A Nice Post From Jackie Biggs about UAV Testing

This is a good piece about the ongoing disatisfaction with the UAV testing going on over the countryside of West Wales.
http://jackie-news.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/silence-of-countryside.html?showComment=1344509051088#c6290267797932925671

CND Cymru

press release

10^th February 2009

press office:

Jill Gough t: 0845 313 8 414 m: 07704 67 57 87 heddwch@cndcymru.org

Press Information

Our shame - from Glascoed to Gaza

Welsh Assembly Government implicated in Israeli war crimes

As Palestinian survivors of the Israeli onslaught in Gaza huddle in the ruins of their devastated communities, it will be cold comfort to them to know that the weapons used against them have been developed - in part - in a country proud to be committed to a sustainable future: Wales.

While the Welsh Assembly Government talks of having "a real part to play in influencing change at home and on the international stage"*, the truth is that Welsh taxpayers' money is being used to subsidize the arms industry in Wales - an arms industry that is deeply implicated in Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

Targeted restrictions on sales of armaments and components to Israel are said to be in place and export licences are turned down by the Westminster Government if it can be shown that the armaments could be used in situations where human rights are under threat.

Just some of the ways that Wales is implicated in the attacks on Gaza:

Drones:
"Targets" are identified by Israeli Hermes 450, are a pilotless drone (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or UAV ) made by Israeli firm Elbit Systems, using engines built in Birmingham. These are tested at Aberporth, Ceredigion, a facility supported by £8.7m in grants from the Welsh Assembly Government.

Bombs:
The Israeli military use Apache attack helicopters, described by Palestinian human rights activists as "a symbol of indiscriminate military violence". The Apaches rely on transformers made by Penny & Giles Controls of Cwmfelinfach, Gwent.

Delivery Systems:
Israeli Airforce F-16 fighter jets, use components made by BAE Systems, which operates a munitions factory in Glascoed, near Usk in Gwent and runs a military training school in Cwmbran. provider of training solutions in "Electronic Warfare and Air Defence".

These same jets bombed the Shij'ia Family Health Care Centre in Gaza , which runs a mobile dental clinic wholly funded by the people of Wales through the Near East Council of Churches.

In addition:
Over 180 "aerospace sector" companies have set up in Wales, including General Dynamics and Raytheon, makers of tanks, submarines, bombs and rockets.

CND Cymru Vice Chair Ray Davies today called these revelations "the shame of Wales".
ENDS

For Comment/interviews Contact CND Cymru press office (see above) or Vice Chair John Cox 01495 773 495 e: drjohncox@aol.com

EVENTS:
CND Cymru Chair Jill Evans MEP is this week in Gaza with a European delegation. More information and to arrange interviews with Ms Evans regarding the visit please contact: David Bradley 01824-709700 / 07901-862907 or Steven Cornelius (0032-228-41665 / 0032-473-560967

Wednesday February 11^th Launch of Disarm Cardiff! Campaign. Cardiff University currently invests £225,000 in 3 companies who arm oppressive governments (including BAE Systems & Smiths Group). At 1pm they will be holding a demonstration and petition signing outside the Union steps calling for divestment in these companies. 7pm - meeting in Beverton 1.40 (Main Building Cardiff University). Speakers to include Professor Justin Lewis (JOMEC), Ray Davies (Vice Chair CND Cymru) and Jonny Jones (Stop the War). Sam Coates Young Greens m: 07590 008249

Tuesday April 7^th Protest at “Aerolink Wales 2009” exhibition (aerospace and military hard and software), The Vale Hotel, Cardiff. <file://www.aerolinkwales.co.uk> www.aerolinkwales.co.uk The Vale Hotel,Hensol Park, Hensol, Vale of Glamorgan, CF72 8JY

COMPANIES:

UAV Engines Ltd, Lichfield. (parent company, Elbit Systems of Israel) uav@uavenginesltd.co.uk
Penny & Giles Controls, Cwmfelinfach, Gwent sales@pennyandgiles.com
BAE Systems Land Systems Munitions, Usk, Monmouthshire.
BAE Systems: Cwmbran Training College Llantarnam Park, Cwmbran, Gwent. www.cwmbrancollege.com/
www.aerolinkwales.co.uk The Vale Hotel, Hensol Park, Hensol, Vale of Glamorgan, CF72 8JY
…………………………..
*from the Welsh Assembly Government website about ‘Sustainable Development’: http://wales.gov.uk/topics/sustainabledevelopment/?lang=en

This came to me from CND Wales and backs up everything I have been saying for months about the link between NAFW, and the wars in different parts of the world. This focuses on Gaza and is a complete indictment of where we are currently at in Wales.

