Close Pine Gap
In two weeks time hundreds of peace, trade union, environmental, church, community and other concerned activists will travel from all corners of Australia to the US facility at Pine Gap in the Northern Territory. Pine Gap is a major intelligence facility and one of the most important US satellite ground control stations in the world. It can pick up the launch of missiles, assist the Pentagon to find bomber and missile targets and listens in to every telephone call, fax or email sent by anyone in any part of the world. And as recently admitted by Defence Minister Senator Hill, it "would be utilised in the event of military action against Iraq". (See Guardian September 4, 2002 for more details.) War on Iraq It collects information 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and would be playing an important role at this very moment as the Bush administration prepares for the invasion of Iraq. But there is worldwide opposition to George W Bush's plans to launch an attack on Iraq. Many of the US's closest European allies oppose the war. All Middle East countries and many governments in Asia, Latin America and Africa are also opposed. Bush is acting on behalf of the oil moguls, the industrial military complex and other corporate interests. "A United States-led attack that ousted Saddam Hussein would mean a bonanza for US oil companies long banished from Iraq", says an article in The Washington Post and republished in the Sydney Morning Herald (16/9/02). September 11 has been used to step up war plans. First it was Afghanistan. Next Iraq! If successful, on to Iran, Syria, and Libya and, further down the track Russia with the ultimate goal being China (using Taiwan as the excuse for war). Bush has taken up the running on a new upgraded Star Wars program as part of the US administration's long-term aims. Star Wars Star Wars II — the National Missile Defence (NMD) program — is claimed to be a defensive system to enable the US to intercept incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles before they strike US soil. Its real role is not defensive. It would play a part in the US's offensive war fighting with the aim of dominating and controlling space. "With regard to space dominance, we have it, we like it, and we're going to keep it", said Keith Hall, Assistant Secretary of the Air force for Space. In a 1996 report, Vision for 2020, the US Space Command describes NMD as part of a "war-fighting system" and states its military mission as "dominating the space dimension of military operations to protect US interests and investment". "Space is critical to both military and economic instruments of power — the main sources of national strength. Thus, protecting our freedom to use space and having an ability to deny an enemy's use of space will grow more important in the future", says Vision for 2020. We are on the brink of a new and more dangerous arms race. In its 1998 Long Range Plan, the Space Command stresses the globalisation aspect of US space war plans, saying, "Widespread communications will highlight disparities in resources and quality of life — contributing to unrest in developing countries . The gap between 'have' and 'have-not' nations will widen, creating regional unrest." By controlling space and the Earth below, the US intends to keep those "have-nots" in line. A more recent report argues for "the option to deploy weapons in space" and points out that unlike "weapons from aircraft, land forces or ships, space missions initiated from earth or space could be carried out with little transit, information or weather delay". Australia has been drawn into the NMD program through Pine Gap. Regardless of public opinion or the decisions that governments might make about co- operating or participating in NMD, Australia is already on board, playing an active role. Unless NMD is halted and Pine Gap closed, Australia will continue to be an active contributor to the militarisation and nuclearisation of space by the US. Senator Hill was telling the truth when he said, Pine Gap is a demonstration of "our close working relationship with the United States". He was lying when he said that it was in Australia's interests and would contribute to "international security generally and the avoidance of global war". It is global war! The US plans pose a threat to both Australia's security and international security. They contravene key international treaties, including: * the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty; * the 1970 Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT); * the 1967 Outer Space Treaty (OST). The US has already scrapped the ABM Treaty. International security is being systematically undermined and a new and more dangerous arms race set in train. It would wind the hands of the nuclear clock back towards midnight and negate the years of work on nuclear disarmament. For the peace and security of all people of the world, the Communist Party urges readers to support the Close Pine Gap campaign which is an integral part of the immediate No War Against Iraq campaign.