Text Fwd: Anger In Kyrgyzstan Over Plane Noise, Fuel-Dumping At US Base Vital To Afghan War

Forward from: Stephanie Westbrook, nousbases@lists.riseup.net, Agatha Haun

* Image caption from the original source*

US military planes , are seen at Manas US military base in Bishkek airport Kyrgyzstan on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009. Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev last week announced the closure of the base, which is a crucial staging post for coalition operations in Afghanistan. The U.S. began using the Manas base in December 2001. (AP Photo/Igor Kovalenko) (Igor Kovalenko - AP)

Anger In Kyrgyzstan Over Plane Noise, Fuel-Dumping At US Base Vital To Afghan War

Peter Leonard,
Associated Press, Friday, February 13, 2009; 10:56 AM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2009/02/13/AR20090213
01234.html

Mramornaya, Kyrgyzstan - For many in this ramshackle village just outside
the last U.S. base in Central Asia, news the Americans may be leaving
hasn't come a moment too soon.

Villagers voice grievances about pollution, airplane noise and the killing of a
Kyrgyz citizen by an Air Force serviceman. Some also fear the American
presence could drag their country into a regional conflict.

Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev took Washington by surprise this
month in announcing the closure of the Manas air base, which the U.S.
wants as a springboard for sending thousands more troops to Afghanistan

Bakiyev's government has accused the U.S. of refusing to pay enough for
the base and has gotten a better offer from Russia. But the opposition of
ordinary Kyrgyz to the base would make it easier to evict the Americans.

Bakiyev is under pressure because of the deepening economic crisis and is
expected to call early presidential elections this year. The injection of
Russian cash could help him prop up his popularity through increased
social spending.

One of the most contentious issues surrounding the base is the fatal
shooting of truck driver Alexander Ivanov in late 2006 as a routine security
check was conducted on his vehicle. U.S. officials claimed Ivanov
threatened the serviceman with a knife. Bakiyev has cited the case as a
reason for closing Manas.

Ivanov's widow, Marina Ivanova, says she is angry that the senior airman
responsible for her husband's death has not been held accountable and
says the $55,000 she received from the U.S. government as compensation
is inadequate. ... Villagers in Mramornaya say fuel dumped by aircraft
landing at Manas is causing skin conditions and other illnesses, while killing
off their crops. "We used to have pears, apples and tomatoes growing
here," said Zima Osmonova, a history teacher. "Now all the trees here have
dried out and the crops don't grow any longer."

Osmonova also complained about the plane noise. "If there was an
earthquake, I wouldn't know the difference," she said.

Some villagers also are concerned that the base could one day be used to
launch a strike on Iran, prompting a retaliatory attack against Kyrgyzstan.

Text Fwd: U.S. commitment to Pacific region showcased in India

* image caption from the original source *

_A Luftwaffe Eurofighter conducts aerobatic maneuvers during a demonstration over an F-16 Fighting Falcon at the Aero India 09 air show at Air Force Station Yelahanka, India, on Feb. 9. The F-16, along with the C-17 Globemaster III, C-130J Hercules, KC-135 Stratotanker, F/A-18 Hornet and Eagle Vision ground satellite system, are on hand at the air show, demonstrating U.S. capabilities and commitment to the Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Maj. Sam Highley)

_Gen. Howie Chandler, Pacific Air Forces commander, watches a C-17 Globemaster III demonstration at the Aero India 09 air show at Air Force Station Yelahanka, India, on Feb. 11. General Chandler is among a number of U.S. senior leaders at the air show, which runs through Feb. 15. (U.S. Air Force photo by Maj. Sam Highley)

http://www.pacaf.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123135069

by Maj. Sam Highley
13th Air Force Public Affairs

2/11/2009 - AIR FORCE STATION YELAHANKA, India -- About 150 U.S. military personnel and Department of Defense civilians are among the thousands of people from around the globe taking part in the Aero India 09 air show here.

A cross-section of U.S. military aircraft and equipment, including the C-17 Globemaster III, C-130J Hercules, F-16 Fighting Falcon, KC-135 Stratotanker, F/A-18 Hornet and Eagle Vision ground satellite system, are on display at the show, which began Feb. 11 and lasts five days.

This year's Aero India, which is organized by India's Ministry of Defence and hosted at the air force station here near Bangalore, India, boasts participation from more than 590 exhibitors from 25 different countries.

