Privacy's Twilight: Rise Of The Total Surveillance Society

We may be the last generation that will have ever known privacy. Every day, we are one step closer to the Total Surveillance Society. Every day, we lose a little more of that part of being human that claims the right to be left alone, that knows freedom from the prying eyes of the corporate state, that has the boldness to claim some inner sanctum.

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U.S. Intelligence: Burundi May Be Developing Telephone

WASHINGTON — According to a report released by the Pentagon, evidence suggests that the small Central African nation of Burundi may be developing a telephone, and experts warn the country could be just 10 years away from achieving a dial tone. "If Burundi's telephone has long-distance capabilities, it will be possible for them to reach the continental United States and parts of Canada with just the push of several buttons," CIA spokesman Richard Caburn said. "Thankfully, we possess advanced caller ID technology, so if they ever decide to call, we will be prepared." The Pentagon has mailed Burundi a letter asking them to end their communications program immediately, and has not ruled out the option of a preemptive nuclear strike on the nation.

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McCain: "Maybe that's a way of killing 'em,"

Presidential candidate John McCain, who once sang in jest about bombing Iran, on Tuesday reacted to a report that $158 million in cigarettes have been shipped to Iran during George W. Bush's presidency despite restrictions on U.S. exports to that country, by saying it may be "a way of killing 'em."

U.S. exports to Iran have increased 10 fold during the last 7 years

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See also -

Bull semen and cigarettes

Bully for you, Iran

World Youth Day Police State 2008

In what has become the “norm” whenever any freak show rolls into an Australian town, citizens of NSW will find themselves under the imposition of a Police State for Catholic World Youth Day 2008. This follows on from similar population control measures in the great APEC circus of 2007.

When Pope Benedict XVI, affectionately known to many as the Rottweiler, visits Sydney for World Youth Day in July, anyone wishing to protest this event and or the Catholic Churches policies in general will be effectively censored from doing so.

The NSW Government has seen fit to enact special laws for the event on its own initiative, bypassing the normal parliamentary processes for such legislating.

The regulations were gazetted on June 25, declaring many Sydney area locations as “a World Youth Day declared area”. Within declared areas an authorised person (not police only) may direct any other person to cease engaging in conduct that causes annoyance or inconvenience to pilgrims. Failure to comply with a directive can result in arrest and a fine of up to $5,500.

Note – The words “cease engaging in conduct that causes annoyance or inconvenience” should technically leave the public free to instigate as many annoyances or inconveniences as they wish providing they cease upon direction.

The declared zones encompass near half of Sydney, they include Sydney Opera House, Royal Botanic Gardens, The Domain, Hyde Park, Central Station, Darling Harbour, Centennial Parklands, Randwick Racecourse and Sydney Harbour Bridge to name a few. For the full list visit this link

So why would people want to protest against this gathering of Catholics or the Catholic Church in general? Apart from the obvious, 2000 years of persecution by the Christian faith upon anyone who dare not fear their vengeful God; there are a few specific and relevant issues of conjecture, such as the $22m Federal Government donation towards funding the event. This obscene waste of public money was one of the last bastard acts promised by the Howard Government in its last days on Earth but has been honoured by current Government. In addition the NSW state Gov will shell out a whopping $86m for event costs such as extra transport and police.

Another matter of discontent amongst various community members is the Catholic Church’s homophobic doctrine and more specifically it’s banning of a gay Catholic group forum from the youth festival. Protest action in defiance of more stupid Church doctrine apposing safe sex advocacy also plans to hand out condoms.

With the NSW Gestapo legislating annoyances and inconveniences in declared areas to be criminal offences under the guise of safety measures, I hope to see thousands outraged and protesting their right to protest.

The so called “safety measures” for WYD are little more than another instance of preconditioning the Australian populus towards the acceptance of imposed martial law whenever Government choses it desirable. It’s the “New World Order” encroaching. This is no whacky conspiracy theory.

I recently browsed a very interesting U.S. Army field manual titled Foreign Internal Defence Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Special Forces (FM 31-20-3) . The publication was produced under the watch of President old man Bush (a key architect of the NOW) who said at the time “even as the threat of East-West conflict may be diminishing in the new era, lower order threats like terrorism, subversion, insurgency, and drug trafficking are menacing the United States.”

