28/02/2008

OU partnership with arms dealers Raytheon



OU partnership with arms dealers Raytheon

The proposed military training academy at St Athan will be built and run by a consortium which includes major multinational arms companies, and will train not only British service personnel, but those from any regime or private military company that can fork out the ready cash. This consortium includes the Open University and we call on them to withdraw.

The campaign against the proposed military academy at St Athan is also concerned about the impact the partnership such as Raytheon , arms dealers have on international peace and conflict. We want a public debate in Wales regarding the democratic deficit within the Open University on the decision to enter into the Metrix Consortium. The OU is accused of giving this consortium and the proposed privatised training a veneer of respectability.

As part of the National Day of Action for University Ethical Investment on Wednesday 27th Feb coordinated events were being held at universities across the UK, campaign protesters gathered outside the OU Offices in Cardiff. Mr Rob Humphreys, the Director of the Open University in Wales cam out to talk to us. He declined to take up a position on behalf of the Open University or one which defined his personal stance. He said that ethics were matters for individuals and as far as the Open University was concerned no formal policy had been determined. However, the Open University on its website states "Our continued dedication to social justice and equality of opportunity is embodied in a set of commitments and principles. Through these commitments, we will strengthen our position as a university of choice."

Anne Greagsby coordinator of the campaign against the privatised military academy at St Athan said, "As a graduate from the open university I am shocked that they could work with and profit from arms dealers such as Raytheon associated with cluster munitions and Serco and Qinetiq.


Mr Rob Humphreys, the Director of the OU in Wales told us that he hadn’t heard of the Study War No More report, Military Involvement in UK Universities is a joint project between Campaign Against Arms Trade and the Fellowship of Reconciliation. You can download the report on the website which exposes the ways in which the military sector is being pushed into UK universities - www.studywarnomore.org.uk

The Director Mr Humphries statement

"In meeting those taking part in the demonstration outside The Open University in Wales offices, I listened to the points they made and outlined the University's involvement in the Metrix consortium, which is overseeing the St Athan project.

"The University recognises that Britain's armed services play a vital part in peacekeeping activities all over the world and that it is important that service personnel receive the best education possible for these demanding roles. As a partner in the consortium, The Open University is committed to delivering the highest possible quality of support to this endeavour.

"Since its inception, the University has helped more than 100,000 Services personnel and their families fulfil their potential through education. Participation in the St Athan project will help us to continue that work."

27/02/2008

Protest at OU working with Raytheon arms dealers


Cynefin y Werin (Common Ground) is an all Wales network of organisations which promotes equality, peace, justice, human rights and co-operation between nations, peoples and communities on the basis of sustainable environmental, economic and social development.

Does your university work for/with the milititary?
The proposed military training academy at St Athan will be built and run by a consortium which includes major multinational arms companies, and will train not only British service personnel, but those from any regime or private military company that can fork out the ready cash. This consortium includes the Open University and we call on them to withdraw. there will be a Protest today at 1pm at ou office 18 custom house street Cardiff.

This is part of the
National Day of Action for University Ethical Investment - Coordinated events held at universities across the UK, in protest against university shareholding in arms companies. Anne Greagsby coordinator of the campaign against the privaitised military academy at St Athan said, "As a graduate from the opne university I am shocked that they could work with and profit from arms dealers such as Raytheon associated with cluster munitions and Serco and Qinetiq.

The Open University
"Our continued dedication to social justice and equality of opportunity is embodied in a set of commitments and principles. Through these commitments, we will strengthen our position as a university of choice."????

Military organisations - including arms companies and

the Ministry of Defence - annually sponsor hundreds of projects at UK universities.

The Study War No More report examines military involvement at 26 UK universities in order to highlight the impact military funding has on university departments. The report provides information about the funding of UK universities by military organisations, both governmental and industrial. It also intends to support students concerned about the impact their institutions have on international peace and conflict; and to encourage debate regarding the democratic deficit within academic institutions and the ends and ethics of research and research funding.

Study War No More: Military Involvement in UK Universities is a joint project between Campaign Against Arms Trade and the Fellowship of Reconciliation. The campaign website hosts full details of military involvement at 26 UK universities. You can download the Study War No More report, which exposes the ways in which the military sector is being pushed into UK universities, view in-depth data on each of the 26 universities we researched or find out more information on researching and campaigning in this area.
Read more

CAAT

For more info on national campaign, contact Andy at andy@caat.org.uk

26/02/2008

Vale local development plan consultation

Vale of Glamorgan Local Development Plan

Your Vale - Your Future

The Vale of Glamorgan Council is preparing a new Local Development Plan (LDP), which will set out how land within the Vale is used between 2011 and 2026. This includes everything from housing developments, community facilities and employment opportunities to transport, waste management and retailing. The proposals and policies in the LDP will eventually replace those in the Adopted Unitary Development Plan 1996 - 2011.