Col. Ray LaMarche, Director of Plans, Programs and Requirements at 13th Air Force, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and the air boss for U.S. forces participating in the event, said Aero India is a perfect venue for the United States to demonstrate its commitment to the Asia-Pacific region.

"India is the world's largest democracy, and both the United States and India are committed to a stable Pacific theater," Colonel LaMarche said. "So our countries already share some basic beliefs, and events like this allow our respective military leaders to meet and discuss common challenges."

This special bond between India and the United States was recently highlighted by President Barack Obama, who released a statement Jan. 26 for India Republic Day highlighting the nations' shared belief in democracy, liberty, pluralism and religious tolerance.

"It is our shared values that form the bedrock of a robust relationship across peoples and governments," the president said in the statement. "Those values and ideals provide the strength that enables us to meet any challenge, particularly from those who use violence to try to undermine our free and open societies."

The developing partnership between India and the United States was on full display at the air show, as Indian military officers had the opportunity to see the U.S. military aircraft there up close through demonstration and orientation flights, as well as static displays.

Maj. Mike Dinwiddie, a C-17 pilot from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, and the mission commander for the Globemaster III at Aero India 09, said the interaction with the Indian armed forces and representatives from other regional militaries was a highlight of the show.

"This show is really about building relationships," Major Dinwiddie said. "By making these connections now with other countries' airmen, we're preparing ourselves to work together better down the road when it really counts."

The demonstrations also furthered efforts to promote the standardization and interoperability of the equipment and processes used by partner nations in the Pacific theater, Colonel LaMarche said.

"We're building the knowledge base that will benefit us in the future," the colonel said. "When crisis strikes, we have to be able to share data, speak the same tactical language, and plan in parallel if we want to respond successfully. Events like Aero India go a long way toward making that happen."

Promoting interoperability and building relationships was made all the more easier by the remarkable hospitality of the event organizers, according to Capt. Steven Massie, a C-130J pilot at Little Rock AFB, Ark., who came to Aero India to demonstrate the latest version of the Hercules airlifter.

"Our Indian hosts have welcomed us and taken great care of us this entire time," Captain Massie said. "It's an honor to be here, to talk about what we do for a living, and to just see this great country."

Hillary Clinton, Start Dialogue With the North Korea Now!

* image caption*

The letters of the first photo say:

No! Missile Defense participation!, No! Proliferation Security Initiative!, No! US-SK joint military exercise! No! dispatch to Afghanistan!

Yes! Normalization of the US-NK relationship! Yes! Sign the Peace Agreement!



On February 17, 2009, The Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea(SPARK) had a 113th monthly Anti-US imperialism rally, in front of the US Embassy, Seoul, Korea.

The summary of its claims in the rally (tentative translation)

1. Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State visits Korea on Feb. 19-20, 2009. She said that “ If the North Korea is seriously ready to abolish the nuclear weapons completely, verifiably, the Obama government will be willing to normalize the relationship between the two countries, to replace the long time cease fire into the peace agreement, and to provide the North Korean people with the economic help of energy and others"…When the Lee Myung Park government’s harsh policy against the North Korea has led the SK-NK relationship into the closed alley, the change of the political current of the Korean peninsula through the improvement of the US-NK is desperately needed. Therefore we urge the president Obama and her to promote the dialogue with the North Korea, counter-mirroring the lessons of the policy of the Bush administration and to make a breakthrough for the normalization of the relationship between the NK-US relationship.

2. Otherwise, Walter Sharp, the commander of the United States of Forces of Korea(USFK) announced the foundation of the CAC(Combined Air Command) and the policy of the remaining of the USFK 8th Brigade. The both military departments of the both governments are promoting the highly integrated commanding system surpassing the current level of the US-SK joint command system through all areas and abilities, It means the USFK ‘s continuing domination of and meddling into the South Korean military, making meaningless of the decision of the transferring the wartime operational control (OPCON).

3. On January 15, the 8th Special Measure Agreement was submitted to the National Assembly through the official signing. If the assembly, like the government, permits the illegal and shameful increasement of the defense share budget for the relocation of the USFK 2nd brigade, the South Korean people would be the victim by the United States government. We want to expand the consciousness on this issue and to pressure the assembly so that it could actively question the whole issues.

