Meeting with Dai Lloyd, Leanne Wood, PCS

Campaign to oppose a privatised military academy for St Athan -

On the second anniversary of the announcement there will be a meeting to discuss the £12 billion Academy - the Defence Training Review (DTR) that is on the verge of collapse due to a triple whammy of rising costs, time delays and national security concerns and don't forget our campaigning!

We had confirmation from Dai Lloyd’s office that this Friday’s meeting is at

Friday Jan 16th 12 midday in Conference Room 21, Ty Hywel. Senedd - Ty Hywell is simply the new name for the Welsh Assembly’s former home. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crickhowell_House

Leanne Wood is confirmed to chair it, Dai Lloyd and Bethan Jenkins are confirmed to attend, and Rhodri Glyn Thomas may be coming.

Robin Gwyndaf will be there and Paul Bemrose, full time officer PCS

Two years ago Westminster politicians, Ministry of Defence top brass and their cronies in big business were slapping each other on the back about a new military training academy in St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan. In Wales first Minister Rhodri Morgan was celebrating with champagne on the Senedd steps and the Welsh media crowed about a £14 billion contract and around 5,000 + new ‘high-quality’ jobs.

The plan is now unravelling as it becomes clear it’ll be a complete failure.

Hope to see you there. This is your chance to ask questions.

Questions for AMs Jan 2009

1. Are you happy for this massive PFI to be imposed on Wales?

2. When is there going to be a debate in the Assembly about the St Athan project ?

3. Is the DTR on the brink of collapse?

4. What amount and from which sources is taxpayer’s money involved? How much of this is coming from Wales?

5. Are Members satisfied that if this project falls apart, the Assembly’s budget will not be adversely affected?

6. Have the Welsh Assembly Government been briefed on the latest funding situation since and the withdrawal of LST?

7. Will Metrix make up cash shortfall by training private armies, regardless of their human rights record, and is there anything to stop them doing that?

8. Why are present highly qualified training staff quitting?

9. Why has the St Athan consultation website not been updated and why is still no feed back from the consultations that have already taken place as long ago as July 2008.(http://www.st-athanconsultation.co.uk/)

10. Visitors to the DTA exhibition complained of a “lack of detailed information”. Have the issues raised there been addressed? Will the academy be an “isolated, gated village“? Would nearby towns see an increase in “squaddie rowdiness and drop outs from the academy”?

11. In related news ‘Wales on Line’ reports - £100m plus plan that is being considered, to build a new road to Cardiff International Airport: It has been suggested that the road would be to serve the St Athan training academy. Would it not be an outrage to spend such huge amounts of Welsh public money on feather-bedding the training academy project?

12. Why should Welsh taxpayers subsidise private organisations?

DTR on edge of collapse

is the WAG listening or just ignoring what is going on in the real world - wake up - this St Athan project is doomed!!

UK's Defence Training Review is nearing collapse, warns MP

By Gerrard Cowan Jane’s Defence weekly

31 December 2008

The UK's GBP12 billion (USD18 billion) Defence Training Review (DTR) is on the verge of collapse due to a "triple whammy of rising costs, time delays and national security concerns", Mark Pritchard MP has told Jane's.

The secretary of the Conservative Defence Committee was speaking on 30 December after the National Audit Office (NAO) confirmed media reports that it is considering opening an investigation into the QinetiQ-led project, which is the largest private finance initiative in British history.

In a letter to Pritchard, Tim Burr, NAO head, said: "We will continue to monitor the [defence] department's progress to see whether and when the time might be right to start a full value-for-money investigation."

Pritchard said that the DTR is "a privatisation too far". He said a key driver of rising costs - which went from GBP11 billion to GBP12 billion - and increasing delays was the need to build an infrastructure, including transport links, at RAF St Athan in Wales, which is where the project is based.

No virus found in this outgoing message.
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AUDIT OFFICE TO INVESTIGATE ST ATHAN

If you go to the Daily Mail site you can add comment.

NAO hovering over QinetiQ's £12bn defence contract By Karl West Daily Mail

Last updated at 11:54 PM on 29th December 2008

The National Audit Office has QinetiQ in its sights once again.

The Whitehall spending watchdog is considering launching an investigation into a £12billion defence training contract won by the controversial outsourcing group.

It would be the second time QinetiQ, a former government defence research laboratory, has been at the centre of a probe by the NAO, following a damning report in November 2007 into the firm's flotation.

Investigation: The National Audit Office may look more closely into QinetiQ's recent activities

The troubled contract to train Britain's armed forces, which has seen costs spiral from £11billion to £12billion, has not even started but the government has already spent £34.6million of taxpayers' money on the deal.

Mark Pritchard, Tory MP for The Wrekin in Shropshire, has written to the NAO urging it to look into the defence training review programme.

NAO boss Tim Burr told Pritchard in one letter: 'We will continue to monitor the (defence) department's progress to see whether and when the time might be right to start a full value for money investigation.'

risk to DTR contract too high

Qinetiq falls on concerns about defence outlook
guardian.co.uk - UK
We believe the risk relating to the DTR contract is now too high to warrant a more positive stance." The fall in Qinetiq has contributed to a 101.1 point ...

