Kucinich to Introduce Congressional Bill to Ban Space-based Weapons on October 2, 2001
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, October 2, 2001 Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich
(D-Ohio) will introduce into the U.S. Congress land-mark legislation to ban
space-based weapons.
About his space-based weapons bill Kucinich says, “We signed the ABM treaty
nearly 30 years ago; which requires a reduction in strategic arms, nuclear
disarmament and general and complete disarmament. Weaponization of space
clearly violates that treaty. My bill will call for an immediate and
permanent termination of research, testing, manufacturing, production and
deployment of all space-based weapons systems and components by any person,
agency or contractor of the U.S. government.”
A ban on space-based weapons is supported by three long-time proponents of
peace in space, all directors of the Institute for Cooperation in Space
(ICIS), a nonprofit foundation. ICIS was formed: (1) to focus attention on
this legislation and a forthcoming world treaty to ban all space-based
weapons, (2) to transform the space-based weapons industry into a world
cooperative space industry, (3) to apply alternative energy and other
technologies to solving urgent and potential human and the environmental
problems, and (4) to educate about who we are in relation to the universe
though the MISSION POSSIBLE plan of action.
Dr. Carol Rosin, President of ICIS, a former educator, space and missile
defense consultant, aerospace executive and spokesperson for the late Dr.
Wernher von Braun, “father of rocketry,” has testified before the US Congress
and international leaders. According to Military Space (July ’84) “Rosin is
regarded to be the original political architect of the move to stop the SDI
(Strategic Defense Initiative) and ASATs (Anti-satellite weapons).”
Rosin says, “We’ve learned that stating the dangers, costs, and fallacies of
the space-based weapon system will not stop them from being researched and
developed, whether it is called the SDI, NMD, BMD or Star Wars. We’ve heard
the ever-changing rationales for why this system is supposedly needed. In
fact, under the guise of ‘national security’ and ‘it’s only research(!)’ this
has become the largest R&D program in history. We are calling for just the
removal of the mandate to weaponize space and, simultaneously, for continued
non-space-based weapons civil, military and commercial space R&D,
applications and exploration.”
“This bill will soon become U.S. law, and a forthcoming world treaty will
enact the world law to ban space-based weapons,” Rosin says. “The timing is
right. Everyone and everything is in place. It will be easy to transform the
space-based weapons industry into a cooperative world space industry that
will stimulate the economy, create new jobs and training programs, and expand
a strong national and global security system based on a world cooperation.
“We can have space battle stations and weapons pointed towards earth and into
space, or we can build space habitats, hospitals, schools, farms,
laboratories, industries, hotels and resorts, elevators and craft that will
free us to explore the universe to find out more about ourselves and our
neighbors. Imagine the exciting opportunities and benefits that will be made
available to all. It’s our choice,” Rosin concludes.
ICIS Co-Director and General Counsel, Daniel Sheehan, a Harvard Law School
graduate, is famous for an impressive body of legal work including the Karen
Silkwood case, Pentagon Papers case, Three Mile Island, and the Iran Contra
case, and Mr. Sheehan successfully represented Harvard psychiatrist John Mack
in a tenure review process.
Commenting on a ban on space-based weapons, Sheehan says, “During my thirty
years in the field of public interest law and public policy, I have
supervised professional investigations into the illegal smuggling of
weapons-grade plutonium, the illegal supply of arms to terrorist
organizations by covert operations and government agents, and into
ultra-“black” weapons programs unknown even to the most trusted congressional
officials,” says ICIS General Counsel and Co-Director Daniel Sheehan. “I have
come to believe that keeping weapons out of inter-planetary space is the most
important contribution we can make to the future of this planet. The time to
begin this task is now.”
ICIS Co-Director Alfred Webre, a Yale Law School graduate and former delegate
to the UNISPACE Conference in Vienna, Austria, says “The forthcoming Kucinich
legislation represents a major cooperative world space development.”
Webre adds, “On July 26, the same date that Congressperson Kucinich announced
his forthcoming bill to ban space-based weapons, the Foreign Minister of
Canada, John Manley, announced in Hanoi that ‘Canada would be very
happy to
launch an initiative to see an international convention preventing the
weaponization of space.’ Congressman Kucinich reciprocated the Canadian
initiative stating, ‘I am pleased with the recent news from our neighbor to
the north that Canada is ready to join an international effort to prohibit
weapons in space.’ “
CONTACT: Dr. Carol Rosin, ICIS – Institute for Cooperation in Space
A (501-C-3) non-profit Foundation
P.O. Box 25040, Ventura, CA. 93001
Tel: 805-641-1999
Fax: 805-641-9669
Email: rosin@west.net
Website: http://www.peaceinspace.com
