2009-02-02
- NATO: A Zeppelin at Strasbourg ?
- DHL - Olive underneath a yellow camouflage
- NATO defense ministers to meet in Poland in February
- International Activists Conference Strasbourg, February 14 and 15th
- Telephone conversation with the British Minister for Development, Douglas Alexander
- The moored G8 Ship
- Details on G8 security may come next month: mayor
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NATO: A Zeppelin at Strasbourg ?
The safety device promises to be particularly dense early April in Strasbourg to the summit marking the 60th anniversary of NATO, which runs from both sides of the Rhine. According to the specialist weekly Air & Cosmos, the monitoring will be strengthened on this occasion by the presence of a Zeppelin NT airship in the sky of the Alsacian capital. This solution would have preferred to face “the helicopter option, though more expensive at the time of flight,” wrote the weekly depeche, while the drones of the Air Force would be unavailable at this time due to deployment in Afghanistan.
See: http://www.zeppelinflug.de/seiten/D/zeppnt_sonder.htm
Source: http://libestrasbourg.blogs.liberation.fr/actu/2009/01/otan-un-zeppeli.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DHL - Olive underneath a yellow camouflage
This text introduces a proposal for an action related mobilization towards the NATO-festivities in Strasbourg and Baden-Baden in the beginning of April 2008. The idea is to turn into practice the critique on NATO and the new NATO doctrine (with its core “comprehensive approach”) by focusing on the postal service and war logistics company DHL. This 100% subsidiary of the Deutsche Post today shows its true colour, which is best expressed in its new name “Deutsche Heeres Logistic” (German Army Logistics).
This idea sides with the proposals to organize days of action against armament companies and the Commerzbank (as this bank is in the front line of producing acceptance for the German army Bundeswehr in the economic sphere). Like the Commerzbank DHL, post offices and post boxes can be found in nearly every city. These are inviting places for local mobilization activities and more. They provide several possibilities to visibly confront the support work for the military performed by a predominately civil service company with a widespread service area, which heavily depends on its reputation.
Civil-military public private partnership
We are talking about the biggest contract ever in the German transport sector and the most comprehensive project of privatization and transformation of the German army Bundeswehr so far. Within the framework of this Public Private Partnership the Bundeswehr will hand over huge parts of their basic lo-gistics to a private company. Put in concrete terms this is storage and management of Bundeswehr materials (except medical materials, ammunition and fuels) and the global transport of war equipment, soldiers, ammunition, fuels. This means that the Bundes-wehr is looking for a logistics partner to en-sure the quick deployment capability of the troops and therefore to become an active warmonger.
Several companies applied for the contract: DHL, the German railway company DB with its transport company Schenker, the service company Arvato of the Bertelsmann group as well as a syndicate consisting of Hellmann Logistics (a company situated in Bremen), the aviation and armament company EADS and the consulting company Accenture. Foreign logistics companies do not have a chance for reasons of national security. The deadline for application ended on September 8th 2008. The decision of the Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung (subdivision of the Ministry of Defense responsible for procurement and management of military equipment).
DHL is said to have by far the best chances to get the million Euro contract, not at least because of the comprehensive cooperation that already exists with the Bundeswehr and the logistic expertise that the company accumulated in active participation in war at the side of the US armed forces in the war in Iraq since 2003.
Olive freight – nothing new for German postal services Deutsche Post
Already in 2002 the Deutsche Post signed a contract with the Bundeswehr to nationally and internationally transport urgent military documents, as well as military equipment and consumer goods up to 50 kg. In early 2002 the Deutsche Post World Net became the main shareholder of DHL. By the end of 2002 DHL was 100% owned by Deutsche Post World Net. Since 2003 all freight and express goods of the Deutsche Post are transported under the name DHL. DHL is global market leader in international express delivery, long distance transport and international shipping of air and sea freight.
May 2003, immediately after the UN lifted the economic sanctions against Iraq DHL was the first company to offer logistic services there. Main customer in Iraq is the US military. From a pure profiteer of the war in Iraq DHL advanced to the position of a direct assistant of war and occupation. The Deutsche Post AG tries to be discreet about it, playing down the freight to be just letters for US soldiers. This caused discussion on the Deutsche Post AG shareholders´ meeting in April this year. Critical share-holders accused CEO Frank Appel of veiling the participation of the company in the war in Iraq. Besides forces´ mail various good are shipped for the US military as well as for companies under their contract. For reasons of the difficult security situation DHL uses armoured vehicles without any marking. Only in a few safe places they deliver in yellow DHL-vehicles. Paul Gillett, a former military, is coordinating the logistics busi-ness there. Mercenaries becoming logistics experts – like him most of the “foreign experts” of the DHL team in Iraq come from a military background. Former British soldiers were hired to protect the transports.
Civil-military production of acceptance
As the Bundeswehr right now faces a fairly slack period in recruiting new soldiers and bad press resulting from the killing of three civilians at a Bunderwehr checkpoint in Afghanistan, the Deutsche Post decided to start a PR campaign for the Bundeswehr. To better “the acceptance of the Bundeswehr in public”, they printed 8000 large-format posters, displaying a soldier in the Afghanistan expedition corps who can feel oh so close to home, thanks to the forces´ mail service. Udo Eschenbach, “Company Representative Military Affairs Bundeswehr/ NATO” of the Deutsche Post says about the poster: “It is meant to make present the profession of the soldier in society”.