Qinetiq falls on concerns about defence outlook

Comments (0)

Qinetiq, the defence technology company originally spun out of the Ministry of Defence, has weakened after a sell note from UBS.

Its shares are down 9.75p at 152.5p as UBS downgraded from neutral, and cut its price target from 175p to 155p. Analyst Avi Hoddes said:

"In our view, QinetiQ is trading at a full valuation, yet we believe its outlook is clouded by a number of significant downside risks. We believe it will be very difficult for QinetiQ shares to re-rate until these concerns are addressed. We also believe consensus views on valuation and earnings are at risk of turning more negative."

In particular UBS is concerned about the recent departure of Clive Richardson, the head of the Europe, Middle East and Africa region; the withdrawal of Land Securities' Trillium division from a consortium including Qinetiq bidding for a £12bn MoD contract, as well as growing UK defence budget pressures.

Other possible probems cited by UBS include:

"The risky and lower-quality drivers of EMEA profit growth; the profit headwind once Iraq/Afghanistan winds down and other US budget uncertainties; weaker margin guidance; and) profit and valuation volatility caused by QinetiQ's pension deficit."

It concluded:

"We are lowering our price target primarily driven by the removal of the value we ascribed to the MoD's Defence Training Rationalisation contract following Trillium's withdrawal from the joint venture bid. We believe the risk
relating to the DTR contract is now too high to warrant a more positive stance."

The fall in Qinetiq has contributed to a 101.1 point decline in the FTSE 250 to 6290.47. Meanwhile the FTSE 100 is now down 72.42 points at 4258.24, with the miners leading the fallers. Given the falls in the oil price despite Opec's production cuts and the continuing uncertainty over the fate of the US carmakers, not to mention the global recession, today's falls are not exactly a surprise. The Dow futures are suggesting a 68 point opening decline, as investors await news of any car industry bail out.

Land Secs retreats from £1billion MoD defence academy PFI
Your Defence News (press release), UK - Dec 18, 2008
Land Securities Trillium (LST) has pulled out of a PFI deal to deliver the MoD’s £1bn Defence Technical Academy, after raising concerns about rising costs ...

Adam Price back rowing on military academy?

Adam Price MP has a regular column in the weekly news magazine Golwg. That of 13 November was titled Y ddadl o blaid academi filwrol – ‘The debate in favour of a military academy’.

Much of it discusses the history of militarism in Wales, a comparison with the Scots, and the number of Welsh people in the armed forces historically and today. The part about St Athan actually only comes in the final few sentences as follows, with a translation of it below

Welcome to Adam's new-found sensitivity to Welsh opposition in principle to this major facility for the British military machine (part of Bush's USA in military adventures around the world)... What touching fantasy over changing a military academy run by major arms companies Raytheon, Qinetiq... into a Peace Academy!

Yn yr un modd, tra bod protestio yn erbyn polisiau a rhyfeloedd a dulliau ac arfau milwrol yn ddilys, ydi gwrthwynebu academi hyfforddiant (Academi Filwrol Sain Tathan ym Mro Morgannwg) fel y cyfryw yn gwneud synnwyr? Onid natur yr hyfforddiant ddylai fod ffocws ein gwrthwynebiad ni?

Wedi’r cwbl pan ffurfiwyd West Point gan yr Americanwr o Gymro, Thomas Jefferson, academi heddwch oedd ei weledigaeth e. Oni allwn ni ganolbwyntio ar greu, mewn cysylltiad a’r datblygiad hwn, pwyslais newydd a chanolfan rhyngwladol o ragoriaeth mewn ymdrechion i gadw heddwch.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

In the same way, while it is correct to protest against military policies and means, against wars and arms, does it make sense to oppose a training academy as such (St Athan Military Training Academy in the Vale of Glamorgan)? Should it not be the nature of the training being provided that forms the focus for our opposition?

After all, when West Point was established by that Welsh American, Thomas Jefferson, his vision was of a peace academy. Can’t we concentrate, in relation to this development, on creating a new emphasis on an international centre of excellence in peace keeping activities.

Public Services NOT Private Profit

New group on facebook - and the 1st meeting of Cardiff Public Services NOT Private Profit
is set for the evening of 3rd December.

Meeting will take place at the Welsh Assembly.

Leanne Wood AM is confirmed to speak, more speakers to be announced.

A chance to make your views known and put the privatised military academy on the agenda. The topic that our politicians want to avoid most!

Organised by Marianne Owens, on behalf of Cardiff Public Services NOT Private Profit

Leanne Wood has mental block

This issue of Red Pepper Plaid Cymru Welsh Assembly member Leanne Wood asks
Are the English up for it? Leanne says "we have worked to to develop a progressive Welsh nationalists. Our desire for social justice and equality forms an intrinsic part of our demand for further devolution. And by electing progressive civic nationalists people in wales have shown that the British union is not working for them. ... In Wales, the Plaid/Labour coalition government has firmly rejected privatisation in the NHS or the organisation of such services on market models. The 'One Wales' programme of government states ' We will guarantee public ownership, public funding of this vital public service'. In both scotland and Wales foundation hospitals, school league tables, beacon councils, selective schools and elite academies have all been rejected.

