URGENT: Divine Strake - Stop massive explosion simulating nuclear-bunker buster bomb
See Update: Good News for Mitchell, Indiana & 4th District
Friends:
It is extremely urgent that each and all of us call our Senators immediately to stop Divine Strake, a massive military explosion simulating a bunker buster nuclear bomb. This explosion of 700 tons of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil will create a 10,000 foot mushroom cloud of toxins and pollutants. It will contaminate groundwater.
This test simulates a nuclear weapon -- clearly meant for offensive use in a strike on Iran. Such a strike would shock the world and incite terrorism. It would be criminal under international law.
Originally planned for the Nevada test site, but stopped there by determined activists, Divine Strake is now under consideration for a quarry near Mitchell, Indiana or for White Sands, New Mexico. It must not happen anywhere. If you are in Indiana or New Mexico, your Senator has a special responsibility to stop Divine Strake. If you are in another state and have a Senator with a concern for arms control, peace, or environment, please ask her or him to show leadership. Remember, if we don't stop this test, President Bush will be an important step closer to a nuclear attack on Iran.
We must act immediately. The best chance for Congress to stop it is directly upon us. On September 5th, the Senate will resume its floor debate prior to voting on the Defense Appropriations Bill. (As you know, Appropriations is the second of two processes, and thus is our last Congressional chance.) PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS AND ASK THEM TO OFFER AN AMENDMENT BLOCKING "DIVINE STRAKE." Please call your friends and urge them
to make calls. Please forward this message widely.
Contact information for your Senators
Together, we can stop Divine Strake.
The Defense Department is considering conducting a weapons test near Bedford, IN next year to bolster the U.S.'s nuclear weapons program. Please contact your senators and urge them to block the test, called "Divine Strake." Senators could block the test by offering an amendment to a Pentagon funding bill that will be considered on the floor of the Senate Tuesday, September 5.
Take Action
Contact your senators by phone, email or fax and ask them to offer an amendment to block the "Divine Strake" test when the Military Appropriations Bill, H.R. 5631, comes to the Senate floor. (Given the delays in U.S. mail to congressional offices, postal mail will not reach the senators in time.)
Background
The "Divine Strake" test would involve an underground explosion of 700 tons of ammonium nitrate to simulate the use of a low-yield nuclear weapon against an underground target. The test would not involve nuclear material. According to Defense Department officials, it would "send a mushroom-shaped dust cloud 10,000 feet into the atmosphere and release an explosive yield equivalent to detonating 593 tons of TNT." This yield is more than 100 times the size of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.
While the Pentagon had planned to conduct the test at the Nevada Test Site, opposition from local residents and environmental agencies in Nevada and Utah forced the Defense Department to look elsewhere. The Pentagon is now considering the use of a limestone quarry outside Mitchell, 70 miles south of Indianapolis. The other site being reviewed is the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
The Defense Department wants to collect data on very large explosions in rock to calibrate the effects of using a nuclear "bunker buster" in Iran or North Korea. According to the Pentagon, its purpose is to "develop a planning tool that will improve the warfighter's confidence in selecting the smallest proper nuclear yield necessary to destroy underground facilities while minimizing collateral damage."
This effort to "improve" the U.S. nuclear weapons program comes even as the administration is asking Iran and North Korea to freeze their nuclear programs. The U.S. government is sending the wrong message to those two countries and the world about nuclear weapons: "do as the U.S. says, not as it does."
The military appropriations bill, H.R. 5631, which covers the Pentagon, will be on the Senate floor Tuesday, September 5.
Find Out More
Read FCNL's letter to Senators Lugar and Bayh asking them to offer an amendment to block the "Divine Strake" test.
Read a story on the test done by WTHR, an Indianapolis TV station.
Find more documents about the test on the Federation of American Scientists' website.
Find out more about nuclear disarmament on FCNL's website.
Friends Committee on National Legislation
245 Second St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-5795
fcnl@fcnl.org * http://www.fcnl.org
phone: (202)547-6000 * toll-free: (800)630-1330
[keppel]
Louisville Courier Journal
Quarry mentioned as blast test site Environmentalists fear effects of 700-ton bomb
Indianapolis Star:
Military tested explosives at Ind quarry
Ft. Wayne News Sentinel:
Company: Military tested explosives at southern Indiana quarry
Counterpunch
Divine Strake in the Bible Belt
Adapt this simple letter (one I wrote) to send to your Senators
Honorable Senator __________________,
Please continue in your sense of reason and for the sake of all that is humane work to block Divine Strake.