Yellow militarization – far advanced at the airport in Leipzig
By establishing a “technical base” for military wide-bodied transport aircrafts the military extension of the airport Leipzig/Halle reached a new level. The heavily subsidized airport (more than 300 million Euro of taxes went into it) had been declared civil, while the same time it was chosen for shipment of military supplies and reinforcements. Since the Federal Administrative Court declared the military transports at the airport Leipzig/Halle legal a blatant increase of US troop transportation has been observed. Leipzig turned into an important stopover of US military flights to and from Iraq and Afghanistan. The Bundeswehr as well uses the airport as a stopover flying soldiers to their foreign areas of deployment. Following information of the Ministry of Defense it is from here that the two wide-bodied Antonov aircrafts stationed at the airport regularly take off. Freight consists of lorries and helicopters, but also food, drinking water and tents, a spokesperson said. And “of course” wea-pons, too. The military extension is closely linked to DHL, as they run one out of three global aviation-turnstiles in Leipzig through DHL Hub Leipzig GmbH.
To attack the increasing militarization in the civil seems to be a rewarding “com-prehensive approach” for a antimilitarist counter strategy.
Source: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/01/420572.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NATO defense ministers to meet in Poland in February
NATO defense ministers will meet in Cracow of Poland in February to discuss the mission in Afghanistan and NATO's future, local media reported on Friday.
On February 19, representatives of all ISAF mission participants will discuss Afghan police and army training as well as moves designed to liquidate drug production in Afghanistan, Poland's ambassador at NATO Boguslaw Winid said.
On the following day, talks will focus on future NATO transformation. Planned are also meetings of NATO-Ukraine and NATO-Georgia commissions.
During the meeting, ministers are to discuss a draft declaration on Atlantic security which is to be adopted during the April summit in Strasbourg and Kehl.
According to Ambassador Winid several, countries attending the meeting are to declare the enlargement of their contingents in Afghanistan, "in some case we should expect significant increases," said Winid.
Ambassador Winid also said that most likely the meeting will be attended by Afghan Defense Minister Adbul Rahim Wardak.
Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/31/content_10738675.htm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
International Activists Conference Strasbourg, February 14 and 15th
Start 1.pm February 14th end 2.p.m February 15th
Location:
Faculté de lettres Marc Bloch
22 rue Descartes
Esplanade
Strasbourg
The main goal of the conference is to discuss the preparation of the different actions against the 60.years anniversary of NATO. We want to finalize our strategy and prepare the different actions.
The background of all our preparations will be a political discussion about the strategy of the NATO and there political goals.
11.00 till 12.30
Preparatory meetings of the working groups (Groups see above)
Start in the plenum
Saturday 1.00 pm. till 3.30
Plenary.
Welcome and chair Arielle Denis and Frederic Henry, Strasbourg
Actual NATO Strategy and politics and our critics (working title)
John Rees, Stop the war GB/ Arielle Denis, Mouvement de la Paix, France
Discussion
Overview about the preparation of our actions against the NATO Summit
Reiner Braun
Including information about the preparation in the different countries, the region Strasbourg and Baden-Württemberg and the working groups
4.00 pm till 6.00
Work in groups
a.Camp
b.Demonstration
c.Civil disobedience
d.International congress
6.15 pm till 7.45
Exchange of the work in a plenary discussion with four introductions
Chair: Kate Hudson, CND, GB
8.30 p.m. voluntarily
Meeting of the German and French participants
Sunday
9.00
Short introduction: Hans Lammerant, WRI
Start 9.15 till 10.45
Working groups
a.Press work
b.Public outreach
c.Basen meeting
d.Continuation of the workings group of the first day, when necessary
e.Legal team, police observers
f.More
11.00 am till 12.00 Reports
Chairs of the morning: Petros Constantinou, Greece, Sophie Zafari, FSU France
12.00 till 13.00
Discussion about the mobilisation
13.00 till 14.00
Decisions and agreements
Chair: Reiner Braun/ Lysiane Rolet Strasbourg/ Marina from the blockade and Camp Activists
Language will be English, German and French. Professional translation will not be available in the working groups
When you need cheap or private accommodation please contact:
lysianerolet@voila.fr
Phone: 0033(0) 679484501
Please register: hr.braun@gmx.net
We need an overview about the number of participants for solving the organisational questions sand problems
Source: email
Summit Meeting of NATO Heads of State and Government Strasbourg, France / Kehl, Germany
Source: http://www.nato.int/docu/pr/2009/p09-008e.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Telephone conversation with the British Minister for Development, Douglas Alexander
Rome 27 January 2009
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Franco Frattini, had a telephone conversation this evening with the British Minister for Development, Douglas Alexander.
The two ministers discussed the relationship between the G8 and the G20, and expressed their hope for increasingly effective coordination between the two.
