Recent revelations that the Howard Government used information from from intercepteted communications between the MV Tampa and the MUA to help formulate their plans for the Tampa asylum seekers has again raised questions on the role of foreign military bases in Australia.
Both Pine Gap near Alice Springs and Kojarema near Geraldton in WA routinely intercept Australian communications for a wide variety of purposes. The only difference in the recent MUA-Tampa case, is that we found out about it. Dr Dave Webb from Leeds University in the UK has been studying the activities of Pine Gap's sister base Menwith Hill in Yorkshire and is in Australia to talk to Australian activists about the role of bases such as these. In addition to its spying role, Pine Gap is also an integral part of the US' Star Wars program, which even former PM Fraser has come out and called a bad idea which would make Australia a potential target of the US' enemies. Dr Dave will be joined by Jacob Grech of the Australian Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition who will talk on the Australian political aspects of the Space Base at Pine Gap. The Australian Anti-Bases Camapign has called for a major national protest at the gates of Pine Gap this October. This action has been endorsed by Friends of the Earth and the National Union of Students. For more info on the Pine Gap protest check out www.ozpeace.net/pinegaphome. . -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink