....And Crimes Against Humanity
Lets go Dutch means lets share the responsibility. In Cambodia Duch, not Dutch, is on trial for his part, S21 torture prison, in Khmer Rouge war crimes causing the death of 1.7 million. Read about all that stuff elsewhere. Here the subject is Cluster Bombs.
In The Remnants Museum in Sai Gon was a plaque with the Vietnamese death tally during the American War as they rightfully call it, 3 million. Many of these deaths were caused by Cluster Bombs.
It seems strange that, depending which side you are on or perhaps from which race, war crimes and crimes against humanity are either condemned and token culprits rather than the masterminds are put on trial or a country is lauded for is fight for so called democracy and freedom.
Strange really. The North Vietnamese thought they were fighting for their freedom thus the determination and tenacity behind their ultimate overpowering of the agressor.
But as in Iraq where it is clear now to all that there were no weapons of mass destruction and it was all a ruse to get western hands on the vast three largest known undeveloped oilfields in Southern Iraq so the Viet Nam War was an oil war. Just google 'standard oil, vietnam war' and you can read all about it. It is a little know fact that within the Asian Region Viet Nam is the 3rd largest producer of oil and gas after Indonesia and Malaysia. On a separate issue you may add Burma to this list, producer of oil since 1857, remember Burmah Oil company now through corporate integration, the giant BP.
The patern is similar in most wars over the last 100 years. Look at the Falklands War as the UK just recently pressed its claim to develope its exploration for oil and gas by excerting the 200 mile mineral rights under the International Law of the Sea. Unsurprisingly, Argentina is objecting. Journalists for 27 years, apart from industry technical magasines, have not been reporting the hydrocarbon issue hiding their ignorance behind their arrogance.
So all this war mongering that allows the war machine to do as it wishes and carpet bomb victim countries leaving its trail of destruction and inevitably a 200 year legacy of UXOs, unexploded ordinances, is actually merely a gambit to grab others hydrocarbon resources.
Does the world wish to face up to this reality, will politicians continue to camouflage their intention, does the media largely owned by large corporate business care to distribute this knowledge, must the poor hill farmers in the mountains of Lao, Vietnam, Cambodia and now Iraq and Afghanistan continue to die and lose limbs and eyes from the cluster bomb curse for the west's thirst and greed for oil and gas? Looks like it unless those who are aware stand up and be counted and take up this political task.
So write to your political representative about the Cluster Bomb issue from which ever country you come to persuade those that have not signed the Oslo Treaty against Cluster Munitions to do so. 96 governments have already. Project Pineapple does not stand alone.
Project Pineapple
Remember, go to Archives for full story at bottom of picture column
SPECIAL UPDATE FOR AMERICANS
FOR NON AMERICANS PLEASE PASS ON TO YOUR US FRIENDS AND CONTACTS
PLEASE VIEW SITE
http://www.handicap-international.us/our-fight-against-landmines-and-cluster-bombs/in-brief/
AND FIND LINK TO
National Senate Call-In Day to Ban Cluster Bombs MAR 30
but keep up the pressure after this date
MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT YOUR SENATOR
ALSO for those who wish to make donations to Handicap International, a co-founder of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, and now widely recognized as a key international lobbyist on weapons of war, please got to:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/285080?m=96aaaf39
Be sure to contact your political representative too wherever you are.
PROJECT PINEAPPLE INITIATED WITH A MOTORCYCLE RIDE THROUGH INDOCHINA TO PUBLICISE THE CLUSTER BOMB ISSUE.
Laos was carpet bombed along the Vietnam border to wipe out the VietCong's supply lines, the multiple trails known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Now, the issue is still being swept under a diplomatic carpet.
The Iraq war opened on 19th March, 2003, with Cluster Bombs being dropped. I was in Laos walking through remote villages on a water well project when I got the news on my short wave radio. Those same villages were carpet bombed 35 years earlier and still living under the threat of 76 million unexploded Cluster Bombs.
Billions of dollars continue to be spent on Iraq but a mere 500 thousand dollars annually on clearing unexploded Cluster Bombs in Laos.
The Vietnam War ended on 30th April 1975 when the last ten marines were choppered out.
I used the Belarusian 125cc Minsk motorcyle to ride from Hanoi, Vietnam, through Laos and Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City between 19th March and 30th April representing respectively the start of Cluster Bombs being dropped on Iraq and the final withdrawal of US marines from Saigon.
Visits were made to various relevant projects and programs both for clearing unexploded bombs and supporting the victims.
Should you be in any of these countries it is worth
finding out what you can about this 'forgotten' problem. Rural children and adults are still dying and being maimed every day.
Please email any comments to : project.pineapple@yahoo.com
Remember to go to Blog Archives at bottom of Picture column for the full story.
See you around
Robert
SPECIAL UPDATE FOR AMERICANS
FOR NON AMERICANS PLEASE PASS ON TO YOUR US FRIENDS AND CONTACTS
PLEASE VIEW SITE
http://www.handicap-international.us/our-fight-against-landmines-and-cluster-bombs/in-brief/
AND FIND LINK TO
National Senate Call-In Day to Ban Cluster Bombs MAR 30
but keep up the pressure after this date
MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT YOUR SENATOR
ALSO for those who wish to make donations to Handicap International, a co-founder of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, and now widely recognized as a key international lobbyist on weapons of war, please got to:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/285080?m=96aaaf39
Be sure to contact your political representative too wherever you are.
PROJECT PINEAPPLE INITIATED WITH A MOTORCYCLE RIDE THROUGH INDOCHINA TO PUBLICISE THE CLUSTER BOMB ISSUE.
Laos was carpet bombed along the Vietnam border to wipe out the VietCong's supply lines, the multiple trails known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Now, the issue is still being swept under a diplomatic carpet.
The Iraq war opened on 19th March, 2003, with Cluster Bombs being dropped. I was in Laos walking through remote villages on a water well project when I got the news on my short wave radio. Those same villages were carpet bombed 35 years earlier and still living under the threat of 76 million unexploded Cluster Bombs.
Billions of dollars continue to be spent on Iraq but a mere 500 thousand dollars annually on clearing unexploded Cluster Bombs in Laos.
The Vietnam War ended on 30th April 1975 when the last ten marines were choppered out.
I used the Belarusian 125cc Minsk motorcyle to ride from Hanoi, Vietnam, through Laos and Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City between 19th March and 30th April representing respectively the start of Cluster Bombs being dropped on Iraq and the final withdrawal of US marines from Saigon.
Visits were made to various relevant projects and programs both for clearing unexploded bombs and supporting the victims.
Should you be in any of these countries it is worth
finding out what you can about this 'forgotten' problem. Rural children and adults are still dying and being maimed every day.
Please email any comments to : project.pineapple@yahoo.com
Remember to go to Blog Archives at bottom of Picture column for the full story.
See you around
Robert
One Reason for the Name Project Pineapple
Sunday, May 24, 2009
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