Text Fwd: Great risk expected for troops redeployed to Afghanistan

* Makiko Sato (seamesky@sand.ocn.ne.jp) thankfully translated the site in Japanese. Click here.

Image Source/caption: same as below:
'The chart from the top to bottom indicates how many South Korean troops have been dispatched to Afghanistan. A contingent of 200 soldiers with the last name of Dasan and Dongeui were dispatched Feb. 2003 to Dec. 2007. A second military contingent of 3400 soldiers had been dispatched Sept. 2004, and had been reduced down to 650 by the time of troop withdrawal in Dec. 2008.'

* unofficial translation of the chart above

* What it means by the word, ‘Protection Force’:

“Yu reportedly explained the need for a large increase from 25 to 130 in civilian Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) personnel, and the necessity of sending around 200 troops and 50 policemen to protect them.” (Hankyoreh)

Hankyoreh
Great risk expected for troops redeployed to Afghanistan:
DP lawmakers ask Lee government for careful deliberations on South Korea’s participation in Afghanistan’s reconstruction
Posted on : Oct.31,2009 12:03 KST

The Lee administration and ruling Grand National Party (GNP) made official on Friday their decision to redeploy troops to Afghanistan. The decision, however, has increased the possibility that the troops deployed to the area, and even overseas Koreans, will be exposed to the threat of terrorism.

First, there is no guarantee against a repeat of the “Saemmul Church” incident, in which 23 South Koreans who went to Afghanistan to conduct short-term volunteer work for missionary purposes were taken captive by the Taliban and two killed. While a ban on travel to Afghanistan is still in effect, there are no strict means to prevent South Koreans from entering the country through third nations. In a meeting with the Democratic Party (DP) on Friday, Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan confirmed it was difficult to determine if groups were still conducting missionary work in Afghanistan by gaining access through India or other surrounding countries. Observers say this is no different from an admission that the Lee government has no safety measures in place to address this issue. They add that while the primary responsibility for entering a country in which there is a travel ban rests with the individual, because the government ultimately has no choice but to negotiate for their release if they are taken captive, it inevitably becomes a governmental burden.

In the worst case scenario, if an unfortunate incident repeats itself, we could see a situation in which South Korea must once again withdraw its troops. In 2007, the Taliban demanded that South Korea withdraw its medical and engineering units as a condition for the release of the 23 hostages. Ultimately, the units were completely withdrawn by the end of 2007.

In addition, one cannot exclude the possibility that overseas delegations or South Korean expatriates might become targets of the Taliban. The Lee government has pledged that it will study measures to ensure their safety, but physically, it is difficult to fully protect expatriates who live overseas.

The safety of the units to be deployed in Afghanistan is likely to also become an issue. The safety of the troops being sent to Afghanistan against the Taliban, which based on its experience ruling Afghanistan is armed like a government and in the process of launching systemic attacks, is a concern. While speaking to the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly on Thursday, Defense Minister Kim Tae-young admitted there is a possibility that the units being dispatched could become involved in unavoidable firefights and suffer losses.

DP Lawmaker Song Min-soon pointed out that there is concern that if an undesirable situation were to occur, it could unsettle South Korea’s very participation in the Afghanistan reconstruction effort by dividing public opinion and weakening South Korea’s international prestige. He called on the Lee government not to rush into a decision in order to meet an artificial deadline, but instead hold transparent and wide-ranging discussions on the method, scale and timing of South Korea’s participation in Afghanistan’s reconstruction.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

© 2006 The Hankyoreh Media Company.


* Related article
Hankyoreh
[Editorial] Lee government must cancel troop redeployment to Afghanistan
Posted on : Oct.31,2009 10:50 KS

Photos Fwd: No South Korea Troops to Afghanistan!!

All the image source: Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea (SPARK)


STOP THE OCCUPATION! STOP THE MASSACRE!

“We Oppose The Redraft to the Afghanistan Backing the United States’ Invasive Wars!!”

“We Oppose The President, Lee Myung Bak’s Massacre Support!”

“Obama, What On Earth Of the Expansion Of The Massacre War As You Got The Nobel Peace Prize?”

Press interview sponsored by the Solidarity against War and for Peace (Tentative title, unofficial translation), composed of many Korean organizations was held in front of the gate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Department, at 10 am, Oct. 29, 2009.


* Reference blog

Bruce Gagnon blog
Friday, October 30, 2009
WHAT IS BEHIND THE SALUTE?

Text Fwd: Lee government wants to redeploy 200 troops and 50 policemen to Afghanistan

* Image Source/ caption: Same as below
"Members of Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea hold a demonstration against the Lee administration’s plan to dispatch troops to Afghanistan in front of the Defense Ministry Building, Oct. 27."

Hankyoreh
Lee government wants to redeploy 200 troops and 50 policemen to Afghanistan:
With the Democratic Party (DP) in opposition to the plan to redeploy troops, political controversy over the deployment to Afghanistan is expected
Posted on : Oct.30,2009 14:06 KST Modified on : Oct.30,2009 15:09 KST


The Lee administration and ruling Grand National Party (GNP) provisionally decided Thursday to redeploy an estimated 200 troops and 50 policemen to Afghanistan. They will make a final decision on the size of the dispatch and unit composition after a government study team is sent next month to verify local conditions. With the Democratic Party (DP) in opposition to the plan to redeploy troops, political controversy over the deployment to Afghanistan is expected.

In a meeting with the Grand National Party and Liberty Forward Party on Thursday, Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan explained the Lee administration plan to send additional economic aid and resend troops to Afghanistan. Yu reportedly explained the need for a large increase from 25 to 130 in civilian Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) personnel, and the necessity of sending around 200 troops and 50 policemen to protect them. The PRTs are multinational civil affairs teams, working under the leadership of the U.S. State Department, sent to help in the reconstruction of local governments in Afghanistan.