LEANNE GOES ON.."Plaid Cymru and the SNP are introducing social policies that are clearly to the left of New Labour. Both parties are opposed to the war in Iraq and afghanistan, the removal of civil liberties in the name of security (including the introduction of ID cards) and Trident.....
But what we are seeing is the beginnings of an alternative politics. our civic nationalism is anti-imperialist, anti racist and pro-social justice. ....
All too often, nationalism in wales and Scotland has been dismissed by nay on the left as narrow minded, inward looking an exclusive. Those of us who have worked in the anti-war movement and anti-fascist movements find it frustrating to be viewed in this way.......
There is a great deal of potential to develop a much needed new anti-imperalist, left wing culture in England. Yet there is a very real danger that the far right will fill the vacuum as long as the left maintains its mental block...."

Sorry Leanne - you stand accused of 'metal block' and BEING pro-imperalist when you support with New Labour the biggest, craziest PFI ever - to privatise military training and propose to let the biggest imperialist arms companies - that are the war machine - like Raytheon, Serco and Qinetiq and also incompetents EDS run this ACADEMY!!! Even tory MP Pritchard has called the privatisation of military training " a privatisation gone too far."! John Pilger slates the idea "a British "School of the Americas" is to be built in wales! Any dodgy regime, mercenaries could be trained in Wales!
Private eye has exposed the lack of funding, also the MODs own concerns about inferior training,.

Plaid members are largely against it!! Nic Hodges opposes it and your own president!

Leanne Wood has expressed some concerns about the academy ...but fails to give the right reasons...no mention of becoming a cog in the war machine..she says
"The military academy is clearly a non-devolved issue. However, in the Senedd yesterday I asked the Leader of the House, Carywn Jones AM, to allow us a thorough debate on the issue. The reason I am pursuing this is because if the St. Athan project falls apart, we need assurances that the fallout will not affect Wales' budget or the work of the Assembly. We also need confirmation that the development of the academy will not divert construction resources away from the Welsh Quality Housing Standard, because upgrading housing is the real priority for Wales and is something Plaid Minister Jocelyn Davies is purposefully working for."

Lets hope you get a debate on it...at least...Supporting the war machine and landing wales with a huge global military precence will end the hope of Welsh independance as well as your new anti-imperalist, left wing culture. It takes courage to stand up and speak out against the academy.

The question is are you up for it?

Wales must not be a cog in the war machine - Daily Post North Wales

“We must not allow Wales to become a major cog in the military machine, and there are very fundamental questions that must be asked about the military ...
www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2008/.../wales-must-not-be-a-cog-in-the-war-machine-55578-2168526... - 45k -

Wales MEP Jill Evans, who is chair of CND Cymru, said that the commemoration on Monday would also serve as a protest against the St Athan project.

“Wales is recognised for its traditions of peace and reconciliation. Instead the British Government would make us the centre of training for war, putting that training in the hands of multinational arms companies and, at the same time, some politicians continue to make vastly exaggerated claims about the number of jobs they say will be created.”

Mr Iwan, ..said: “When one considers the immense destruction caused by wars and terrorism of all kinds in our world today, it is more evident than ever that we must pursue a more civilised way of settling the world’s problems.

“We must not allow Wales to become a major cog in the military machine, and there are very fundamental questions that must be asked about the military academy at St Athan.”

Welsh Peace campaigners welcome St Athan Military Academy delay

Cynefin y Werin/ Common Ground
All Wales Network for Peace and Justice

press release 11th October 2008 from Jill Gough
press office: t: 0845 313 8 414 m: 07704 67 57 87

Welsh Campaigners Welcome St Athan Standstill
Those working to halt the building of the proposed
Military Academy at St Athan have welcomed this week's
announcement by defence minister Bob Ainsworth that the
decision whether or not to go ahead with the St Athan
Military 'Academy' will not be made until Spring 2009 
- and the contract not to be signed until 15 months
later (1).

While peace and justice campaigners remain resolute
in their campaign to stop the St Athan White Elephant
completely, they consider this hold-up to
be a partial victory in their campaign against
the militarisation of Wales
and the privatisation of the armed forces.


Campaigners against the academy are opposed to
the proposed furthering of the already
over-militarisation of Wales to create 'a place of excellence'
(sic) for new military techniques such as 'remote killing'
using satellite, computer spying and targeting of missiles
and unmanned military vehicle technology.

CND Cymru Chair Jill Evans has opposed the proposals for
St Athan since their inception. St Athan Academy represents
a publically funded privatisation of military training
which would be available to any regime or private company
with the ready cash to pay, and would lock Wales in to a
reliance on the manufacture and sale of armaments.


The St Athan military training proposal is also already
having a'militarising' effect on the curriculum of
educational institutions in South Wales and of the Open
University (2).

At a commemoration ceremony at Penyberth, Lleyn this
September, Dafydd Iwan said:"Wales is recognised for its
traditions of peace and reconciliation. I want
to see those traditions continue, and for us to become
a driving force for peace in the world, a task for which
we have the skills and the potential.

