1.

‘ALTERNATIVE NOBEL’ WINNER SAYS U.S. ATTACK ON IRAN LIKELY BEFORE 2008
Associated Press
December 6, 2006

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/06/europe/EU_GEN_Sweden_Alternative_Nobels.php

STOCKHOLM -- Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked secret Pentagon documents during the Vietnam war, said Wednesday that he believed the U.S. would attack Iran before 2008 and urged Washington insiders to make new disclosures to prevent a new war.

Ellsberg, who is one of four recipients of this year's Right Livelihood Award -- often dubbed the "Alternative Nobels" -- being presented in Stockholm this week, also urged U.S. allies to threaten to withdraw from the NATO alliance if nuclear weapons are used against Iran.

"It is more likely than not, in the next two years, that President Bush and Vice President Cheney will direct an attack on Iran," Ellsberg said at a news conference for the Right Livelihood laureates. "Such an attack . . . might escalate too, to the use of nuclear weapons against underground installations in Iran, with incalculable consequences."

But, he added: "Of the various disastrous policies of their administration, this one is the most susceptible to being changed and averted by public pressure."

Ellsberg, 75, was honored with the prize for leaking the so-called Pentagon Papers -- which indicated the U.S. government had deceived the public about whether the Vietnam war could be won and the extent of casualties -- and for continuing efforts to expose government deception worldwide.

A former U.S. State Department official, he now called on current Washington insiders to release any classified documents that could sway public opinion against an attack.

"Don't do what I did, don't wait until the war has started before you tell the truth with documents," Ellsberg told the Associated Press.

He also said European allies and other governments should put pressure on the Bush administration by pledging to withdraw from NATO if the United States or Israel uses nuclear weapons against Iran.

"They should say right now that there will be no NATO if it's a NATO member that commits a nuclear aggression against Iran," he said. "Saying that before the event has a real chance of avoiding that disaster."

Ellsberg shared the 2 million kronor (215,000 euros; US$273,000) Right Livelihood Award with Indian women's rights activist Ruth Manorama and a poetry festival in Medellin, Colombia. Anti-corruption campaigner Chico Whitaker Ferreira of Brazil won the honorary award.

Manorama, who fights for the millions of India's dalit women, who belong to no caste and have faced centuries of discrimination, said she hoped the award would shed more light on the injustices caused by the Indian caste system.

"The world is becoming global but human rights, in our situation, are not global," she said.sastrous policies of their administration, this one is the most susceptible to being changed and averted by public pressure."

2.

U.S. “WHISTLE BLOWER” FEARS U.S. HAS PLANS TO ATTACK IRAN

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
December 6, 2006

http://rawstory.com/news/2006/US_whistle_blower_fears_US_has_plan_12062006.html

STOCKHOLM -- American Daniel Ellsberg, famed for leaking classified documents on the U.S. war in Vietnam in 1969, Wednesday expressed concern over possible U.S. plans to attack Iran. Ellsberg was one the winners of the 2006 Right Livelihood Awards, often called the Alternative Nobel Prizes, to be handed out on Friday (December 8) at a ceremony in the Swedish parliament.

Co-winners were Brazilian Chico Whitaker Ferreira who helped found the World Social Forum, Indian social activist Ruth Manorama and a Colombian poetry festival.

Ferreira, 75, won the Right Livelihood Honarary Award which carries no prize money while the other winners shared the 2 million kronor (273,000 dollars) monetary prize.

Ellsberg said it was key for U.S. officials who had information and documents relating to plans to launch airstrikes on Iran to leak them in order to "avert a war" that may include the use of nuclear weapons.

"There is a much better chance of stopping an Iran war before it starts," he said.

Information about the possible attack plans have been mentioned by unnamed officials, quoted among others investigative reporter Seymour Hersh, but documents would back up these reports, Ellsberg added.

However, ultimately the individual must weigh the personal price for such a discloure, Ellsberg said.

Speaking about the current U.S. administration, Ellsberg said "we have seen them do things just as crazy in Iraq and you might hope they have learned, but all the evidence from the inside is that they have not learned."

In an op-ed piece in Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter, Ellsberg Wednesday urged U.S. allies in NATO to leave the alliance if the US carried out the airstrikes or deployed nuclear weapons.

The awards were created in 1980 by Swedish-German philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull, who said the winners represented "projects of hope" and could inspire others.

Ferreira underlined the need for ties between people and creating networks to "learn from each other" as the international gatherings of the World Social Forum have shown since their 2001 inception.

Manorama, an organizer and advocate for India's Dalit women sometimes called "untouchables," said she aimed to use her share of the prize to build a women's centre in Bangalore.

"Dalit women, especially in rural areas, need higher education, the right to own land," Manorama said, adding that the women still suffer from class, caste, and gender oppression.

The International Poetry Festival of Medellin founded by Fernando Rendon in 1991 was lauded for introducing public readings of poetry breaking a 6 pm curfew imposed by paramilitary groups. The streets were reclaimed and the idea has spread to other cities.