In particular, Yu explained a plan to combine the boosted PRT personnel and troops in order to independently operate one of the three Afghan provinces that have yet to receive a PRT. Currently, the 25 PRT personnel, who are engaged in local job training, have been working within the U.S. Bagram Air Base located in northwest Afghanistan. Jeong Yang-seok, a chief of the Secretariat of the GNP’ Chairperson, said the Lee administration justified its position for dispatching more PRT personnel by saying South Korea’s contribution in Afghanistan should be in accordance with its national power and international prestige.

However, analysts say if South Korea decides to operate a PRT independently, concern for their safety will rise together with an increase in military burden to defend them from attacks by the Taliban, especially as the local situation grows more dangerous by the day as evidenced by a suicide bombing in the capital of Kabul that killed a United Nations staff member.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Kim Tae-young spoke on the matter in a National Assembly National Defense Committee meeting Thursday and acknowledged that they while the additional troops would defend PRTs from attacks, unavoidable firefights could happen and casualties could be a result. He added that one cannot exclude the possibility, too, of Taliban or al-Qaeda attacks on South Korean expatriates living in regions outside of Afghanistan.

Minister Yu is scheduled to explain the government plan for economic aid and troop deployments to Afghanistan to the DP on Friday to address questions regarding the deployment of troops and an increase in PRT personnel. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, DP Chairman Chung Sye-kyun said the DP has not yet formed a party position, but acknowledged that the currents within the party were strongly negative. Chung said the South Korean government had previously sent troops but withdrew them, and there is no need to redeploy them now. Accordingly, it appears that the deployment to Afghanistan could become a matter of political contention.

As for the timing of the deployment, because it will take slightly over a month to put a unit together and give them the training required to perform their duties on the ground following parliamentary approval, analysts say any deployment would not take place until the end of December at the earliest, or January of next year at the latest.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]


© 2006 The Hankyoreh Media Company.

* Related article

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/10/116_54611.html
10-30-2009 23:01
US Welcomes Seoul’s Personnel Dispatch to Afghanistan
By Kim Sue-young, Staff Reporter

Text Fwd: Spy Chief Says Cyber Attacks Work of N. Korea

Image Source/ caption: Same as below
'Won Se-hoon, chief of National Intelligence Service'

Korea Times
10-30-2009 19:19
Spy Chief Says Cyber Attacks Work of N. Korea:
By Kim Sue-young, Staff Reporter

The nation's spy chief has named North Korea's telecommunications ministry as the source of cyber attacks on Web sites in South Korea and the United States last July, lawmakers said Friday.

This is the first government confirmation of North Korea launching a series of cyber attacks using DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) which targeted major Web sites in the two countries.

``After tracking down the routes of the DDoS attacks, we found a line coming from China,'' Won Se-hoon, chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), was quoted as saying.

It turned out to be an IP that North Korea's Ministry of Post and Telecommunications is renting, Won said during a closed-door National Assembly inspection of the agency Thursday.

But Won refused to elaborate, saying, ``Revealing further details could expose national strategies.''

A DDoS attack is an attempt to make a computer resource unavailable to its intended users.

The flood of incoming messages to a target system forces it to shut down and leads to denial of service to legitimate users.

After Web sites here and in the United States were severely attacked using this method, rumors arose that North Korea might have been behind the cyber attack.

The government, however, had remained silent.

ksy@koreatimes.co.kr

Text Fwd: Asian NATO: U.S. Leads 22-Nation PSI Exercise In Singapore

* Image Source: Same as below: Straits Times

'At the exercise's opening ceremony at the Changi Naval Base on Tuesday morning, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean (far left) said the initiative can be improved by expanding the network to include more countries. -- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM'

StopNATO
Asian NATO: U.S. Leads 22-Nation PSI Exercise In Singapore
Fri Oct 30, 2009 8:07 pm (PDT)

Straits Times
October 27, 2009
Joint nations military exercise
By Teh Joo Lin

-In all, about 2,000 personnel, 18 ships and eight planes from countries including Singapore, Japan and the United States are involved in the exercise, code-named Deep Sabre II.
The drill is being held for the second time under a global effort - the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI)....[T]he initiative can be improved by expanding the network to include more countries. This was why observers from Malaysia, India and Pakistan have been invited for the exercise.

Officers from 22 countries are in town for an exercise aimed at stopping the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear armaments.

In the scenario that will play out over the next few days, officers will pool intelligence to track down and board a rogue 'merchant vessel'. The ship, suspected of carrying illegal materials, will be diverted to the shore for a detailed inspection.

In all, about 2,000 personnel, 18 ships and eight planes from countries including Singapore, Japan and the United States are involved in the exercise, code-named Deep Sabre II.

The drill is being held for the second time under a global effort - the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) - to contain the illegal export of weapons technology.

At the exercise's opening ceremony at the Changi Naval Base on Tuesday morning, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said the initiative can be improved by expanding the network to include more countries. This was why observers from Malaysia, India and Pakistan have been invited for the exercise.

Given Singapore's location along the key sea lines of communication, the Republic recognises the important role it plays against proliferation, added Mr Teo. 'We take these responsibilities seriously,' he said.

The exercise ends on Friday.

No Lotte, No Golf Field in the Gyeyang Mountain, Incheon

* Map source: Weblo Real Estate

Image Source: The Civil Council against the Golf Field and for the Incheon Civil Park
(*Unofficial translation)
and Gyeyangsan(* 'san' means mountain) Fireflies Festival Organizing Committee, 2009

" We Can Not be Taken Away of the Gyeyang Mounatin by the Lotte Company:
No, Golf Field in the Gyeyang Mounatin, Yes, Civil Park!"
(*Unofficial translation)

Image Source: same as above

[Introduction of the cover map]
If the golf field is construceted, the Gyeyang Mountain
would be ripped into shreds as the picture above.