FM 31-20-3 advises that Current U.S. policy is to deal with these threats through the indirect use of military force in concert with the political, informational, and economic elements of national power. It proceeds to define internal defence and development (IDAD) as the full range of measures taken by a nation to promote its growth and protect itself from subversion, lawlessness, and insurgency.

Although clearly the defence tactics outlined are largely written with violent militant insurgency in mind, it’s scary just how comprehensively these guidelines are being implemented in so called democracies against citizens by their own Governments. You can view the entire pdf manual here.

The document is 219 pages in entirety, a bit of a choir so I have pasted key excerpts of text below which really grabbed my attention.

FID is essentially apolitical activity. Every act, from military activities to a casual “off-duty” conversation has a political impact.

All operations and activities in a FID environment will have significant psychological effects. Some operations and activities may be conducted specifically to produce a desired psychological effect. A tactical victory may be totally negated or overshadowed by negative psychological effects. Recognizing that perceptions may be more important than reality in this arena, SF must ensure all audiences understand SF operations. Loss of control of perceptions may cause distortion of the facts and may diminish and/or destroy the gains of even the best planned and executed operations.

- Note to aspiring insurgents -

To win, the insurgency must have a program that explains what is wrong with society and justifies its insurgent actions. It must promise great improvements after the government is overthrown. The insurgency uses ideology to offer society a goal.

- end note -

The role the U.S. military play in the overall effort of the U.S. government to help a nation free or protect its society from an existing or potential insurgent threat is referred to as FID. U.S. FID operations work on the principle that it is the inherent responsibility of the threatened government to use its leadership and organizational and materiel resources to take the political, economic, and social actions necessary to defeat subversion, lawlessness, and insurgency.

U.S. military support to FID should focus on assisting Host Nations in anticipating, precluding, and countering threats or potential threats.

An insurgency relies on secrecy and surprise to conceal itself and to overcome the HN government’s superiority in military power and other resources.

To defeat an insurgency, the HN government must retain or regain the confidence and support of its people. The objective of an IDAD program is not to kill or even capture the insurgents. It is to convince them to abandon a hopeless or worthless cause and support the HN government.

Clandestine insurgent activity may be extensive in urban areas. When military forces reinforce police in an urban area, they must closely control and coordinate their operations to minimize collateral damage and prevent hostile propaganda victories that occur when U.S. or HN military forces overreact to insurgent actions. As a result, the need for PSYOP and Civil Affairs support greatly increases in urban areas.

Notice - Insurgents use "propaganda" U.S. forces use "PSYOP" (psychological operations)

In Unconventional Warfare, U.S. forces foster and/or support insurgencies against an established government. These operations are characterized by their low visibility, covert, and clandestine nature.

Interesting, when U.S. forces foster and or support insurgencies it's known as "Unconventional Warfare" according to this counter insurgency tactical manual.

 

In COIN operations (counter insurgency), command and staff action emphasizes detailed coordination and direction of the intelligence collection effort. These actions take place by:

• Coordinating with HN and U.S. intelligence agencies and HN regular and paramilitary forces.

• Using combat forces and EW intelligence elements to include radar and remotely monitored sensors and other technical surveillance systems.

• Using local people in the development of intelligence collection systems.

• Systematically and thoroughly interrogating prisoners and suspects.

Tactical COIN operations reduce the insurgent threat or activity in the area and provide a favourable environment for the HN’s IDAD program.

Civil-Military Operations - focus on the indigenous infrastructures and population in the operational area. Successful CMO will support the development of favourable attitudes, feelings, or behaviour among the populace toward the HN’s IDAD projects.

Populace and Resources Control

In most instances, the general desire of most of the public is to be left alone to earn a livelihood and to conduct its normal affairs. An effective PSYOP program can exploit this desire for normalcy and direct popular feeling against the insurgents. If the insurgents win popular support among the majority of the populace, the HN government’s military successes are irrelevant.

