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"
Tom FoxCPTnet
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

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