Yellow lines: The whole areas of the Gyeyang mounatin/
Line of dots: Edge lines (ecological poles)/
Brown areas: Areas for being ripped into shreds
(* Unofficial translation)

Image Source: same as above
(back page of the first)

Do Not Buy Nor Eat Lotte Products!:
[Lotte] Imports the U. S. Beef,
Destroys the Gyeyang Mountain
and Devastates the Traditional Markets.

Lotte who announces that it would first import the U.S. beef having the danger of the mad cow disease.
Lotte who says that it would build the golf field in the Gyeyang mountain,
a symbol of Incheon, spirit of Incheon citizens, and history of Incheon.
Lotte who habitually delays the local taxes, abusing the weak points of the law on buildings,
while killing the small, traditional merchants
by its rampant buildings of the Lotte marts and Lotte department stores.
Lotte who boasts the strong friendship with the 2MB (* Current South Korean right wing President, Lee Myung-Bak) as to declare that it would relocate the Seoul airport, the first military facility,
for the 2nd Lotte World ( * Lotte’s entertainment business)
Lotte who often causes the safety accidents of children
because of its bad facility management after the buildings of the Lotte Worlds.
Let’s not buy nor eat the Lotte products.
Let’s not use of the Lotte Department stores, Lotte marts and Lotte supers.
(*Unofficial translation)

Image source: Gyeyangsan Fireflies Festival Organizing Committee
and Incheon Regional Centre for Expertise

Gyeyang mountain is habitats of endangered species.
Click the image for the larger view. Korean, Japanese, English are available.

Image source: same as above (back page of the above)

Fireflies, Korean salamanders and Narrow-mouth frogs
in Mt. Gyeyang is in Danger.
Click the image for the larger view (Korean, Japanese, English available)

Ms. Roh, Hyun-Gi is the Secretary of the ‘Civil Council against the Golf Field and for the Incheon Civil Park’ (* unofficial translation)which is composed of about 55 organizations, in the city of Incheon. She has worked against the golf field construction plan by the Lotte company from 2007 and has worked with the pivotal role of the council for two years since then. The Incheon activists have started the rolling one-day hunger strike in the tent at the top of the Gyeyang mountain since Oct. 7, 2009 and she is coordinating the works on it such as the press release and schedule for the fast volunteers. Next month, fast protest site will be moved in front of the Incheon City Hall. She has recently been accused by the Lotte Company with the two others (Ryu Jong Ban, Co-representative and Jang Jung-Goo of the Green United, City of Incheon) in the council under the name of ‘Dishonoring’, ‘Intervention of business’. But the unknown high school students who have had compassion with the Gyeyang mountain struggle issue donated their money of 1 million won (* $1,000) which they had gotten for the award on the voluntary public service works, for the save of the accused three. Ms. Roh, Hyun-Gi says such donations of the similar amount by the unknown high school students who got the money for the same awards and who wanted to save the Gyeyang mountain happened twice in the past as well. Her nickname has become 'The Gyeayang Mounatin Keeper". Otherwise, She was also the initiator of the ecology education in the city of Incheon in 2003. She provided the materials above to No base Stories of Korea on Oct. 29, 2009. Please contact her regarding the issue at 4263226@hanmail.net.

* Related blogs

http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/2009/10/text-fwd-say-no-to-lotte.html
[국문 번역] Text Fwd: Bruce Gagnon Blog
Thursday, Oct. 29
Say No to Lotte

http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/2009/10/seeding-movements.html
[국문 번역] Text Fwd: Bruce Gagnon Blog
Friday, October 16, 2009
SEEDING THE MOVEMENTS

[국문 번역] Text Fwd: SAY NO TO LOTTE

Campsite on overlook of Gyeyang mountain
계양산을 굽어보는 캠프에서

* Bruce Gagnon blog 브루스 개그논 블로그
Thursday, October 29, 2009년 10월 29일
SAY NO TO LOTTE 롯데에게 아니오라고 말하십시오.

Welcome to Lotte World. Lotte Group, a major South Korean corporation, has their hands in many things. Cookies, real estate, golf courses, electronics, hotels, baseball teams in Korea and Japan, heavy chemicals, financial services and more. In all the Lotte Corporation has 60 distinct business units.

롯데 월드에 오신 것을 환영합니다. 남한의 한 주요 기업, 롯데 그룹은 많은 것을 손에 쥐고 있읍니다. Korea와 일본에 과자, 부동산, 골프장, 전자, 호텔, 야구팀을, 그리고 중화학, 금융등 더 많은 것을요. 롯데 기업에는 모두 60 여개의 개별적 사업 단위들이 있읍니다.

You might recall my blog post ,while I was in Incheon during my recent trip, about meeting a local minister who sat in a tree house in the woods for 155 days in protest of the Lotte Corporation's plan to tear up the Gyeyang Mountain, the highest mountain around Incheon with many rare plants and animals. Lotte wants to build a world class golf course for the rich.

여러분께서는 저의 최근 여행중 인천에 있었을 때 롯데 기업이 인천부근에서 가장 높은 산이자 많은 희귀 동,식물이 사는 계양산을 찢으려는 계획에 반대, 155일간 숲속의 나무 집에서 155일을 앉아 있었던 지역 목사님과의 만남에 대한 제 블로그 포스트를 기억하실 지 모릅니다. 롯데는 부자들을 위해 세계적 골프 장을 지으려 합니다.

For several years the pertinent government agencies would not give Lotte Group permission to bulldoze the mountain. Then 2MB (also called the bulldozer) got elected president, recall that I said he is married into the Lotte family, and everything changed.

몇년간 정부 부서들은 적절하게도 롯데 그룹이 산을 불도저로 밀려는 계획을 허락하지 않았읍니다. 제가 2MB가 롯데 기업과 사돈을 맺었다고 말씀드린 것을 기억하실텐데, 2MB(또한 불도저로 불리는)가 대통령이 되자 모든 것이 변했읍니다.