PSYOP are essential to the success of PRC. For maximum effectiveness, a strong psychological operations effort is directed toward the families of the insurgents and their popular support base. The PSYOP aspect of the PRC program tries to make the imposition of control more palatable to the people by relating the necessity of controls to their safety and well-being.

PSYOP efforts also try to create a favourable national or local government image and counter the effects of the insurgent propaganda effort. The government informs the population that the PRC measures may cause an inconvenience but are necessary due to the actions of the insurgents.

Rights on the legality of detention or imprisonment of personnel (for example, habeas corpus) may be temporarily suspended. PRC measures can also include curfews or blackouts. Checkpoints, searches, roadblocks; surveillance, censorship, and press control; and restriction of activity that applies to selected groups (labour unions, political groups and the like) are further PRC measures.

In countries where government authorities do not have wide latitude in controlling the population, special or emergency legislation must be enacted. This emergency legislation may include a form of martial law permitting government forces to search without warrant, to detain without bringing formal charges, and to execute other similar actions.

PSYOP can support the mission by discrediting the insurgent forces to neutral groups, creating dissension among the insurgents themselves, and supporting defector programs. Divisive programs create dissension, disorganization, low morale, subversion, and defection within the insurgent forces.

The Intelligence Cycle

Security forces can induce individuals among the general populace to become informants.

Security forces use various motives (civic-mindedness, patriotism, fear, punishment avoidance, gratitude, revenge or jealousy, financial rewards) as persuasive arguments.

Surveillance, the covert observation of persons and places, is a principal method of gaining and confirming intelligence information. The basic procedures include mechanical observation (wiretaps or concealed microphones), observation from fixed locations, and physical surveillance of subjects. Whenever a suspect is apprehended during an operation, a hasty interrogation takes place to gain immediate information that could be of tactical value.

If propaganda is a major part of the insurgent effort in the area, a current propaganda and PSYOP file should contain all the pertinent literature, background material, propaganda speeches, and analyses of local grievances the insurgents are exploiting. A local personality and organization file is maintained on each insurgent personality.

Alternative intelligence-gathering techniques and sources, such as doppelganger or pseudo operations, can be tried and used when it is hard to obtain information from the civilian populace. These pseudo units are usually made up of ex-guerrilla and/or security force personnel posing as insurgents.

Before such a unit can be properly trained and disguised, however, much information about the appearance, mannerisms, and security procedures of enemy units must be gathered. Most of this information comes from defectors or reindoctrinated prisoners.

NoToPope Coalition protests Pope and World Youth Day

A Coalition has formed to peacefully protest Pope Benedict's visit to Australia, for World Youth Day. They will address the World Catholic Youth and say "Gay is Great", "Homophobia Is Unacceptable". Protesters will also be telling the Catholic Youth - The pope is wrong: Gays are great and condoms save lives.

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Howard squirming like a little monkey pig on heat trapped in a pork barrel

Although the Australian election campaign proper is officially 2 weeks in duration, the unofficial campaign has monotonously plagued us daily for pretty much the entirety of 2007. Thank fuck it will all be over in a week from now.

I can not ever recall so much media attention given to the event. There is some genuine public interest, interest in seeing the Howard Government thrown the fuck out of office, but a good portion of the saturation coverage I think can be attributed to desperate, desperate individuals struggling to justify why they should be returned to government despite being so putrid.

Of course concurrently, the predominant opposition party is desperate to condition our minds to a reality that they are a slightly less putrid alternative. I’m stating the obvious, which is why the topic has been largely missing from this blog, however I’ll take my opportunity now for one sadistic outburst in the count down.

Barnaby Joyce said there is frustration in coalition ranks that its message is not getting through. I think it’s gotten through alright but we just don’t like the fucking message! Work Choices for example, totally suck arse.

It was most honorable of Mr Abbott to concede in recent days, he “accepts certain protections are not what they were, that whole raft of regulation expressed in awards has largely gone, that the Industrial Relations Commission doesn’t have the same power to reach into the nook and cranny of every business that it used to have”. Tony later defending his comments said he had also claimed in the same speech, that the best protection for an unfairly treated worker was the freedom to choose a better employer.

