Dear Colleagues,

Please read and distribute the attached AND please write to G.P.Morgan, as
explained in the text.

Best regards: Bela Liptak
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	The First International Environmental Lawsuit In The Hague
	(The Case of the Construction Lobby)

In February, 1997, the Danube lawsuit is to get started. On one side will be
Hungary, supported by the environmental community of the world, on the other
will be Slovakia, supported by some of the construction and banking
interests.

The arguments of the Slovak side were summarized on the 26th of November,
1996,  at the International Water Power and Dam Construction conference,
which dealt with the financing of hydro power projects, in London. The case
in favor of the so called Gabcikovo Project, was made by Miroslav B. Liska,
an employee of the Water Development Enterprise of Slovakia.

In the following text, I will quote from his statements (using capital
letters) and will comment on them, where it seems necessary (in small case
letters). In his presentation, titled: "Attempt of NGOs and irresponsible
individuals to influence financing of the Gabcikovo Project" Miroslav Liska
criticized four individuals by name:  Mr. Zinke of the World Wildlife
Fund(WWF), Mr. Williams of The International Rivers Network (IRN), Mr. Ody of
Cousteau Equippe, and myself, the president of the Foundation to Protect the
Hungarian Environment. As the other three gentleman are quite capable to
answer for themselves, I will only respond to the statements, which were
directed at me. So here is the first such quotation:

MISUSE OF INTERNET IN THE "INTIFADA" AGAINST DAMS:

ONE OF THE MOST ARDENT OPPONENTS OF THE HES G-N IS MR. BILA LIPTAK, A
HUNGARIAN EXILANT, NOW A CITIZEN OF UNITED STATES, BUT HIS NAME DOCUMENTS HIS
SLOVAK ORIGIN, WHAT HE DOES NOT DENY.

True, I am proud that one of my grandfathers was of Slovak origin. On the
other hand, I am not an "exilant", but a refugee who was admitted into the
United States after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.

IN 1989 AND LATER, HE LOBBIED FOR ABANDONING THE PROJECT IN HUNGARY

I first learned of this project in 1975 from a member of the Hungarian
Academy of Science. He asked for my help, because I am the editor of the
3-volume, 3,000 page, Environmental Engineers' Handbook, which he had a copy
of.. 

PROMISING TO ARRANGE VERY ADVANTAGEOUS LOANS FROM FOREIGN BANKS. 

A groundless and silly fabrication. At the time I was an adjunct professor at
Yale and never had anything to do with loans, international or otherwise.

AND THREATENED, TO BLOCK ANY FOREIGN SUPPORT OF THE COUNTRY, IF HUNGARIAN
AUTHORITIES WOULD "YIELD TO THE SLOVAKS".

Same as above, except that here the quotation marks are also invented.


HE WANTED TO PROPOSE ALSO HIS "VERY ADVANTAGEOUS" SOLUTION TO THE SLOVAK
PRESIDENT,

I did prepare a Compromise Plan, which I did present to the staff of
President Kovac on March 26, 1993.

WHICH CAN BE CHARACTERIZED VERY CONCISELY: "DO WHAT YOU WANT, BUT LEAVE ALL
THE FLOW IN THE OLD DANUBE."

Again, the above quotation is also an invention. The Compromise Plan calls
for returning the island region (Szigetkoz) into its original state and
sending only the excess waters on to Gabcikovo.

HIS ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT HE IS A LAYMAN IN HYDRAULIC STRUCTURES. IN SPITE OF
THAT, HE TRIED TO BRING THE ISSUE TO BE DISCUSSED IN THE US CONGRESS.

Let me get this: A layman in hydraulic structures can not contact his Senator
or Congressman?

HIS COUNTRY-MATE, PROF. KARADY FROM THE MILWAKEE (sorry for all the spelling
and grammatical errors, they are not mine) UNIVERSITY, CHARACTERIZED HIM IN
HIS 1993 LETTER TO SENATOR DODD:

Interesting. And how does an employee of the Water Development Enterprise of
Slovakia receive a copy of a letter of this "country-mate" of mine? Do they
possibly work for the same construction firm?

"WITH ABSOLUTELY NO EXPERIENCE IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF HYDRO
DEVELOPMENT, MR. LIPTAK IS IN NO POSITION TO ASSESS THE PROS AND CONS OF THE
DANUBE PROJECTS."

Apparently, prof. Karady never read my handbook, otherwise he would not write
such a sentence. Fortunately, Senator Chris Dodd knows by background.

AN OTHER COUNTRY-MATE, ALSO A WORLD WIDE KNOWN EXPERT IN HYDROELECTRIC
DEVELOPMENTS, PROF. E. MOSONYI

This country-mate happens to be the designer of the Gabcikovo project.

PUT IT IN AN INTERVIEW MORE BLUNTLY, SPEAKING ABOUT A "CRAZY MAN."

So this country-mate of mine is also a world wide expert on psychoanalysis?