"Instead the British government would make us the centre
of training for war, putting that training in the hands
of multinational arms companies. Itis important that
the facts are revealed. "

"We are opposed to the privatisation of military training." (3) 
Visitors to the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff this summer
overwhelmingly expressed shame and disgust at the idea
of the military educational establishment which would be
the biggest PFI deal in Wales, do nothing to
address the causes of conflict in the world and promote
international economic bullying that does not serve the
poor and needy.

This week's news have caused speculation that by the
spring of 2009, the deepening financial crisis may have
made it even less likely that the St Athan Military Academy
project will actually go ahead.  Despite the credit
crunch, energy crisis and threat of global warming our
Government and its supporters continue to lack the long
term principles and vision necessary to
make the future safer for future generations.

Peace, justice and environmental campaigners are deeply
concerned that as sustainability is a core value for
government in Wales, then this aspiration has been
completely ignored in the rush to hand money over
to multinational arms dealers and their friends.
ENDS

1. Hansard:  House of Commons 9th October 2008 Column
453 Mr. Ainsworth:

"Hon. Members will be aware that progress on defence
training review package

1 has been more difficult and prolonged than expected.
However, I can report that considerable progress has
been made in driving down costs and towards
achieving an affordable, value-for-money package 1,
which is on track for an investment decision next spring,
with the contract signature to come
approximately 15 months later." 

2. "The development of the Defence Training Academy at St. Athan
would have implications for the Education service.  These
ranged from planning and providing school places to the
potential development of new curriculum
pathways for 14-19.  This would need to feature in the
work of the Committee for the foreseeable future."
Vale of Glamorgan Scrutiny Committee January 21
2008.

3. Jill Evans MEP and Dafydd Iwan joined Rev. Guto Prys ap
Gwynfor to light a flame of peace at Penyberth, near Pwllheli
in September this year. The event commemorated the fire lit
by Saunders Lewis, Rev. Lewis Valentine and DJ Davies to stop
the building of a bombing school there in 1936. The event
sent a clear message to the politicians in Cardiff Bay and
London of the need to oppose the proposed military academy
at St Athan.

http://www.cymdeithasycymod.org.uk/saintathan-saesneg.htm+penyberth+cymdeit

www.cymdeithasycymod.org.uk/saintathan-saesneg.htm+penyberth+cymdeithas

4.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. See
http://www.cynefinywerin.org.uk 

Groups active on this campaign include CND Cymru,
Cymdeithas y Cymod and the No2St Athan Military Academy
For interviews or more information contact:

Jill Gough National Secretary CND Cymru: 0845 313 8 414
(until 11am)  07704
675787 after 1pm e: heddwch@cndcymru.org

Dafydd Iwan : Saturday am 07984 202 922
Jill Evans MEP CND Cymru Chair: 01443 434 232 or 07803 902 401 

British defence budge bust

A reality check for Britain's defence strategy

As UK troops risk becoming sidelined in Afghanistan, John Hutton must push for an urgent defence and security review

All comments ()

• article here
  
• • Robert Fox
  • guardian.co.uk,

A senior brigadier's candour about the prospects of beating the Taliban in Afghanistan must have given the new defence secretary John Hutton a bit of jolt just days into his new job. But he should welcome the remarks of Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith about British strategy as a cue for a reality check.

It isn't the only urgent problem in the new minister's in-tray. In fact, it is one of several that will need addressing sooner rather than later – and by that I mean in the next few weeks. It isn't that his predecessor, Des Browne, didn't care. He is said to have been privately anguished by the level of deaths and injuries of British servicemen and women in a conflict in which they have been involved over a longer period than the second world war.

The problem is that both Browne and his prime minister avoided public pronouncements about the aim of British strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan, what it might realistically achieve and when the troops could come home.

The problems now facing Hutton are that British forces and their equipment are facing exhaustion after five-and-a-half years in Iraq and seven in Afghanistan. Though most of the troops will come out of Iraq next summer, they will do so with little sense of success and with the opprobrium of the Americans, the ally whose cause took them there in the first place.

The British division will pull out of Basra by midsummer, to be replaced by a US divisional command. In theory this should save between £500m and £750m from the UK budget. But it probably won't. Replacing their kit, training and redeployment – most likely to Afghanistan – will eat up a large slice of that saving........................"Increasingly the allies, even the ones doing the fighting like the Canadians, Dutch, Danes and Brits are becoming bit players – a sideshow," a British commander told me recently. "This is now an American mission."

The new American commander for US forces across the region, General David Petraeus, believes he can use the same tactics he has just employed in Iraq. He wants there now to be a surge of allied forces into Afghanistan in the way he believes that the surge of 35,000 extra American forces into Iraq have turned round security there – though some say the picture isn't as simple as that. He is preparing to dispatch a further 15,000 US forces to Kabul by the spring. On his visit to London last week he was evidently seeking the UK government to match this by sending the bulk of the forces being pulled out of Iraq next year of around 3,500 to Afghanistan.

The most Britain can send now is a few hundred extra specialists, engineers, signalers, logisticians and the like. There is an unspoken reluctance to commit further because of misgivings about the American approach to spreading the war into Pakistan and because the British defence budget is bust – or even worse than bust. In July, Bush signed an unpublished operational order authorising American ground forces as well as drones and aircraft to raid into Taliban and al-Qaida sanctuary zones inside Pakistan....