From Glascoed to Gaza: Welsh Assembly government implicated in Israeli war crimes

The aftermath of Israeli attacks in Gaza

As Palestinian survivors of the Israeli onslaught in Gaza huddle in the ruins of their devastated communities, it will be cold comfort to them to know that the weapons used against them have been developed - in part - in a country proud to be committed to a sustainable future: Wales. While the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) talks of having "a real part to play in influencing change at home and on the international stage", the truth is that Welsh taxpayers' money is being used to subsidize the arms industry in Wales - an arms industry that is deeply implicated in Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

Israeli Hermes 450

The Israeli military employ UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to target Palestinian homes, schools and hospitals. These are the Hermes 450, made by the Israeli firm Elbit Systems, using engines built in Birmingham. The pilotless drones are then brought to Parc Aberporth in west Wales for testing. This facility has been supported by £8.7m in grants from the WAG.

Once the "targets" have been identified, next come the bombs. The Israeli military use Apache attack helicopters, which Palestinian human rights activists have described as "a symbol of indiscriminate military violence." The Apaches rely on transformers made by Penny & Giles Controls of Cwmfelinfach, Gwent. Then there are the F-16 fighter jets, using components made by BAE Systems, which operates a munitions factory in Glascoed and runs a military training school in Cwmbran. These same jets bombed the Shij'ia Family Health Care Centre in Gaza , which runs a mobile dental clinic wholly funded by the people of Wales through the Near East Council of Churches.

The ruins of the health care centre

Incredibly, the health care centre was telephoned 15 minutes in advance by the Israelis to warn them that they would be attacked - no case of "collateral damage" there then.

Of course the Welsh arms industry doesn't end there. With over 180 companies in the aerospace sector in Wales, we are now home to the likes of General Dynamics and Raytheon, makers of tanks, submarines, bombs, rockets and much much human misery. If only these companies would get together in one room so outraged Welsh taxpayers could show what they think of them… Well, quit dreaming. All of these murderous scum and more will be attending the Aerolink Wales 2009 exhibition, to be held at the Vale Hotel in Cardiff, on 7th April this year. The South Wales Anarchists will be there. Will you?

UAV Engines Ltd, Lynn Lane, Shenstone, Lichfield, WS14 0DT. Tel: 01543 481819. uav@uavenginesltd.co.uk

Penny & Giles Controls, 36 Nine Mile Point Ind. Est., Cwmfelinfach, Gwent NP11 7HZ Tel: 01495 202000. sales@pennyandgiles.com

BAE Systems Land Systems Munitions, Usk, Monmouthshire, NP15 1XL. Tel: 01291 672211.

BAE Systems: Cwmbran Training College, Beacon House, William Brown Close, Llantarnam Park, Cwmbran, Gwent. Tel: 01633 835123. trainingcollege@baesystems.com www.cwmbrancollege.com/

www.aerolinkwales.co.uk The Vale Hotel, Hensol Park, Hensol, Vale of Glamorgan, CF72 8JY. Tel: 01443 667800. www.vale-hotel.com

1.
Comment by Anne Greagsby on February 10, 2009 2:51 pm

Don't forget French Sodexo - they are part of the Metrix consortium, the military training PFI at St Athan and may soon have a much bigger role as they are tipped to replace Trillium on the MoD's £12bn Defence Training Programme PFI deal.

Sodexo once mainly involved in catering their business has expanded to supply armed forces, oil rigs, run privatised prisons and security services and is involved with supplying the US forces in Iraq and listed as one of the companies profiteering from Guantanamo Bay.

Sodexo Alliance "builds, finances, and manages" 127 prisons in 7 countries around the world, profiteering high crime rates, working class, and racial socio-economic oppression. – In the U.K. they have an exclusive decades-long contract for Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) near Heathrow Airport, the largest deportation center in the U.K.