I’m convinced, if there is the smallest bit of justice left in this world, after next weekend, Tony Abbott will himself be searching for a better job.

Astalavista APEC

Famous war criminals (world leaders) have flown home and the wall is on its way down, astalavista APEC.

Despite the police force’s best efforts, no violent protests occurred during the APEC conference. The only evidence the public has seen of violent criminal activity being carried out over the summit, is footage of police actions.

The NSW Premier, Police Minister, Police Commissioner and the Prime Minister have all offered their upmost congratulations to the officers responsible for this thuggery. Police themselves have been issuing the victims they beat, pushed and bashed with assault charges.

Der Fuhrer reportedly apologised to Sydney residents for disruptions. "I'm sorry you've been inconvenienced - it's not the fault of our visitors," he said. "It's not the fault of either the New South Wales Government or the Federal Government. Rather it's the fault of those people who would threaten to resort to violence in order to disrupt gatherings of this kind. You have been very patient."

So it was the police then to blame John?

From someone that was there, the following comments:

Funny how the Daily Tellagaff and other Turdoch papers led with "17 arrested" regarding APEC demos. Only thing is that a. that's bugger all, b. they happened almost all after the demo, c. they were mostly nonsense areests or dickhead arrestees.

The real story is that the demo was actually very diversely attended, some unions finally stuck their heads out, it was actually a surprisingly good show of fuck-you-John-and-George, and that even under special instruction to back off and not provoke anything for a change the itchy line of cops still had to have a go when most of the crowd had gone home.

 

Keystone Cops not amused

My day was instantly brightened with the news this morning of the Chaser’s latest greatest prank, resulting in 11 cast and crew being arrested for staging a fake motorcade through an APEC restricted security zone.

The arresting part is not that funny, possible under newly made up laws that apparently forbid anyone from entering declared zones in Sydney during APEC without justification. The authorities at ground level seemed to get the joke and even cracked a few smiles, but Police Minister David Stooge Campbell was not so easily amused.

Clues as to why police should be officially embarrassed, can be found at the yahoo news report of the event. According to yahoo, the Chaser convoy (2 motorbikes and 3 cars), was officially ushered through two checkpoints by police after sighting the team’s “insecurity” passes which expressly stated they were a joke. The keystone brigade only suspected something a miss when they spotted Osama bin Laden emerging from one of the motorcade vehicles, just metres away from G W Bushy's hotel room.

More APEC bullshit

Anti APEC demonstration propaganda has hit fever point as Sydney inmates are sent home for the weekend, freeing up jail cells for detaining those pesky protesters. The police said oppressive security was justified after claiming to have been informed of the existence, of a circulating manual describing how to protest violently. Students were warned not to participate in a protest, being told there was a great risk of impending violence. Police did their best to intimidate students into submission saying they would have roaming truancy officers making arrests.

The PM himself said that violent protesters are to blame for the extreme security measures being implemented. It’s funny though how violence arises primarily when protesters are peaceful, when police feel they can perfect their bludgeoning techniques without resistance. In recorded instances of protesters becoming violent, the police tend to make a very hasty retreat.

I suggest that while this collective bunch of psychopaths known as our world leaders, are all together safely segregated from the general population, we all gather at the fence perimeter and ensure they stay exactly there, eternally quarantined. Reverse the oppression; use their safety fence as our safety fence. I think Sydney residents would be willing to give up a few city blocks for the good of humanity.

Exclusive Belligerence

There has been much publicity this week surrounding PM John Howard’s meetings with the extremist religious sect, often referred to as a cult, the Exclusive Brethren.

The radical fundamentalist group believe they are chosen by God, and they long for The Rapture - a teaching that there will be a time when all of those who are Christian and alive at a particular time will be swept up into the next life, and left behind will be those who are not pure.

Members of this sect are forbidden to socialise with those outside the fellowship or attend tertiary education. They say the Bible tells them to separate themselves from evil. Separation, they say, "is as old as time itself.” “The scriptures from beginning to end teach separation." They sure do.

Television, radio, personal computers and mobile phones are also strictly prohibited amongst members. Brethren management however seems acutely aware of every instance of bad publicity it receives through the mediums of TV, radio and the internet. Perhaps the voice of God is tipping them off.

