publico

FENASIRTRASALUD - Federacion Nacional de Sindicatos de Trabajadoers de la Salud

FETRAELEC - Federacion de Trabajadores del Sector Electrico

SINAFUM - Sindicato Nacional Fuerza Unitaria Magisterial

FETRAHARINA- Federacion de Trabajadores de la Harina

SUTAC - Sindicato Unitario de la Construccion

Fetratelecomunicaciones -Federacion de Trabajadores de Telecomunicaciones

FETRAIG - Federacion de Trabajadores de la Industria Gragica

FETRAUVE Federacion de Trabajadores Universitarios

FENASTRAUV federacion de obreros universitarios

FENASINPRES - Federacion de Sindicato de Profesores Universitarios

La revista de las ideas. Peru

Ascot Central – Uruguay

ESS- Enlace Sur-Sur






CEBRAPAZ
Centro Brasileiro de Solidariedade aos Povos e Luta pela Paz
Sede Nacional: Rua Rego Freitas, 148, conjunto 24 - República -
CEP 01220-010 - São Paulo - Brasil
TEL. (11)3223-3469
www.cebrapaz.org.br

Petition: Food Not Troops - End the U.S. Military Occupation of Haiti

___________________________________________________________________

Sign the Petition at http://iacenter.org/ haitipetition/
___________________________________________________________________
* The below site is also uploaded in Peace Making, Korean online site.
___________________________________________________________________
For Koreans’ statement on Jan. 22, 2010, click HERE (Sorry, only Korean now)

Stop the Dispatch Competition against Haiti:
The urgent thing right now in Haiti is not the armed soldiers but the relief & medical supplies, and the recovering of the Human dignity!
(by Civilian Alliance Against the Redeployment of Troops to Afghanistan, Korea)
___________________________________________________________________
* Korea to Dispatch 250 PKO Troops to Haiti Next Week
(See Korea Times, Feb. 5, 2010, also HERE)

* Text Fwd: Latin America and the Caribbean is a peaceful region
– no foreign military bases! (Feb. 8, 2010)
___________________________________________________________________

* Image source: Google

* Image source: Google

Petition: Food Not Troops - End the U.S. Military Occupation of Haiti

Send a message to President Obama, former Presidents Clinton and Bush: "The People of Haiti need food, water, and medical aid, not military occupation"

Sign the Petition at http://iacenter.org/ haitipetition/

According to news reports the Pentagon has been given complete control over the Port-au-Prince airport and is responsible for all air traffic control. There are increasing reports that aid organizations have accused the U.S. military "of focusing their efforts on getting their people and troops installed and lifting their citizens out." (New York Times, Jan. 17, 2010)

Under the pretext of stopping alleged looting, the U.S. has now forced the government of President Rene Preval to pass emergency measures that would delegate all security to the Pentagon.

The U.S. military presence has expanded from 3,500 soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division, 2,200 U.S. Marines, to an estimated 10,000 troops. It is outrageous that the Haitian people are being forced to endure even greater hardship so that the U.S. can expand their military occupation.

According to Jarry Emmanuel, air logistics officer for World Food Organization: "There are 200 flights going in and out every day, which is an incredible amount for a country like Haiti. But most of those flights are for the U.S. military. Their priorities are to secure the country. Ours are to feed."

A plane from Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontiéres (MSF) carrying medical supplies was denied permission to land on Jan. 16. After Red Cross flights were continually diverted they choose to attempt to enter with a truck convoy via the Dominican Republic. The news media has reported that France, Brazil and Italy along with major international relief agencies were so upset by having aid shipments diverted that they have lodged formal complaints. Argentine, Peruvian and Mexican flights filled with rescuers and supplies were also turned back. The Caricom, the Caribbean Community's emergency aid mission to Haiti, was refused landing.

French Secretary of State for Cooperation Alain Joyandet told reporters he had lodged a complaint with the United States over its handling of the Port-au-Prince airport. "I have made an official protest to the Americans through the U.S. embassy," he said at the Haitian airport after a French plane carrying a field hospital was turned away. (AFP Jan. 17) After two relief flights were turned away the French ambassador to Haiti, Didier Le Bret, said that the Port-au-Prince airport has become "not an airport for the international community. It is an annex of Washington." (The Guardian UK Jan. 17)

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez on Jan. 17 said the United States was using the earthquake in Haiti as a pretext to occupy the devastated country and offered to send fuel. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega says that the United States has taken advantage of the massive quake in Haiti and deployed troops in the country.

Haiti is the poorest and least developed country in the hemisphere, everyone repeats. That is true, but it is because Haiti has been occupied by U.S. military forces again and again. This is what makes the latest U.S. troop deployment to Haiti so ominous. As in the past, it will not help Haiti.

From 1804, when the first successful slave revolution in history drove out the French colonialists and slave masters, until the present, Washington has continually imposed sanctions, debt repayments and military intervention in an attempt to crush Haitian independence. The U.S. directly occupied the country from 1915 to 1934 and again in the last 20 years.

In 2004 in a coup, planned from Washington and supported by troops from France and Canada, President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a president democratically elected by over 90 percent of the vote in the last election was kidnapped and removed. The U.S. still prevents President Aristide from returning to Haiti from South Africa, where he is exiled. The U.S. set up an occupation of Haiti under UN command. Six years of this UN occupation has done nothing to develop Haiti or improve its infrastructure. Instead it has led to still greater poverty and hunger and unsustainable debt.

