Critical Times

Below are 2 interesting comments on joint military exercises received from the Peace Convergence.

First is an email from an Australian sailor condemning the exercises, and the second is a report on Jo Valentine (ex-politician) arrested at Freemantle (WA) after protesting on July 4 against the exercises and calling for “Independence from America”.

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Australia has a toxic ‘friend’.

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From July 6-26, more than 15,000 American and up to 8,000 Australian troops will be involved in a major joint US-Austarlia military training exercises in Shoalwater Bay, north Queensland. The biennial Talisman Sabre war games involve air, land and sea bombing and military assaults along the coastline and inland.

The joint US-Australia military exercises and major US military bases on our soil make Australia an integral part in America’s global military in its wars of aggression.

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The Chicago Model of Militarizing Schools

Monday 29 June 2009

by: Brian Roa, t r u t h o u t | Perspective

For the past four years, I have observed the military occupation of the high school where I teach science. Currently, Chicago’s Senn High School houses Rickover Naval Academy (RNA). I use the term “occupation” because part of our building was taken away despite student, parent, teacher and community opposition to RNA’s opening. read more »

By retired Lieutenant-Colonel Lance Collins (former head of Military Intelligence under INTERFET), who presented this speech to the “ANZAC EVE (Denis Kevans Memorial) PEACE FESTIVAL” – LEICHHARDT TOWN HALL, Sydney.

I have deployed on two overseas military operations. The first was a brief deployment to Kuwait in February 1998, a precautionary defence against Saddam Hussein during the weapons inspection crisis.

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Residents of Port Adelaide are reeling at the number and scale of plans for their district being made way above their heads by governments and corporations. The Port Waterfront Redevelopment is starting to dominate the inner harbour; presenting a concrete wall of high-priced apartments to other inhabitants of the still mostly working class suburbs nearby. And now comes the news that an eight metre-high “acoustic barrier” is to be erected, removing about four kilometres of public waterfront access and fortifying a precinct for strategic waterfront “defence” (war) industries.

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Senate Blocks Iraq War Money

By Anne Flaherty The Associated Press Friday 16 November 2007 The Senate on Friday blocked a Democratic proposal that would have paid for the Iraq war but required that troops start coming home. The 53-45 vote was seven votes short of the 60 needed to advance. It came minutes after the Senate rejected a Republican proposal to pay for the Iraq war with no strings attached. read more »

By Gary Ater
The American Chronicle
Sunday 19 August 2007

Many of you have seen the headlines regarding the military suicides that have reached the highest level in 26 years. There were 99 confirmed Army suicides in 2006 (2 additional deaths are pending investigations), up from 88 in 2005 and the highest since 1991 during the Persian Gulf War. The rate of suicides grew in 5 years from a low of 9. read more »

By Sayed SalahuddinSat May 26, 12:15 PM ET

A U.S. navy show of force on Iran’s doorstep is “greatly alarming” for the region and the United States risked a bloody quagmire if it invaded Iran, a state-run Afghan newspaper said on Saturday.

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Next May/June will see Australia host the largest military exercises we’ve ever had in peacetime. Talisman Sabre 07.

Twelve thousand Australian soldiers and nearly l4,000 US troops and sailors will take place in bombarding our shores and fragile landscape, storming our beaches, gunning down ‘terrorists’ in the newly built urban guerrilla warfare training centre, testing their latest laser guided missiles and ‘smart’ bombs in some of the most pristine wilderness I’ve ever seen on this planet – and in 30years of making films, I’ve seen a lot of this planet.

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US Toll in Iraq Surpasses That of 9/11 By Christopher Torchia The Associated Press Tuesday 26 December 2006 At least 36 Iraqis died Tuesday in bombings, officials said, including a coordinated strike that killed 25 in western Baghdad. Separately, the deaths of six U.S. read more »

By Bryan Bender

The Boston Globe

Monday 13 November 2006

Shipments grow to unstable areas.

Washington – The United States last year provided nearly half of the weapons sold to militaries in the developing world, as major arms sales to the most unstable regions – many already engaged in conflict – grew to the highest level in eight years, new US government figures show.

According to the annual assessment, the United States supplied $8. read more »