GRAND JURY INDICTS PLOWSHARES
ON DECEMBER 19, 1999, Philip Berrigan and Susan Crane of Baltimore's Jonah House; the Rev. Stephen Kelly, SJ; and Elizabeth Walz, a Catholic Worker from Philadelphia, calling themselves the "Plowshares Vs. Depleted Uranium," disarmed two A-10 Warthog (Fairchild Thunderbolt II) aircraft. Following Isaiah's vision of a disarmed world, the activists hammered and poured blood on A-10s because the Warthog, used against Iraq and Yugoslavia, has a Gatling gun which fires depleted uranium ammunition. The four religious activists, for reasons of conscience, refused to post bail and remain in custody since their arrest.
A Maryland grand jury handed down an indictment on January 18. The Plowshares activists are now facing the following charges: (1) sabotage-a maximum 10 years; (2) conspiracy to commit sabotage-a maximum 10 years; (3) malicious destruction of property with a property damage of more than $300-three years and/or $2,500 fine; (4) conspiracy to maliciously destroy property-maximum three years; and (5) trespass-a maximum 90 days in jail and/or a $500 fine.
The grand jury met in secret, and the defendants, who were not there, were unable to present evidence refuting the charges. In fact, the activists were not informed until two weeks later, while incarcerated, of the new charges, carrying a maximum sentence of more than 26 years: Philip Berrigan, #995-923, BCDC, 404 Kenilworth Ave., Towson, MD 21204; Susan Crane, #995-375, 200 Court House Court, Towson, MD 21204; Steve Kelly, SJ, #995-924, BCDC, 404 Kenilworth Ave., Towson, MD 21204; Elizabeth Walz, #995-376, 200 Court House Court, Towson, MD 21204.
It is assumed that Maryland prosecutors have been in contact with federal agencies, and an agreement was reached to press ahead with extremely severe charges. Initial charges of burglary were replaced in the indictment by sabotage and conspiracy to commit sabotage, as well as conspiracy to maliciously destroy property. The indictment defines sabotage as follows: to hinder, delay, or interfere with the preparation of the United States for defense or for war, or with the prosecution of war by the United States.
The religious activists were moved to resistance because of the environmental damage caused by the use of depleted uranium in Iraq and Yugoslavia and the fact that the Pentagon sold DU ammunition to a host of other countries, including Israel and Turkey. In the Plowshares Vs. Depleted Uranium's statement, they explained: "The A-10 is an aircraft built around a gun-a 30 mm 7 barrel Gatling that can spew 3,900 rounds per minute. This criminal plane fired 95% of the depleted uranium deployed by the US during the Gulf War, leaving behind 300-800 tons (Dutch Laka Foundation), poisoning humans and the elements in Kuwait and Iraq. . . . The US has made another fatal mistake with depleted uranium-it has given it away to a score of other countries, openly inviting them to make their own weapons, fight their own nuclear wars, and infest the planet with more radiation."
The land and people of Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Bosnia have been contaminated by the use of depleted uranium; and also afflicted are the civilians who live adjacent to US military bases in Vieques, Puerto Rico, and Okinawa, Japan, as well as neighborhoods near the manufacturers of this toxic weapon. It has even been injurious to the health of US and allied military personnel who made contact with the ammunition.
The Plowshares now prepare to stand trial against these charges, aided in their defense by Ramsey Clark, former U.S. Attorney General, and local attorney Jon Katz. In court, the defendants will try to argue that the A10s, using depleted uranium ammunition, are offensive to humanity, decency, and any definition of responsible conduct; and they are a violation of the laws of war, international law, and the natural law. They will argue moral law and the laws of God indict the weapons, not the people who resist them.
Journalists are welcome to visit the four imprisoned peacemakers. They are available for interviews. For more info, contact Max Obuszewski at (410) 323-7200 or (410) 377-7987 or <mobuszewski@afsc.org> or Jonah House at (410) 233-6238 or <disarmnow@erols.com>.
CRIME OF THE MONTH
A recent decision in a federal lawsuit will result in the continued recycling of thousands of tons of radioactive metal for use in household products. Because of a loophole in the Superfund cleanup law, a federal judge said she could not order the Department of Energy (DOE) to stop the practice of recycling nuclear materials and using them in everyday products.
Owners of weapons facilities and deactivated power plants can save money on cleanup costs and even profit by selling contaminated materials to scrap dealers and steel companies, where it is mixed with clean metal for the production of household items.
In spite of studies illustrating the dangers of exposure to radiation for increasing the risks of cancer, leukemia, genetic defects, and reduced immunity, there are no apparent plans even to require labeling of products made from recycled radioactive materials. There seems to be no end to the dangers our government is willing to expose us to for the sake of corporate profits. That is our Crime of the Month.
--from Coalition for Prisoners' Rights Newsletter, February 2000