Current Consultations:

Draft Preferred Strategy and Initial Sustainability Appraisal Report

The production of a Draft Preferred Strategy is one of the first stages in the production of the LDP. The strategy will not allocate sites for development but will establish key strategic objectives for the Plan. In addition a suite of overarching or strategic policies will inform the more detailed site-specific policies and allocations that will be the subject of further consultation at a later stage.


The statutory consultation period runs from 12:00 noon on 16th January 2008 to 12:00 noon on 27th February 2008.

LDP Draft Preferred Strategy

Key Background Documents (information only)

Paper copies of the documents are available for public inspection at the deposit locations

25/02/2008

Land Securities Trillium for sale & former director labour funding scandal

This is one of the Metrix consortium and the problem is that these companies change hands so one has no idea who could be running the business of the proposed military academy in a weeks time or in a few years time in Wales.

Yetr another director of a company making a fortune from government money. More sleazy directors with dodgy dealings while seeking contracts. I hope we can have assurances that none of the Metrix consortium companies have funded any labour party activities or councillors. but how much the WAG has paid out is not yet known.

Bidders Circling for Land Securities Trillium
PPP Focus.com - Manchester,England,UK
According to various press reports, private equity firms and Macquarie the Australian-based bank are pondering on bids for Land Securities Trillium. ...

Since the Land Securities announced a restructuring in November, it was believed that Trillium was being lined up for a flotation. Whilst source say this may still be the favoured option there are increasing reports that a number of bids are being considered to purchase the division outright.

Analysts have valued the business at between £1bn and £1.5bn. No official news has emerged from either Land Securities or Macquarie Bank and any potential bids are believed to be at a very early stage.
See all stories on this topic

Caltongate Developers funded Labour while seeking council backing
By sooty(Cat)
Mr Chande is a former director of Land Securities, the UK’s biggest property company, and, with Mr Myers, joint founder of Trillium, which won a contract to own and manage the majority of the Department for Work and Pensions property ...portfolio – a 2bn deal that made it Britain's biggest commercial landlord.
Independent Republic of the Canongate - http://independentrepublicofthecanongate.blogspot.com/

Caltongate developers funded Labour
By Mike(Mike)
Mr Chande is a former director of Land Securities, the UK’s biggest property company, and, with Mr Myers, joint founder of Trillium, which won a contract to own and manage the majority of the Department for Work and Pensions property ...
Wade's world - http://mikewadejournalist.blogspot.com/

22/02/2008

Norway may ditch Israel electric Bonds

Why can we not have an ethical Wales?

Welsh politicians, even Plaid Cymru is prepared to welcome Raytheon, Serco to St Athan Wales and they have both been rejected by the Norwegian fund because of their connections to Cluster bombs and nuclear weapon. John Smith MP is one of the most obsequious lackey of the Arms Companies even prepared to use our children and schools to promote them.

Norway may ditch Israel Electric bonds
Jerusalem Post - Israel
The government has banned the 2.08 trillion-krone fund from investing in companies involved in nuclear weapons or cluster munitions, and companies that it ...

The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund's ethical council is considering whether to recommend the fund sell its 107 million kroner ($20 million) of bonds in Israel Electric Corp. because of an alleged participation in a blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Kristin Halvorsten wants an ethics council to investigate Israel Electric over its role in cutting back electricity supplies to Gazans.

"Information that the Israeli government is using this company to cut electricity supplies to Gaza, and thereby worsening the situation for civilians there, has made Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen ask the ethics council to investigate the company," ministry spokeswoman Kaja Haldorsen said by e-mail Thursday. Israel Electric wasn't immediately available for comment.

The government has banned the 2.08 trillion-krone fund from investing in companies involved in nuclear weapons or cluster munitions, and companies that it says are guilty of human rights or environmental abuses. An ethics council investigates companies alleged to be breaking the investment guidelines.

Israel Electric is a state-owned monopoly power supplier.

Norway, the world's fifth-largest exporter of crude oil, places most of its petroleum revenue in the fund. The pension plan is the world's second-largest so-called sovereign wealth fund after the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. It is forecast to double in size to more than 4 trillion kroner by 2014.

The Church of Norway asked the government in January 2006 to review its investments and possibly withdraw from companies that "are active in the construction of the wall and Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank."

The ethics council concluded that there were no grounds for excluding companies active in Israel "or in areas under Israeli occupation," Finance Ministry senior advisor Aslak Skancke wrote at the time. "However, the possibility is not ruled out that information may be revealed in the future leading to closer examination and possible recommendations."

Companies that have been dropped previously by the fund include Poongsan Corp., Lockheed Martin Corp, Raytheon Co., European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., according to the Finance Ministry.

The Norwegian fund was established 11 years ago and is one of the world's oldest sovereign wealth funds. Yngve Slyngstad took over as head last month, succeeding Knut Kjaer, who managed the fund since its inception.