4. It has recently first revealed that the U.S. Department of State has supported the huge amount of the fund to the so called “Human Rights organizations against the North Korea”. We strongly denounce the government of the United States of America who has added oppression against the North Korea with the issue of ‘human rights’ as weapon and who has laid the obstacle in the process for the peaceful normalization of the US-NK relationship.


* Related : A Joint Letter of the representatives of the civil society organizations in South Korea to the U.S. Secretary of State Mrs Hillary Rodham Clinton, February 18, 2009

“We, the representatives of the civil society in South Korea,
congratulate Mrs Hillary Rodham Clinton on assuming the post of Secretary of State, welcome her first official visit to Korea and take this opportunity to present our policy concerns and suggestions on the matters of U.S. policy orientation towards North Korea, the development of the Korea-U.S. alliance, and aspirations for peace in the Korean Peninsula.”


• Related Korean article:

http://spark946.org/bugsboard/index.php?BBS=s_news&action=viewForm&uid=2113&page=1
113차 반미연대집회 " 힐러리 미 국무장관은 조속히 북미대화에 나서라"
- 2009년 2월 17일(화) 낮 12시, 광화문 미대사관 인근 KT 빌딩 앞 –


http://www.tongilnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=82884


* Related englisg article:
http://www.spark946.org/bugsboard/index.php?BBS=eng_3&action=viewForm&uid=25&page=1
Defense Ministry decides not to classify N. Korea as its ‘main enemy’
Designation as a ‘direct and serious threat’ is separate from a readiness posture or the recognition of a realistic threat


* Related blog: Space4Peace(Organizing Notes) READING THE TEA LEAVES
http://space4peace.blogspot.com/2009/02/reading-tea-leaves.html


* related article from the Ministry of the Defense Department, South Korea*
http://mnd.go.kr/mndEng/WhatsNew/RecentNews/


Status of OPCON transfer
Date 2009-02-16 16:16

Entire military working toward transfer under Joint Chiefs of Staff

The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States are working toward transferring the wartime operational control (OPCON) of ROK military to the chairman of the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) as the two sides have agreed to transfer the OPCON on 17 April 2012. The OPCON of ROK forces is currently under control of the commander of ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC).

The agreement on the transfer of OPCON came at a ROK-U.S. summit in 2006 after the two countries agreed to speed up the process in a Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) held in 2005. The sides have since agreed on the timing of the OPCON transfer and other details of the process through SCMs, ROK-U.S. defense ministerial talks and standing military committee meetings.

After the OPCON transfer, the CFC commander will be tasked to draw up a new single command system that will control both ROK and U.S. militaries, transforming the ROK-U.S. alliance.

Under the new single command system, there will be two separate combat theater command headquarters – the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff and the U.S. Korea Command – that will remain independent from each other, but will work together to form a joint defense system. A military consultation body will also be formed to ensure continuous military cooperation between the two sides.

Therefore, the disbandment of the ROK-U.S. CFC following the transfer of OPCON will not lead to the dismantlement of the ROK-U.S. joint defense system or any changes in the ROK-U.S. military alliance, according to Brig. Gen. Jeon In Beom, chief of the OPCON transfer office at the ROK JCS.

Toward this end, the countries are annually holding two meetings of the military committee attended by the chairman of the JCS and the U.S. commander of the ROK-U.S. CFC, as well as monthly meetings of high-level representatives that involve the JCS chief of strategies and the deputy commander of the CFC, while some 20 related offices from each sides are working closely together.

While pursuing all-out efforts to prepare for the transfer, the Joint Chiefs of Staff is holding quarterly reviews on 114 tasks in six fields. The six task fields are the establishment of theater combat command system, a ROK-U.S. military cooperation system, operational plans, command execution systems, joint exercises and basis for the transfer of OPCON.

For the establishment of a new theater combat command system, the JCS is working to restructure its organization. While creating new offices of general staff (J-1…J-7) to enable theater combat command by the JCS, the JCS is working to build a new command headquarters by 2011, as well as the headquarters for a ROK military consultation group in the Pyeongtaek Garrison, where the new U.S. Korea Command will be located.

For the establishment of a military cooperation system, the two countries have agreed to set up an Allied Military Command Center (AMCC), Combined Air Command (CAC), and various other command centers, such as CWIOC, COCG and IPS.