Today 55 organizations in Incheon are organizing to stop this destruction of one of the few remaining wilderness areas around the sprawling city. They have undertaken a rolling fast to help build opposition. People do a hunger strike for 24 hours and go into the mountain and sleep in a tent.

오늘날 인천의 55개 단체가 뻗어가는 도시 주변의 몇 개 안 남은 야생 지역의 한 곳을 파괴하는 것에 반대하기 위해 조직하고 있읍니다. 그들은 반대[운동]을 쌓는 것을 돕기 위해 교대 단식을 취했읍니다. 사람들은 산으로 가 24시간 단식을 하고 천막에서 잡니다.

Before I left Incheon my host Sung-Hee Choi signed up to strike on October 29 and I agreed to join her in solidarity. Since they are one-day ahead of us in South Korea, her action is already done. I've just begun mine and will not eat until 9:00 am on Friday morning. Not a huge sacrifice but the folks there issued a news release yesterday proclaiming they now had international support and participation. I am glad to help a bit.

인천을 떠나기 전, 제 주최측 최성희씨가 10월 29일 단식을 하기로 서명했고 저 역시 연대에서 그녀의 단식에 참여하기로 동의했읍니다. 남한은 우리보다 하루가 빠르므로 그녀의 행동은 이미 취해졌읍니다. 저는 제 [단식을] 막 시작했고 금요일 오전 9시까지 아무 것도 먹지 않을 것입니다. 큰 희생은 아니나 그 곳의 사람들은 그들이 이제 국제적 지지와 참여를 갖게 되었다는 보도 자료를 어제 발표했읍니다. 저는 약간이나마 도울 수 있어 기쁩니다.

Everywhere in South Korea that I turned I saw signs of the Lotte Corporation. All big corporations seem to be imperialists these days. They want to take over the whole world, including the trees and the plants. The least I can do is to help say no.

남한에서 제가 고개를 돌릴 때마다 롯데 기업의 표시를 볼 수 있었읍니다. 요즘은 모든 대기업들이 제국주의자들로 보입니다. 그들은 나무와 식물들을 비롯하여 전 세계를 차지하려 합니다. 제가 할 수 있는 최소한의 것은 아니오 라고 말하는 것을 돕는 것입니다.


* Related Blogs 관련 블로그

http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/2009/10/no-lotte-no-golf-course-in-gyeyang.html
Thursday, October 29, 2009
No Lotte, No Golf Course in the Gyeyang Mountain, Incheon
No 롯데, No 인천 계양산 골프장

http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/2009/10/seeding-movements.html
[국문 번역] Bruce Gagnon Blog 브루스 개그논 블로그
Friday, October 16, 2009 2009년 10월 16일
SEEDING THE MOVEMENTS 운동의 씨앗 심기



* Related Korean articles 관련 한국 기사들


__ Hankyoreh 한겨레 신문

http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/area/384860.html

계양산 골프장 ‘타당성 논란’ 다시 가열
롯데건설 ‘나무숫자 조작’ 명예훼손 소송에 인천시민위 “공개검증 하자”
김영환 기자 (ywkim@hani.co.kr)

The ‘Criticism of the Reasonable’ on the Golf Course, Gyeyang Mt., Again In the Heat:
“ Let’s Do the Open Verification”, Incheon Civil Council Counters Against the Lotte Construction Company for the Company’s Lawsuit of it, Charged of the Dishonoring by the ‘Manipulation of the Tree Numbers’.
By the Reporter, Kim Young Hwan (ywkim@hani.co.kr)


* Citation from the article above 위의 기사 중 인용

'또 최근 계양산을 방문했던 ‘우주의 무기와 핵을 반대하는 글로벌 네트워크’ 사무총장인 브루스 개그넌은 한국 시민운동가들의 계양산 골프장 반대 운동을 지지한다는 의미로 29일 미국 메인주에서 계양산 골프장 반대 단식을 하겠다는 뜻을 전해 왔다고 인천시민위 쪽이 밝혔다.'

'The Incheon Civil Council announced that Bruce Gagnon, Secretary of the ‘Global Network against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space’ who has recently visited the Gyeayang mountain sent his message that he would have the fast in the Maine state, United States, on Oct. 29 against the Golf field in the Gyeyang Mt, in the sense of the support for the opposition movement against the golf field by the Korean civil activists.'



__Ohmynews 오마이 뉴스

http://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/View/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0001248183

계양산 롯데 골프장 반대 운동, 국제 연대로 확산
2009년 10월 28일, 오마이 뉴스
한만송 기자

Movement for the Stopping the Construction of the Golf Course, Spreads into the International Solidarity
Oct. 28, 2009, Ohmynews
By the Reporter, Han Man-Song


_i-Today News (Incheon News) 인천 뉴스

http://www.i-today.co.kr/news/view/?no=48722

골프장 반대운동 해외서 지지:
계양산 방문 글로벌네트워크 사무총장 美서 단식
2009-10-28 20:37:10
김창문 기자 (asyou218@i-today.co.kr)

Movement against the Golf Course, supported by the Overseas
Secretary of the Global Network Who Visited the Gyeyang Mountain, Will Have the Fast in the United States
Oct. 28, 2009
By the Reporter, Kim, Chang-Moon (asyou218@i-today.co.kr)

_____________________________________________________________
* Update on Nov. 11, 2009

Lotte Lawsuit against the Civil Council against the Golf Field and for the Incheon Civil Park and co-representatives of the Green United, Incheon, demanding 300,000,000won[about $270,000] for the damage reparation ( Informed by Roh, Hyun-Gi, on Nov. 9, 2009)

롯데, 이번엔 계양산 골프장 저지 및 시민자연공원 추진 인천시민위원회 와 녹색연합 공동대표들 상대로 3억 손배청구소송 (2009년 11월 9일, 노현기 알림)

For more info., contact Roh Hyun Gi, Secretary of the Civil Council:
보다 많은 소식은 시민 위원회 사무 처장 노현기에게 연락:
Email : 4263226@hanmail.net
http://cafe.daum.net/nogolfyespark

Text Fwd: Urgent Action Call From Japan_ NO MOX Fuel!