Tal Barak in Tel Aviv contributed to this report.

20/02/2008

Raytheon, EDS, Privatisation and a New Labour Think Tank

Raytheon, EDS, Privatisation and a New Labour Think Tank

The state is utterly clueless on the public-private divide

Simon Jenkins The Guardian, Wednesday February 20 2008 tells us that Northern Rock is far from unique. The government has long been throwing cash at behemoths that have failed to deliver.


Consider this:The IPPR think-tank published on the 13 Feb, 'The New Front Line: Security in a changing world' from the ippr Commission on National Security, Working Paper No. 1 written by Ian Kearns and Ken Gude. This paper is on British Security
Policy and claims to analyse the key changes taking place in the national and international security landscape and assesses their implications for policy, examining the context within which a national security strategy must now be forged. As a result, they c;aim that it becomes clear that the contemporary security landscape is about much more than terrorism alone. Umm... Yes it is a rather turgid and jargon riddled document. As Henry Porter pointed out this policy work has been sponsored by Raytheon who proudly boast of their support for IPPR.

This is Raytheon Arms Dealers of cluster munitions fame who have been excluded on ethical grounds from the vast Norwegian pension fund. This is the Raytheon who won a 10-year contract to ‘improve’ UK border controls and who the government gave a contract addendum worth £92 million on 12 Feb. Raytheon one of the Metrix consortium who the government wants to run military training not only for British service personnel, but those from any regime or private military company that can fork out the ready cash at St Athan in Wales where there have been allegations of pork-barreling. Raytheon has received over £750,000 in the last four years from Invest Northern Ireland. Just how much have they received in Wales we don't know.

This IPPR paper sponsored by Raytheon is full of turgid jargon like ‘Diffusion of power from state to non-state actors’, ‘Some of this diffusion has been driven by states themselves through use of private military firms’, ‘Governments in any case no longer own and control all of the relevant and necessary expertise and assets required in the making of an effective security policy…. private businesses …add value to the policy making process’, ‘Governments in any case no longer own and control all of the relevant and necessary expertise and assets required in the making of an effective security policy….private businesses ….. all add value to the policy making process.’ Yes whether overt or subliminal we get the message. Public Sector and governments no longer own or control the capability of managing their own security! Private Sector to the rescue, TINA!

Who wrote this?
Ian Kearns is Deputy Chair of the commission on National Security

In the 21sr century Director of IPPR and is currently leading the institutes international and security programme. He has a wide range of experience in the private sector as a former Director of the Global Government Industry practice at Electronic Data Systems (EDS)! EDS another member of the Metrix Consortium. As Jenni Russel commented in the Guardian ‘The collapse of the Child Support Agency, and the years of misery its incompetence brought to mothers and children, was due in large part to the fact that its half-billion-pound computer system, designed by EDS, never worked properly. An internal company memo admitted the system was "badly designed, badly delivered, badly tested and badly implemented". The disastrous implementation of the tax credits system, where a third of the 6 million families involved were over- or underpaid and a billion pounds was lost in the first year, was made infinitely worse because the computer system built to run it repeatedly crashed.’ In addition to the EDS debacle at the child support agency and the Inland Revenue's Tax Credits systems there was the disastrous unworkable MOD new computerised payroll system. Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "It is astounding that the MoD is prepared to reward failure by handing over billions more pounds of taxpayers' money to a consortium that has failed to deliver what it said it would.” So a former director at EDS is just the person to advise us on the role of the private sector and Security in a changing world.

ippr’s Commission on National Security in the 21st Century was established in May 2007 and is Chaired by Lord (George) Robertson, and Lord (Paddy) Ashdown. Shami Chakrabarti is one of the commissioners and I wonder if she has thought about it..

http://www.ippr.org/publicationsandreports/publication.asp?id=588

Qinetiq continues to expand

Qinetiq preps to take over AeroStructures

Aviation International News - Midland Park,NJ,USA February 20, 2008
British defense and security technology company Qinetiq is poised to complete the acquisition of Australian engineering group AeroStructures. ......

18/02/2008

Qinetiq cuts jobs

Defence site 'to lose 200 jobs' 17th Feb
BBC News – UK About 200 jobs are to go in a Worcestershire town at the defence and security firm Qinetiq, a union claims. The firm, which has a site off Poolbrook Road, ...
"Qinetiq is undergoing a restructuring of its UK business that involves redundancies of up to 400 people."

You have to ask Qinetiq a key partner in the Metrix consortium bid to run the privatised military academy at St Athan, Wales how many jobs they actually intend creating here as they are in the business of cutting jobs - less people - more profit. Not the thousands promised then? That's why PCS the union representing MOD staff are fighting the privatisation!