Also, many of the consultative bodies will be run even in peacetime while the sides will each dispatch a number of liaison officers to maintain close cooperation. The sides are also working to write up standard operating procedures for consultative bodies while also trying to set up detailed plans for their location, organization and operation. The structure and operation of intelligence and air consultation bodies will remain intact as they are under the current joint defense system.

For the establishment of a theater combat command execution system, the sides have agreed to establish a joint crisis management system, as well as combined operation plans, and to check the systems regularly through their annual Taegeuk exercise and Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise.

In addition, the sides are trying to develop an operating system for the joint combat command headquarters as well as a C4I system for the joint command. To this end, the ROK military is working to develop an Allied Korea Joint Command and Control System (AKJCCS) by 2011, which will then be linked to the U.S. military’s C4I system.

“The ROK JCS and the U.S. Forces Korea command are working together under close cooperation for the transfer of OPCON,” Brig. Gen. Jeon said. “We will work to focus all our efforts for the successful transfer of the OPCON, which will mark the second formation of our military.”

Stop the establishment of the AMD CELL and the import of the Early Warning Radar

On February 17, 2009, The Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea(SPARK) had a emergent press interview, in front of the Ministry of the Defense Department, Yongsan, Seoul, Republic of Korea,

The SPARK members participated by some of the members of the families of the political conscious prisoners explained that;

‘ On Feb. 15, The Ministry of the Defense Department, Republic of Korea announced the establishment of the AMD Cell and the import of the Early Warning Radar. Moreover, the Defense Department plans to establish so called the Korean style Missile Defense by the import of the PAC-3 and SM-6 which would be fit to the Aegis Destroyer King Sejong… It means the systematic subjugation process of the Korean MD into the U.S. MD system would be accelerated.’

They claimed the three;
1. Stop the establishment of the AMD Cell and the import of the Early Warning Radar that would totally subjugate the so called the Korean MD into the US MD!
2. Stop the building of the mad Missile Defense system aiming the preemptive strike against the North Korea!
3. Stop the building of the MD that reverses the current mood!


*Related Korean artcles:

http://spark946.org/bugsboard/index.php?BBS=s_news&action=viewForm&uid=2115&page=1
미 MD체제로의 편입을 가속화할 한국형 MD 구축 중단 촉구 기자회견
탄도 미사일 작전통제소(AMD CELL) 구축과 조기경보레이더 도입을 중단하라!

http://www.tongilnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=82886

http://www.tongilnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=82887



* Related article from the Ministry of the Defense Department, Yongsan, Seoul, Republic of Korea

USFK commander Walter Sharp says U.S. closely monitoring N. Korean missile, artillery, Feb. 16, 2009

Gen. Walter Sharp, commander of ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea, on Feb. 9 said the United States is closely monitoring North Korea not only for its long-range missile activities, but also for its short-range missiles and artillery fires deployed near the military demarcation line. While speaking at a meeting with foreign news correspondents in Korea, Gen. Sharp said the ROK and the U.S. have “excellent radar positions” that can accurately identify the exact location of any North Korean missile launches. He also said the joint forces will counter any aggression with artillery and air forces, noting the planned relocation of frontline U.S. troops to south of the Han River will further strengthen their capabilities. Regarding the recent news reports that North Korea’s military may have gained more influence in the communist nation, Gen. Sharp said there are no signs of such a development, also noting the size of winter exercises of the North Korean military remained similar to those of previous years. Commenting on the North Korean nuclear issue, he said the U.S. demand was “for North Korea to verify that they do not have nuclear weapons and to denuclearize.” Regarding North Korea’s demand to verify nuclear capabilities of USFK, Gen. Sharp said the U.S. could consider the option after North Korea first agrees to its verification protocol. “We, the United States, and the other countries of the six-party talks look forward to that day so that we can work these details out,” he said. Regarding the troop level of USFK, Gen. Sharp said he is confident the troop level will be maintained at 28,500 even after 2012 when the wartime operational control of ROK military will be transferred back to the ROK military from the U.S., also noting the currently one-year tour of U.S. troops to Korea will be extended to three years. Gen. Sharp also noted there will be changes to the joint command of ROK and U.S. militaries, saying the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff will be responsible for maintaining the Korean armistice and the wartime operational control of troops.

Text & video Fwd: Sign petition to stop expansion of Fort Carson, Colorado, U. S. A.