The sect has 31 schools throughout Australia. Ex teachers have claimed that at these schools, most modern novels are banned, pages are removed even from permitted 19th-century works and entire chapters are censored from science books. It’s also claimed children are told what jobs they will do and who they will marry. Despite this, the Australian Exclusive Brethren schools receive federal funding of around $20 million yearly.

EB members have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on attack campaigns against the Greens in state elections in Australia, and New Zealand. Its members have bankrolled pro-conservative ads in the US and Canada. Its leaders are based in the Prime Minister's Sydney electorate of Bennelong - where one member's former company spent $370,000 on pro-John Howard ads at the last federal election. Interestingly sect members, while totally free to support political campaigns, are at the same time forbidden to actually vote in elections.

Regarding government meetings with the evangelists, John Howard is on record saying “I do not deny for a moment I've met representatives of the Exclusive Brethren, and why not? They're Australian citizens, it's a lawful organisation.” Treasurer Costello has added that there is nothing wrong with politicians meeting the group, this is no crime.

A lawful organisation? No crime? I’m pretty sure for the rest of us “impure” Australians, not voting is unlawful, a crime. I’m pretty sure if Australian Muslim leaders forbid their followers to vote, Howard would cry “Un Australian” and Kevin Andrews would deport them for bad character.

Nuclear Proliferation Treaty

ABC TV Tuesday 14/8/07, Minister Downer said if any deal were to be struck for Australia selling uranium to India, it will be some time off. That “some time off” turned out to be Thursday 16/8/07. PM Howard says the deal will be a major economic and strategic advantage to both Australia and India. I bet it will, note the use of the word strategic.

While Australian nuclear sales are usually permitted only to signatories of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), India (a nuclear power) has been granted exemption to this condition, due to a deal it struck with the United States.

The US-India energy deal, will allow New Delhi access to U.S. civilian nuclear fuel and equipment for the first time in 30 years. Critics say the agreement will benefit India's military nuclear program and could entice other nations in the region to obtain nuclear weapons.

The pact provides India with permanent nuclear fuel supplies, but has sparked a raging debate in India over whether it enjoyed the right to test nuclear weapons. MPs from four Communist parties, who prop up the government in parliament, joined opposition law-makers in alleging that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave false information about the deal.

PM Singh told parliament that the deal would not curb India's right to test nuclear weapons, saying the government retained the "sovereign right to test and would do so if it is necessary in the national interest." The United States responded by warning that Washington reserves the right to ask for all of its fuel and technology back should India test another nuclear device.

Uproar in both the upper and lower houses of the Indian parliament forced its adjournment for the day on Thursday 16/8/07. Always the opportunist, Howard noting his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh had some down time, phoned to finalise Australia’s uranium deal. In the face of critique, Howard has allayed all of our fears by stating “there are safeguard agreements conditional on sales”, just like there are between the US and India.

ABC TV Friday 17/8/07, if my ears did not deceive me, Minister Downer exclaimed - India has no record of being a proliferator of nuclear materials, apart from having nuclear weapons. If I indeed heard correctly, the implications are startling – the first recorded instance of Alexander speaking a truth. I wonder though how many people hearing that, just said - Fair enough, they don’t proliferate apart from when they are proliferating.

The Minister of arrogance and elitism has also confirmed the Government's intentions to sign a uranium export deal with Russia. He hopes negotiations will be finalised at the APEC meeting next month when President Vladamir Putin visits Australia.

Fear APEC

The Sydney (APEC) meeting will require "maximum security," but it will be a worthwhile inconvenience says the PM. I would beg to differ, militarising part of an Australian city, subjecting its population to the oppression of martial law, is no more a “worthwhile inconvenience” than what being buggered by the rough end of a pineapple is.

The NSW Government has declared Friday 7th September of the Leaders Week as a Public Holiday, but this only applies in metropolitan Sydney, not the entire city or state. Three city train stations will be closed for three days while one bus station will be relocated for the same time period. Hospitals have been asked to cancel all elective surgery on the long weekend.