15/02/2008

CND Cymru 50th Anniversary of Global summit

cnd cymru

campaign for nuclear disarmament yr ymgyrch dros ddiarfogi niwclear

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF CND GLOBAL SUMMIT THIS WEEKEND

Activists and campaigners from Wales, will be taking part
in this weekend's Global Summit for a Nuclear Weapon Free
World, hosted by British CND to mark the 50th anniversary of
the campaign's launch. Other participants in the
conference include Sergio Duarte, the UN High Representative
for Disarmament Affairs, Hiroshima bomb survivor Mikiso Iwasa
and Bianca Jagger the Councilof Europe Goodwill Ambassador and
Chair of the 'World Future Council'. CND will also welcoming
campaigners and activists from across the world - from
Israel, Indian, Pakistan, the US and France.

The Summit, held this Saturday and Sunday in London's City Hall
and opened by Mayor Ken Livingstone, will be the most
significant international conference on nuclear disarmament
since the end of the Cold War. It will draw together leading
diplomatic, scientific and policy experts who will focus on
how to create the conditions for abolishing nuclear weapons,
with the aim of promoting negotiations on a Nuclear Weapons
Convention. Such a convention would outlaw nuclear
weapons in the same way that the manufacture, procurement
and use of chemical and biological weapons have already
been outlawed.

British Government representatives have also been invited
and conference outcomes will be communicated to the Prime
Minister and Shirley Williams, his advisor on nuclear
proliferation. Over the last month both the Prime
Minister and the Defence Secretary have talked about
the need for renewed efforts at achieving reductions
in global nuclear stockpiles.

Jill Evans, Chair of CND Cymru will be taking part in the
Global Summit. A year ago, Ms Evans was arrested along
with other European elected representatives, for blocking
the gates of the Trident nuclear weapons
base in Scotland. She said today:

'We must take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment
to ridding Britain and the world of these immoral weapons
of mass destruction. At the same time
we should be looking towards ways of solving international
conflict by non-violent means and addressing the issues
of worldwide poverty, injustice, environmental destruction
and of global warming.

The longer that weapons of mass destruction exist in the
world, the closer the time comes to them being used.
I bring a message from Nuclear Free Wales that nuclear weapons
and the philosophy behind them are not what we, or our children
want or need.'

Kate Hudson, Chair of British CND : "This weekend, exactly half
a century since Bertrand Russell and others addressed our founding
meeting, will help bring us closer to the day when governments begi
substantive negotiations on a Nuclear Weapons Convention."

CND Cymru and supporters, amongst them survivors from the
Hiroshima bomb, will join hundreds of others at the Atomic
Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston on Easter Monday,
24th March for a mass protest on the half-century anniversary
of the first march to Aldermaston.

Plaid Cymru Llwyd, Elfyn Price, Adam

have signed these early day motions ... EDM 892 and EDM 72 yet both will not condemn the Government or evan the Welsh Assembly Government for working with Serco a key partner in the Metrix Consortium who in the biggest PFI/PPP ever are to be permitted to run a military training academy for UK army, navy and airforce recruits and will train mercenaries, soldiers for any regime with the money in Wales at St Athan.

Serco Group Plc should be kept out of Wales because of its involvement in the production of nuclear weapons.


Why are our politicans not calling for the government to have ethical guidelines for investment like Norway.

Council on Ethics- Norwegian Government Pension Fund – Global - Read more here : http://www.regjeringen.no/templates/Kampanje.aspx?id=434879&epslanguage=EN-GB

The role of the Council on Ethics for the Government Pension Fund - Global is to provide evaluation on whether or not investment in specified companies is inconsistent with the established ethical guidelines. The Ministry of Finance makes decisions on the exclusion of companies from the Fund's investment universe based on the Council's recommendations. Both the Ministry's decisions and the Council's recommendations will be made publicly available on this website.

Recommendation on the exclusion of the company Serco Group Plc. The company is recommended for exclusion because of its involvement in the production of nuclear weapons.

As we have been saying for years...Serco - one to watch http://www.aldermaston.net/campaigns/serco_2004.php

http://www.serco.com/assurance/defence/nuclear_weapons/index.asp

AWE, the Atomic Weapons Establishment, provides the warheads for the United More information: Kingdom nuclear deterrent. AWE is managed by AWE Management Ltd, (AWEML) a consortium of Serco, Lockheed Martin and BNFL who operate a 25 year contract to maintain and deliver the national stockpile on behalf of the UK Government. The task of delivering the contract has been delegated by AWE Management Ltd to AWE Plc

Read the recommendation here (pdf)

The Ethical Guidelines List of Excluded Companies

Recommendation on Exclusion of Cluster Weapons from the Government Petroleum Fund- The Advisory Council on Ethics for the Government Petroleum Fund recommends that the companies General Dynamics Corp, L3 Communications Holdings Inc, Raytheon Co, Lockheed Martin Corp, Alliant Techsystems Inc, EADS Co (European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company) and Thales SA be excluded from the Petroleum Fund because they are presumed to be involved in production of cluster weapons.