Sign petition to stop expansion of Fort Carson

From Frank Cordaro
To National CW E-mail List , Google Iowa Peace List E-mail , Google Offutt List
Date Mon, Feb 16, 2009 at 10:40 PM
Subject [ Reply to Cordaro Help Bill Sulzman - Sign petition to stop expansion of Fort Carson - its easy, I did it!

Feb. 16, 2009, 10:40 PM (1 hour ago)


"Ft. Carson expansion OK'd" Denver Post
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5225670


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Bill Sulzman
Date: Mon, Feb 16, 2009

We have about 2 more weeks to get signatures on this petition to stop
the growth of Fort Carson and the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site. We will
then send copies of this and the hard copy signatures to Senators
Udall and Bennet and to SecDef Gates. It only takes a minute or so.
And if you're a fan of Nancy Griffith you'll like the video. Lots of
internationals are signing on and people from all over Colorado and
the US. The whole world suffers when the Pentagon expands the war
machine. Hope you can join.


Petition site:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/do-not-grow-the-army


Bill Sulzman
CITIZENS FOR PEACE IN SPACE
PO BOX 915, Co Springs, CO 80901
719-389-0644

Image Fwd: Military Spending

* From the space4peace(Organizing Notes) blog, Feb. 15, 2009

Text Fwd: Air Force to hold air war exercise in S. Korea

Text Fwd: Pyeongtaek Peace Center

Air Force to hold air war exercise in S. Korea By Franklin Fisher,
Stars and Stripes Pacific edition, Monday, January 12, 2009

* Image caption in the original article: Christopher Boitz / USAF

At Osan Air Base in South Korea last July, an F-16 fighter of Osan’s 36th Fighter Squadron lands after flying a mock combat mission during a training exercise. This week the U.S. Air Force throughout South Korea is holding an exercise to test its readiness to fight an air war.


OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea — U.S. airmen across South Korea will take part this week in a training exercise that tests their readiness to fight an air war.

U.S. 7th Air Force (Air Forces Korea) will oversee the quarterly operational readiness exercise, which will involve more than 8,500 U.S. troops, most of them airmen, including those at Osan and Kunsan air bases.

Army Patriot missile soldiers also will take part.

The exercise will test — through various mock war drills — the ability of the U.S. Air Force in South Korea to do the things it would have to do in wartime — mainly to knock out enemy aircraft, attack enemy troops and other ground targets.

“Our primary goal obviously is to make sure we’re ‘Ready to fight tonight’ and win against possible North Korean attack,” said 1st Lt. Malinda C. Singleton, spokeswoman for Osan’s 51st Fighter Wing.

The exercise will test senior commanders in their ability to manage the overall air campaign.

Airmen will have to perform under simulated wartime conditions, often in cumbersome chemical protective gear.

“Learning how to operate and survive in a chemical environment, that is a major part to every exercise we do here,” said 1st Lt. David R. Herndon, spokesman for Kunsan’s 8th Fighter Wing.

Pilots will fly mock combat missions over the peninsula. Ground crews will launch and recover the jets. Other airmen, including Security Forces troops, will practice defending their bases.

Airmen will practice giving first aid to themselves or other wounded airmen. Base medical facilities will operate as if at war.

The soldiers of the Army’s 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade will simulate launching their missiles against incoming enemy missiles or planes.

The brigade is headquartered at Osan and maintains firing batteries at various installations on the peninsula.

This week’s exercise will also serve as a rehearsal for a crucial Pacific Air Forces operational readiness inspection, or ORI, that the U.S. Air Force in South Korea is slated to undergo in the spring.

ORIs test war readiness, and all U.S. Air Force bases worldwide undergo ORIs once every two years, Singleton said.


* related email forward * from Corazon Valdez Fabros , Agatha Haun on Feb. 10

13th Fighter Squadron S. Korea-bound
Misawa unit replacing
Army helo battalion

By Vince Little and Franklin Fisher, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Monday, February 9, 2009


This time, the 13th Fighter Squadron is staying a little closer to
home.

Air Force officials said the unit from Misawa Air Base, Japan,
is gearing up for a six-month deployment to South Korea, where a dozen F-16
fighters and about 400 airmen will temporarily replace an Army attack and
reconnaissance helicopter battalion set to pull out in March.

