In a recent
report, Boycott
Watch stated the 2008 Beijing Olympics may be deadly for the spectators in
China, and how the recent earthquakes in China have demonstrated how China is
not prepared for natural disasters or terrorism. A new press release by the
International
Atomic Energy Agency directly addresses the issues Boycott Watch was first
to point out. In fact, according to a confidential source, the IAEA, which
revealed they have been working with China for the past 18 months, only
publicly disclosed their work after criticism and concerns pointed out by
Boycott Watch.
As stated in several Boycott Watch
reports regarding the Beijing Olympics, China is worried about its image,
especially with what it calls its "coming out party." The Boycott Watch report
questioned the overall safety of the Olympic venues on May 19, 2008 and the
Boycott Watch report was quickly picked up by several prominent blogs,
including Chron-Watch
(http://www.chronwatch-america.com/articles/2944/1/Chinas-Olympic-Areas-May-Be-Deadly/Page1.html)
by May 23, 2008. Later that same day, the IAEA press release was issued in
direct response to the article by Fred
Taub, the President of Boycott Watch. Additionally, the IAEA had no reason
to reveal it was working with China emergency planning other than to respond to
the Boycott Watch report, further proving the IAEA press release was in direct
response to the article by Fred Taub.
Boycott Watch
questioned many safety factors at the Beijing Olympics, including food safety,
with credit to articles in The Wall Street Journal regarding how a large number
of farms exist in the shadows of factories which spew out dangerous chemicals,
as well as the fact that since China exports children's toys with high levels
of lead to the US. As such, we should not trust the safety of any food or other
products from or especially in China either.
One of
Boycott Watch's prime questions was health safety and China's inability to
respond to mass emergencies, especially in light of the recent earthquakes in
China where they simply did not have the equipment needed for a proper rescue,
a topic which was covered in the IAEA report. The IAEA revealed it was working
on such planning; something that is normally outside the IAEA's area of
expertise, but the IAEA is apparently taking responsibility for such planning
for the United Nations, which is ironic considering the deplorable condition of
its office tower in New York City. The only concerns of Boycott Watch which
were not covered by the IAEA press release are lead and other chemical
contaminants in food, and building codes, both of which are strictly domestic
issues this outside of any IAEA jurisdiction, further proving the IAEA only
issued its press release in response to the Boycott Watch report.
Even with the IAEA working with China for the past
18 months, China's response to the devastation caused by the recent earthquakes
there is inadequate at best. The IAEA has also failed in its mission preventing
nuclear proliferation and IAEA Director General Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei has been
severely criticized for his actions and statements regarding the Middle East.
While Boycott Watch is avoiding politics in this report, Dr. ElBaradei does not
give us confidence. If China's response to the earthquakes with the help of the
IAEA is any indication of what the world can expect if China is the target of
nuclear dispersion / dirty bombs, Olympic tourists are in grave danger.
The IAEA press release did not address the
engineering concerns, emergency exits and corner cutting in the venues, a vital
concern in the event of any emergency. While Boycott Watch is once again at the
forefront of critical issues, Fred Taub said "it is fascinating that the IAEA
felt compelled to address the concerns of Boycott Watch, but there are still
too many open questions about safety, especially the building construction, the
ability of people to safely exit in the event of an emergency, and most
importantly, China's ability to provide adequate medical treatment. As a former
Emergency Medical Technician who has trained for and has been on the scene of
many emergencies, I know what we can do in the US but I doubt China is anywhere
near the level of preparedness of the US."
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