EDM 892

GLOBAL SUMMIT FOR A NUCLEAR WEAPON FREE WORLD

05.02.2008

Corbyn, Jeremy

That this House notes the 50th anniversary of the founding meeting of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament on 17th February 1958; supports the campaign's ongoing work to achieve worldwide nuclear disarmament; congratulates the campaign for convening the Global Summit for a Nuclear Weapon Free World on 16th and 17th February 2008, drawing together leading diplomatic, scientific and policy experts, including Ambassador Sergio Duarte, chair of the 2005 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference; and calls on the Government to re-focus on creating the conditions for abolishing nuclear weapons, including facilitating negotiations on achieving a Nuclear Weapons Convention.

Early Day Motion

EDM 72

NUCLEAR WEAPONS CONVENTION 06.11.2007

Corbyn, Jeremy

That this House notes the forthcoming 40th anniversary of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; further notes the continued failure of the international community to abolish nuclear weapons or prevent their further proliferation; endorses the unanimous opinion of the International Court of Justice that there exists an obligation to pursue in good faith, and bring to a conclusion, negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international control; further notes the recent 10th anniversary of the submission of a model nuclear weapons convention by Costa Rica to the United Nations for discussion; and calls upon the Government to work to achieve progress on multilateral negotiations with the aim of achieving implementation of a nuclear weapons convention by 2020.

14/02/2008

Valentines Wish - Make love not WAR




North Wales Pension Funds linked to weapons trade

North Wales pension funds linked to weapons trade Daily Post - Llandudno Junction,UK Examples will be given from the campaign against the planned St Athan Military Academy in south Wales, and to persuade Gwynedd council to dis-invest from ...


A public meeting is scheduled in Capel Salem, Caernarfon, at 7.30pm on Friday organised by the Arfon Peace and Justice Group entitled: ‘Wales – a country without militarism?’ Wales MEP Jill Evans, chair of CND Cymru, and a representative of CAAT are billed as speakers. The meeting will discuss whether it is possible to persuade the political parties to make Wales a country without arms and a military.

Boycott investments in Raytheon!


The campaign agaisnt the St Athan Military Academy accuses the Welsh Assembly Government of hypocrisy over cluster bombs. Politicans profess their opposition to cluster bombs but invite Raytheon to Wales - spend money encouraging Raytheon to Wales - invest in Raytheon!

Rhodri Morgan "we have worked very hard to get this project for Wales. the reference to cluster bombs and Raytheon by campaigners is a simple guilt by association argumnet with absolutely no supporting evidence. They should be ashamed of themselves for using such a smear as a substitute for intelligent argument."

Greens accuse government of hypocrisy over cluster bombs
Earthtimes, UK - 14 Feb 2008 Wellington - New Zealand was accused Thursday of hypocrisy in hosting an international conference aimed at banning cluster bombs while a government pension ...He said the state pension fund in Norway, where the drive for an international treaty prohibiting the use of the weapons began a year ago, had boycotted investments in US companies Lockheed and Raytheon which manufacture them.

Time to stop loving the money from the bomb
Scoop.co.nz, New Zealand -14 feb
The Green Party is calling on the New Zealand Super Fund to urgently withdraw from its ever-increasing investments in cluster bomb manufacturers before the ...

Wellington Conference to Address Cluster Munitions Threat
Scoop.co.nz, New Zealand - 11 Feb 2008
Next week in Wellington the New Zealand Government is hosting an international conference on a treaty to prevent humanitarian disasters created by cluster ...

12/02/2008

UK give Raytheon,Qinetiq, Serco, 92 MILLION more?

Raytheon and their friends Serco and Qinetiq get 92 million more from UK government for what?..emmmm.. extended functionality and services related to uk border security..so what is that when it is at home? So how faulty was the exisitng contract and what was it for? Do we want these global coporate rotters doing UK border security?


Raytheon Wins Contract Add-On From UK
Houston Chronicle, United States - Feb 12 2008
© 2008 AP GARLAND, Texas — Military contractor Raytheon Co. said Monday it received a contract addendum worth 92 million British pounds ($179 million) from ...
Raytheon inks $179M addendum to UK e-Borders contract
CNNMoney.com - SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 11, 2008 (Thomson Financial delivered by Newstex) -- Raytheon (NYSE:RTN) Co. said Monday it has signed an addendum, valued at roughly ...
Border Control
Identity Loop, UK - Feb 12 2008 Trusted Borders, a consortium of companies led by Raytheon Systems Limited of the UK, has signed an addendum to the e-Borders contract it originally signed ...
Raytheon Bags $179 Million Add-On UK E-Borders Contract
RTT News, NY - 2/11/2008 2:53:50 PM Monday, Raytheon Co. (RTN), a manufacturer of technological products, services and solutions, announced signing an additional contract ...
A Raytheon-led team will provide the U.K. Home Office extended functionality and services for the program, under the addendum, worth 92 million pounds Sterling or around $179 million.