For British ministers like Hutton, the picture is made darker still by the disastrous state of defence finances. Equipment programmes that should run at an average of £16bn over the next 10 years are now expected to soar to more than double that at £35bn. There are problems with big-ticket items such as the new Nimrod surveillance plane and the recently installed Bowman communications system (at £2.2bn) that cannot meet today's requirements for battlefield and strategic communications. The extra £3bn for the Astute submarine programme for this year and the next has already been blown, according to defence industry sources and more funds will be required to get the programme up and running fully. Some in-house MoD analysts and critics are warning that Britain cannot afford to run all three armed services at their present premier division level – some even say that the navy may have to choose between running aircraft carriers and submarines.

"Things are really about to implode," a senior MoD advisers said privately this last week. Gordon Brown had hoped that he could put off a proper defence and security review until after the next election. Now he and his new defence secretary may find they are forced to carry one out very soon. It cannot be the usual "carry on chaps" approach of so many recent policy utterances from MoD in recent years.

This time it will have to assess what Britain really needs and can really do for its own security – and that doesn't necessarily mean treating America as the senior partner at all turns.

This time the review will have to be properly costed – which the last one, in 1998, was not. For it to have any realistic and lasting value it will also have to examine what we have learned from our mistakes and shortcomings since we went piling into Afghanistan and then Iraq since 2001. It is too late for protecting tender egos: a grown-up inquest into the Afghan and Iraq campaigns may avert even worse disasters ahead.

Residents oppose airport road for St Athan Academy

No Ely Valley Airport Road

The Vale of Glamorgan Council has twice rejected proposals for a major new road linking junction 34 of the M4 to Sycamore Cross. The Welsh Assembly Government seem to be the driving force behind this, and it could be that airport traffic is a smokescreen for improved access to the Defence Academy at St Athan or other developments in the south of the Vale.

Anyone concerned about the loss of the Vale countryside may like to know that Vale MP John Smith has already given assurance to the Welsh Affairs Committee in the Commons in support of the Metrix Bid for St Athan "We have the total support of the local authority ... many of the of those planning and infrastructure considerations have already been addressed by the body that will be responsible for delivering them, underwritten by the Welsh Assembly Government. We are not going to have problems with green belt issues and planning issues...."
(Hansard 23 May 2006, Q58)
The Assembly wants an industrial trunk road through the Ely Valley.

However there is opposition to the proposed road.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/10/02/residents-oppose-cardiff-airport-access-road-91466-21946663/

Residents oppose Cardiff airport access road

Oct 2 2008 by Peter Collins, South Wales Echo

ANGRY residents campaigning against plans to build an access road to Cardiff International Airport mounted a protest in Barry yesterday.

The Welsh Assembly Government has asked for the public’s view on three options for a road to the airport. But many people in the Vale do not want to see a new road at all.

A report on the three options was presented to the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s cabinet yesterday members of an anti-access road action group held a demonstration outside the Civic Offices, in Barry.

Two of the three options centre on the A4232 from Junction 33 of the M4, while the third promotes a new road link south of Junction 34 of the M4 with an eastern or western bypass at Pendoylan before linking with the A48 at Sycamore Cross.

The third option was put forward by the Welsh Assembly Government in 2003 and was opposed by the Vale council. It was later withdrawn.

Coun Jeff James, the council’s cabinet member for planning, said councillors were not being asked to support or oppose any of the three options at this stage.

He said: “The council need to be fully engaged in this issue and will have to take a long hard view of the preferred option or options when it is announced by the Welsh Assembly Government.”

Matthew Rees, a member of the NEVAR (No Ely Valley Airport Road) said with the airport shrinking and airlines pulling out there was no need for an access road.

He said: “They are planning to spend £130m of taxpayers money for no good reason. As far as we are concerned the access to the airport is adequate already.

“The third option would have the most environmental impact and would destroy virgin agricultural land.”

Peterston-Super-Ely resident Roy Williams said there had no consultation on the premise that there should be an access road to the airport.

He said: “We get the feeling that we are being manipulated.”

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/10/01/boost-for-st-athan-academy-jobseekers-91466-21936704/

BBC NEWS | Wales | Villagers' demo over airport link

- 16:191 Oct 2008 ... Members of No Ely Valley Airport Access Road (Nevar) held a protest outside the Vale of Glamorgan council's headquarters in Barry. ...

£100m transport boost on back of St Athan - WalesOnline

Bus or coach links from Miskin Parkway to the airport and St Athan; ... be some distance west of St Athan village, for easy access to the military academy. ...

No2 Road South from Junction 34 for Military Academy

boost for St Athan academy jobseekers PLANS for a multi-million-pound learning centre on the Barry waterfront to help train young people for jobs at the landmark defence academy in St Athan have been given a major final boost. Read

Can the Vale Cope with Defence Academy project without funds for new roads?

