The Pine Gap treaty is 50 years old this year and the Pine Gap base is a greater threat to the security of Australia than ever before.
“Far from being enhanced by cooperation with the US military at Pine Gap, Australian security is being jeopardised like never before,” said Professor Richard Tanter of Melbourne University and Director of the Nautilus Institute.
“Targeting data supplied by Pine Gap is used for drone killings both in war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq and in countries with which Australia is not at war, such as Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen,” he said.
“Not only does this make Australia culpable for well-documented war-crimes, but it also generates cycles of terrorism in response.”
The treaty which set up the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap was signed by the US and Australian Governments on 12 September 1966.
Data processed by Pine Gap provides targets for United States missiles and bombs, spies for United States economic and military activities, supports military command and control functions and provides early warning of missile launches.
Because Pine Gap is integral to the US global nuclear and non-nuclear war fighting capacity, it could be a high priority target in the event of a major conflict.
Given the rising tensions between the US and China in the Asia-Pacific, this ought be a major concern to the people of Alice Springs and all Australians.
Professor Tanter will be in Alice Springs to speak at Secrets at the Centre, a public forum at the Chifley Hotel, 6.30 – 8.30 pm Friday 30 September.
The next day, Saturday 1 October, he will deliver a keynote address to the annual conference of the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN), Pine Gap: Serving US Militarism for 50 years – Time for Independence? Also at the Chifley Hotel.
www.ipan.org.au
http://nautilus.org/briefing-books/australian-defence-facilities/pine-gap/the-pine-gap-project/
Kath Kelly, Independent and Peaceful Australia Network
