Galway Air Show This Weekend

by iosaf Wed Jul 02, 2003 15:05

didn't they tell you in demonology class that the angels of Death belong to the choirs of heavenly hosts? The angel of Death is not a bad one, so you must re-think your title. It is perhaps one of the most curious signs of psycho-pathological spirituality that so many soldiers and others feel the need make reference to the Angel of Death, and it is perhaps worthy of comment that of the official enfringements of military code [the painting of slogans on military equipment] [which are semi-officially encouraged] the Angel of Death occurs as frequently as the Skull and Crossbones.

{if you're ever in doubt about the angel-ology or hagiography or any of that stuff, you can always send me a mail).

by *$* Wed Jul 02, 2003 16:47

Thought it was a Slayer song about Josef Mengele....

Angel of Death
Monarch to the kingdom of the dead
Infamous butcher,
Angel of Death.........

by Osama Wed Jul 02, 2003 17:22

With one of the Stingers the CIA gave me to bring down Soviet helicopters in Afghanistan.

by Wing Commander Peter Hadden QMP - HMSP Wed Jul 02, 2003 18:01

Hurray for the Red Arrows!

by Ciaron Thu Jul 03, 2003 18:33

No worries mate, we'll be deploying (hitching to Galway) to Catholic Workers from our rapid deployment unit.

You just sit comfortably there & contemplate the metaphors. Enjoy the show, when Hawks are seen in the skies of other places it's terror, so it's a weird world that there for your entertainment and sedation. One of the fringe benefits of being a privileged white boy uhhh - bask!

Check out "Seeds of Hope" on the accompanying website.

by Ciaron Thu Jul 03, 2003 18:36

Whoops better make that,
"Seeds of Hope" on


www.plowsharesactions.org

by Mark Doris - West Papua Action Fri Jul 04, 2003 12:23 wpaction at iol dot ie 134 Phibsborough Road, Dublin 7. 01 860 3431

TAPOL briefing
2 July 2003

[If you are a UK reader, we would encourage you to use this document to
lobby your MP and the Foreign Office for a military embargo against
Indonesia. A formatted version of the document is available on the TAPOL
website at tapol.gn.apc.org/st030702.htm]


THE USE OF BRITISH MILITARY EQUIPMENT IN ACEH:

THE CASE FOR A MILITARY EMBARGO AGAINST INDONESIA

Chronology

8 May 2003
Jakarta Post reports plans by the Indonesian military (TNI) to deploy
Scorpion tanks to Aceh (see also The Observer, 11 May).

19 May
Indonesia launches military offensive in Aceh and uses four Hawk-200
fighter jets to escort troop-carrying transport planes and to intimidate
people on the ground in low-flying 'shock-and-awe' operations.

A military spokesman says the Hawks '.could well be used [in a direct
attack role] if we wanted to' [The Guardian, 20 May].

21 May
Armed forces Commander-in-Chief, General Endriartono Sutarto, says he is
not concerned about promises made before the purchase of the Hawks: 'In
order to cover the whole region and complete the job, I am going to use
what I have. After all, I have paid already' [The Guardian, 22 May].

25 May
Unconfirmed report that Hawks used in bombing raids in three sub-districts
of North Aceh [TAPOL source].

Free Aceh Movement (GAM) reports Hawks are used to attack villages near
Lhokseumawe, North Aceh. The army's chief spokesman, General Sjafrie
Sjamsoeddin, says there is no problem with the use of the Hawks: 'For us,
we have already paid so there is no problem. We use fighters to defend our
sovereignty.' [The Times, 26 May]

28 May
Air Force chief-of-staff, Marshall Chappy Hakim, says the aircraft would be
used in the interests of the nation and state. He also says the
possibility of using the Hawks in Aceh was discussed with British
Ambassador two months previously and no objection had been raised. [Antara,
Kompas, detik (Indonesian dailies), 28/29 May]

1 June
Unconfirmed report that Hawks took part in bombing raids in villages in
East Aceh and North Aceh. Several homes are destroyed [TAPOL source].

3/4 June
Foreign Office Minister, Mike O'Brien, visits Jakarta to discuss the war in
Aceh and the use of British equipment with President Megawati and Foreign
Minister, Hasan Wirayuda. A foreign ministry spokesman denies the
existence of any agreement concerning the use of the Hawks: '..we conveyed
to (O'Brien) that there was no such agreement'. He said the main issue was
whether a sovereign country that bought arms 'with good intention and using
taxpayers' money will continue to be hassled by the selling country each
time it uses those weapons. Furthermore any 'gentleman's agreement' over
the use of the Hawks only existed 'for the East Timor case and not for the
Aceh case, which is totally different' [AFP, 3 June].

O'Brien says: 'I hope that we will not have to take a view that our
relationships with the armed forces would be affected if this agreement is
broken', but he also warns that future spare parts deals could be affected
[AFP, 4 June].

5 June
An Air Force spokesman says the TNI 'reserved the right to use the Hawks in
a combat role.' [Jakarta Post, 6 June]


12 June
In answer to parliamentary questions by Jeremy Corbyn, Mike O'Brien states:

'Before August 2002, the Indonesian government provided assurances that
British-supplied military equipment would not be used in Aceh or be used
anywhere in Indonesia against civilians to prevent the exercise of their
rights of free expression, assembly and association or other international
human rights standards. The Indonesian government added that if, against
expectations, they were to contemplate the use of such equipment in Aceh at
a later stage they would inform the British government in advance.