Loudspeakers and sirens have been installed in major streets in central Sydney. Police Minister David Campbell said "If there were a terrorist event or a major building fire and there were people in the streets, this is a way of giving them information" Sydney's city council has urged locals to prepare survival bags including maps, first-aid supplies, important documents, spare change and an extra set of keys in case of emergency.

Security personnel is said to include 3500 police officers and over 300 secure VIP motorcades. Police have bought a $600,000 water cannon to quell violent protesters and more than 30 buses will be used as mobile detention cells. The police Riot Squad have been issued with taser guns. Police maintain they will not be used against protestors as they are only appropriate for one on one situations. Does it not seem odd then that Riot Squad are given these weapons? How many one person riots do they attend?

Police aviation support branch staffing for APEC is numbered at 84. Police Minister David Campbell said helicopters would monitor motorcades, provide support for operational police and provide live downlink of images from onboard cameras to the Police Operations Centre. A Cessna Citation jet will be used to spot any aircraft breaching a 45 nautical mile restricted zone around the Sydney APEC conference venues.

NSW Police have been granted APEC-specific powers to detain people and subject them to random body searches in special “declared'' zones”. While visitors will be allowed to enter the areas, they will do so at the risk of personal searches and being under constant surveillance by ASIO and counter-terrorism police. One of the "declared zones'' will be an entire CBD block bordered by Macquarie St, King St and George St and Circular Quay to the north, caged by a 2.8m high reinforced concrete fence, marked with a series of policed checkpoints through which the public will have to be cleared.

APEC Task Force general manager of media and communications, Bernadette Ryan was reported saying “A letter from an employer or other credentials may be needed to prove an individual has a legitimate reason to be in APEC security zones”. The immediate surrounds of the Sydney Opera House, Government House and some areas of the Sydney Botanic Gardens will be totally locked down and off limits to the public. WTF, in Australia, we need certified legitimacy for moving about in public?

Chief executive officer of the NSW Business Chamber Kevin MacDonald said: “Given the experience of other major meetings of world leaders in recent years, I can understand why the police have decided to erect a temporary fence”. Police claim they are concerned peaceful protesters may link up with radicals and try to attack globally known businesses.

The Prime Minister's office has said that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation was conducting security assessments for APEC, including "politically motivated violence checks against ASIO databases”. Police Minister David Campbell asserts antiwar demonstrators and anyone else considered “suspicious” will be arrested and detained without bail for the duration of the September 6-9 summit. “Known troublemakers” will also be denied access to restricted zones, to avoid any “embarrassment” to dignitaries.

In addition to 3500 police, 1500 ADF personnel including SAS commando troops will man checkpoints, conduct property searches, and be called on at the whim of the PM to crush protests, possible under newly enacted legislation. F/A-18 fighter jets will patrol Sydney air space along with the squadron of police choppers. Navy will also be involved, with its ships to guard against a seaborne attack. Navy divers will provide "niche security support" and be deployed around areas of Sydney Harbour.

Sydney Professor Michael Head said new powers, including expanded rights to shoot to kill, were given to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in last year's military callout legislation. Professor Head said troops have considerably wider and legally protected rights to use lethal force and their callout during APEC was yet another example of the creeping militarisation of Australia. Legislation will also allow Foreign Government security agencies to carry weapons and enforce their own security arrangements on Australian soil.

Discrimination, the Multiple Kill Vehicle Payload System and antagonising the Russians

Multinational BAE Systems, has gone to the Equal Opportunity Tribunal seeking an exemption from anti-discrimination laws for its South Australian operations. The company wants to be allowed to discriminate against staff on the grounds of nationality, in order to continue to work with U.S. defence contractors. The US apparently says it has a legal right to exclude certain foreign nationals from access to “sensitive defence material”. There are 11 countries on a banned list which include China, Iran and North Korea.

BAE claims it could lose US contracts and be precluded from defence-related work for Australia's defence force without the exemption. Precluded from ADF related work? Did I miss something? When did the ADF become bound by US Military requirements? At the Equal Opportunity Tribunal, BAE lawyer Tim Stanley tendered a letter of support from South Australian Treasurer Kevin Foley, who said similar exemptions had been granted in all other mainland states.

