Nuns Say They Wanted to Protect Iraqi Children
DENVER (Reuters) - Three Catholic nuns wanted to protect the children of Iraq with a "symbolic disarmament" when they trespassed on a missile silo in northern Colorado last year, one of the sisters told a court on Tuesday.
"We hope to dismantle the weapons of mass destruction one by one," Sister Ardeth Platte, who is representing herself, told jurors during her opening statement.
Platte, and two other Dominican Sisters Carolyn Gilbert and Jackie Hudson, are on trial for alleged sabotage and malicious destruction of property related to an Oct. 6 break-in at the Minuteman III silo where they cut cables and made the sign of the cross on the silo lid with their own blood.
"We've all heard that there was a targeting of the people of Iraq who were threatened with mass murder by the use of nuclear weapons. All we could think of was the children and we had to do something," Platte told jurors in a courtroom packed with supporters.
"We went there to inspect, expose and do a symbolic disarmament," she said. Hudson and Gilbert, who are represented by attorneys, and Platte belong to Sacred Earth & Space Plowshares, a national movement for nuclear disarmament.
Federal prosecutor Robert Brown, in a call to patriotism during the U.S. led attack on Iraq, told jurors well-trained members of the military are there to use the missiles to protect the country.
"They're defending you and the United States of America and have prevented anyone from firing a missile at this country for over 40 years."
If convicted, the women face a prison sentence of up to 30 years and fines of up to $250,000.
Переводчики, блин: ...and made the sign of the cross on the silo lid with their own blood - засунули в люк крест, окрапленный их собственной кровью.... Убивать надо таких переводчиков....
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