The international War Crime Racketeering Organisation (WRO) is no conspiracy theory, claimed American author Alfred Lambremont Webre, who revealed the existence of the group.

Webre, also a lawyer, environmentalist and space activist, mentioned the organisation when addressing some 3,000 delegates at the 'Expose War Crimes - Criminalise War' conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

He responded to a request for elaboration when approached today.

Malaysiakini: How did you get evidence of the existence of the WRO?

Webre : Well, there are factual documents. For example, if you go to the Office of Population in the United States Department, you will find Henry Kissinger's memorandum when he was the secretary of state. Out of that office there are many policies on population control.

There were also the Club of Rome and the Bildeburger group which started their agendas (to control population) as early as the 1950s, if you put together the effects of, for example, the policy of radiation technology, nuclear weapons and testing.

Depleted uranium (DU) was invented around 1973. From the very beginning, the effects of DU were known - the core may be plutonium but it's surrounded by mass amounts of DU.

Putting all the public documents together shows the major, dangerous effect of radiation. Therefore, massive use of the technology can have no other result (but to reduce population) and it's not logical to assume that policy makers would use them for any other purpose.

How is tackling the WRO different from taking US president George W Bush or British prime minister Tony Blair to court?

We have to look at this from a systemic point of view. There now exists a permanent war economy, a sector dedicated to creating wars and operating war crimes. If we are pursuing product liability operated by consumers, we have to pursue them legally.

We need to pierce the corporate veil and go after the manufacturers of war crimes - those who own or manufacture nuclear weapons or make power plants as weapons of mass destruction.

How did this theory on WRO came about?

I have been working on public interest issues for 30 years ....through a process of legal and civil society approach. I wanted to establish a prima facie case to begin with, and then hear expert witnesses and testimonials. This way, we can effectively criminalise war.

The idea of it being a racketeering organisation came about when I read the speech by a US general who had carried out a coup against (US president) Franklin Roosevelt who said that war is a racket. These people (WRO) are running a racket or propaganda.

You mentioned that WRO is an elite class of people and corporations. How much profit do you think they have made from nuclear weapons?

I would estimate it amounts to US$1.3 trillion. This black budget should be used as restorative justice. Use the money to get rid of nuclear arms, fix the ecology and make everything right again.

When did you learn about this international conference?

Last November, I was asked to participate in and to prepare an address for the conference. I was involved in the international war crimes tribunal for Afghanistan in Tokyo before this. I focused on the challenges of the KL war crimes tribunal to understand the real nature and key principles. In January I finally sent in my abstract.

Does this mean that yesterday's audience was the first to hear about the WRO?

Yes (smiles), and it's not a conspiracy theory.