‘Act now on airport road’ – call by the Vale MP

Vale MP, John Smith, is calling for action to ease congestion at Culverhouse Cross and improve roads to Cardiff International Airport and the planned Defence Training Academy at St Athan. Mr Smith said: “While I recognise the need for a long-term solution in the form of a direct link from the M4 to the airport and the Defence Academy, there is need for immediate action. I shall be writing to the Welsh Assembly Government as part of its consultation on improving access to Cardiff International Airport, urging them to examine the possibility of improvements to the present airport access route from junction 33 of the M4 via Culverhouse Cross through north Barry and to the Airport and St Athan. “I believe there is an urgent need for a dedicated route to Barry skirting the western side of Culverhouse Cross. “This would provide vital breathing space while a new long-term solution is built from the M4 to the airport and the Defence Academy,” the MP insisted.

Copyright Tindle Newspapers Ltd 07 December 07

Defence jobs move to be clarified

RAF Cosford missed out on the training contract

A decision on the future of a Shropshire RAF base which missed out on a £16bn contract is expected to be revealed by the Ministry of Defence.

Hundreds of defence jobs were set to move from RAF Cosford to RAF Athan in south Wales, after the Metrix Consortium won the contract last year.

However, recently concerns have been raised about whether the plans were affordable amid rising costs.

The MoD said the move will go ahead and is set to clarify its position soon.

It was expected to give more details on Thursday, although its official announcement may not now be made until 23 September.

The Metrix Consortium won the major defence-training deal with the MoD in January 2007 beating a rival bid from RAF Cosford.

Following a review of defence training needs, Defence Secretary Des Browne said it would set up a new armed forces tri-service centre at RAF Athan which would create about 5,000 jobs.

However, in recent months, doubts have been raised about whether the Metrix plans were affordable, with the current economic climate being blamed for rising costs.

The future of RAF Cosford's Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering has been unclear since last year's announcement.

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) has contested the decision and fought to keep the defence jobs in Shropshire

Question Carwyn Jones AM on the militrary academy!

Bridgend CND in conjunction with Bridgend Quakers are holding a meeting this Thursday, 4th September, 7:30pm, in the Friends Meeting House (87, Park Street, Bridgend) with Carwyn Jones AM "answering" questions on the proposed St Athan military academy.

Why not use this opportunity to get some questions together.

Mr. Jones should not leave with the idea that only a few in the area are concerned about this issue

If you could give anyone a lift to the meeting or need help with a lift please let me know

The contact for Bridgend CND is Pete Thompson

3 Litchard Hill,

Bridgend,

SA6 8HS.

01656 648 817

petehommo@gn.apc.org

St Athan secret and on the rocks?

St Athan secret and on the rocks?

UKDF Defence Viewpoints

Up-to-the-minute opinions and perspectives on defence and security issues from policy makers and opinion formers.

UKDF Defence Viewpoints - http://ukdf.blogspot.com/

15 August 2008

“Cloak of invisibility” over St Athan’s progress

It seems the MoD still wants to play its cards close to its chest over the development of RAF St Athan. Witness the following, taken from a recent FOI request for the Minutes of Board meetings on the matter,

“The last Programme Executive Board (PEB) Minutes (dated 16 June 2008) contain some sensitive Programme information which could undermine the confidentiality of the MOD’s position in advance of continuing negotiations with the Metrix Consortium. Such information is of a restricted nature and underpins our negotiating position, disclosure of which could hinder the MOD’s ability to achieve value for money. It is not in the public interest to have this position eroded and therefore these Minutes will not be published. The Minutes will be withheld under section 43 (Commercial Interests) of the FOI Act.”

As with all these kind of things, there is weighing up of the pros and cons attached to the response. Tellingly, we have,

“Disclosure of the information for Package 1 contained in the Minutes of the requested PEB meeting would undermine the confidentiality of the MOD’s position in advance of the further negotiations with Metrix. These further discussions are central to the Programme’s way forward in concluding the clarification and confirmation phase of the work (which will inform the investment decision).”

So, basically, the devil is going to be in the detail, and the MOD wants to make sure that the small print is best suited to its purposes. This does beg a few questions, of course: what is the MOD looking to include, what are the chances of it getting the outcome it’s looking for, and what will it get in the end?

It seems only time will tell…

Footnote:

By way of reminder, Package 1 is all about training for engineering and communications, in particular for REME and the Royal Signals, and it must, by EU law, be assessed separately from Package 2 (training for logistics, policing, languages, intelligence, and security, involving other bases). The initial DTR decisions split the two for the sake of “risk management” (see [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmwelaf/1657/1657.pdf] , which coincidently includes an MOD promise to “meet our obligations under the Freedom of Information Act”, and [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmwelaf/1129/1129.pdf]), even though Metrix ended up the preferred bidder for both.

UKDF Defence Viewpoints: “Cloak of invisibility” over St Athan’s ...

1. It seems the MoD still wants to play its cards close to its chest over the development of RAF St Athan. Witness the following, taken from a recent FOI ... ukdf.blogspot.com/2008/08/cloak-of-invisibility-over-st-athans.html - 87k - Cached

2. 
   

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Police drop top secret NETCU guide to policing protest

Internet coup! NETCU anti-protest guide hits the public domain

5 August, 2008 here · No Comments

Oops! Police at the Climate Camp in Kent have dropped a clanger - or more specifically a copy of their demonstrators=turrists handbook, the NETCU Policing Protest Pocket Legislation Guide (“For Police Use Only”).

