Auxin Posted February 15, 2007 Secret new US spy base to get green lightBrendan Nicholson February 15, 2007 AUSTRALIA'S close military alliance with the United States is to be further entrenched with the building of a high-tech communications base in Western Australia. The Federal Government is about to approve the base after three years of secret negotiations with Washington. The Age has been told the base, which will be built on defence land at Geraldton, will provide a crucial link for a new network of military satellites that will help the US's ability to fight wars in the Middle East and Asia. It will be the first big US military installation to be built in Australia in decades, and follows controversies over other big bases such as Pine Gap and North West Cape. The deal has come to light amid heightened political debate over the alliance with the US and in the same week that the US finally told Australia it would not allow it to buy its best fighter aircraft, the F-22 Raptor. The base, about 370 kilometres north of Perth, will control two of five geostationary satellites - those with the highest priority parked over the Indian Ocean to monitor the unstable Middle East. Building may start within months. A visiting fellow at the Australian Defence Force Academy, Philip Dorling, said that once the base was operating it would be almost impossible for Australia to be fully neutral or stand back from any war in which the US was involved. The network will provide frontline military units instantly with high quality intelligence information, graphics and maps. All this information will be carried in unbreakable codes. The Defence Minister, Brendan Nelson, confirmed that talks were continuing with the US Defence Department which wanted to build a ground station for its Mobile User Objective System. More ground stations might be built at other locations in Australia, he said. Dr Dorling said the base would have direct military significance and would be a military target, similar to the submarine communications base at North West Cape and the joint facility at Pine Gap with its missile early warning system. LinkSince apoth pointed out the other day that australia has a track record for tossing troops into every war major that comes along I thought this might be relevant in that it helps make that trend unavoidable by selling off your autonomy for money that the australian people will never see (megacorporations and politicians excluded). That its being done is no shock, but that the deal was pushed through at a time when its clear that its purpose will likely be to aid in the commission of international high crimes sends a clear, and unfortunate, message to the world about where australia stands on the issues of US led crimes against peace and crimes against humanity. If, by chance, you want to tell a few folks in power how you feel about the ongoing auctioning of australian autonomy to america heres a List of addresses, phone numbers, fax, and email for the australian house of representatives. For love letters to the white house: [email protected] [email protected] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gomaos Posted February 16, 2007 Since apoth pointed out the other day that australia has a track record for tossing troops into every war stupid, hey? It'd be alright if australia would have fought wars defending it's country but almost all of these wars are "aggression only". How dumb of australia! The other day, in a shopping centre, i passed by some clean-cut, clean-shaven, mind-fucked war veterans in a shopping centre, actually I might have not seen them and pushed past themn through some door... one fo the vets remarked upon seeing me (long hippie-hair and hippie-clothes) "Well he won't fight a war for you..." I should have turned around and shouted into his face "Well we can't all be stupid like you are..." but I just shut up and waddled on... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ace Posted February 16, 2007 Since apoth pointed out the other day that australia has a track record for tossing troops into every war stupid, hey? It'd be alright if australia would have fought wars defending it's country but almost all of these wars are "aggression only". How dumb of australia! The other day, in a shopping centre, i passed by some clean-cut, clean-shaven, mind-fucked war veterans in a shopping centre, actually I might have not seen them and pushed past themn through some door... one fo the vets remarked upon seeing me (long hippie-hair and hippie-clothes) "Well he won't fight a war for you..." I should have turned around and shouted into his face "Well we can't all be stupid like you are..." but I just shut up and waddled on... Gom - I'd love to see a photo of you - all I can picture is Tommy Chong from 'Cheech and Chong' and 'That 70s Show' - damn - he's such a champ But this sort of sh*t is so typical... bunch of wankers off to 'defend our country', when in fact they are just Bush, Blair and gimpy lil Howards pawns to take over the world... I was going to join the reserves for the great incentives and awesome training and and all that, but after actually seeing how they actually funtion - I'd rather be a hippy than some cockhead's pawn... I can understand your response to them, I'm sure that they would have easily won a fight in numbers anyway, but they still deserve a decent kick in the crutch for that sort of remark... For all they know, you could have been fighting in one of the old wars - that would have made em look stupid Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nabraxas Posted February 16, 2007 (edited) rumour has it that it was the CIA who instigated the removal ov PM Gough Whitlam after he said “There is profoundly increasing evidence that foreign espionage and intelligence activities are being practised in Australia on a wide scale… I believe the evidence is so grave and so alarming in its implications that it demands the fullest explanation. The deception over the CIA and the activities of foreign installations on our soil… are an onslaught on Australia’s sovereignty.” to the Australian Parliament, 1977. he was referring to the CIA Pine Gap installation which was then supposed to be a NASA tracking facility, but is now recognised as a CIA "listening" station. http://www.wakeupmag.co.uk/articles/cia9.htm Another version; http://cia_oz_files.tripod.com/pages/The_C...alia_Part_1.htm http://cia_oz_files.tripod.com/pages/The_C...alia_Part_2.htm http://cia_oz_files.tripod.com/pages/Chris...Boyce_60min.htm lots ov interesting material here Add to that Howerds unwavering support for following the US into iraq & afghanistan, & his pushing ov the US line on nuclear power & one more base is really neither here or there, & as for autonomy....well Australia just swapped British masters for Yank ones...old news... Edited February 16, 2007 by nabraxas Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
apothecary Posted February 16, 2007 (edited) http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200702/s1849337.htm Wonder how much they paid Peter Garrett? Edited February 16, 2007 by apothecary Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gomaos Posted February 16, 2007 well he has decided to be a politician, and as a labor politician, if you want to stay a labor politician, you have to support the party line. he says it but does he mean it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KlUe Posted February 16, 2007 well he has decided to be a politician, and as a labor politician, if you want to stay a labor politician, you have to support the party line.he says it but does he mean it? Agreed dude... He's had a few turns in the past much like this, I bet he doesn't agree with the decision.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Auxin Posted February 16, 2007 If he doesnt agree with it (and isnt getting bribes) its a shame he has to sell out his morals to keep his position in his party. But thats politics, its the same most everywhere. But a strategic affairs analyst from Curtin University, Doctor Alexey Muraviev, says it is highly unlikely Geraldton will be targeted."Even if it's linked to the United States..." If? What kind of illiterate yokels are they trying to brainwash people into thinking islamic extremists are? This is global news, everyone can 'link' it to the US. (Not to mention the fact that by no rational definition can an attack against a military complex actively engaged in hostile military action against an occupied country be called "terrorism")"Terrorists are very much opportunistic individuals and they would likely hit far less protected targets..."Uh, like the pentagon? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gomaos Posted February 16, 2007 (edited) b]Terrorists are very much opportunistic individuals and they would likely hit far less protected targets..." Uh, like the pentagon? [/b] you got it! Gom - I'd love to see a photo of you - all I can picture is Tommy Chong from 'Cheech and Chong' and 'That 70s Show' - damn - he's such a champ Edited February 17, 2007 by gomaos Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