Raytheon is the key contractor for the e-Borders consortium ‘Trusted Borders', which won the original contract signed in November 2007. The other members are Serco, Accenture, Detica, QinetiQ, Capgemini and Steria.

Mike Keebaugh, President, The Waltham, Massachusetts-based company's Intelligence and Information System business, said, "Raytheon is on the leading edge of providing technology and management solutions to address infrastructure and border protection challenges across the globe. As effective visitor management continues to be a critical issue facing nations today, we are confident this will be a significant growth area for our company."

Raytheon Awarded $179 Million Add-On to UK e-Borders Contract
Biloxi Sun Herald, USA -By Raytheon Company Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has signed an addendum to the e-Borders contract it won in November 2007. Under the addendum, valued at 92 ...

Below is an extract from the Defy-ID 'greasy palms' list (available in full on www.defy-id.org.uk/greasypalms.htm), of companies either involved or actively seeking involvement in the UK identity scheme. This list is a work in progress and any information about companies, listed or not listed, will be gratefully received. Email:

Big guns come to Wales to sell military training camp!


Academy briefing Feb 11 2008 by Peter Collins, South Wales Echo
ic Wales - During a visit to South Wales, Major General Tim Inshaw and Brigadier Geoff Nield, visited the Civic Offices, in Barry, to meet council cabinet members, .....

DEFENCE chiefs have met Vale of Glamorgan council leaders to brief them on the £11bn plans for the Defence Training Academy at St Athan.

During a visit to South Wales, Major General Tim Inshaw and Brigadier Geoff Nield, visited the Civic Offices, in Barry, to meet council cabinet members, including council leader Margaret Alexander, and officers.

Perhaps they would like to share their plans with the rest of us. How much tax payers money is being spent here for private companies to profit? Private companies who are majking huge fortunes out of War, weapons, cluster bombs....companies like Raytheon, Qinetiq, Serco?

Companies that ethical investors won't touch?

Download Corporate Mercenaries [pdf]:

11/02/2008

Landmine Action on Raytheon & cluster bombs



I would note below the decision of the Norwegian Pension Fund (possible the largest investment fund in the world) to exclude Raytheon from investment on the basis of their involvement with cluster munition manufacture:

Online ref: http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/fin/Selected-topics/andre/Ethical-Guidelines-for-the-Government-Pension-Fund---Global-/Recommendations-and-Letters-from-the-Advisory-Council-on-Ethics/Recommendation-on-Exclusion-of-Cluster-Weapons-from-the-Government-Petroleum-Fund.html?id=419583

Specifically they say:

"Raytheon Company produces, according to its own web-site (Joint Stand Off Weapon), and cluster munitions to these: “JSOW integrates the BLU-97 combined effects bomblets and the BLU-108 sensor fused weapon submunitions for area targets or armoured vehicles”. These are considered as cluster weapons. This information is confirmed by Jane’s Information Group. The company has not replied to the communication from Norges Bank.

The Advisory Council recommends that Raytheon Company should be excluded from the Government Petroleum Fund."

The pdf report that they make reference to is attached to this email. I note that it has copyright dated up to 2006. As of today it is still available for download from the Raytheon website - so if the information is "out of date" etc as Raytheon assert, it is coming from them.

Furthermore it is important to note the following:

That although there is no internationally agreed definition of a cluster munition or cluster bomb, most definitions include both the container and the explosive submunitions that are packed within that container. I have attached a report of an experts meeting hosted by the International Committtee of the Red Cross (ICRC) - p.61 has a paper on definitions that illustrates this point.

I note this because Raytheon's assertion that they "have never manufactured cluster bombs" is misleading if this issue of definition is considered. If they have manufactured container munitions for the dispersal of explosive submunitions then they been directly involved in cluster munition manufacture. Their reponse - based on claiming that they have not produced the explosive submunitions - does not square with these technical definitions - including the definition of a 'cluster bomb unit' used by NATO.

Another point of note might be that these weapons produced by Raytheon are still in service. There is something rather distasteful about making money out of the manufacture and sale of these weapons and then claiming no responsibislity as soon as the goods have left the factory and the order is closed. The idea that this is all no in the past and that Raytheon should no longer be considered anything to do with cluster munitions seems unconvincing.

I think you have a strong case against them on this issue and we would be glad to provide any further information or engagement that might be useful.

Campaign against Cluster Bombs -




Campaign against Cluster Bombs in the UK -
Product Recall
http://www.landmineaction.org/campaigns/campaign.asp?PLID=1020

Latest news..M85: An analysis of reliability
28 January 2008 Some governments, including the UK, continue to maintain that M85 submunitions should be excluded from a ban on cluster munitions because they will not cause significant post conflict harm. This report shows these arguments to be false.

