TITLE: Campaign To Black Rumsfeld Nomination

AUTHOR:

ORG: The Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and Veterans for Peace

DATE: January 9, 2001

RUMSFELD HEARINGS BEGIN IN SENATE ON JANUARY 11 The Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and Veterans for Peace have undertaken a national grassroots campaign to block the nomination of Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense in the Bush administration. The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee will soon hold hearings on the nomination before the full Senate votes on Rumsfeld. We are urging people across the U.S. to contact their two U.S. Senators in opposition to the Rumsfeld nomination. Please help spread this message. Call your Senators as soon as possible via the Congressional Switchboard at: (202) 224-3121 For your information, members of the Armed Services Committee are as follows: · Democrats - Levin (MI), Kennedy (MA), Bingaman (N.M.), Byrd (W.V.), Lieberman (CT), Cleland (GA), Landrieu (LA), Reed (R.I.) · Republicans - Warner (VA), Thurmond (S.C.), McCain (AZ), Smith (N.H.), Inhofe (OK), Santorum (PA), Snowe (ME), Roberts (KS), Allard (CO), Hutchinson (AR), Sessions (AL) Our primary goal in this effort is to immediately show the nation that Rumsfeld is a radical operative for the military industrial complex and will be a prime mover for a new Star Wars system and an even greater military build-up. It is our intention that this campaign will force the Star Wars issue into greater public focus. The peace movement must take a bold,proactive stand against this appointment. BACKGROUND ON RUMSFELD As a Congressman from Illinois he voted against food stamps, Medicare, and antipoverty programs. Secretary of Defense from 1975-77. Past board member of Hoover Institution (right wing think tank), was a member of the Committee on the Present Danger (mid-1970s), and is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is now in a position to drive up military spending that will force further cuts in already hard hit social spending. KEY POINTS: 1) Rumsfeld is a leading proponent of Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD). The 1998 Rumsfeld Commission report inaccurately portrayed North Korea as a potential nuclear threat to the U.S. thus justifying BMD. The "Commission's" findings negated earlier CIA analyses, eventually forcing the CIA to change its projections. 2) Rumsfeld supports massive increases in an already bloated military budget. 3) Rumsfeld supports U.S. efforts to take control of outer space by developing technology to attack other nations' satellites with new generation weapons like the space-based laser. 4) Rumsfeld has been described by the avidly pro-Star Wars right-wing Center for Security Policy (Frank Gaffney) as a "trusted advisor and a financial supporter," and in 1998 was awarded its "Keeper of the Flame" award. 5) Rumsfeld opposes the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, testified against the chemical weapons convention, opposed the SALT II arms agreement, and lobbied for the B-2 Bomber and the MX Missile. Please help us by forwarding this appeal to others who will support this effort. Thank you. Bruce K. Gagnon, Coordinator Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space PO Box 90083, Gainesville, FL. 32607 (352) 337-9274 Peter Shaw Vets for Peace Port Matilda, PA. (814) 237-1216 END top