The following Article was published in "The Guardian", newspaper
of the Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday,
sEPTEMBER 10TH, 2002. Contact address: 65 Campbell Street, Surry Hills.
Sydney. 2010 Australia. Phone: (612) 9212 6855 Fax: (612) 9281 5795. CPA
Central Committee: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
"The Guardian": <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Webpage: http://www.cpa.org.au>
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Close Pine Gap. Stop US/Aust war plans
The subservience of successive Australian governments has turned
Australia into a base for implementing America's war plans; the Pine Gap
base in the Northern Territory is a key link in the USA's international
network of military spying facilities. This use of our sovereign
territory binds Australia tightly to US plans for world domination. This
is what Pine Gap is all about.
by Peter Symon*
The US war against Iraq in 1991, the bombing of Yugoslavia, the invasion
of Afghanistan and now, the threatened US and British invasion and
occupation of Iraq, are all facilitated by the US- administered Pine Gap
listening post.
Pine Gap is one of the largest and most important US satellite ground
control stations in the world. It is used for targeting US weapons
systems, early warning of missile launches, monitoring communications
and other key intelligence, command and control functions.
Pine Gap monitors and spies on China and other Asian countries, southern
Russia and the Middle East. Pine Gap will be used to target missiles
launched against Iraq, as was the case in 1991. The current plan for
aggression is based on a pre-emptive strike (first strike) strategy that
will lead to an enormous loss of civilian life.
Such a war would be criminal in legal as well a moral terms, violating
international agreements and UN Charters.
And if the invasion and occupation of Iraq succeeds, there are to be
other wars waged by the US against other countries - Iran, Korea,
Central Asia, Russia and eventually China.
Australia -- through the ANZUS (Australia, New Zealand, United States)
treaty, and the Pine Gap facility and other US bases and facilities on
our territory -- will play a key part in these planned aggressions,
essentially the USA's war without end.
Even if not a single Australian soldier, navy vessel or aircraft were
deployed in support of the various US wars, Australia will play a part,
silently and secretly, without any accountability to the Australian people.
Even if the Australian Parliament were to refuse to participate in the
planned invasion of Iraq, Pine Gap would continue to play this role. No
Liberal or Labor government is prepared to demand that American bases be
removed from our territory.
Pine Gap does not serve the interests of Australian security but those
of the United States. It does not help to keep Australia secure but
endangers our country and makes it an enemy of our nearest neighbours in
the Asia-Pacific region.
Australia's subservience to the US is a major factor in Australia's
growing isolation on the world scene.
Pine Gap is not even a "joint facility" as has been claimed since its
inception in the 1960s: the Government of the USA controls it. It
operates -- with the aid of some Australian military and technical
support -- outside of and above Australian law.
The fact that US bases will be used by their US controllers in ways that
may not be known, much less approved, by any Australian Government also
infringes Australia's sovereignty and independence.
The Australian parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Treaties
confirmed that Australian MPs are kept in the dark about Pine Gap's
functions.
All these are reasons why the Communist Party of Australia and many
peace organisations have consistently opposed the establishment of
foreign bases on our territory and have called for their closure and
removal.
Three issues have now become intertwined in the campaign to keep
Australia safe and out of war.
They are:
a.. to stop the war being planned against Iraq;
b.. to expose, close and remove the Pine Gap base and;
c.. to stop the US plan to build a National Missile Defence (NMD).
The CPA supports and has done much to build a successful demonstration
outside the Pine Gap perimeter fence on October 5-7. This is being
organised by the various Australian peace and environmental
organisations, trade unions, political parties and individuals.
The Party leadership calls on you to join the campaign and the action at
Pine Gap.
The organisations arranging the action are providing buses to travel
from all States to Alice Springs: To find out the details contact the
organiser in your area. (See box opposite.)
Pine Gap program
A detailed program of activities has been worked out and is available to
those who are attending the Pine Gap action.
"Affinity groups" will be set up at the Pine Gap camp and will be the
primary decision-making bodies for the peace actions.
Affinity groups are made up of about 8-15 people, preferably who know
each other and have already discussed and planned some action to do
together. We hope that it will be possible to form a CPA affinity group.
The peace protest is designed around principles of non-violent direct
action and will operate on a system which acknowledges and respects the
different approaches to action and the differing political and personal
perspectives of the participants.
Detailed information has been published by the Australian Anti-Bases
Campaign Coalition (AABCC) in a 40 page booklet.
It contains a map of the area, camp sites, what to bring, protest
guidelines, medical and legal matters, the Anti-Bases song and the
protest timetable.
It draws attention to the fact that an international campaign is taking
place which coincides with the Australian action against Pine Gap.
A "Keep Space for Peace" week is being held from October 4-11. Protests,
conferences, vigils, public meetings and other actions are being held
around the world including in Nepal, Tokyo, Hiroshima, India,
Bangladesh, the Philippines, Belgium, France, Romania, Denmark, Sweden,
Menwith Hill and several other sites in Britain and in Germany.
The booklet also records that the peace activists are negotiating with
the Mparntwe people who are the original owners and custodians of the
land on which the Pine Gap facility has been built.
"Informal discussions have indicated that the custodians of the land on
and around Pine Gap have no objections to our protest going ahead. It is
likely that they will request that we do not go onto some areas around
the base and bush camp", says the booklet.
All participants in the peace protest will be required to pay a fee of
$10 as rent to be paid to the Aboriginal custodians.
As part of its campaign the Communist Party is producing a postcard to
be sent to the Prime Minister. It is being printed in 10,000 copies for
distribution in the lead up to the Pine Gap action.
All Party members and Guardian readers are asked to assist with the
distribution of this postcard. It is something that every member can do.
This card will soon be available and orders should be sent to the Party
office immediately.
The Sydney District Committee is finalising a Party poster that will be
suitable for use in all areas and all States. Again, please send in your
orders now.
The Guardian is also playing a major part in this campaign and is
running regular articles on all the urgent issues connected to the drive
of the imperialists for a new war in the Middle East.
The UN role
Last week US President Bush and his principle cheerleader and warmonger,
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, held a planning meeting in
Washington. Bush is attempting to line up the US Congress and the United
Nations to rubber stamp a war against Iraq.
Bush and Blair continue to plan for war and will disregard any UN
decision which does not suit their war objectives.
Bush continues to assert that "he hasn't made up his mind" about
attacking Iraq. Questions of war and peace are the responsibility of the
United Nations and not the whims of the President of any country. That
is why the United Nations was established following World War II, a
conflict which led to the deaths of more than 50 million people.
It is urgent that the people of Australia act before a conflict starts
and insist that the Australian Government refuses to support a war
against Iraq -- politically or by way of Pine Gap, troops, aircraft or
ships.
Join the Pie Gap actions.
Close Pine Gap!
*Peter Symon is the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Australia
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