Human Rights Watch’s “Dirty Dozen” information sheet provides details of cluster munitions that have been most widely used and have caused the most civilian harm worldwide. The sheet also provides information on the history of use and global policy and practice on cluster munitions. Click here to download full document.

The 4 manufacturers identified in CAAT’s campaign materials are:

  • General Dynamics
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Northrop Grumman
  • Raytheon

For a full list of Campaign Against the Arms Trade’s Clean Investment Campaign information Welsh Councils Shareholdings

Ask your MP and AM what action he/she is taking against cluster bombs?

raytheon cluster bomb engines

Raytheon & Cluster bomb JSOW

Raytheon faulty fuses in cluster bombs

News: Officials: Hundreds of Iraqis Killed By Faulty Grenades Battlefield commanders have reported failure rates as high as 40 percent. Washington - Hundreds and possibly thousands of Iraqi civilians have been killed or maimed by outdated, defective U.S. cluster weapons that lack a safety feature other countries have added, according to observers, news reports and officials……… Britain, which joined the United States in the fight to oust Saddam Hussein, fired 2,000 artillery cluster weapons in the war. All were equipped with Israeli-made grenades with secondary fuses and a 2 percent dud rate, the British Defense Ministry said…….. "The funding for R and D [research and development] in the Army was minimal, and fusing was the last on the list," said Bruce Mueller, a former Army lieutenant colonel who managed the fuse program for defense contractor Raytheon. "They develop weapons, then they develop munitions, and after they develop munitions, the last thing they worry about is how to fuse them."


10/02/2008

Police body scraps Qinetiq web site cancelled

Axed ... the website police need to prevent another 7/7


By JASON LEWIS - 9th February 2008

Axed ... the website police need to prevent another 7/7
Daily Mail - UK Senior anti-terrorist planners told a post-July 7 inquiry that a more sophisticated system was needed and the Government paid QinetiQ, the former MoD-run ...
The scrapping of the system adds another scheme to the Home Office's list of cancelled and troubled IT-related projects, which includes failures of projects supporting immigration and passport services, the Probation Service and the Criminal Records Bureau.

A police internet link which senior anti-terrorist officers say is essential to protect the public from a repeat of the July 7 bombings has been shut down.

The Police Portal, designed to allow officers to send emergency information to millions of people in seconds, has been axed amid a legal dispute with the company developing a new version of it.

The website - addressed www.police.uk - was successfully used after the London attacks to enable people to send police photographs and video captured on mobile phones in the aftermath of the bombs.

Scroll down for more ...

emergency services 7/7 london bombings  Edgware Road

A website the emergency services used in the wake of the London bombings has been scrapped

It also enabled the public to report non-urgent incidents to the police without clogging up switchboards.

Last year the service provided details of more than 3,000 alleged offences - including so-called "hate crimes" involving race, religion or sexual orientation.

Senior anti-terrorist planners told a post-July 7 inquiry that a more sophisticated system was needed and the Government paid QinetiQ, the former MoD-run defence contractor, £8.5million to develop it.

But the National Police Improvement Agency, which is responsible for the website, was not happy with progress and has closed it down completely.

A spokesman said: "The system that was in development was not fit for live use due to a range of serious defects and delays." The new site had failed rigorous "user acceptance testing".

QinetiQ has taken legal action against the NPIA. Sources close to the firm said there was nothing wrong with the website which was "ready to go live".

The scrapping of the system adds another scheme to the Home Office's list of cancelled and troubled IT-related projects, which includes failures of projects supporting immigration and passport services, the Probation Service and the Criminal Records Bureau.

09/02/2008

Are private military companies accountable?

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=o7pGBQMfrQk3Wl7H14rEVZsquTDowmXxhttp://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=o7pGBQMfrQk3Wl7H14rEVZsquTDowmXx

Sexual Assault Is a Crime, Not a Labor Dispute, Unless of Course You Work for Halliburton/KBR [VIDEO]

The notion that sexual assault cannot be tried as a criminal matter but is treated as a labor dispute is simply beyond belief. Read more »

Couldn't have done woese putting Qinetiq on e-bay!

“It is difficult to think you could have done worse without putting [Qinetiq] on eBay”

John Pugh, Public accounts committee

Qinetiq 'scandal' MPs overlook MOD property sales - Military ...
While the Public Accounts Committee rages over the sale of the Ministry of Defence’s research division, its property assets have given the taxpayer better value.
Daily news from Property Week - http://propwww.propertyweek.com/section.asp?navcode=2540

08/02/2008

raytheon cluster bomb engines

Raytheon Completes Second Successful Engine Test of Joint Standoff ...
FOXBusiness - USA
5, 2008, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The Joint Standoff Weapon ExtendedRange missile moved one step closer to powered flight testing when Raytheon ...


