The Toxic Highway Experience

After facing fierce opposition at South Africa’s Port of Durban, A Chinese ship, the An Yue Jiang, laden with rockets, guns and ammunition destined for Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Defense set sail for Maputo, Mozambique in hopes of getting the weapons to Harare, Zimbabwe’s capitol.

What is the problem here? The fear is that the weapons will be turned on the innocent citizens of Zimbabwe by their tyrannical dictator Robert Mugabe. And this is a realistic fear in light of the recent disputed “elections” there and its aftermath, not to mention Mugabe’s previous 28 year reign of terror. For all of these reasons, South Africa refused to unload the Chinese ship.

The ship is owned and operated by China Poly Tech, Inc., a weapons manufacturer owned by the Chinese Central Government and Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing, who incidentally has a direct partnership with two of Asia’s leading organized crime bosses: Robert Kwok and Henry Fok. Throw in Robert Mugabe and don’t all of these men make interesting bedfellows?

Okay: China, shady weapons deals, organized crime; tyrants and dictators and billionaire mob bosses, oh my! No one should be shocked by any of this, right?

Well, probably not shocked. But, upset? Yes. And concerned? Definitely.

We all know that our children will be required to learn Mandarin if they wish to compete in the global economy, so we need to rein China in.

China needs fierce scrutiny. Fierce scrutiny by all of the developed world. Fierce scrutiny by the UN. China needs to grow up. Because China obviously feels immune. And the longer China feels immune the sooner she will so become.

So I say to Mozambique and all the coastal African states: Turn back the An Yue Jiang!  Don’t let the ship dock.  Do not unload its weapons.  Return to sender!

Pope Benedict XVI offered this prayer at the World Trade Center Site this morning:

O God of love, compassion, and healing,
look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain.

We ask you in your goodness
to give eternal light and peace
to all who died here—
the heroic first-responders:
our fire fighters, police officers,
emergency service workers, and port authority personnel,
along with all the innocent men and women
who were victims of this tragedy
simply because their work or service
brought them here on September 11, 2001.

We ask you, in your compassion
to bring healing to those
who, because of their presence here that day,
suffer from injuries and illness.
Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families
and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.
Give them strength to continue their lives
with courage and hope.

We are mindful as well
of those who suffered death, injury, and loss
on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Our hearts are one with theirs
as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.

God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world:
peace in the hearts of all men and women
and peace among the nations of the earth.
Turn to your way of love
those whose hearts and minds
are consumed with hatred.

God of understanding,
overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
we seek your light and guidance
as we confront such terrible events.
Grant that those whose lives were spared
may live so that the lives lost here
may not have been lost in vain.
Comfort and console us,
strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage
to work tirelessly for a world
where true peace and love reign
among nations and in the hearts of all.