Metrix sham Public consultation

Letter from Phil published in the Penarth Times and the Gem. I guess it may be in the Barry and District News as well.

4^th April 2009

Dear Editor,

I took part in the public consultation in Barry about the St. Athan Project last Friday. My principal concern is that this development, as the largest ever UK Private Finance Initiative, is coming after such schemes have been widely criticised by many House of Commons Committees.

A primary concern in relation to the St. Athan Project is that in order to maximise the profits of the companies involved, the services of the facility will be opened to armed forces from all over the world. When I raised this with the Ministry of Defence staff, they assured me that countries like Iran would not be given access. When I asked about Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, no such assurance was possible. The UK Government has already given the green light for such training, yet these are regarded by Amnesty as amongst the most repressive regimes in the world. If the proposed privatisation goes ahead, we can expect training for these and similar forces to be radically extended. I also raised the fact that Raytheon, one of the world’s largest weapons manufacturers, is a major contributor to the St. Athan Project. Again, they tried to assure me that Raytheon’s part at St. Athan is only in relation to its training skills, and that its interest in weapons sales will be kept entirely separate. I wonder what Raytheon’s investors think about that?

I looked through the information made available at the meeting. Here we have a £12bn project yet there was no reference to the names of the firms which are to receive the money. I asked if a list was available. ‘No, but we can send it to you, or you can find it on the website’. Why on earth isn’t this basic information available at a public consultation? In the absence of a statement, I can only guess that its absence is because of the adverse publicity already in the public domain about some of these firms, such as Raytheon’s production of missiles which dispense cluster bombs (weapons which have done enormous damage to civilians).

We have seen what happened to banking when profit became the over-riding value, namely extensive loss of truth. So, people of the Vale, keep asking the questions. And to the schools which are already promoting this project, will you be willing to think again? Our young people are connected, however indirectly, with other young people who experience the awful effects of the arms trade. Let’s teach about that, and encourage them to work for a project in Wales which is primarily focussed upon peace-building. What about developing a Peace Garden in every school (see www.paxchristi.org.uk/pubs.HTML )?

Sincerely

Phil Kingston

AEROLINK PROTEST 2

Pictures below and story
PROTEST to oppose the arms trade and highlight the role of wales in war crimes in gaza and the companies that make money from killing people
http://caatcardiff.blogspot.com/ Go there for pictures
RED Choir/Côr Cochion http://members.tripod.com/cor.cochion/
out in good voice along with CAAT and the Green Party, CND and Stop the War

There was a peaceful protest and some folk picketed the gate with leaflets as the police wouldn't let us give any out near the hotel entrance where we set up our banners just after 8 this morning. A group of anarchists arrived and were stopped going into the hotel by a dozen or more burly police officers who later described the group as trying to 'STORM' the building!
Not much chance with such a big police presence to defend those people who kill people for money and profit from war!

A green party spokes person said "arms dealers are not welcome in Wales making money by killing people. It is shocking that Ty Hafan the well-known Welsh charity which runs a hospice for dying children was there! Why they would take blood money after what happened to the children of GAZA is beyond belief!"

Magellan Aerospace, with facilities in Wrexham, manufactures the CRV7 rocket weapon system (RWS), General Electric (GE) has been supplying the Israeli army since 1950 and, given its gargantuan profits, wars in he Middle East are good for business. One of GE’s success stories is the F110 jet engine, used to power the F-16.
Gardner Aerospace, part of the Carlyle Group, helps build war planes, including the C-130 Hercules, the military transport plane used by the Israeli airforce operating from its Nevatim Airbase.
Thales is a specialist manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones, which are used extensively by the Israeli airforce to locate targets prior to bombardment. While the Hermes 450, made by Israeli company Elbit and tested at ParcAberporth in West Wales, remains Israel’s UAV of choice

AREOLINK protest today

Red Choir out in good voice along with CAAT and the Green Party, CND and Stop the War

There was a peaceful protest and some folk picketed the gate with leaflet s as the police wouldn't let us give any out
near the hotel entrance where we set up our banners just after 8 this morning. A group of anarchists arrived and were stopped going into the hotel by a dozen or more burly police officers who later described the group as trying to 'STORM' the building!
Not much chance with such a big police presence to defend those people who kill people for money and profit from war!

A Welsh team bus arrived of? Perhaps someone can identify the team that were Happy the hotel and rub shoulders with the arms trade.
Anne Greagsby from the green party said arms dealers are not welcome in Wales making money by killing people. It is shocking that Ty Hafan the well-known Welsh charity which runs a hospice for dying children was there! Why they would take blood money after what happened to the children of GAZA is beyond belief!

he red choir , the green party and the CAAT will be protesting today ...

This is why we are going to protest....and we wish to highlight the role of wales in war crimes in gaza and the companies that make money from killing people


Picture White phosphorous attack on Beit Lahia school

Magellan Aerospace, with facilities in Wrexham, manufactures the CRV7 rocket weapon system (RWS) for the F-16 jet fighter and the AH-64 Apache atta ck helicopter. Both were used with devastating effect by the Israeli armed forces in Israel’s recent aggression against the people of Gaza which killed upwards of 1500 Palestinians, including hund reds of children. i have seen photos of the carnage after a UN-run school at Beit Lahia was bombarded with burning white phosphorous. Magellan Aerospace also manufacture the M156 Smoke missile that goes with the CRV7 system. ‘Upon detonation’, Magellan’s story goes, ‘the high explosive ruptures the warhead and disperses the white phosphorous to generate a white smoke cloud.’

Beit Lahia - the aftermath

General Electric (GE) has been supplying the Israeli army since 1950 and, given its gargantuan profits, wars in the Middle East are good for business. One of GE’s success stories is the F110 jet engine, used to power the F-16.

Gardner Aerospace, part of the Carlyle Group, helps build war planes, including the C-130 Hercules, the military transport plane used by the Israeli airforce operating from its Nevatim Airbase.

Thales is a specialist manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones, which are used extensively by the Israeli airforce to locate targets prior to bombardment. While the Hermes 450, made by Israeli company Elbit and tested at ParcAberporth in West Wales, remains Israel’s UAV of choice, Thales will, no doubt, be keeping an eye out for opportunities to do business with the pariah state.

Arms manufacturers 'making a difference' in Gaza

http://www.aerolinkwales.co.uk/