Det danske Fredsakademi
Kronologi over fredssagen og international politik 29. november
2005 / Timeline November 29, 2005
Version 3.5
28. November 2005, 30. November 2005
11/29/2005
IRAQ: Christian Peacemaker Team in Iraq
releases "Statement of Conviction"
CPTnet
International violence-reduction organization Christian Peacemaker
Teams (CPT) confirmed today that the four human rights workers
missing in Baghdad on 26 November are associated with their
organization. One of the missing persons is Norman Kember, a member
of the current CPT delegation to Iraq. The British Foreign office
confirmed Mr. Kember's name on Sunday.
CPT has been present in Iraq since October 2002. The Team's work
has focused on documenting and focusing public attention on
detainee abuses and connecting citizens of Iraq to local and
international human rights organizations. Iraqi friends and human
rights workers have welcomed the team as a nonviolent, independent
presence and asked that the team tell the their stories.
In a "Statement of Conviction," the long-term Team members stated
that they "are aware of the many risks both Iraqis and
internationals currently face," and affirmed that the risks did not
outweigh their purpose in remaining. They express the hope that "in
loving both friends and enemies and by intervening non-violently to
aid those who are systematically oppressed, we can contribute in
some small way to transforming this volatile situation."
CPT does not advocate the use of violent force to save lives of its
workers should they be kidnapped, held hostage, or caught in the
middle of a conflict situation.
Christian Peacemaker Teams places teams of trained peacemakers in
crisis situations and militarized areas around the world. These
teams host regular delegations of committed peace and human rights
activists to conflict zones, who join teams in working with
civilians to document abuses and develop nonviolent alternatives to
armed conflict. The CPT Iraq Team has hosted a total of 120 people
on sixteen delegations over the last three years.
In addition to the Iraq Team, teams of CPT workers are currently
serving in Barrancabermeja, Colombia; Hebron and At-Tuwani,
Palestine; Kenora, Ontario, Canada; and on the Mexico-United States
border.
Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) seeks to enlist the whole church
in organized, nonviolent alternatives to war and places teams of
trained, peacemakers in regions of lethal conflict. Originally a
violence-reduction initiative of the historic peace churches
(Mennonite, Church of the Brethren and Quaker), CPT now enjoys
support and membership from a wide range of Christian
denominations.
To receive news or discussion of CPT issues by e-mail, fill out the
form found on the web page at:
http://www.cpt.org/subscribe.php
11/29/2005
Cunningham Resigns After Admitting To Taking Bribes
http://treets.nbcsandiego.com/svc/lnk.cfm?l=63800952&t=1
Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham resigns after admitting that he took
$2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors.
11/29/2005
Rumsfeld to Host Southeastern Europe Defense Ministerial
Department of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld will host
defense ministers from thirteen southeast European nations in
connection with the 10th meeting of the Southeastern Europe Defense
Ministerial (SEDM) process. The conference, to be held in
Washington, D.C., Dec 5-6, 2005, is an annual forum for ministers
to discuss a wide range of mutual regional security issues.
The SEDM ministerial will provide the ministers an opportunity to
discuss topics including counterproliferation; border security;
peacekeeping; regional defense industry exchange and technology
sharing; 2006 regional exercises; and the deployment of the
Southeastern Europe Brigade in support of peace operations as part
of the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) in 2006.
In addition, Kosovo Force (KFOR) reorganization and preparations to
ensure security during status talks will also be addressed.
The conference will mark the accession of Ukraine as a full member
of SEDM, bringing membership to eleven countries: Albania,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United
States. Three other nations will be invited: Moldova as an
observer, and Serbia-Montenegro and Bosnia-Heregovina as
guests.
The SEDM process began in 1996 as a regional initiative to serve as
a bridge to Euro-Atlantic institutions, particularly NATO.
11/29/2005
CONTRACTS from the United States Department of Defense
Northrop Grumman Newport News, Newport News, Va., is being awarded
a $1,940,000,000 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for
accomplishment of the FY 06 refueling and complex overhaul of the
USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and its reactor plants. This effort shall
provide for the accomplishment of the overhaul, alterations,
repair, maintenance, and refueling of CVN 70 and its reactor plants
to ensure continued safe operation of the ship. Work will be
performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to be completed by
March 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the
current fiscal year. Funding is provided and work is authorized in
accordance with Public Law 109-77 and Public Law 109-104. The
contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems
Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
(N00024-06-C-2115). For more information please call Pat Dolan,
(202) 781-2975.
Lockheed Martin, Maritime Systems & Sensors, Moorestown, N.J.,
is being awarded a $125,840,000 cost-plus-award-fee modification to
exercise an option under previously awarded contract
(N00024-98-C-5197) to provide for performance of AEGIS Combat
System baseline upgrades. Services will include providing material,
equipment, supplies and technical engineering required to define,
design, develop, integrate, test and deliver AEGIS baseline
computer programs for combat system upgrades, which may be further
clarified by written technical instructions. Work will be performed
in Moorestown, N.J., and is expected to be completed by September
2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current
fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is
the contracting activity.
Kellogg Brown & Root Services, Arlington, Va., was awarded on
Nov. 22, 2005, $15,000,000 for modification 03 to Task Order 0023
under a cost reimbursement, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity
emergency construction capabilities contract for recovery efforts
to being clean up and repair to the family housing units and
continued hurricane relief efforts in support of response to the
immediate aftermath of Hurricane Wilma for recovery activities in
South Florida and the Key West Florida region. Award of this
modification brings the total task order amount to $34,500,000.