AND LATELY, WHEN MR. LIPTAK ACCUSED THE PRIME MINISTER OF NOT DEFENDING (IN
THIS ISSUE) THE INTERESTS OF HUNGARY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE REALISTIC GREEN
CLUB IN HUNGARY CALLED HIM AN "INTERNATIONAL IMPOSTOR."

The reader should know, that the difference between the "Greens" and the
"Realistic Greens" is, that the second group also sends copies of their
letters to Miroslav Liska. The green which they are for, is the green which
they receive in compensation.

THIS OVERZEALOUS FIGHTER FOR SOMETHING, HE TOUGHT TO BE HUNGARIAN INTERESTS,
CAME TO AN EXCELLENT IDEA.. HE ADDRESSED THROUGH INTERNET SEVERAL INFLUENTIAL
PERSONS, TO SEND A PETITION TO THE GROUP OF BANKS HEADED BY J.P.MORGAN'S, TO
REFUSE SLOVAKIA A LOAN FOR END BUILDING OF GABCIKOVO AND OTHER HYDRAULIC
PROJECTS IN SLOVAKIA..

This is very interesting: On July 25, 1996 I received a letter from Margaret
W. Southerland, Vice President of J.P.Morgan, who advised that they received
assurances from Miroslav Liska's employer, that none (!) of the loan will be
spent at Gabcikovo. Ms. Southerland emphasized this, because J.P. Morgan does
not want to get involved with Gabcikovo or finance the finalization of a
diversion, the legality of which is still pending in court.

TO MAKE IT EASIER, HE OFFERED A "PREFABRICATED" LETTER, THAT HAD TO BE ONLY
COPIED, COMPLETED BY THE DATA OF SENDER AND ITS SIGNATURE AND SENT BY E-MAIL
TO THE GIVEN ADDRESS. IT IS AMAZING THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE SO NAIVE, TO FOLLOW
THESE INSTRUCTIONS AND CONDEMN SOMETHING AND SOMEBODY, WITHOUT EXACTLY
KNOWING WHY, IN GOOD FAITH: "HE WOULD NOT DARE TO ASK FOR IT, IF IT WOULD NOT
BE TRUE!"

This reminds me: If you, the reader of this text, care about the survival of
the Danube wetlands, please do drop a line to:

Ms. Margaret W. Southerland, Vice President
J.P. Morgan, 60 Wall Street, New York, NY 10260-0060

and advise her, that according to Miroslav Liska, they have been mislead by
their Slovak client and their loan is being used for "end building of
Gabcikovo."

IN MAY/JUNE 1995, SEVERAL NGO's ADRESSED TO THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF
JUSTICE (IJC) A MEMORIAL, REQUESTING TO ACCEPT THEM AS A THIRD PARTY IN THE
CASE CONCERNING THE HES G-N. MR. LIPTAK ENGAGED AGAIN HIS COMPUTER WRITING
LETTER TO ALL SIDES, ASKING HIS ADDRESSES (MOSTLY OF THE HUNGARIAN LOBBY) TO
BURRY THE JUDGES IN A HEAP OF LETTERS, AND TO INFLUENCE THUS THEIR VERDICT IN
FAVOR OF HUNGARY. 

Miroslav Liska has forgotten to mention, that the 100 page NGO memorial was
signed by Greenpeace of Slovakia, Human Rights Advocates, International
Rivers Network, Natural Heritage Institute, Reflex of Hungary, Sierra Club,
Slovak Rivers Network, SZOOPK of Slovakia and WWF (World Wide Fund for
Nature) Switzerland. In addition to the over 30 experts participating in its
preparation, the chief contributors of the memorial were Prof. Dinah L.
Shelton of the University of Santa Clara Law School in the United States and
Prof. Alan E. Boyle, Professor of Law, University of Edinburgh, Scotland. 

THIS KIND OF JUSTICE, NOT BASED ON EVIDENCE AND FACTS BUT ON BIASED OPINION
OF UNINFORMED GENERAL PUBLIC, WAS WELL KNOWN - NOT ONLY IN THE WILD WEST OR
SOUTH OF USA (LYNCH, KU-KLUX-KLAN), BUT ALSO IN THE COMMUNIST REGIMES OF
EASTERN EUROPE, WHERE THOUSANDS WERE HANGED ONLY BECAUSE THEY DID NOT APPROVE
THE OFFICIAL IDEOLOGY. 

Let me emphasize that I did not leave out a single world. This is the very
next sentence. This is what Miroslav Liska thinks of the International Court
of Justice and the above listed signers of the NGO Memorial.

I AM SURE THAT THE JUDGES OF THE ICJ WILL BASE THEIR VERDICT ON INTERNATIONAL
LAW, RATHER THAN ON INTERNATIONAL HISTERY.

"Histery" or not, I do hope, that the judges will visit the Szigetkoz (Island
Region) and will note that there is not a single island left there, because
without water there can be no islands, nor fish, nor fishing birds. I also
hope that the Court will use this, the first international environmental
lawsuit to show, that rivers and wetlands are not the property of
construction firms, nor of nations, but are the common treasure of all
mankind.

prof. Bela Liptak