Image Source: International Nuclear Safety Center

'Map of Nuclear Power Reactors Japan'


Image Source: Citizen's Nuclear Information Center(CNIC), Japan

Image Source: Saga Sinbun

Image Source: Same as above

Image Source: Same as above

* Text informed by Makiko Sato(seamesky@sand.ocn.ne.jp) on Oct. 29, 2009

Dear friends,

The Japanese government (at both national and local level) and big
companies in the nuclear power industry are forcing through the
building of new nuclear powerplants and a dangerous plutonium-thermal
project completely igonoring the concerns and objections of local
communities.

Please support the local community’s struggle in Japan!

Even after October 15th, your action will be a great help to put
pressure on the electric company and the local/national authorities.

Please forward this alert freely.
-------------------------------------------------------------
URGENT ACTION ALERT

Kyushu Electric Power CO,. INC should call off its MOX fuel loading
into Genkai Nuclear Power Station!
Nuclear power is not acceptable as the solution to climate change!
End the saga of the nuclear dispute in Saga!!

On October 14th, Kyushu Electric Power CO. INC published that on Oct
15, it would start loading MOX (mixed uranium and plutonium oxide)
fuel in Genkai Unit 3 in Saga Prefecture.
(See a map http://www.insc.anl.gov/pwrmaps/map/japan.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genkai,_Saga)

It’d be the actual start of pluthermal power generation in Japan
(“Pluthermal” is a Japanese word which combines two English words,
the “plu” of “plutonium” and "thermal". Pluthermal refers to the
utilization of 'plutonium' fuel in commercial ('thermal') nuclear
power plants. The fuel is commonly referred to as plutonium uranium
mixed oxide fuel, or MOX fuel.).

Following Genkai, six other nuclear stations are planning to introduce
pluthermal in Japan.

(See http://www.greenaction-japan.org/modules/english0/index.php?id=5)

The use of MOX fuel increases the risk and severity of a nuclear accident.

When using MOX fuel, the control rods' capacity to function is reduced
and power output is less stable and harder to control. The scale of
MOX fuel usage in the Pluthermal Program in Japan will be
unprecedented. There will be a higher concentration of plutonium in
the fuel, a higher burn-up rate ---experimentation has shown that
there are serious safety concerns with high burn-ups, and there will
be no reactor adaptations such as increasing the number of control
rods.

The local communities in Saga and other areas, which have nuclear
power plants located there , have strongly opposed the Pluthermal
Program.
(see photos : http://www.cnic.jp/english/newsletter/nit128/nit128articles/group128.html
http://www.saga-s.co.jp/news/saga.0.1261734.article.html)

On October 7th, NISA (Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency), a
subordinate agency of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry,
admitted that there was a possiblity that defective MOX fuel, which
Kansai Electric Power CO. INC had decided to reject as fuel for
loading in their Takahama Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4, would be
used as MOX fuel for Genkai.
(see http://www.greenaction-japan.org/modules/wordpress0/index.php?p=74)

While Saga Prefectural Assembly is in the process of examining data
concerning the MOX fuel submitted by Kyushu Electric Power CO. INC,
this company hastily published the time of its loading of the MOX fuel
as within less than 24 hours from the announcement and the governor of
Saga Prefecture Yasushi Furukawa has done nothing about it.

---------------------------------------------------
PLEASE SEND YOUR CRIES OF RESISTANCE TO Kyushu Electric Power CO. INC

Please send FAX as their web page is only designed for the Japanese alfabet.

Even if you don’t have a fax machine, you can still send your message using
http://www.myfax.com/free/
from your computer for nothing.
(each person is limited to 2 faxes a day so please be careful not to
send them to the wrong number.)

1, Kyushu Electric Power CO. INC
(if you use http://www.myfax.com/free/, please do as follows)

TO
Name: Mr. President Toshio Manabe
Company: Kyushu Electric Power CO. INC
Country: (select Japan)
Fax Number: (+81 0)９２−７６１−６９４４

FROM
(please write your name and e-mail address)

Enter text message:(please copy and paste)

Please call off the MOX fuel loading in Genkai Nuclear Power Station!
Don’t start pluthermal, which will put local people’s lives in
jeopardy and create tons of highly radioactive nuclear waste.
(If you want to send a longer message, please make a file, write what
you want to say and attach it.)

It’s not necessary to enter your friends’ e-mail adresses, just click
“SEND FAX”, then they’ll send back a confirmation letter to your email
address.
Please click on the link, which you’ll find in the confirmation letter
and your fax will be sent.)

------------------------------
You can also send your opinion in English to the following agencies
from their web pages or directly to their e-mail address.
Please put pressure on them to stop their promotion of nuclear power policies.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
https://wwws.meti.go.jp/honsho/comment_form/comments_send.htm#form

Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency
http://www.nisa.meti.go.jp/english/index.htm

Agency for Natural Resources and Energy
enechohp＠meti.go.jp

-------------------------------------------------------------------
3 reasons for supporting Japanese anti-pluthermal movements.

1, As mentioned above, the use of MOX fuel increases the risk and
severity of a nuclear accident.

It’s estimated that 1g of Plutonium in the air causes about 500,000
people to get lung cancer.

Genkai nuclear plant is planning to burn 220 times the amount of
plutonium which was used for the atomic bomb used in Nagasaki.

Radiation knows no borders. Korea is the bordering country with Japan
and its environmental movements and a Member of the National
Parliament as one of their members, recently submitted a petition to
the Japanese government requesting cancelation of the pluthermal
program.

