War Profiteers

On the morning of 12 September, peace activists protested on the beach at Victoria, Cadiz, during the III (Military) Air Festival. Members of the R.A.N.A (Antimilitarist and Nonviolent Network of Andalucia) carried a huge banner announcing "these planes have been produced for war", while overhead various combat planes - Eurofighter, Harriers, etc - made a horrible noise.

Welcome to the August issue of our newsletter. Which is a bit late because of festivities interruptions.

I would like to congratulate the EDO Decommissioners for their court victory. They show how at times taking bigger risks with our actions can bring important victories to our struggles. This risk though must be well planned if not it can backfire. I would like to thank Smash EDO for contributing to this issue.

That Dark and Stormy Night

On January 17th 2009 six people broke into EDO MBM/ITT in Brighton and caused £189,000 worth of damage to computers, servers, lathes and other equipment. The activists, calling themselves the ‘decommissioners’, took their action in response to the Israeli assault on Gaza which had claimed 1,400 lives by the 17th. EDO MBM/ITT manufactures the arming unit for the Israeli F16 bombrack.

Court in the Act

Wendela de Vries

After years of lobbying by NGO's, the United Nations decided to start negotiations for a global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). The objective of this treaty is to create a legal mechanism to prevent 'unethical' arms trade. Arms should not be exported when there is a serious risk that they might be used in human rights violations, in war crimes, organised crime or terrorism. They should also not be sold to unstable regions, poor countries or corrupt regimes. Reading this, one cannot conclude anything else than that that this treaty is meant to end all arms trade. However, as is well known, international treaties should not be taken too seriously, especially not when they aim at soft goals like respect for peace and human rights. In the first place, clever diplomatic phrasing will leave lots of useful loopholes for a treaty not to be effective. In the second place, if a state does not is not live up to the treaty, there will be no consequenses. Unless, of course, it is a paria state already.

This is a new campaign planned to start in autumn (north hemisphere) 2010. Organised by several German peace and human rights organisations, among them: the Armaments Information Office and the German Peace Society (DFG-VK) who is a member of WRI.

The German foreign and economic policy must be an authentic and credible policy of peace based on humanitarian values. This can only be achieved by respecting the dignity and life of all human beings – even or just the one of innocent and

Formerly known as British Aerospace, BAE Systems has grown into one of the world’s largest aviation and weapons companies, with major operations not only in the United Kingdom but also in Australia, South Africa, Sweden, Saudi Arabia and the United States, where it is now one of the Pentagon’s largest contractors. BAE is one of the top producers of armored combat vehicles such as the Bradley Fighting Vehicle (widely used by the U.S.

Wendela de Vries
Campagne tegen Wapenhandel

The European Aeronatic Defence and Space company, EADS, is the second largest military producer in Europe. The company is owned by German Dailmer (producer of civil Mercedes cars but also of many types of military vehicles), the French company Lagardère, (partly state owned and partly privately owned by Arnaud Lagardère), a Spanish public investment fund and several big private investment funds. And also, surprisingly, by the peace movement. German peace activists bought shares for € 15 each, therewith buying access to the yearly shareholder meeting and the right to speak.

The European Network Against Arms Trade (ENAAT) is a loose network of researchers, campaigners and lobbyists. The network meets once a year somewhere in Europe to discuss campaign strategies, political developments and the newest tricks from the arms industry. Although every European country has its specific political culture and the arms industry differs from country to country, there are many reasons to work together. The arms industry is very globalised hardly any country makes a complete weapon system all by itself.

It seems there is never a quiet time when it comes to campaigning against war profiteers. It can be the work against nuclear weapons and the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Nukewatch, The Nuclear Resist and The Ploughshare Eight in the US, or in France, with actions against the Eurosatory arms fair, or in Europe, with the work and meetings of ENAAT, shareholders' actions and court cases, or in Israel and Palestine, with the work on BDS and settlements products and around the use of military equipment against Palestinians and internationals, or in Africa with the permanent resources war. All these are reported in this issue of War Profiteer News.

Albert Beale, from Peace Pledge Union (British WRI affiliate), and CAAT activist

Most major corporations in Britain are owned by shareholders who, between them, own millions of shares in the company. Sometimes even one individual shareholder will hold millions of shares - yet other people might only own one.

Who are these shareholders? The very largest ones tend to be other corporate bodies - such as pension funds, investment funds which invest money on behalf of lots of small savers, and other companies. Then there are rich individuals. Then there are well-off (but not very rich) individuals who have some of their regular savings invested in a company.

Tikiri

Every other year, Eurosatory is back, and every time, peace activists and activists against the arms trade try to use it to raise awareness about how the French state and French companies don't care about peace when it comes to building, selling, and buying armament systems and components.
On the Tuesday of what they call the "International Land and Air Homeland Defence Week", Eurosatory's organisers are hosting an Official Exhibitor Reception, which was this year at les Invalides – well known building in Paris. This is normally the opportunity for us to show our disgust and our opposition to this trade. Well, normally - as this year - opponents to Eurosatory have been sent half a mile from the spot as if we were so badly hurting their conscience...

BP (formerly British Petroleum) has become one of the world’s most controversial giant corporations because of its involvement in a series of major environmental disasters and industrial accidents. The company has been the target of intense criticism for its role in the April 2010 explosion at a drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 workers and unleashed a vast underwater oil leak that flowed largely unchecked for weeks.