THE HANDSTAND

august 2005

Mohammed Daud Miraki, MA, MA, PhD
Sun Jul 10, 2005 11:24am
Afghandufund.org
mdmiraki@ameritech.net


All this time, I was trying to deceive myself that the people of this country are different and are not party to the devastation in Afghanistan and Iraq, but rather the government of this country is. I have finally past that point and forced myself to face the reality and submitted to the long held conclusion.

The conclusion is that there are no differences between the people of this country and its government. Even those that oppose this government are more eager to make their riches than to worry about the cost and pain their government and essentially they and their tax dollars have caused. When the US used massive amount of uranium munitions in Afghanistan, various types of cancers and deformities emerged in many parts of the country. I formed the Afghan DU & Recovery Fund http://www.afghandufund.org in order to establish a research institute in Afghanistan to assess the long-term survivability and explore ways to improve their livelihood. To my utter disappointment, my long held false belief that the people of this country are kind, warmhearted and different from the fascist administration of George W Bush came to be completely unfounded.

As used by the USA in Iraq, Afghanistan, Serbia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Puerto Rico, Okinawa, Scotland and testing ranges on mainland USA. Professor Doug Rokke outlines 'Depleted Uranium: uses and hazards'. It has caused political foes to unite. Extreme Birth Deformities have resulted from the Gulf War 1991. In 2003 the Pentagon and UN have estimated up to 2,200 tons of depleted uranium were used in Iraq, much of it in urban areas. For example, each round fired by an Abrams tank is over 4,500 grams of solid uranium. It is likely that hundreds of thousands of civilians will be affected in future by depleted uranium in the environment. It should be seen as the new nuclear threat. Recent studies of civilians have shown the US used nuclear weapons in Afghanistan. Professor Doug Rokke, the Army Reserve Major and Health Physicist in charge of DU cleanup after the Gulf War (1991) exposes the lies by the US Army. He has been campaigning against depleted uranium munitions since the first Gulf war, touring the world giving lectures. He openly says the US has used it despite warnings and impact on people and environment.

[photo Indymedia]

When I leave for Afghanistan in the middle of May 2005, I will tell stories about America and its people to the victims of US bombing and to the victims of uranium munitions. I will tell them that in three years since I formed this organization besides a handful of people every one else sent their empathy than any thing tangible. The construction of the building for a research institute cost about $2,750000, the $400 donations do not cover that. You need to keep in mind that we are not asking for charity, we are asking for a minute percentage of the cost of a colossal disaster brought upon us by the government of this country and its people.

It is important that you realize that uranium munitions used in Afghanistan will be targeting generations of Afghans with perpetual deaths while you and your subsequent generations would be enjoying life. I realize that I am really straightforward and do not attempt to be diplomatic in my approach. The reason for this is my lack of patience with the indifference you the people of this country have shown for our efforts to bring relief to the victims of your own government and your own tax dollars. You have in essence telling us that you could care less about any conciliatory moves on the part of people like myself. Perhaps, you prefer to use George W Bushís motto of saying ëbringím oní. I will not be surprised since that is exactly what I expect from you by now.

Finally, I will tell the so-called radicals there to keep up their good efforts of armed struggle since America and Americans only understand their own medicine. I will also tell the common people that the only solution to their miseries caused by uranium contamination is in their firm opposition to the United States. I will also tell them that the resulting cancers and deformities brought upon them will be with them for generations to come and they have to be prepared for the sufferings. I will tell them to support to be firm in their opposition to the US and wholehearted support for the so-called fundamentalists, after all, only these fundamentalists know how to deal with America, American government and American people. Enjoy your lives!!!

Mohammed Daud Miraki, MA, MA, PhD
Director Afghan DU & Recovery Fund
http://www.afghandufund.org
Mdmiraki@ameritech.net
maidan11@yahoo.com

Unocal Oil Company

New and improved ?

A company owned by the Chinese government has put in a bid to buy American oil company Unocal. This had caused some consternation amongst those who fear the new Yellow Peril, but it is difficult to see how a country completely dependent on loans from China can turn around and say it is too good for Chinese equity money. When I think of Unocal, I can't help but think of the Afghanistan gas pipeline, a pipeline which Unocal would be developing if the United States could just get control of the country. The Taliban won't deal with an American-owned company, but the Taliban and the Chinese are old friends (something the Chinese don't like to talk about a lot these days), and presumably the Taliban would be delighted to approve the pipeline if Unocal were Chinese-owned. With the Taliban on board, the warlords who are not Taliban could be bought off for money (a share of transit fees), and suddenly Unocal is a more valuable company, just for shedding the opprobium of American ownership. Wall Street could start a new line of work, the de-Americanization of companies whose American ownership makes their products unsaleable in much of the rest of the world (and just wait to see how much worse this is after the American attack on Syria or Iran). The neocons, through destroying the value of the American brand, have started a new line of financial business where squandered shareholder value can be recovered just by selling American companies to commercial entities that are clearly not American. Removing the American taint can make money for everyone. All hail the financial genius of the neocons!
posted at 3:45 AM