Reiterating the G8’s continuing central role in addressing the major global governance issues, Frattini emphasised the importance of strengthening dialogue with partner countries and recipients of G8 initiatives in crucial sectors such as the effort to achieve growth in Africa, development aid policies and the protection of the environment.
Minister Frattini noted that the Global Partnership for Agriculture and Food Security is a priority issue for the Italian G8 Presidency.
The two ministers also touched on the G20’s role in working towards the necessary reform of the international financial institutions, in light of the mandate received from the meeting in Washington last November.
Their phone conversation also gave Minister Frattini and Minister Alexander an opportunity to exchange views on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, especially as regards the steps taken by Italy as G8 President to coordinate the humanitarian aid effort. They also exchanged views on the prospects for peace and stability in the area.
Source: http://www.esteri.it/MAE/EN/Stampa/Sala_Stampa/Comunicati/2009/01/20090127_FrattiniAlexander.htm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The moored G8 Ship
The launching of the MSC Fantasia ship The Mediterranean Shipping Company – Msc Cruises flagship, Fantasia, is to drop anchor off La Maddalena for the three days of the Summit to accommodate many of the illustrious guests expected.
The Fantasia is a gem of Italian-built advanced technology and eco-design and was launched in Naples on 18 December 2008. It is Europe’s largest cruise ship, weighing in at 133,500 tonnes, measuring 333 m long by 37.92 m wide and towering 60 m tall for a total surface area of 450,000 sq.m. It can carry 3,959 passengers in its 1,637 cabins.
Like the rest of the infrastructure that is being put in place for the Summit, the ship places eco-sustainability high on its list of priorities, as the G8 chaired by Italy intends to cut its harmful emissions and environmental impact down to the minimum. The hull walls are painted in special low-impact polymer paints. Water treatment and reuse and energy saving, meaning the optimisation of electricity consumption in the cabins and public areas, must also be cited. Waste will also be sorted prior to collection on the ship, which is little short of a floating city. An agreement is to be signed with the Aluminium Packaging Consortium on the full recycling of containers of various sizes.
The precise point at which the ship is to be moored still remains to be decided. The area between La Maddalena and the island of Santo Stefano is currently being surveyed for the purpose by the Civil Protection Department, Msc Cruises and Navy experts.
Source: http://www.g8italia2009.it/G8/Home/LaSedeDelVertice/G8-G8_Layout_locale-1199882116809_Nave_appoggio.htm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Details on G8 security may come next month: mayor
Huntsville mayor Claude Doughty says details about the security to be in place for the 2010 G8 Summit could come as early as the end of next month.
“We were led to believe that that would be a timeframe we could expect at the meeting (we had) before Christmas,” he told the Forester Friday.
Just before the holidays the local area leadership group, which includes all area mayors, met and was briefed on security details for the summit; however, that information was not provided to the public.
Parry Sound-Muskoka MP Tony Clement told the Forester Tuesday that the meeting in December was more of a process briefing.
“(They were saying) here’s how G8s have operated in the past in terms of perimeters and so on and here’s the kind of things that we have to review. It was not as if they reported to us exactly what they have found out about Deerhurst and Muskoka, it was more general than that,” he said.
During the last summit held in Canada in 2002 in Kananaskis, Alberta, more than $100 million was spent on security, and was described at the time as the largest security plan during peacetime in Canadian history.
Asked if Huntsville could expect an even higher level of security, Clement replied, “I wouldn’t make that assumption. Kananaskis was the first (summit) after 9/11 and we’ve learned a lot since then about security and how to make sure the security footprint is bearable.”
Although the eight world leaders are not expected in Huntsville for another 17 months, already some local residents are wondering how the security perimeters are going to affect them.
John Krochak, who lives in the Hidden Valley area near Deerhurst Resort, where the summit will be held, says he’s concerned about access to his house being restricted.
In late November, Krochak received a letter from the Hidden Valley Property Owner’s Association (HVPOA), outlining what area residents could expect during the summit.
“The entire area will be gated. Those staying in the neighbourhood will have to have a security pass to enter,” Krochak read. “Each member of the household will be given a photo (identification) card for entrance and exit of the area, including children.”
Krochak says that, due to a disability, he has two shifts of attendants coming to his house every day.
He’s worried that if his neighbourhood is within the secured area that his attendants won’t be able to get to him.
Geordie Heath, president of the HVPOA, told the Forester that the letter was sent out after the association was inundated with questions from residents about what to expect.
The board did some online research into security measures at past summits and sent out the information in a newsletter in late November or early December.
Heath said the board has not yet been given any information on the government about their plans for the Hidden Valley area, which has about 130 properties.
Krochak’s concerns were raised at the last Huntsville town council meeting by councillor John Davis, who sits with Krochak on the accessibility advisory committee.
Doughty responded that he believed it would not be a problem for the attendants to be issued identification tags or permits to access the area.
Clement told the Forester that the RCMP and OPP are still conducting security reviews of the area and event, and that once details are finalized and the information becomes available, the summit management office in Ottawa will be able to respond to residents’ questions “as accurately and as completely as possible.”
Source: http://www.huntsvilleforester.com/article/127534