'In August 2002 the British government received advance notification from
the Indonesian government that they may deploy British-built military
equipment to Aceh for casualty removal and logistics. Hawk jets do not
perform these tasks. Ministers agreed in September 2002 to fresh assurances
that British-built equipment would not be used to violate human rights
anywhere in Indonesia nor would the equipment be used offensively. The
assurances apply to all British-supplied military equipment. I emphasised
the continuing importance we attach to the assurances during my recent
visit to Indonesia.

'I visited Indonesia on 3 - 4 June 2003, and raised the issue of
British-supplied military equipment with President Megawati and senior
members of the Indonesian government. I reminded them of the assurances
about the use of British-supplied military equipment in Aceh, and warned of
the possible consequences for defence sales and defence relationships if
there was a breach of the assurances. I also stressed that Indonesian
military action in Aceh should be proportionate and in accordance with
international standards on human rights.

'The Indonesian government confirmed that British-supplied Hawk aircraft
were used in Aceh on 19 May but claimed that they were not used in
violation of the assurances. We will be using all available sources of
information to monitor the use of British-supplied equipment and will
follow up all credible allegations on the misuse of British-supplied
equipment.'

16 June
AFP reports that Hawks and US-made Bronco aircraft are used to drop 'sonic
bombs' in North Aceh to 'disturb the concentrations of GAM troops' [it is
thought that the reference should not be to 'sonic bombs', but to 'sonic
booms', which are being used as part of 'shock therapy' tactics].

17 June
Former Defence Minister and Indonesian Ambassador to the UK designate,
Juwono Sudarsono, advises exporting countries not to expect Indonesia not
to use equipment such as Hawks and Scorpions: 'As I see it, once the
weapons have been sold, Indonesia should not be expected to abide by
restrictive conditions on their use. Conditions should not be made
binding, except as part of a gentleman's agreement' [Jakarta Post, 18 June].

23 June
Coordinating Minister for Security and Political Affairs, Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, says it is not acceptable for the Indonesian people to spend
money for the purchase of planes that could not them be used to defend
their own country: 'Our people cannot agree to rigid conditions being
imposed' [Waspada (Indonesian daily), 23 June].


23 June
36 Scorpion tanks deployed to Aceh. The senior military spokesman in Aceh,
Colonel Ditya Sudarsono, says the tanks will be used offensively as 'a key
part of our campaign to finish off the separatists' [The Guardian, 24 June]

I July
UK Government publishes its annual report on strategic exports for 2002.
The value of licences to Indonesia increases from £2 million in 2000 to
£15.5 million in 2001 to £41 million in 2002. Items covered by the 2002
licences include aircraft cannons; components for missile launching
equipment; components for combat aircraft, combat helicopters, and tanks;
and armoured all wheel drive vehicles.

The case for an embargo

When challenged on its policy on arms sales to Indonesia, the British
Government has over time variously stated - in replies to parliamentary
questions and in letters from Ministers etc. - that Indonesia has given
'assurances' that British military equipment will not be used for 'for
internal repression', 'in counter-insurgency operations', 'offensively' or
'to suppress human rights' anywhere in Indonesia.

The very deployment of the Hawks and Scorpions to Aceh is without question
a breach of these 'assurances'. The equipment is playing a key role in a
major military offensive; it is not in Aceh for harmless display purposes.

TAPOL and others have long maintained that Indonesia's 'assurances' are
worthless given its record of repeatedly using imported equipment in East
Timor, Aceh and West Papua and against its own citizens. It is clear from
the statements quoted above that military chiefs do not intend to comply
with any restrictions on the use of the equipment and that they regard the
'assurances' as either non-existent or non-binding. This makes the
British Government's continued reliance on them untenable.

The Government's assertion that it will monitor the use of the equipment
and follow up credible allegations of misuse smacks of complacency or,
worse, a desperate desire to do nothing which will upset the lucrative arms
trade with Indonesia. The huge increase in the value of exports in 2002,
noted above, suggests that the latter is the primary motivating factor.

By indicating that it will only take action after the equipment has been
misused, the Government is effectively saying that it will wait until the
equipment is used to perpetrate human rights violations (most likely the
killing of civilians) before it will do anything more. The implication
that the onus is on people on the ground to produce 'credible' evidence of
the misuse of equipment is an appalling abdication of responsibility by the
British Government.

We firmly believe it is intolerable for the Government to engage with the
TNI on a business-as-usual basis and we are urging it to:

1. Impose an embargo on the supply of military, security and police
equipment to Indonesia, to include contracts agreed before the entry into
force of the embargo;

2. Insist on the withdrawal from Aceh of all military equipment supplied by
Britain;

3. Suspend all forms of co-operation with the Indonesian military and
police special forces to include training, participation in seminars and
conferences and all other exchanges; and


4. Press the European Union to impose similar restrictive measures against
Indonesia.

2 July 2003









**************************************************
Paul Barber
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign,
25 Plovers Way, Alton Hampshire GU34 2JJ
Tel/Fax: 01420 80153
Email: plovers@gn.apc.org
Internet: http://tapol.gn.apc.org
Defending victims of oppression in Indonesia,
1973-2003
**************************************************

by Ciaron Sat Jul 05, 2003 17:21

See page 6 of Saturdays Independent on security at Shannon Airport "for 2 U.S. A 10 Thunderbolts used extensivley in the recent war on Iraq heading for Sunday's Galway Air Show. A10 Warthog's fire depleted uranium rounds from mounted gattling gun (over a million fired in the first Gulf War, not sure about A10 Thunderbolts?????)

See page 2 of Saturday's Irish Times for local opposition to the Air Show and the issues of illegality of the Show etc.

See the accompanying website for "Seeds of Hope" disarmament of British Aerospace Hawk fighter also on display.

Catholic Worker crew heading to Galway. Womens Strike for Peace & local Galway peace group also gathering etc.