Subject: [OMJP] USS Olympia Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 11:56:07 -0700 From: Carrie Lybecker Given the Olympian's less than complete reporting of last night's city council meeting (http://www.theolympian.com/home/news/20040519/southsound/53336.shtml), I'll tell you what really happened. This is about the impending (about May 30) visit to the Port of Olympia of the USS Olympia, a Los Angeles-class, nuclear-propelled "fast attack" submarine. Besides its onboard nuclear reactor, it also is designed to carry and launch Tomahawk missles which may be fitted with nuclear or bomblet warheads. Eight Olympians voiced their opposition to the USS Olympia entering our harbor. The speakers were Bob Zieglar, Linn Nelson, Larry Mosqueda, Alice Zillah, Ruth Lipow, Julia Borg (?sp), Mark Brodiak (?sp) and Drew Hendricks. Their reasons included: Safety--Previous nuclear fuel leaks, collisions and near misses were cited. The USS Olympia experienced a leak in the past two years. Economics--A new Coast Guard regulation requires a safety perimeter of ?300-400 feet around the vessel so that the harbor would be effectively shut down, as would port-area businesses such as Farmers Market. National Priorities--In addition to the above direct costs to Olympia, several speakers cited the costs of Tomahawk missles, to say nothing of the ship itself. Meanwhile, Olympia just gave pink slips to 96 teachers. Mark Brodiak of Oly Friends questioned national spending on military weaponry vs. education and health care. Public Image--Several people mentioned their concerns regarding public integrity and questioned what image Olympia wants to project to the world. Julia Borg said that she has a dream that Olympia is a progressive, proud city that cherishes the kind of values that make this a beautiful and safe place to live. War & Militarism--The USS Olympia would bring the war to Olympia and ask us to celebrate it, said one speaker. Secrecy & Manipulation--Everything about this visit has been clothed in secrecy. Olympians would be pawns in a public relations stunt designed to bolster George W. Bush's sinking ratings and bid for a second term. People also wondered why the USS Olympia is coming to Olympia in the first place, since it can't refuel or take on supplies here. What is the purpose of this visit? Larry Mosqueda asked the city council to declare Olympia a nuclear free zone. Several speakers requested that the council pass a resolution opposing the USS Olympia's visit. Following public comments, the council discussed the issue. TJ Johnson delivered a magnificent speech to much applause. Agreeing with community concerns, he stated his own, regarding safety, secrecy and what the USS Olympia represents. He questioned the wisdom of floating a nuclear reactor in Olympia's harbor. If Olympia were to develop a nuclear plant, it would have to undergo an extensive safety and permit process, none of which would occur for this visiting vessel. Is it safe? The Secretary of State says he doesn't know anything about dates or process, the Port Authority says it doesn't know anything, no one has any answers. We don't know whether the ship would also be carrying nuclear warheads. How can the city government protect the community under these conditions? Finally, the USS Olympia is a publicly-financed killing machine, and reflects a gigantic diversion of resources and misplaced national priorities. As a nation, we won't get back on track by blindly accepting militarism in our society. What we can do is just say no. To that end, TJ proposed several city council options. It could contact the Navy and tell them that while the troops are welcome here, the USS Olympia is not. It could declare Olympia a nuclear free zone. It is important, he reiterated, that communities begin saying no to war. Further, it is unfortunate that the ship is named after our city, since that's not what Olympia is about. After council discussion, TJ then electrified the room by proposing that the council hold a public hearing next week to discuss a resolution opposing the planned visit of the USS Olympia and to request that the US Navy remove the name Olympia from the sub. Laura Ware quickly seconded his motion. Most of the council appeared stunned by this turn of events. Jeanette Hawkins declared outright that she would not support such a resolution. She favors a different process, eg county wide hearings and a referendum. Mayor Mark Foutch said that the ship is part of our heritage and that in its several previous visits, there have not been any accidents that threatened public safety. He hopes that Olympia will at least get the chance to welcome and honor its crew. Doug Mah seconded this sentiment, and then proceeded to state his hope that, if the ship does come, Olympians will welcome its sailors and treat them respectfully. He exhorted Olympians to separate the ship from its crew. Several council members expressed concerns about process, that is, how to adequately involve the community in the decision-making in this short period of time. Curt Pavola offered a friendly amendment, suggesting that the name issue be separated from the visit question and left for later discussion. TJ accepted this proposal and the motion was thus revised. The final vote was 4:3 for TJ's motion that a hearing be held next week to decide on a resolution opposing the USS Olympia's planned visit to the Port of Olympia. Voting for were TJ, Laura Ware, Curt Pavola, and Matthew Green. Voting against were Mark Foutch, Doug Mah and Jeanette Hawkins. So there will be a public meeting next Tuesday night, possibly at 8pm. One of us will post more about this later. I urge you to attend. You can be sure that the council members who opposed will mobilize their constituents. A tape of last night's meeting will be broadcast on TCTV Friday at 8am. Carrie USS Olympia & its recent adventures http://www.csp.navy.mil/css3/717.htm http://www.csp.navy.mil/news/olyreturn.html http://www.csp.navy.mil/news/olympia.html http://www.csp.navy.mil/news/olympiadepart.html http://www.csp.navy.mil/news/olybattlee.html http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/ships/ship-ssn.html Tomahawk Cruise Missle http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/missiles/wep-toma.html http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/smart/bgm-109.htm "In the early 1990s there were approximately 2,500 Tomahawks in inventory. That number was reduced to about 2,000 with the use of 330 during the 4-day bombing in Operation Desert Fox in December 1998, and the use of over 160 by the Navy in Kosovo by mid-April 1999 . . . Tomahawk was used extensively during Desert Storm in 1991, in Iraq in January and June 1993, in Bosnia (Deliberate Force) in 1995 and in Iraq (Desert Strike) in 1996." http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/weapons/tomahawk.html [Operation Desert Storm] "Given the American sensitivity to casualties--our own and Iraqi civilians--they were ideal weapon systems for attacking targets in the heart of a heavily defended, heavily populated city. Moreover, the F-117 had a psychological utility that was probably shared only by the B-52. Both were aircraft of a kind that only a super-power could have, and both could deliver destruction with no advanced warning--small wonder, then, that both figured prominently in psychological operations pamphlets that were showered upon Iraqi troops." http://www.raytheon.com/products/tomahawk/ [From Raytheon] "Operationally Proven--Tomahawk is the nation’s "weapon of choice" for critical, long-range, precision strike missions against high-value, heavily defended targets. Tomahawk has played a crucial role in several theater operations including: Operation Desert Storm in 1991, Iraq in 1993, Bosnia in 1995, Iraq in 1996, Operation Desert Fox in 1998, and Operation Allied Force in 1999. "In total, approximately 1000 missiles have been used in these operations." U.S. missiles pound targets in Afghanistan, Sudan Sudanese television reports El Shifa Pharmaceutical plant burns after Thursday's strike in Sudan Clinton: 'Our target was terror' August 21, 1998 http://www.cnn.com/US/9808/20/us.strikes.02/ http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/US/iraq_tomahawk030320.html "Just as in Operation Desert Storm 12 years ago, U.S.-led forces launched Operation Iraqi Freedom with an opening salvo of precision-guided munitions, including 42 Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from six ships cruising the Persian Gulf and Red Sea."