JSOW is a joint Navy and Air Force program. It is a family of low-cost air-to-ground weapons that employs an integrated GPS/Inertial Navigation System that guides the weapon to the target. The JSOW uses a common and modular weapon body capable of carrying various payloads. Its long standoff range allows delivery from well outside the lethal range of most enemy air defenses.

The AGM-154A, or JSOW-A variant, dispenses BLU-97 combined-effect bomblets for use against soft and area targets. The program completed production mid- 2007 and is integrated on the F/A-18, F-16, F-15E, B-2 and B-52 aircraft. JSOW A-1 has a BLU-111 warhead (insensitive MK-82) and is primarily for the international market. Turkey ordered 50 in 2006.

More than 400 JSOW-As have been used in combat operations, including Iraqi Freedom. The AGM-154C, or JSOW-C variant, incorporates an imaging infrared seeker for high precision and a multistage warhead, which has both a blast- fragmentation and hard-target penetration effect.

Qinetiq stops blowing up goats and national express

Whats qinetiq up to this week?

qinetiq stops blowing up goats
The End of the Underwater Exploding Goat By Ward QinetiQ Group PLC, which ran the tests on the government's behalf, said the tests were conducted in a facility on Britain's south coast, but declined to elaborate. No statement from the Naval Academy mascot, but we can assume that, ...
National Express loses comms boss to QinetiQ National Express's director of group comms is leaving after seven years to take the top PR role at defence and security firm QinetiQ.

FBI lets contractors 'shoot to Kill' - uk next?

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=msvpuQYyRsa6HYpem3I79vC3gs8O/9VH

FBI Deputizes Private Contractors with Extraordinary Powers, Including "Shoot to Kill"
By Matthew Rothschild, The Progressive
The FBI has a new set of eyes and ears, and they're being told to protect their infrastructure at any cost. They can even kill...

03/02/2008

Latest - St Athan project not so bril after all even for the promised McJobs

BBC News 24 Video Clip - Part of Base Training Bid Axed
Rhodri Morgan and friends spraying champers & celebtating but not this year....2008 announcement brings seriously mixed news!

Shropshire Star - Fresh Hope for RAF Base After Failure of Rival Bid Shock collapse of part of rival bid to take the work to South Wales...
Fresh Hope for RAF Base After Failure of Rival Bid
Friday, February 1st, 2008

cosford2.jpgRAF Cosford could be in position to put in a fresh bid to win a lucrative contract for some of the nation’s defence training after the shock collapse of part of the rival bid to take the work to South Wales.


02/02/2008

StAthan academy Phase 2 dropped

St Athan Academy Phase 2 Dropped Could the fact "package 2" of the planned St Athan murder academy has been dropped put a spanner in the works of the whole disastrous plan?

...since you ask ...yes sure hope so

It was revealed yesterday that thie lucrative second pahse of the project, which would have brought logistics, photography, language training and administration under the same roof as the military training provided by phase 1, has now been dropped. That part of the scheme was worth up to £5bn and would have seen around 4,500 people trained on the site.
The BBC and the Western Mail are both reporting that everything will go ahead as planned anyway, but this is a significant blow for Metrix, the private consortium behind the academy.
£5bn is over a third of the £14bn we've been told from the start the combined project is worth. I wonder how many of the mythical 5000 jobs the academy is supposed by many to bring to the Vale will be taken out of the equation by this new development?
In related news: Greg Lewis blogged recently about the fact the BBC's Dragon's Eye programme has finally got around to questioning politicains about the clearly bogus number of jobs many politicians are claiming will be "created" by the murder academy. Check out his post if you have time.

Celebrations at not moving to St Athan!

Bases take over from Deepcut Training programmes carried out at Deepcut army barracks are to be moved to Hampshire bases...won't be moving to South Wales..campaign goes on..

St Athan on Dragon's Eye The BBC's Dragon’s Eye entered the fray last night to raise questions about the actual number of jobs to be created at the St Athan military training academy.

01/02/2008

Raytheon & Cluster bomb JSOW

Raytheon Continuing Investment In JSOW-ER Effort

Trading Markets (press release), CA -
Raytheon is touting JSOW-ER, also known as Block IV, as a weapon that can deliver a range of 300 nautical miles for $350000 or less. ...

Read it up for your self on Raytheons own sales blurb. Must be a good profit here then but no ethics.


Product Data Sheet

JSOW-ER

About 90,000 dollars a pop! The JSOW is just over 13 feet in length and weighs between 1000-1500 pounds. Extra flexibility has been engineered into the AGM-154 by its modular design, which allows several different submunitions, unitary warheads, or non-lethal payloads to be carried. The JSOW will be delivered in three variants, each of which uses a common air vehicle, or truck, while substituting various payloads.Less« Cost ?