The 35th Fighter Wing didn’t release a specific date but said
the Misawa deployment would begin later this month.

The Army’s 1st Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment, nicknamed
"Half-Attack," will leave Camp Eagle in Wonju, South Korea, this spring for a
new home at Fort Carson, Colo. The troops will deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan
later this year.

The unit, which flies the AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter,
has 24 aircraft and about 360 soldiers. It’s been stationed in South Korea since
November 1994 as part of the 2nd Infantry Division.

Last year, the U.S. military said the Apache battalion’s
close-air support mission would be picked up by 12 Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II
attack planes. It later decided to replace the Apaches with F-16s because of
structural concerns over the A-10 airframe.

The 4th Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment at Camp Humphreys in
Pyeongtaek will remain as the Army’s lone Apache unit in South
Korea.

"The deployment of the 13th is aimed at balancing assets to
support regional security in the Asia-Pacific theater and meet the needs of the
ongoing global war on terror," said Master Sgt. Allison Day, a 35th Fighter Wing
spokeswoman.

While in South Korea, the squadron and support personnel will
conduct standard training to keep flying proficiencies and tactical requirements
current, she added. That will include sharpening their air-to-air and
air-to-ground roles.

The rotational move "keeps the F-16s within the region and
close to Japan as opposed to out-of-theater deployments that have previously
been conducted," Day said. "(But) as a matter of operational security, it is our
policy not to discuss the details of specific operational or training
missions."

In May 2007, the 13th Fighter Squadron and support airmen
deployed to Balad Air Base in Iraq.

More than 300 airmen with Misawa’s 14th Fighter Squadron are
wrapping up a five-month tour to Balad. No return date has been announced.

---------------------
13th Fighter Squadron to bring more jets to S. Korea
By Franklin Fisher, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Wednesday,
February 11, 2009

OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea — The fighter squadron to deploy from Japan to
South Korea this month will include 14 jets and about 400 airmen during its
six-month tour, officials said Monday.

Last week, the Air Force said the squadron would deploy with
12 F-16 fighters, but on Monday said it had upped the number of jets to
14.

The planes and airmen of the 13th Fighter Squadron at Misawa
Air Base in Japan will spend six months in South Korea to take up the close air
support role currently held by an Army Apache helicopter unit — the 1st
Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment at Camp Eagle. The regiment will move to Fort
Carson, Colo., this spring.

"Our primary goal is to ensure there’s no gap in capability,
which this deployment does," said Col. Mike Chandler, chief of staff of 7th Air
Force (Air Forces Korea).

The F-16s to be deployed "more than provide the necessary
firepower for us to defend the Republic of Korea."

The fighter squadron will be assigned a new name, yet to be
announced, during its temporary deployment, 7th Air Force spokeswoman Lt. Col.
Rene White said Monday.

The Air Force said that for security reasons it will not
immediately disclose where in South Korea it will base the
squadron.

Besides pilots, the squadron’s personnel complement will
include mechanics and other support personnel.

The move will require no facilities construction to
accommodate the squadron, Chandler said, but additional police may be needed to
pull security duties.

After the Apache helicopter battalion moves to its new
stateside home, its troops will deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan, the U.S. military
has said.

The Army will still have one Apache battalion in South Korea,
the 4th Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment, which is at Camp Humphreys in
Pyeongtaek.


Contact:
Ko You-Kyoung
National Campaign for Eradication of Crimes by U.S. Troops in Korea
us@usacrime.or.kr

* The Songtan air base is wrongly known as Osan air base.

Text Fwd: Coalition partially lauds SC ruling, reiterates call for probe on unconstitutional US basing

Text Fwd by Corazon Valdez Fabros, No US Bases, Agatha Haun

Coalition partially lauds SC ruling, reiterates call for probe on unconstitutional US basing
Wednesday, February 11, 2009

MANILA, Philippines - The Stop the War Coalition-Philippines, a broad network of over 80 civil society organizations, today expressed its partial approval at the Supreme Court's decision to order the transfer of convicted rapist US soldier Daniel Smith to Philippine authorities even as it continued to challenge the constitutionality of the Visiting Forces Agreement.

This is a partial victory for all those who've been fighting for justice for Nicole and for all those who've been fighting for the sovereignty of the Philippines, said lawyer Corazon Fabros, one of the coalition's spokespersons.