This is an important time to oppose to all forms of U.S. military occupation of Haiti. The peoples movement must demand that Haiti's airport be used for flights carrying desperately needed medical aid, food and water, not U.S. troops.

Your message to U.S. officials, U.S. and international media and to UN officials is an important step to call for international humanitarian assistance and to show international opposition to continued U.S. occupation of Haiti.

PETITION

To President Barack Obama, former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush:

The People of Haiti need food, water, and medical aid, not military occupation.

According to news reports, the Pentagon has been given complete control over the Port Au Prince airport and is responsible for all air traffic control. There are increasing reports that aid organizations have accused the U.S. military "of focusing their efforts on getting their people and troops installed and lifting their citizens out." (New York Times, Jan. 17)

Under the pretext of stopping alleged looting, the U.S. has now forced the government of President Rene Preval to pass emergency measures that would delegate all security to the Pentagon.

The U.S. military presence has expanded from 3,500 soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division, 2,200 U.S. Marines, to an estimated 10,000 troops. It is outrageous that the Haitian people are being forced to endure even greater hardship so that the U.S. can expand their military occupation.

Haiti's airport must be devoted to humanitarian relief flights. Haiti needs food water and medical aid, not a U.S. military occupation. Haiti's sovereignty and democratically elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide must be restored.


Sign the Petition at http://iacenter.org/ haitipetition/

___________________________________________________________________
* Related sites

http://www.iacenter.org/haiti/haiti020510/
Help the people of Haiti reject military occupation
Feb 4, 2010
By Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Chairperson, International League of Peoples’ Struggle

http://www.iacenter.org/haiti/haiti012810/
U.S. troops invade Haiti: Pentagon sabotages relief effort, escalates suffering
By John Catalinotto
Jan 27, 2010
___________________________________________________________________

Related Videos

http://space4peace.blogspot.com/2010/01/cruise-to-haiti.html
Sunday, January 24, 2010
CRUISE TO HAITI?



http://space4peace.blogspot.com/2010/01/us-has-military-agenda-in-haiti.html
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
U.S. HAS MILITARY AGENDA IN HAITI

Video Fwd: THE SEIGE OF TEGUCIGALPA

Bruce Gagnon blog
Friday, September 25, 2009
THE SEIGE OF TEGUCIGALPA



As the anti-coup resistance approaches 90 consecutive days of civil disobedience the current illegal Honduran government has increased repression in the neighborhoods of the capital city, forcing the poor to fight or starve.

The Obama administration continues to sit on the sidelines and watch (and in many ways encourage) the whole sordid affair.

Text fwd: [No Bases: On Status Of the Forces Agreement, Korea] Query re immunity of troops on bases

* Image Source: Anti US Base(Korean)

For more photo sources regarding the USFK Crimes in Korea in the same site above

Below is the quotation from the E mail from Youkyoung Ko to the No bases on July 31, 2009


'Dear John

This is youkyoung from Korea.

I attached some materials.[Linked]
Could you tell me about service members' status in Colombia now without their bases and installation. I think there was the agreement about US service members and civilians' status regarding criminal. And that agreement should affect the negotiation.

In Korea case, roughly speaking, US have tried to evade their service member's standing in Korea court. They delayed intentionally the negotiation of SOFA after 1953 when the mutual defense agreement between ROK and US was signed and US forces stationed in peninsula by that until 1966. After the negotiation for revising SOFA began in Nov. 1995, US broke off over the transom in Sep 1996. In Aug 2000 the negotiation resumed and in Dec 2000 ROK and US reached the revision.

Before the US and ROK sat the table, there were always incidents, criminals, victims, people's struggles.

Last year my organization published a book in celebration of the 15th anniversary.
I wrote the history of US forces crimes and people' struggles in the book.
I think it would be helpful but we have only Korean version.
If someone want to translate the article to English, please refer to this site. http://antiusbase.tistory.com/

I could not translate correctly the name of charges and legal words in the file "Statistics-1967-2007".
It is not clear so it would be just reference.
The attached file "The history of Criminal Jurisdiction on US service members in ROK" is the information of the agreements.

This articles may be helpful.

1. Understanding the United States through the Crimes Committed by its Troops in Korea
http://blog.peoplepower21.org/English/8504

2. The Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) in Korea Reasons for Revision
http://blog.peoplepower21.org/English/8503

3. Forbidden Rights to Pollute the Korean Peninsula
http://blog.peoplepower21.org/English/8505

Hope this help,
You Kyoung, Ko'

* You Kyoung Ko is the director of the "The National Campaign for Eradication of Crimes by U.S.Troops in Korea"[ Check Emglish on the top right"]

* Status Of Forces Agreement


2009/ 7/23 John Lindsay-Poland

Friends, activists, researchers,

As you may know, the governments of Colombia and the United States are currently negotiating the presence of five military bases in Colombia. On of the issues being debated is that of immunity for U.S. uniformed soldiers as well as civilian contractors. The question that has come up is [whether] there are other countries in the world where U.S. soldiers or civilian personnel contracted by the US military who do NOT have legal immunity for crimes committed in the ‘host nation’s territory.

If you have information about this, could you please contact me?

For further information on the current negotiations for bases in Colombia, see
Revamping Plan Colombia
http://fpif.org/fpiftxt/6283

Many thanks.

John Lindsay-Poland


--
Fellowship of Reconciliation
Task Force on Latin America and the Caribbean
Please note new address
PO Box 72492
436 14th St. #409, Oakland, CA 94612
Tel: 510-763-1403 Fax: 510-763-1409
Web: http://www.forcolombia.org
http://www.forusa.org