NETCU? Who they? Well, the National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit “forms part of the national policing response to domestic extremism”, and gives advice to individual police forces and other ‘enforcement agencies’ relating to this. There’s even a handy little biography on the inside page of Policing Protest (with even handier contact details):

NETCU provides tactical advice and guidance on policing single-issue domestic extremism. The unit also supports companies and other organisations that are the targets of domestic extremism campaigns. NETCU reports through the National Coordinator for Domestic Extremism (NCDE) to the Association of Chief Police Officers Terrorism and Allied Matters - ACPO(TAM) committee.

National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit (NETCU)
PO Box 525, Huntingdon, PE29 9AL
Tel: 01480 425091
Fax: 01480 425007
Email: mailbox@netcu.pnn.police.uk
Web: www.netcu.org.uk

Freedom of Information
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 applies to public authorities in England and Wales. Under the Act, organisations listed in Schedule 1 to the Act - either by name or by description - have to provide public access to information they hold. NETCU is not a public authority as defined by Schedule 1 and therefore there are no obligations on NETCU to disclose information under the Act. Police forces are advised not to release this guide following freedom of information requests.

Edition 2 - November 2007

It could be seen as a successor to projects such as ARNI, the Animal RIghts National Index which was subsequently rolled out to encompass a wide range of environmental and social activists.

One can also see it in the context of the ‘Green Scare‘, the post-COINTELPRO pursuit of the ELF and others in the United States.

And let us also consider NETCU’s targeting of groups it considers to be engaged in ‘tertiary terrorism’ (most notably animal rights campaigns such as SHAC).

From creating databases which log the activities of entirely lawful groups and individuals, through to the arbitrary casting of politically-motivated behaviours beyond the spheres of the lawful, unlawful or criminal into the less rationally-bound romper room labelled terrorism (with all its attendant emotional responses); that is the nature of the NETCU game.

In other words, through bureaucratic manoeuvring, artless sophistry and ideologically-motivated authoritarianism, NETCU shifts the goalposts for what passes for legal protest. Thus a terrorist is not defined by her or his actions, but by having been labelled a terrorist (by way of ‘domestic extremist’). Thus terrorism is not “the systematic use of terror, esp as a means of coercion” (Penguin Pocket English Dictionary, 1990), it is any activity undertaken by those previously defined by the new terms of reference as ‘terrorists’.

That the NETCU website is liberally sprinkled with pictures of yogurt-weaving peace marchers, clowns(!) and, erm, the Countryside Alliance should give an indication of exactly whom the organisation considers a ‘domestic extremist’ - that’s right, pretty much anyone who ever dares dissent from the Westminster-approved script.

So read the Policing Protest book and find out how you should behave in future lest you accidentally become a dangerous terrorist.

Links:

• Policing Protest story on IndyMedia (part 1)
• Policing Protest story on IndyMedia (part 2)
• Policing Protest (PDF) (v1)
• NETCU Watch (anti-NETCU blog)

Response of Raytheon 9 to their acquittal

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/87945
Statement issued by the DAWC, calling for Raytheon to be prosecuted
The six anti-war activists who occupied arms manufacturer Raytheon's offices in Derry and destroyed its computers have been acquitted by a jury in Belfast. Derry Anti War Coalition calls on the office of the Attorney General and the Crown Prosecution Service, in light of the jury's verdict of 'not guilty' to criminal damage charges, to institute an investigation into the activities of Raytheon at its various plants across the UK, with a view to determining whether Raytheon is a criminal enterprise.

Raytheon disappointed by verdictBBC News, The defence company Raytheon has said it is disappointed that six men accused of destroying property at its plant in Londonderry were found not guilty. ..http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/foyle_and_west/7449983.stm

Wales sold to war profiteers

Wales is fast becoming a TOTAL MILITARY TRAINING ZONE!
RAF Valley Privatised - More unaccountable war profiteers/arms dealers/clusterbomb manufacturers coming to Wales!!!

War is the oldest, the most profitable and the most vicious racket—one in which the profits are measured in dollars/pounds and the losses in body bags. The insanity of militarism is forced on Wales by New Labour without a cheep of protest.

Who has decided on this in Wales? Has it been discussed at the Welsh Assembly? Our Welsh politicians need to take a reality check!

RAF Valley currently trains air force and navy officers to fly jet planes. The new PFI scheme at RAF Valley will be the first step in a 25 year programme to be delivered by Ascent, the MoD's private training service provider - the total programme value is estimated to be worth up to £6 billion over the 25 years

The base at RAF Valley on Anglesey will be ‘upgraded’ as part of a PFI scheme that sees flying training for the RAF, Army and Navy run by a private firm, Ascent – a joint venture by US giant Lockheed Martin and VT Group, based in Southampton. All fast-jet pilot training will now take place at Valley, where pilots will use the new Hawk 128 aircraft.

Same old myths! The Ministry of Defence said the PFI deal would help cut costs and simplify a fragmented training system, as well bringing jobs to the area. Same old spin! dont believe a word of it.

VT Group, makes high-tech products for the military and intelligence services, and transport security firm TRL as well as defence industry stalwarts, BAE Systems, Meggitt, and Smiths Group, all suppliers to aviation and defence industry.