I am sad enough U.S. leaders are still barbaric that bombing our problems is still an option.
I know you are not among them... please resist the politics of fear and republican gamesmanship.
Thank you.
August 20, 2006
==============
(Note: The following letter is to Congressman Mike Sodrel. Be aware, however, that contacting Senator Bayh 202-224-5623 and Senator Lugar 202-224-4814 is our highest priority in the coming days.)
Outside Indiana: Contact your Senators
The Honorable (Your Representative)
House Address
Washington, D.C. (Zip Code)
Dear Congressman _________________________:
We are shocked to learn that the Defense Threat Reduction Agency is considering a massive military explosion, code named Divine Strake, for a limestone quarry near Mitchell, Indiana. It is an explosion of 700 tons of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil, configured to simulate a 593-ton nuclear warhead. It will produce a 10,000-foot mushroom cloud filled with toxins and pollutants, a hazard to residents from Indianapolis to Louisville. It is also likely to contaminate the vulnerable karst limestone ground-water aquifer that underlies south-central Indiana.
The government now claims that Divine Strake simulates a conventional, not a nuclear, explosion. But its own budget request for 2006 describes the experiment as a "full scale tunnel defeat demonstration using explosives to simulate a low yield nuclear weapons ground shock environment." The 2007 budget request omits the nuclear reference but leaves the experiment
unchanged.
As you know, Congress has blocked funds for low-yield nuclear weapons such as the "Bunker Buster." The Bush Administration is thus in violation of the law in proceeding with this test. Congress cannot allow the President to act in contempt for the Constitution, which he is sworn to uphold. Such contempt must be considered an impeachable offense if we are to remain a
nation of laws.
It is unacceptable that, 61 years after U.S. atomic bombs killed 200,000 people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Bush Administration is committed to developing "usable" nuclear weapons. The Nuclear Posture Review endorses using U.S. nuclear weapons first, even against non-nuclear states - undermining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Vice President Cheney
reportedly approved Israel's bombing of Lebanon, as preparation for a U.S. strike on Iran. The administration's nuclear double-standard spurs isolated regimes such as Iran and North Korea to seek nuclear weapons. Actual use of a U.S. nuclear weapon would unleash global fury and incite nuclear terrorism. It would be nuclear terrorism.
Divine Strake must not take place - in Indiana or anywhere.
(Optional - Adaptable Paragraph)
As the ????? District Representative, you will understand that Divine Strake is unacceptable to your constituents. We respectfully submit that you have a solemn duty to stop it.
Very truly yours,
Name
Street Address
City, State Zip
Phone (opt)
Email (opt)
Friends:
It is extremely urgent that each and all of us call our Senators immediately to stop Divine Strake, a massive military explosion simulating a bunker buster nuclear bomb. This explosion of 700 tons of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil will create a 10,000 foot mushroom cloud of toxins and pollutants. It will contaminate groundwater.
This test simulates a nuclear weapon -- clearly meant for offensive use in a strike on Iran. Such a strike would shock the world and incite terrorism. It would be criminal under international law.
Originally planned for the Nevada test site, but stopped there by determined activists, Divine Strake is now under consideration for a quarry near Mitchell, Indiana or for White Sands, New Mexico. It must not happen anywhere. If you are in Indiana or New Mexico, your Senator has a special responsibility to stop Divine Strake. If you are in another state and have a Senator with a concern for arms control, peace, or environment, please ask her or him to show leadership. Remember, if we don't stop this test, President Bush will be an important step closer to a nuclear attack on Iran.
We must act immediately. The best chance for Congress to stop it is directly upon us. On September 5th, the Senate will resume its floor debate prior to voting on the Defense Appropriations Bill. (As you know, Appropriations is the second of two processes, and thus is our last Congressional chance.) PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS AND ASK THEM TO OFFER AN AMENDMENT BLOCKING "DIVINE STRAKE." Please call your friends and urge them
to make calls. Please forward this message widely.
Contact information for your Senators
Together, we can stop Divine Strake.
The Defense Department is considering conducting a weapons test near Bedford, IN next year to bolster the U.S.'s nuclear weapons program. Please contact your senators and urge them to block the test, called "Divine Strake." Senators could block the test by offering an amendment to a Pentagon funding bill that will be considered on the floor of the Senate Tuesday, September 5.