Work will be performed in the areas noted above, and is expected to
be completed by January 2006. Contract funds will expire at the end
of the current fiscal year. The basic contract was competitively
procured with 59 proposals solicited, three offers received and
award made on July 26, 2004. The total contract amount is not to
exceed $500,000,000, which includes the base period and four option
years. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk,
Va., is the contracting activity (N62470-04-D-4017).
Booz-Allen and Hamilton, McLean, Va., is being awarded a $5,544,406
contract modification to provide for advisory and assistance
services required in the contract to focus on acquisition program
management and systems engineering/analysis capability to support
future system programs that include, but are not limited to: land
based strategic defense, common air vehicle, intercontinental
ballistic missile demonstration/validation, integrated applications
programs, and ICBM long-range requirements planning studies. This
action exercises option one of the contract and implements a period
of performance from 1 December 2005 through 30 November 2006. The
location of performance is Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
At this time, $1,128,743 has been obligated. Headquarters 526th
ICBM Systems Wing, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting
activity (FA8204-05-C-0022/P00002).
Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif., is being awarded
a $67,949,000 cost plus award fee contract modification to provide
for on-orbit engineering support for satellite operations and
sustainment of the Milstar strategic and tactical satellite
communication system and Defense Satellite Communications System
(DSCS) III programs. The contract action exercises an existing
option on the contract for the third year of performance on the
five-year contract. The period of performance for this effort is
December 2005 through November 2007. At this time, $14,841,155 has
been obligated. This work will be complete November 2006. The
Headquarters Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air
Force Base, Calif., is the contracting activity.
(FA8808-04-C-0012/P00029)
11/29/2005
British mercenary firm with Pentagon contracts exposed in civilian shooting incident in Iraq
http://waynemadsenreport.com/
November 29, 2005 -- British mercenary firm with Pentagon contracts exposed
in civilian shooting incident in Iraq. A souvenir video has surfaced on the
Internet showing private security contractors working for Aegis Defense
Services "Victory" Group firing indiscriminately at Iraqi civilian motorists
in Baghdad. The video was reportedly taken by an Aegis employee and posted
on a web site run by an ex-Aegis employee. The video has since been removed
from the site. The video contains four clips showing Aegis mercenaries
firing at civilian automobiles. The video's soundtrack includes Elvis
Presley's "Train I Ride." Aegis is run by former British Scots Guard officer
Lt. Col. Tim Spicer, an international mercenary who has been involved in UN
sanctions busting in Sierra Leone and Bougainville invasion planning in
Papua New Guinea. Spicer's firm, Aegis, was awarded a $293 million security
contract in Iraq. Spicer's men also stand accused of shooting teenager Peter
McBride in the back in Belfast in 1992. That has prompted a number of
members of the Irish Caucus in the Congress to demand the Pentagon withdraw
its contract to Aegis. The Pentagon has rejected such action.
Pentagon Iraq contractor head Tim Spicer under arrest in 1997 in Papua New
Guinea following failed Bougainville invasion and resulting coup d'etat.
Aegis maintains its head office in London's Picadilly. It is also reported
to have an office on K Street in Washington, DC.
The Pentagon has had a longstanding relationship with Spicer. The Pentagon's
love affair with mercenary firms began in the 1990s when they were viewed
with favor for their military activities, including sanctions busting, in
Africa. Under the Clinton administration, mercenary firms blossomed. Under
George W. Bush, they have flourished. On June 24, 1997, the Defense
Intelligence Agency sponsored a seminar titled "The Privatization of
National Security Functions in Sub-Saharan Africa." This conference ushered
in the present cooperation between mercenaries, oil companies, diamond and
other mineral companies, U.S. intelligence agencies, the military, and
non-government organizations (NGOs), including the always suspect Human
Rights Watch, an NGO that often obscures and obfuscates important facts, as
it did with the causality of the Rwandan genocide and as it is currently
doing with regard to offering an incomplete list of CIA prisoner aircraft in
Europe.
WMR has obtained the attendee list [ page 1
http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/diaseminar1.jpg ]
[ page 2 http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/diaseminar2.jpg ]
for the 1997 Pentagon mercenary seminar. Spicer attended along with two colleagues from
Sandline International (for which Spicer served as CEO), a mercenary firm
that had already been implicated in illegal Sierra Leone and Papua New
Guinea operations.
Mercenary firms, which in neo-con "Newspeak" are referred to as "Private
Military Contractors," "Private Security Contractors (PSCs), and Personal
Security Details/Detachments (PSDs), are viewed by informed observers as the
future military forces that will continue to protect US business interests
in Iraq after the planned withdrawal of a large number of U.S. troops next
year. These companies are not governed by any military regulations or
international legal constraints. According to informed sources within the
security contractor community, three U.S. firms, Phoenix, Anteon, and Sytex,
should be looked at closely by U.S. authorities for their interrogation
operations in Iraq. Sytex is currently advertising for interrogators for the
US Central Command's Area of Responsibility (AOR), which includes Iraq and
Afghanistan. Military interrogators who were charged with sexually
humiliating prisoners at Guantanamo and Iraq are now working for firms like
Anteon and Phoenix Consulting Group.
11/29/2005
Top
Send
kommentar, email
eller søg i Fredsakademiet.dk
|