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<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><B>Mary Ann Lucking (<A
href="mailto:corals@caribe.net">corals@caribe.net</A>)</B> has sent you a news
article. </FONT></FONT>Please scroll down to view photo and attached
message to coral-list members. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2>-------------------- <BR><FONT
color=#800080>Tens of thousands of people march through a San Juan, Puerto Rico
Monday Feb. 21, 2000. Summoned by Puerto Rico's top religious leaders,
demonstrators staged a silent march Monday to protest the planned resumption of
U.S. Navy training on the island of Vieques.(Ap Photo/Andres Tirado) -- Puerto
Rico Out, Mags Out -- </FONT></FONT></FONT></P><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial>
<P><FONT color=#800080><I>Associated Press Photo</I><BR></FONT><A
href="http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/p/ap/20000221/wl/puerto_rico_us_navy_afu.html">http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/p/ap/20000221/wl/puerto_rico_us_navy_afu.html</A>
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<TD vAlign=center><FONT face=Arial><B>Associated Press Photo</B></FONT></TD>
<TD align=right vAlign=center><B>Monday 21 February
2000</B></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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<TD><FONT size=-1><B>Tens of thousands of people march through a San
Juan, Puerto Rico Monday Feb. 21, 2000. Summoned by Puerto Rico's
top religious leaders, demonstrators staged a silent march Monday to
protest the planned resumption of U.S. Navy training on the island
of Vieques.(Ap Photo/Andres Tirado) -- Puerto Rico Out, Mags Out
--</B></FONT> <!-- TL -->
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<CENTER><FONT face=arial size=2><A
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<P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><B>Personal message:</B>
</FONT></FONT>
<P><FONT color=#000080 face=Arial size=2><STRONG>CALL TO
ACTION: Coral Reef Executive Task Force Advisors
and Participants </STRONG></FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#000080 face=Arial size=2>Attention Coral Reef
Experts and NGO's planning to present or submit comments at the next
Coral Reef Executive Task Force Meeting. As you know, we have many
water quality issues in Puerto Rico and the USVI's that demand
attention if we are to reverse the destruction to our coral reefs.
</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#ff0000 face=Arial size=2>Today we ask that you help
us focus the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force on one important
issue.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#000080 face=Arial size=2>The United States Navy
plans to resume "inert" target practice on the coral reefs and
target range of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques for three more
years. We ask: how can three more years "make or break" our national
security? In terms of coral reef conservation, however, we realize
that three years may be all we have left in many coastal
areas.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#000080 face=Arial size=2>What does this say about
the U.S. commitment to coral reef conservation in principle?
What kind of an example does it set to other nations when the United
States attempts to buy permission to destroy coral reefs or tropical
coastline from the people who live near them?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#000080 face=Arial size=2> <FONT
color=#ff0000>What does this say about how the U.S. places value on
human dignity?</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#000080 face=Arial size=2>In our opinion, this not
only represents an environmental issue of global significance, but
it represents a human rights issue of moral significance.
<BR><BR><BR>Over 9,000 people inhabit the island of Vieques: people
at risk every time an ordnance, even an inert ordnance,
drops off target. If the inert ordnance impacts on target,
it releases clouds of contaminants into the air. (The U.S.
Navy has admitted using depleted uranium on Vieques.) </FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#000080 face=Arial size=2>This could be impacting the
health and environment of many people on Vieques and adjacent
islands. Nobody knows, and yet the U.S. Navy (which calls the inert
bombs "green" ordnance) plans to resume air to ground practice
maneuvers. On the coral reefs of Vieques scientists
documented a sunken barge full of barrels of unknown contents which
would be released to the water if an inert missile were to
impact it. How can this be considered "green."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#000080 face=Arial size=2>To date, nobody knows the
extent of contamination of these areas, yet they plan to resume
practice. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#000080 face=Arial size=2>Does this contamination
give us the green light to further contaminate, in the hopes
that other "pristine" (if there are such areas left) are
spared?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#000080 face=Arial size=2> We say no. Even
if you are able to ignore the serious human rights issue, allowing
further contamination of these ecosystems sets a very dangerous
precedent for all of the anthropogenic sources that impact our
declining reef systems.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#ff0000 face=Arial size=2>The time for discussions of
coral reef conservation has past. We are now discussing
restoration. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#000080 face=Arial size=2>Although the military
contends that such practice activities on Vieques are paramount to
the national security of the United States, everyone should know
that Vieques generates revenue for the U.S. Navy who lease the
island to foreign nations for similar practice maneuvers.
Although we are now focusing on air to ground
maneuvers, immeasurable activity is also taking place
under water in the Caribbean region, as nuclear submarines are often
seen in our waters participating in underwater military war
games. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><FONT color=#000080>There is no
time for the Executive Tasks Force's Oversight Policy, if
implemented, to take meaningful action on this issue. As advisors to
the President on the crisis facing our coral reef ecosystem and
all the life this ecosystem supports on a global
scale, </FONT><FONT color=#ff0000>we ask that everyone mention
at the next meeting (in verbal presentations or in written
comments) just two points: </FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#ff0000 face=Arial size=2> 1) We do not have the
luxury of targeting these biologically diverse and already
threatened ecosystems, and, </FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#000080 face=Arial size=2><FONT color=#ff0000>2) Not
One More Bomb, inert or otherwise, should be dropped on the
Island of Vieques. <BR></FONT><BR> <BR>By helping, you
are joining in the march you see pictured above, where
100,000 + U.S. citizens carried the non-political white flags
of PEACE FOR VIEQUES: a democratic and peaceful demonstration given
little or no national coverage on United States
television.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#000080 face=Arial size=2>In this way you can stand
in solidarity with the local NGO's developing clean-up and
conservation initiatives IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY of
Vieques. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#000080 face=Arial size=2>The future of the world's
coral reefs depends on effective change now. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#000080 face=Arial size=2>Please take a few minutes
to include a brief statement to the United States Coral Reef
Task Force about Vieques.<BR><BR>Sincerely, <BR>Mary Ann Lucking
<BR>Project Coordinator <BR>CORALations</FONT></P><FONT size=2><FONT
face=Arial>
<P><A href="mailto:corals@caribe.net">corals@caribe.net</A> <!-- MTFSID 0:2718085:7645365:7665154:8903536:27169524:27181250 --></FONT></FONT></P></CENTER><!-- /TL --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></CENTER></TD>
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