Sodexo also provides catering for the US army at Abu Ghraib prison (where standards infamously slipped after the end of Saddam's regime) and runs brutal immigration detention centres in Britain

One of Sodexo's key suppliers - Tillery Valley Foods is Cwmtillery Ind Estate Abertillery Gwent.

and the New Labour cronies

Paul Corrigan is Director of Strategy and Commissioning, NHS London working as a lobbyist for dozens of firms which have won lucrative NHS contracts. He is married to Hilary Armstrong, Labour's Chief Whip who announced Full membership as of 15 May 2007 to Philip Jansen - Sodexho, to the Better Regulation Commission an advisory body set up in 2006."To advise the Government on action to reduce unnecessary regulatory and administrative burdens and ensure that regulation and its enforcement are proportionate, accountable, consistent, transparent and targeted"

Lords money for passes - Lord Howie, it is alleged that he provides a pass to Doug Smith, chairman of Westminster Advisers, whose clients include French multinationals Sodexho and Accor.

Strange Effects On My PC

How strange that I have had all kinds of fuuny things happening to both my browsers on my computer over the last couple of days. I am not paranoid or anything like that but it has occurred to me that maybe some outside forces are exerting an influence on the way in which I am able to negotiate my way around on the interwebby thing. Also that these effects are happening at the same time as there is an international trade fair on UAVS at the Aberporth base is a coincidence though maybe not connected, who can tell? One thing is for sure, I am mightily pissed off as I don't need to be spending hours trying to battle invisible gremlins. Bah Humbug to technology, I just want to enjoy my day off!

UCAV if you want to

The following video is a promotional movie produced to demontstrate the future capabilities of Boeing\'s experimental UCAV. This is a clear indication of the use of UAV technology for war fighting purposes in the future and it is now clearly time to ask the Welsh Assembly Government to clearly state it\'s position on this new strategic weaponry and whether or not they took this into account before launching the new project in Parc Aberporth. Take a look at this video and draw your own conclusions.

See what I mean?

Parc Aberporth and the Boeing UCAV connection

The following video is a promotional movie produced to demontstrate the future capabilities of Boeing's experimental UCAV. This is a clear indication of the use of UAV technology for war fighting purposes in the future and it is now clearly time to ask the Welsh Assembly Government to clearly state it's position on this new strategic weaponry and whether or not they took this into account before launching the new project in Parc Aberporth. Take a look at this video and draw your own conclusions.

Advert in The New Statesman

The Following advert appeared in the New Statesman and I think it show the Welsh Assembly Government intentions clearly enough.

ORIGINAL LETTER TO THE TIVYSIDE ON UAV'S AT ABERPORTH

The following is the letter sent into the Tivyside from a local resident of Aberporth. Of course the paper edited it slightly so here is the original Welsh text.

Gwaed ar ein dwylo

Tybed, faint ohonoch chi ddarllenwyr sy¹n dilyn hanes Parc Aberporth - y datblygiad hynod gostus (tua £21 miliwn), ym Mlaenannerch? ŒR wy¹n siwr fod pawb yn yr ardal yn hapus i glywed am y gwaith fydd ar gael yno, cyn bo hir. Ond pe baech yn gwybod taw arbrofi a datblygu peiriannau milwrol, wedi eu creu i ladd a dinistrio, fyddai¹r diwydiant mewn golwg - a fyddech yr un mor frwdfrydig am yr anturiaeth?

Mae llu awyr yr Unol Daleithiau yn defnyddio Maes Awyr Prestwick, i hwyluso¹r cludiant o arfau i Israel. Oes yn rhaid i¹r Cymry dderbyn yr anrhydedd amheus o gyfrannu Œmhellach at gynllun Bush a Blair, wrth ddatblygu¹r Œwenynen ormes (drone)¹/UAV ym Mharc Aberporth? Y rhain yw rhai o¹r peiriannu dieflig a ddefnydir gan Israel i ddifetha Libanus - ei phlant diniwed, a¹i fframwaith.

Teitl y Parc, yn ol Andrew Davies (Gweinidog o¹r Cynulliad), yw ŒCanolfan Rhagoriaeth UAVs¹. Well inni fod yn wyliadwrus, rhag ofn i¹r fenter frwnt yma droi¹n darget ardderchog i derfysgwyr!