Private corporations working for profit now sway the course of national and international conflict, but shouldn’t the Welsh people be told the consequences. Are these huge multinational companies accountable and are they accountable in any way to the politicians and people of WALES? Answer..NO!

Human Rights Watch April 2008
The following US companies are associated with the current production of cluster
munitions and their submunitions: Aerojet, Alliant TechSystems, General Dynamics, L-3
Communications, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Textron Defense Systems.

Hawk
Armament: AIM-9 Sidewinder, Aden 30mm, Cluster Bombs
The T1A has two under-wing pylons cleared to carry BL755 cluster bombs or Sidewinder AIM-9L air-to-air missiles, and can carry a 30mm Aden cannon in a pod underneath the fuselage centre-line.

Top Guns to get training centre liftic Wales, United Kingdom - 4 hours agoA NEW training centre for Top Gun RAF pilots will be built in Wales in a new £635m deal announced by the Ministry of Defence. ...
Training deal to secure RAF baseBBC News, UK - 2 Jun 2008A multimillion-pound deal .. military training at RAF Valley on Anglesey is expected to be confirmed later. The base would deliver all ...
History
Written Ministerial Statements — Defence: Training (2 Jun 2008)
Bob Ainsworth: I am pleased to announce the award of a contract to Ascent valued at £63.5 million, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and VT Group, for the UK military flying training system, which is designed to meet the long-term flying training needs of the UK armed forces. Ascent has been appointed as training system partner to work with the Ministry of Defence to incrementally procure and...

Written Ministerial Statements — Defence: Military Flying Training (30 Nov 2006)
Derek Twigg: I am pleased to announce that the Ascent Consortium has been selected as the preferred bidder for the UK military flying training system (UKMFTS) training system partner. The Ascent Consortium consists of Lockheed Martin and the VT Group. The training system partner will ... read the spin.....work with the Ministry of Defence to deliver a long-term, cost effective, flexible training capability for the future...oh yeah!!! don't think so!

anti terror laws will stop peaceful protest

New Labour stop the rot NOW. Will we be able to do a Monbiot after this new terror legislation? Will we be able to make a peaceful protest against corporate war profiteers?

A letter today in the guardian by Lord Rea and others ....says that this is about more than 42 days tells us that Increasingly, "anti-terror" powers are used to convict individuals merely for alleged membership of "proscribed" political organisations, for possessing DVDs, for downloading web pages and to harass protesters for peaceful activities.

The police are increasingly abusing their powers in relation to section 12 and 14 of the public order act. In Cardiff protesters were banned from marching through Cardiff city centre as police invoked the public order act to minimise the visibility of the demonstration against the St Athan military academy. Police also insisted that written applications would be needed for further protests and threatened march organisers with arrest if anything untoward should happen at the event.

The pretext for the clampdown was that police ‘intelligence’ suggested that disruptive elements were targeting the march. It is simply enough that is an allegation is made?

The protest was against privatising MILITARY training to Raytheon - arms dealers and Serco and other corporate war profiteers on the New Labour delusion that it will save money! Services need to be accountable AND IN THE INTERESTS OF the community not corporations. See http://www.thegodsthatfailed.co.uk/?p=26

Counter-terror powers are already more than sufficient and there should not be more laws that will further permit police harassment of peaceful protesters and the protection of coporate interests.

Write to your mp asking them to vote against 2008 counter-terrorism Bill.

How can I get involved?
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Facebook Not a Day Longer

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8018032131

- Help us find out which Labour MPs oppose these plans. See: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=8018032131&topic=3550

- Sign the e-petition on the Downing Street website
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/notadaylonger/

- Write to your MP and tell them you oppose these plans!
http://www.writetothem.org

If you want to know how your MP votes, try this: http://www.theyworkforyou.org
which allows users to see their MP's voting record.

VOICES AGAINST
Recently, a whole range of establishment figures have spoken out against extending the 28 days detention period.
http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2007/11/23/28-days-list-of-names-against-extension/

These include:
Lord Goldsmith, former attorney general;
Ken Macdonald, director of public prosecutions and head of CPS;
Lord Woolf, former lord chief justice;
Vera Baird QC, solicitor-general;
Jonathan Evans, head of MI5;
Lord Falconer, former lord chancellor

Lord Rea, Sir Geoffrey Bindman, Bruce Kent Honorary vice president, CND, Dr Caroline Lucas MEP, Elfyn Llwyd MP, Frances Webber barrister, Jean Lambert MEP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, John McDonnell MP, Jonathan Bloch councillor, Lindsey German Stop the War Coalition, Liz Davies chair, Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, Louise Christian solicitor, Mark Oaten MP, Mark Thomas comedian and journalist, Massoud Shadjareh Islamic Human Rights Commission, Moazzam Begg spokesman for Cageprisoners and former Guantanamo detainee, Nicholas Hildyard policy analyst, Saleh Mamon Campaign Against Criminalising Communities, Victoria Brittain journalist

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jun/03/terrorism.justice?gusrc=rss&feed=politics

most Conservative and Libdem MPs are also against it.

Human rights group Liberty
http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/

Justice
http://www.justice.org.uk

openDemocracy's British blog: OurKingdom
http://ourkingdom.opendemocracy.net