Probably all for the best really, I mean it would be a bit macabre wouldn’t it, for the people assembling weapons systems to end up at a later date being targeted by the product of their own labour?

BAE boasts on their web site that they are:

• 4th largest defence company (presumably globally)
• No 1 European defence company
• Top Ten US defense company, Annual sales exceed $22 bn

Following article;

BAE Systems to develop seeker for Multiple Kill Vehicle program
from Military & Aerospace Electronics.

BAE Systems will develop and test a key component of the U.S. Missile Defence Agency's Multiple Kill Vehicle payload system.

The company will produce, test, and integrate the system's carrier vehicle seeker for the captive carry test bed under a two-year, $6.3 million contract from Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co.

In the event of an enemy missile launch, an interceptor equipped with this payload will track down the target using data up linked to the BAE Systems seeker aboard the carrier vehicle. Once outside the earth's atmosphere, the seeker will acquire and track all threat objects, including the missile and any countermeasures deployed to disrupt U.S. defences. The carrier vehicle will then dispense a large number of small "kill vehicles," guiding them to destroy the targets designated by the seeker.

"Success in this key technology demonstration will keep the Multiple Kill Vehicle program on the path of delivering earliest operational capability to the war fighter," says Rick Reginato, Lockheed Martin program director in Sunnyvale, California.

In a degree of separation, Russia has deemed the planned deployment of US military bases and missile defence sites in Central and Eastern Europe, to be a threat. In response, Russia has in recent months undertaken tests of a new ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads and a new cruise missile. Officials have repeatedly rejected US assurances that the planned missile defence installations are meant to counter a potential threat from countries such as Iran and pose no danger to Russia. President Vladimir Putin was quoted saying “They are filling eastern Europe with new weapons. A new base in Bulgaria, another one in Romania, a [missile defence] site in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic. What we are supposed to do? We can't just sit back."

Talisman Sabre 2007

A joint military exercise involving 7,500 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, 20,000 US troops, 125 aircraft and 30 ships, began at the military site, north of Rockhampton, on Monday the 18^th June. The pristine wilderness of Shoalwater Bay is being pounded with live aerial bombing, ship to shore naval firings, under water depth charges and land based artillery firings. Nuclear subs using high level sonar frequency and nuclear aircraft carriers participate in the fun and games from within the Great Barrier Reef marine national park.

The live munitions role playing at Shoalwater Bay runs simultaneously with US bombing runs by Stealth, B1 and B52 bombers from Guam to drop their live payload from 5 kilometres high on Delamere bombing range near Katherine NT. Abrams tanks also blast the country side against the wishes of the senior Aboriginal elders, at Bradshaw tank range, surrounded by Bradshaw national park south of Darwin.

The war games and their coordination in both states is beamed live via satellite from tiny cameras on the tanks, bombers, landing craft, etc to the coordinating War Room at Newcastle where the US and Australian generals call the shots of what is fired next.

It is reported that on Tuesday the 19th June, Shoalwater Bay:

Seven peace activists entered the military training area with the intention of remaining inside the base in order to stop the war games. One of the activists, 66 year old grandmother June Norman, decided to take this action saying that: "War is not a Game. I feel for the children of Iraq who are being killed by the actions of the US and our military. The military has upped the ante with these exercises so I have to up my own personal ante in opposing them on behalf of the children in Iraq". http://www.peaceconvergence.com/news/22

A second group of five people entered the base on the 20th and were detained by military police on the morning of the 21st June. A spokesman for this group had earlier stated that:

“We plan to enter the base to disrupt this military exercise with our presence. As followers of the non violent Jesus, we cannot stand by while our country plans the destruction of our brothers and sisters in other countries and the environment here at Shoalwater Bay.

We do not take these actions lightly, but with an awareness that the gravity of our actions pales in comparison to the crimes of the Australian and US militaries this week. The destruction of pristine wilderness, with unique and endangered wildlife is unacceptable, as is the increased reliance on violent methods of conflict resolution. We take these actions because all other legal attempts to stop the exercises have failed.”