2, The MOX fuel which will be used in nuclear powerplants in Japan had
been produced by Areva in France and shipped from France to Japan,
traveling through two thirds of globe whilst ignoring the concern of
the countries en route.

Electric facilities in Japan seem determined to pursue this very
troubled MOX fuel utilization program. Once begun, many more shipments
will follow as Japan has about 38 tons of plutonium in Europe, and it
will continue to put en route countries at risk.
http://www.greenaction-japan.org/internal/090305_appeal.pdf

3, The Japanese government is trying to promote nuclear power plants
as their central policy against climate change.

At the same time they have decided to back the nuclear power industry
in exporting their technology to other countries, especially
developing countries, as their main policy for the economic recovery.

This in turn causing another kind of nuclear prolification.

By demanding counter guarantees from the importing countries, any
subsidies which the Japanese government will give Japanese companies
in the nuclear power industry through ECA (Export Credit Agency), will
become debt for the importing countries. This will cause an even
greater debt burden to developing countries.

For more information
Citizen`s Nuclear Information Center (CNIC)
http://www.cnic.jp/english/

Green Action
http://www.greenaction-japan.org/modules/entop2/

Greenpeace Japan
http://www.greenpeace.or.jp/press/releases_en/pr20090518_ce_html

Thank you for your cooperation!

--
Junko Okura 大倉純子
Email: preabsanol@gmail.com



* Update from Junko Okura on Nov. 3, 2009
(cc. Makiko Sato)

Hi, I’m Junko Okura, who made the action alert which Makiko had
forwarded to you. Makiko gave me your address.

Thank you for putting the alert on your site. I was really encouraged
by your cooperation.

I’d like to add some update from “Comment” column but I couldn’t. so
I’ll write the content briefly here.

Kyushu Electric Power CO. INC. (also known as KYUDEN) has finished
loading the MOX fuel to the reactor and is now about to start up,
meaning that they will start Pluthermal electric generation possibly
as early as this week.

A local opposition group, The Committee for MIRAI (“Future” in
Japanese language), is now collecting endorcement for their pettion,
demanding that the Pluthermal Project be called off, which will be
submit to the Japanese government, Saga local government and Kyuden.
I’ll send you the English translation of the petiotion as soon as I
finished. I’d really appreciate it if you’d support the action by the
local people again.

Thanks again and all the best,

Junko Okura


* Related blog

http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/2009/11/petition-fwd-stop-pluthermal-nuclear.html
Friday, November 6, 2009
Petition: Fwd from Japan : STOP Pluthermal Nuclear Power Generation in Saga, Japan!

Text Fwd: Cultivating Life: What We Can Do For the Future

* Text Informed by Makiko Sato(seamesky@sand.ocn.ne.jp) on Oct. 29, 2009

Yamada Sei（peace/environmental activist ）
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
World March in Tokyo: October 19th, 2009
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Q: When did you begin getting involved with activism?

A: I’m 71 years old this year, and I started doing activist work in fields relating to food and agriculture when I was in my mid 30’s. This then led to my work with school lunches, nuclear power, construction in the ocean on the Okinawan island of Ishigaki, and other issues related to the environment.


Q: Why did you first become an activist?

A: I grew up in a beautiful lush, green area on the island of Kyushu, but when I married and began raising children I was living in Tokyo metropolis where there is far less access to nature, which forced me to come face to face with environmental issues. As one example: the sudsy chemical-based dishwashing detergent that people were using led to a sudsy surface of nearby rovers. When I started thinking about the situation from the point of view of the fishes and other creatures living there, it was clear that I had to stop using such materials. I have used the same philosophy with regard to my activism in ocean-related issues: always considering the situation from the standpoint of other living creatures.

We did have some success in stopping the concrete from being poured to build an airport above the coral reef in Ishigaki, but now?some 20 years later?the government is now busy trying again to do the same thing. They certainly don’t give up easily.


Q: What other issues have you been involved with, both domestically and overseas?

A:　Oh, many!　Internationally speaking, I have worked with Iraqis in Jordan, with 　　　Palestinians in Gaza, and with North Koreans fleeing over the border into China to escape repression and starvation. The country that I have the deepest relationship with is the Philippines, although I won’t have time to discuss that tonight.

Domestically, I have worked with the victims of the 1995 Kobe earthquake and with homeless people. However, what I would like to discuss in the greatest detail tonight with you, the World March participants, is the issue of Japanese policy in the area of nuclear fuel recycling. Japan has 56 nuclear power plants in operation, which are all situated along the Japan Sea and the Pacific Ocean coastlines. It also has plants capable of enriching uranium, although it periodically threatens to apply sanctions to countries like Iran and North Korea for possessing the same thing.
　　
Japan also has more than 40 tons of plutonium, which clearly have no other possible uses than for nuclear weapons. Although the government is trying to convince people that nuclear power is necessary, and for reducing CO2 emissions, which is clearly nonsense.

In the village of Rokkasho in Aomori prefecture, there has been built a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant for extracting plutonium and uranium from spent nuclear fuel. This is an extremely dangerous facility. It is capable of churning out about the same amount of radiation in only one day that is normally released in about 100 days?that gives you some idea of the immense dangers that it poses.

This facility is presently stopped because of the dangers posed by the glass substances that are produced when the nuclear fuel rods are enlarged to 160 times their normal size and converted into high level nuclear fluid that is then heated to over 1200 degrees Celsius.

Unless they are properly cooled, there is an extreme danger that these nuclear glass substances could cause an explosion. And we are talking about something
thousands of times stronger than what we saw in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. If the glass balls are not able to be made, then we are stuck with all of this spent nuclear fuel. And because there is nowhere left to store it, the only alternative is to stop the facility.

Because government and business officials do not want this to happen, however, they are now scrambling to enlarge existing facilities.

Can you imagine the burden that this will place upon future generations?
Most people do not think about these kinds of consequences.


Q: What should we do now, then?

