4.18.2004
A Little On Mordechai Vanunu, Hero
"The prosecutor said that if Vanunu were released, the Americans would probably leave Iraq and go after Israel and Israel's nuclear weapons - which I found extremely ridiculous."
Mordechai Vanunu did a courageous thing, an paid for his act by serving 18 years in the Israeli prison system, 12 of those years in solitary confinement. In 1986 Vanuna outed Israel's advanced nuclear weapons program in a London newspaper in an article entitled "Revealed: The Secrets of Israel's Nuclear Arsenal." He offered the world photographs and testimony proving that Israel possessed nuclear bombs and warheads, even neutron bombs.
"I have sacrificed my freedom and risked my life in order to expose the danger of nuclear weapons which threatens this whole region. I acted on behalf of all citizens and all of humanity."
Over 1500 scientists and intellectuals have supported Vanunu in his efforts at release. Among them 23 Nobel Laureates.
This prisoner of conscience will finally be released on April 21- although he will be held in a prison without walls in a state of internal exile, unallowed to renounce his Israeli citizenship or even going near any port, border or foreign embassy.
He is subject to severe penalties should he break any of these restrictions or even have contact with foreigners. He will be treated as one without a passport and although he can choose which Israeli municipality he will live in he will have to clear traveling outside the municiple borders with police. He cannot talk about his work at the nuclear facility all those years ago or about his kidnapping by Mossad.
Vanunu left his nuclear weapons job and traveled before exposing Israel's nuclear weapons program, spending time in Australia where he converted to the Anglican faith and was disowned by his orthodox Jewish parents. After his act of conscience he was lured from London to Rome by an attractive American woman for an outing that would include visiting her sister.The Florida native was a Mossad agent, Mr Vanunu was drugged and kidnapped from Italy and brought to Israel.
The post sentence restrictions on his life will keep him from being able to see or communicate with his adoptive parents, who are citizens of the US.
I'm out of time...
4/18/2004
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