The military have been and still are, maintaining that the first group that entered on Tuesday is a hoax. The live munitions’ blasting therefore remains unabated. It’s quite a convincing hoax, as one of the group; June Norman has been reported as missing inside the base by main stream media.

Spokesperson for protest action group the Peace Convergence, Kim Stewart, says, “The military are spending over $55 million a day on practicing to kill people, while unpaid volunteer State Emergency Service workers are doing the work of rescuing people in the NSW floods.”

Update 25/6/07

It is reported on 23rd June that the group of seven activists who entered the base on the 19th have declared themselves to the military. Split into two groups, one group appeared on an airstrip and the other on a main road.

The group are astounded at claims that June Norman, 66, was lost, maintaining that they were fully equipped and had mobile phone coverage at all times.

Through out the whole Talisman Sabre exercise, info in the media regarding protests has been obscure and more over, just totally absent. It is reported on some web sites, that on the 23rd June, 3 more protestors were arrested, and then another 11 arrests followed on 24th June. I have seen no television coverage of these events. In addition, usual satellite imagery services from various sources, which would ordinarily bring pictures of the area in question, have also been totally absent from public view over the time period of the exercise.

Related links

http://www.peaceconvergence.com/Resources/Guamarticle.pdf http://www.peaceconvergence.com/page/military

Freedom to hate Muslims

The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), a conservative academic group (oxymoron) founded by Lynne Cheney, the wife of US Vice President Dick Cheney, is a powerful lobbyist force in US education departments. The group’s activities revolve around Lynne’s founding agenda of promoting western civilization and American culture as the bedrocks of US education.

ACTA were once noted for attacking college professors across America with charges of not showing enough patriotism in the aftermath of Sept. 11. ''College and university faculty have been the weak link in America's response to the attack,'' say leaders of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni in a report.

One mover and shaker within the ACTA ranks, bone head David Horowitz, canvases US schools with his so called “Freedom Center” which fights for the right to serve students propaganda material promoting ignorance, intolerance and hatred of Muslim peoples. He claims “After conferring with students from several universities who were concerned about both the ignorance about the objectives of Islamic fascism among their fellow students and also the “unholy alliance” between campus leftists and jihadists seeking to undermine the War on Terror, the Freedom Center has launched a Terrorism Awareness Project”.

David originally began his Freedom Center to combat the menacing problem of politically left content appearing in Hollywood productions. He has a great distaste for the left, and rightly so, bastards go around advocating peace and love when there are wars to inflict and profiteer from. The Freedom Center’s Wednesday Morning Club, works to impose its conservative hardcore right wing dogma in Hollywood and amongst its claims to fame, Horowitz boasts that it is the forum from which then Governor George Bush made his first public speech in California.

In a recent skype cast discussion, a contributor known as ‘atwistedlife’, found herself under surprise attack from a crazed Horowitz disciple while examining the war propaganda machine. In a violent outburst, log in id ‘BettyDavisEyes’ (how cute), directed everyone to the Freedom Center’s online magazine for the viewing of “Islamic mein kampf”, a sickening slide show presentation aiming to manifest a hysterical fear in all Americans that they are about to be slaughtered in a jihad from Islam. Slide after slide alternates between horrifically graphic bomb blast aftermath scenes, and linking Muslims with Nazis. It’s all accompanied by background music that you would find playing in a very old movie as the camera follows a shadowy villain preparing heinous acts of crime.

Ms ‘BettyDavisEyes’ went further, boasting of how she taunted Muslim men over the internet by sending them content from the porn site she owned and operated. Guess what this creature’s day job is by the way, she is a school teacher in Florida. Infuriated, ‘atwistedlife’ sent an email to the office of Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. She pointed out that the name of mentioned porn site happened to be govarnoldschwarzenegger.com

Suffering delusions of grandeur, ‘BettyDavisEyes’ claimed that it was a free country (refering to USA), and no one could interfere with her freedom of speech. (ignorance really is bliss). She found out exactly how free she is when her website vanished from the face of the earth the following day, after a swift response from the Schwarzenegger office.

TheBigStinkGuide would love to name the teacher but will refrain at this point as we understand she is now under investigation by authorities. Last time we checked however, a whois look up provided the details.