Take Action
Contact your senators by phone, email or fax and ask them to offer an amendment to block the "Divine Strake" test when the Military Appropriations Bill, H.R. 5631, comes to the Senate floor. (Given the delays in U.S. mail to congressional offices, postal mail will not reach the senators in time.)
Background
The "Divine Strake" test would involve an underground explosion of 700 tons of ammonium nitrate to simulate the use of a low-yield nuclear weapon against an underground target. The test would not involve nuclear material. According to Defense Department officials, it would "send a mushroom-shaped dust cloud 10,000 feet into the atmosphere and release an explosive yield equivalent to detonating 593 tons of TNT." This yield is more than 100 times the size of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.
While the Pentagon had planned to conduct the test at the Nevada Test Site, opposition from local residents and environmental agencies in Nevada and Utah forced the Defense Department to look elsewhere. The Pentagon is now considering the use of a limestone quarry outside Mitchell, 70 miles south of Indianapolis. The other site being reviewed is the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
The Defense Department wants to collect data on very large explosions in rock to calibrate the effects of using a nuclear "bunker buster" in Iran or North Korea. According to the Pentagon, its purpose is to "develop a planning tool that will improve the warfighter's confidence in selecting the smallest proper nuclear yield necessary to destroy underground facilities while minimizing collateral damage."
This effort to "improve" the U.S. nuclear weapons program comes even as the administration is asking Iran and North Korea to freeze their nuclear programs. The U.S. government is sending the wrong message to those two countries and the world about nuclear weapons: "do as the U.S. says, not as it does."
The military appropriations bill, H.R. 5631, which covers the Pentagon, will be on the Senate floor Tuesday, September 5.
Find Out More
Read FCNL's letter to Senators Lugar and Bayh asking them to offer an amendment to block the "Divine Strake" test.
Read a story on the test done by WTHR, an Indianapolis TV station.
Find more documents about the test on the Federation of American Scientists' website.
Find out more about nuclear disarmament on FCNL's website.
Friends Committee on National Legislation
245 Second St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-5795
fcnl@fcnl.org * http://www.fcnl.org
phone: (202)547-6000 * toll-free: (800)630-1330
[keppel]
Louisville Courier Journal
Quarry mentioned as blast test site Environmentalists fear effects of 700-ton bomb
Indianapolis Star:
Military tested explosives at Ind quarry
Ft. Wayne News Sentinel:
Company: Military tested explosives at southern Indiana quarry
Counterpunch
Divine Strake in the Bible Belt
Adapt this simple letter (one I wrote) to send to your Senators
Honorable Senator __________________,
Please continue in your sense of reason and for the sake of all that is humane work to block Divine Strake.
I am sad enough U.S. leaders are still barbaric that bombing our problems is still an option.
I know you are not among them... please resist the politics of fear and republican gamesmanship.
Thank you.
August 20, 2006
==============
(Note: The following letter is to Congressman Mike Sodrel. Be aware, however, that contacting Senator Bayh 202-224-5623 and Senator Lugar 202-224-4814 is our highest priority in the coming days.)
Outside Indiana: Contact your Senators
The Honorable (Your Representative)
House Address
Washington, D.C. (Zip Code)
Dear Congressman _________________________:
We are shocked to learn that the Defense Threat Reduction Agency is considering a massive military explosion, code named Divine Strake, for a limestone quarry near Mitchell, Indiana. It is an explosion of 700 tons of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil, configured to simulate a 593-ton nuclear warhead. It will produce a 10,000-foot mushroom cloud filled with toxins and pollutants, a hazard to residents from Indianapolis to Louisville. It is also likely to contaminate the vulnerable karst limestone ground-water aquifer that underlies south-central Indiana.
The government now claims that Divine Strake simulates a conventional, not a nuclear, explosion. But its own budget request for 2006 describes the experiment as a "full scale tunnel defeat demonstration using explosives to simulate a low yield nuclear weapons ground shock environment." The 2007 budget request omits the nuclear reference but leaves the experiment
unchanged.
As you know, Congress has blocked funds for low-yield nuclear weapons such as the "Bunker Buster." The Bush Administration is thus in violation of the law in proceeding with this test. Congress cannot allow the President to act in contempt for the Constitution, which he is sworn to uphold. Such contempt must be considered an impeachable offense if we are to remain a
nation of laws.
