Helen John

The Drone Wars UK website reports that longtime peace campaigner Helen John is setting up a new peace camp at RAF Waddington, the Lincolnshire RAF base that is to become the new home for pilots controlling British Reaper drones.

Helen is calling for support from fellow activists, protesters and campers, from within UK and internationally. The camp is open to all. It is intended that the camp at RAF Waddington will be mixed, and not ‘Women only’ as some protest camps are. The only request made to anyone willing or wishing to attend is that no booze or drugs are brought to the camp.

It is hoped that some communal facilities will be available from the outset but in the early stages visitors/campers are advised to arrive reasonably self sufficiently equipped.  Anyone wishing to attend the camp but needing camping equipment should email Kate, ktholcombe@aol.com or phone on 0774 8015601 to discuss their requirements. Where possible stuff will be provided for anyone in need.
Helen says:

I learnt recently that RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire had become the home base for the Reaper Stealth bombers (Drones). I was horrified. Having lived through WW2, I witnessed the destruction of my grandmother’s house, cut in two by a V11 rocket (as we then called them).

I feel deeply ashamed that we now in the 21^st century are bringing back Nazi technology to blight the future. Killing and maiming others for oil it appears, while our ‘pilots’ sit in comfort and safety at their computer consuls, thousands of miles away.  Murder by remote control. Whatever next?

Will we follow Werner Von Braun, the inventor of this weapons system? He hung 800 prisoners of war and left the corpses hanging as a daily reminder to the captive workforce not to continue sabotage.

We have seen the back of Cruise Missiles, the son of Von Braun, now we have the grandson Drones. Do we want them? – NO.

Von Braun and other prominent Nazis were welcomed with open arms into the U.S.A after a change in the constitution – what have we gained or lost? Can we afford this criminal folly, I think not.

For more details and further information see RAF Waddington Peace Camp

“The airspace is designated as a danger zone by the CAA, and the discussions behind this new ACP started some three to four years ago . . .

“The airspace will be subject to safety requirements imposed and regulated by the CAA and the Military Aviation Authority, and unmanned flight will only be activated in the new airspace when scheduled.”

The revised airspace will become effective from 28 July 2011. The new Danger Areas will be identified as EG D202 and EG D202A/B/C. Details of the revised airspace is contained in AIC: Y 052/2011, which will be published on 16 June 2011 and will be available at: www.ais.org.uk

Click map for larger version or download a PDF of the map (even larger scale)

Other Links

• David Learmount on UK CAA approves Welsh airspace for UAV testing
• Civil Aviation Authority – CAA approves new segregated airspace for unmanned aircraft
• ADS Group – Civil Aviation Authority gives green light for world class unmanned systems facility in Wales
• AOPA – CAA approves new segregated airspace for unmanned aircraft
• BBC – Drone Exclusion Zone from Aberporth made Permanent

The firm said the job cuts were due to decreasing defence budgets and loss of and delays in major programmes.

This could well be the final nail in the coffin of the Parc Aberporth UAV “Centre of Excellence”. Most of the offices are now being offered for rent to any company which will take them for any purpose and their has been almost total silence from the  Welsh Assembly on the project for months.

An announcement by the Civil Aviation Authority on whether WAG’s application for a 500 square mile UAV testing zone or “segregated airspace” is to be approved is long overdue, and the WAG official who was responsible for managing the application as well as the proceeding  public consultation has now left WAG to take up a new post with the CAA.

West Wales Airport Ltd regrets to announce that due to circumstances beyond their control, the PAUSE 11 exhibition and UAS demonstration planned for 6 and 7 of July will now no longer be taking place.

Every effort will be made to convene an annual unmanned systems event at West Wales Airport from 2012 when it is hoped the UAS market will be better placed to both participate and gain benefit.

The organisers extend their sincere thanks and apologies to all who have expressed interest thus far and hope they will look forward to participating in next year’s event.

Judging by previous such events held in Europe, Pause 11 was expected to be dominated by the military and was already gaining the attention of peace and ant-militarisation groups from Wales and the UK. Protests and events by these groups seemed likely.

With units 2, 4 and 7 of the office units at Parc Aberporth already being put on the open market for rent by all-comers, the dream of a “UAV centre of excellence” seems to have turned into an expensive nightmare.

As this Freedom of Information response from the Welsh Assembly Government reveals, £17m has already been spent on the project, plus money spent by Ceredigion County Council on the roundabout at the entrance to Parc Aberporth and the realignment of the B4333 road, plus the cost of buying Cyttir Mawr farm, whose land was needed to extended the runway and create the new road layout.

There are currently 37 people employed in the units at Parc Aberporth, but the WAG cannot provide information on whether they are full or part-time jobs or whether the jobs are taken by people with local addresses (indicating whether the  promise of jobs for local people was being in any way fulfilled).

A young ex Pembrokeshire man is in prison in US, he has been in solitary confinement for 10 months.

Bradley Manning went to school in Tasker Milward, his mum, aunts and uncles live in Pembrokeshire. His teachers remember his integrity and intelligence.

He has been described as the bravest man of our time, he is accused of releasing information to Wikileaks of abuse and corruption by army and governments from the US army files where he worked in intelligence. His punishment is physical and mental abuse and the threat of life imprisonment.

Here are a few of the links, including an excellent film of an interview with David House who is his only visitor apart from his lawyer.

• Film on ABC Australia
• Guardian Article
• Bradley Manning website article

Since these were written things seem to be getting worse as the Independant Newspaper reported recently that they have taken his boxers away at night so he has to be naked.

The US army are embarrassed and angry, partly because this has shown up how lax their security is that a 22 year-old could access it all and simply download it onto his ipad or memory stick.

Bradley should be rewarded for bringing these government and military abuses of power to the public’s attention. Instead he is receiving torture which could  damage his mind permanently. The US government want to make his treatment punitive to discourage any other whistle blowers. If they can get their hands on Julian Assange of Wikileaks, he will receive the same treatment.

Can we make such a fuss that the US is challenged for this treatment?

• Put it on Facebook, email your Assembly Member and MP, ask for a human rights challenge from UK.
• Ask for a meeting with anyone with influence, we can arrange group meetings where we get them to do something about it.
• Write a short letter to the local papers.

If you want to discuss this further or have campaigning ideas, please contact Vicky Moller – 01239 820971