A: The government is now spending billions more yen to make the glass balls safe and pass the required testing. Although we just had a change in administration, the new Democratic Party of Japan made no move to reduce this budget. Because they are tied to the nuclear power industry, unfortunately I really don’t think we can expect very much from them.

The people who can make a difference, however, are us as individual citizens. Since you have all just visited Hiroshima, I am sure you came away with an understanding of the horrors visited upon the people there, as well as the fact that radiation does not go away.

Let me also repeat that nuclear power plants have a direct connection to nuclear weapons. Even though they may not be used for this reason at present, this could change at any time. It is crucial that we be aware of this. If we do not acknowledge this possibility, it could mean the end of us as a civilization.


Q: Do you have any final words to share?

A: Historically speaking, we have tried to make things faster, better, brighter, more convenient, etc. While this may be true, we must also begin to understand the fact that incredible amounts of radiation have accompanied this lifestyle. In our everyday lives, we truly are swimming in chemicals.

We are now losing our beautiful green forests at a rate equaling one soccer court-sized area per day. In several decades, the Amazon jungles will likely no longer even exist. This is absolutely mind-boggling to comprehend.

In Japan as well, we have sacrificed our natural surroundings to economic development. This must stop. And we are the ones…you young people, especially, together with others around the world such as the World Marchers…to make this happen.

Thank you, and here is hoping to our positive future!

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
　　October 19, 2009
　　Yamada Sei (author, activist)

　　Translated into English by Kimberly Hughes of Kyoto Journal　
　　Event support: Peace Not War Japan, Japonicus

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Text & Video Fwd: Japanese SM-3 Block 1A missile launch from the JS Myoko

* Informed by Bruce Gagnon on Oct. 29, 2009





Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance on Oct. 28, 2009

Japanese SM-3 Block 1A missile launch from the JS Myoko

Dear Members and Friends,

Against the early evening clear sky off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii the Japanese Kongo class destroyer, JS Myoko detected, tracked, and launched an SM-3 Block 1A missile, obliterating a target ballistic missile, unequivocally demonstrating their capability to destroy any currently deployed North Korean ballistic missiles threatening the people of Japan. This milestone event marks the debut of the third Japanese Kongo Class Destroyer with ballistic missile defense capability that will patrol and defend the seas surrounding Japan against the threat from North Korea to their homeland. Having three Aegis-equipped ships with ballistic missile defense capability allows the defensive forces of Japan to patrol and protect the people of Japan, continuously 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

CLICK HERE TO SEE BREAKING VIDEO AND PHOTOS OF THE TEST

This also marks the first successful Aegis missile defense intercept of President Obama's "new missile defense architecture" announced on September 16th of this year. The cooperative efforts with the Japanese government on the Aegis missile defense system are a major emphasis on the President's new missile defense plan. The Japanese are full and equal co-developers of the SM-3 Block 2 missile, which is the highly-preferred, 'end all' defensive missile, by the Department of Defense that will defend Europe and the US homeland under this Administration's promise to defend our nation against Iran by 2020.

Like their legendary ancestral forefathers, the Samurai warriors, the Imperial Japanese Navy officers and sailors showed incredible precision to strike down cleanly and exactly an incoming threat, once again proving their ability to protect their sacred homeland. The manner in which they performed brought much honor to the crew of JS Myoko in showing their ability to uphold the first line of defense of their country.

Ganbatte to our Japanese friends.

Respectfully,

Riki

Click Here to visit MDAA's Website

Click Here to visit MDAA's Blog

Click Here to join MDAA

Click Here to learn more about MDAA

Text Fwd: LockMart Awarded Contract For Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense

* Missile Defense Advcocy Aliance blog on Oct. 28, 2009

LockMart Awarded Contract For Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense

The U.S. Department of Defense’s Missile Defense Agency (MDA) awarded Lockheed Martin a $1 billion contract for continued development and evolution of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Weapon System.

Under the contract, Lockheed Martin’s Surface-Sea Based Missile Defense line of business, in Moorestown, N.J., will design, develop, integrate, test, deliver and install further Aegis BMD capability for the U.S. and allied navies.

“This contract will both continue the spiral development of Aegis BMD capability to meet expanding global security threats and increase the number of BMD-capable ships at sea by integrating Aegis BMD into the Aegis Modernization program,” explained Orlando Carvalho, vice president and general manager of the Lockheed Martin business completing the work.

“This further supports the increasing demand for Aegis BMD capability worldwide, especially in light of the Administration’s recent shift in policy in European Missile Defense.”

Currently, a total of 21 Aegis BMD-equipped warships – 19 in the U.S. Navy and two in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force – have the certified capability to engage ballistic missiles and perform long-range surveillance and tracking missions. The U.S. Navy is modifying two additional U.S. East Coast-based Aegis-equipped ships to perform ballistic missile defense.

The Aegis Weapon System is the world’s premier naval defense system and the sea-based element of the U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). Its precision SPY-1 radar and integrated command and control system seamlessly guides the interceptor and uplinks target track information to the missile for terminal homing.

Its ability to detect, track and engage targets ranging from sea-skimming cruise missiles to ballistic missiles in space is proven. The Aegis BMD Weapon System also integrates with the BMDS, receiving track data from and providing track information to other BMDS elements.

The 92 Aegis-equipped ships currently in service around the globe have more than 950 years of at-sea operational experience and have launched more than 3,500 missiles in tests and real-world operations. In addition to the U.S., Aegis is the maritime weapon system of choice for Australia, Japan, Norway, South Korea and Spain.

Lockheed Martin is a world leader in systems integration and the development of air and missile defense systems and technologies, including the first operational hit-to-kill missile defense system, Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3). It also has considerable experience in interceptor systems, kill vehicles, battle management command, control and communications, precision pointing and tracking optics, as well as radar and other sensors that enable signal processing and data fusion.

The company makes significant contributions to nearly all major U.S. Missile Defense Systems and participates in several global missile defense partnerships.