It is unacceptable that, 61 years after U.S. atomic bombs killed 200,000 people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Bush Administration is committed to developing "usable" nuclear weapons. The Nuclear Posture Review endorses using U.S. nuclear weapons first, even against non-nuclear states - undermining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Vice President Cheney
reportedly approved Israel's bombing of Lebanon, as preparation for a U.S. strike on Iran. The administration's nuclear double-standard spurs isolated regimes such as Iran and North Korea to seek nuclear weapons. Actual use of a U.S. nuclear weapon would unleash global fury and incite nuclear terrorism. It would be nuclear terrorism.
Divine Strake must not take place - in Indiana or anywhere.
(Optional - Adaptable Paragraph)
As the ????? District Representative, you will understand that Divine Strake is unacceptable to your constituents. We respectfully submit that you have a solemn duty to stop it.
Very truly yours,
Name
Street Address
City, State Zip
Phone (opt)
Email (opt)
posted by Duane Short | 8/25/2006 10:45:00 PM
1 Comments:
NEWS ADVISORY
David Sanders— David Sanders—Democratic Candidate for US Representative (4th District) and the Mayor of Mitchell, Butch Chastain, Discuss Opposition to a Proposed Massive Explosion Near Mitchell
Wednesday, August 30,2006--Dr. David Sanders, candidate for the office of U.S. Representative for the 4th Congressional District of the State of Indiana, and the Mayor of Mitchell, Butch Chastain, appeared at a press conference at 10:00 AM Wednesday, August 30, 2006 at the Mitchell City Hall, 407 S. 6th Street in Mitchell.
“It was reported in the Las Vegas Review Journal that it was proposed that Indiana become Ground Zero for the testing of a massive explosive. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is planning an explosion called “Divine Strake”—the detonation of one million four hundred thousand pounds of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil. It was originally scheduled for the Nevada Test Site. After protests from residents and questions from members of Congress from both political parties, it was indicated that the test would be postponed and probably held elsewhere. A quarry near Mitchell and Bedford was suggested as the new potential site.
“Here is the description of the aftermath of the explosion from the head of DTRA, ‘it is the first time in Nevada that you'll see a mushroom cloud over Las Vegas since we stopped testing nuclear weapons.’
“A spokesman said, "The dust cloud ... may reach an altitude of 10,000 feet.”
Dr. Sanders stated, “Detonating this explosion here would have been completely unacceptable. If it is not safe for the middle of the desert in Nevada, it is not safe for a populated area like Bedford. Negative impacts on the highly valuable limestone of the area and upon groundwater have been discussed.”
“We have been informed that the site here in Lawrence County is not under consideration now. Why it was initially mentioned by a DTRA spokesperson is still a mystery. I believe that we should regard this settlement as a victory for community activists. I was proud to be a part of the opposition. I applaud Mayor Chastain and his efforts. In my judgment ongoing vigilance is nevertheless necessary.
“It is astounding that the incumbent Congressman for this district was apparently not aware of Bedford’s identification as a possible test site despite mentions of this fact in the media. It is even more incredible that his highly condescending response to concerns about the explosion was that Indiana ‘needs to be educated about this project and its possibilities.’
“The people of Indiana did not need to be ‘educated’ about the ‘possibilities’ of Divine Strake. We have been educated about the fact that, according to the owner of the quarry, a spokesperson for DTRA apparently identified a quarry in Mitchell as a potential test site for Divine Strake without notifying the quarry owner. We have been educated about the fact that there were previous DTRA explosives tests at the quarry without any public notification. We have also been educated that Congressman Buyer does not care about the people of Lawrence County. It is evident that Congressman Buyer needs to be ‘educated’ about his responsibility to defend the interests of his constituents. Actually, it is not surprising that a Congressman who wanted to use nuclear weapons in Afghanistan (“Put a tactical nuclear device in and close these caves for a thousand years," said Buyer in a 2001 interview with Indianapolis television station WRTV) did not oppose a massive explosion in a part of the district he almost never visits and takes for granted. It is time that the people of the 4th District use their votes to “educate” the incumbent about the proper role of a United States Representative.”
Dr. Sanders is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Purdue University. His expertise concerns gene therapy, cancer research, biodefense, and pandemic influenza. His research on the Ebola virus led to his participation in a United States Biological Weapons Proliferation Prevention Program. His responsibilities included inspecting a formerly secret bioweapons laboratory in Siberia.
http://www.sandersforcongress.org
Dr. Sanders’ connection with Purdue University is mentioned for identification purposes only and does not imply University endorsement.
Post a Comment
<< Home