Source:

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/LockMart_Awarded_Contract_For_Aegis_

Photos Fwd: Kunsan: “Stop the Budget for the Combat Air Show!”

Image Source: Reporter, Park Jae-Soon(icomn@icomn.net)
Chamsori_Jeonbuk Alternative Internet Media, Oct. 29, 2009

[Kunsan USFK Base] “Human-Killing Training is An Air Show?”
Kunsan (Gunsan) Civil Organizations, “Urge the Stop of the Budget Support for the Combat Show
by the United States Forces of Korea”

* The press interview was held in front of the City Hall, Kunsan on Oct. 28, 2009. The banner says:

Stop the Combat Show by the USFK (United States Forces of Korea) Bases
And Compile the Welfare Budget for the Regions Suffered by the USFK Bases!
-The Civil Council for Retaking Back of Our Lands in the Kunsan(Gunsan) USFK Base-

(* unofficial translation)

Image Source: Same as above

“Stop the Waste of the Bloody Tax
Residents’ Health Check=200,000,000 won [about $180,000]
Air Show= 4 billion won [about $3.6million]"
(* unofficial translation)

Image Source: Editorial Team (icomn@icomn.net),
Chamsori_Jeonbuk Alternative Internet Media, Oct. 4, 2008

[Kunsan USFK Base] “Are the Fighter Planes Tourism Goods?”
Urging the Stop of the “Air Show” for the Beautification of the Unilateral Activity
of the United States Forces of Korea.

* Below is the unofficial translation of the some parts in the article above.

__ The Civil Council for Retaking Back of Our Lands in the Kunsan(Gunsan) USFK Base (Executive Co-representative, Fr. Mun, Jung-Hyun) had a statement that “the Air shows were happening every year at the time when the most advanced killing fighter planes were brought in the Kunsan USFK base”… The Air Show is “being processed to beautify the unilateral activities of the United States who intends for the expansion of the bases of the United States Forces of Korea and for her domination strategy in the North East Asia”.

__The Civil Council stated that the damages by the explosive noise were tremendous because even the United States forces overseas were currently having the war exercise, gathering into the Chik-do bombing site(* do means island) from tens of times to hundreds of times a day.

__The Civil Council denounced that “The City of Kunsan beautifies the behavior of the United States Forces of Korea by making propaganda, through this Air Show that the Saemankeum reclamation land will be contributed to the prosperity of the Aerospace industry complex and the international tourism city for 500,000”. The Civil Council kicked out the claim saying that “It can never absolutely be imagined” to contribute to the international tourism city for 500,000 with the fighter planes with the explosive noise, without discerning of day and night, tens of times a day.

'Killed rabbits in hutches'

Image Source: Han Sun Nam, Wind in Peace(peacenomad@hanmail.net),

Chamsori_Jeonbuk Alternative Internet Media, Dec. 2, 2008

'[Kunsan USFK Base] “I Guessed Something Had Happened Yesterday..”
Baby Rabbits Who Were Recently Born in the Farms Near the Base, Again Killed in Group'

* Below is the unofficial translation of the some parts in the article above.

__The case of the deaths of the rabbits in cub is already fifth this time following the similar cases in January, February, July and October. As the precedent similar cases, they were killed this time because their mother rabbit that had brought forth the babies for the two days of yesterday and the day before yesterday
bit off about 90 babies in cub with teeth.

__ Mr. Lee Ho-Kyung saying, “Yesterday, the fighter planes flied with the especially uproarious noise”, emphasized the fighter plane noise was the direct cause of the deaths of the rabbits. Particularly yesterday (1st), the fighter plane noise was serious as to be continued after 10pm in the night.

__ Not only the death of the cub in the group is a problem. According to Mr. Lee Ho-Kyung, even though he copulated the total 20 number of the rabbits this time, only 13 numbers succeeded for pregnancy while the other seven could not be pregnant. The sterility rate reaches to 35%.

* Other Korean articles:

Kunsan branch, SPARK (Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea), Nov. 2, 2009

[10/31] 군산 전투기 에어쇼 반대 피켓팅, 1인 시위
군산 새만금 전시관 앞

[10/31] One Man Picketing Protest against the Air Show of the Fighter Planes,
In front of the Saemankeum Exhibition Hall, Kunsan


Kunsan branch, SPARK, Oct. 28, 2009

군산 전투기 에어쇼 반대 기자회견:
새만금 에어쇼 중단하라!
전투쇼 중단하고 고통받는 지역주민에게 복지예산 편성하라!

Press Interview against the Kunsan Air Show of the Fighter Planes:
Stop the Saemankeum Air Show!
Stop the Combat show, Compile the Welfare Budget for the Local Residents Suffered by It!


Chamsori_Jeonbuk Alternative Internet Media, Oct. 29, 2009

[속보] [미군기지] 에어쇼 폭음으로 토끼 집단폐사:
시민단체 '우려대로 소음피해만 주는 전투기 훈련쇼'
2009-10-29 11:38:26 박재순 기자(icomn@icomn.net)

[Urgent] [Kunsan USFK Base] Rabbits Killed in Group Due to the Explosive Noise in the Air Show:
Civil Organizations, “As Concerned, The Fighter Plane Training Show Only Contributes to the Noise Damage”
Oct. 29, 2009, by Reporter, Park Jae-Soon (icomn@icomn.net)


* Related blogs

http://space4peace.blogspot.com/2009/11/screaming-eagles-coming-home-to-roost.html
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
SCREAMING EAGLES COMING HOME TO ROOST

http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/2009/10/text-fwd-fr-moon-resistance-at-kunsan.html
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
[Bruce Gagnon블로그 번역] FR. MOON & RESISTANCE AT KUNSAN AFB

http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/2009/09/kunsan-peace-march-sept-12-2009.html
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Kunsan Peace March, Sept. 12, 2009