However it is only partial because the Visiting Forces Agreement should have been declared unconstitutional, Fabros added, while pointing out that the transfer of custody could prompt the United States to revisit the agreement.

What the US wants through the VFA is to put its soldiers above the law, beyond the reach of local authorities, Fabros explained. By preventing this, the Supreme Court has struck at the heart of the VFA's ability to give immunity to US troops.

Meanwhile, the Stop the War Coalition reiterated its demand for an impartial investigation into what it calls the obvious and undeniable US basing in the southern Philippines.

The existence of then US Special Forces Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines base in Zamboanga City can no longer be denied; it is there for everyone to see, says Fabros. Its existence is an affront to the Constitution and it is high time the government and the Supreme Court step in to stop this continuing attack on the rule of law.

The Stop the War Coalition-Philippines claims there is incontrovertible proof that the US has effectively re-established US basing in the country since 2002.

Unless this illegal basing is ended, there may be more Nicoles in the future, Fabros warned.





Philippines: Supreme Court orders US rapist to serve term in local jail

Manila, 11 Feb. (AKI) – In a surprise ruling, the Philippines Supreme Court on Wednesday said US marine Daniel Smith, a convicted rapist, must serve his 40 year prison sentence in a Filipino jail. The ruling overrides a 2006 deal signed by Philippines foreign affairs secretary
Alberto Romulo and US ambassador Kirstie Kenney. Under the deal, Smith was to be moved from a local prison and placed in the custody of the US Embassy.

Smith was sentenced in 2006 to 40 years in jail for raping a Filipina named only as 'Nicole' after he took part in military exercises north of Manila in 2005.

The conviction provoked a diplomatic crisis between the two allies with the US threatening to cancel large-scale military exercises with Manila if he was returned to jail.

The crisis subsided after Smith was moved to the embassy. Washington claimed Smith's custody was sanctioned by the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) which came into effect in May 1999. The court has now ruled against that.

At a media conference, Supreme Court spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said the court had no deadline for the negotiations over Smith's return to jail but wanted talks to take place immediately. The court has allowed Smith to remain at the US Embassy pending these negotiations.

Neither the US nor the Philippines government made any immediate comment, while activists rejoiced.

However, the Stop the War Coalition-Philippines, a broad network of over 80 non-governmental organisations, said that the Supreme Court ruling was a "partial victory". The court should have gone further and declared the Visiting Forces Agreement unconstitutional, the network said.

"This is a partial victory for all those who've been fighting for justice for 'Nicole' and for all those who've been fighting for the sovereignty of the Philippines," said attorney Corazon Fabros, one of the coalition's spokespersons.

"However it is only partial because the VFA should have been declared unconstitutional," Fabros added. The transfer of custody could however prompt the United States to revisit the agreement, she said.

"What the US wants through the VFA is to put its soldiers above the law, beyond the reach of local authorities. By preventing this, the Supreme Court has struck at the heart of the VFA's ability to give immunity to US troops."


* E mail from Corazon Valdez Fabros, Tuesday, May 9, 2006
Stop The Planned Expansion of Camp Humphreys (K-6)! Don't steal this land from the farmers of Daechuri!

Text FW: Riding on the Golden Eagle

Text forwarded by Bill Sulzman, Citizens for Peace in Space

Riding on the Golden Eagle

Seoul Pins Economic Hopes on T-50 Sales

By JUNG SUNG-KI
Published: 9 February 2009

SEOUL - South Korea is accelerating efforts to make its first overseas sale of the T-50 Golden Eagle, tying the success of the supersonic trainer jet to becoming a major arms exporter and reviving its economy.

After achieving $1 billion in defense exports in 2008, its largest amount since 1975, the Seoul government has set a goal of $3 billion by 2012. Industry and military officials agree that sales of the T-50, built by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Lockheed Martin in 2001, are essential to attaining that goal.

The attention given to the T-50 also has cast a pall over the KF-X program, aimed at developing indigenous stealthy fighters by 2020, because of a proposed light-attack variant of the Golden Eagle.

But thus far, the joint international marketing of the trainer by KAI and Lockheed has produced no tangible results.

"It is of no doubt that selling T-50s will be central to boosting the country's defense exports. We expect the first sale to be sealed this year, as several deals are in the works," said Jeon Young-bok, head of the bureau of arms export policy in South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

"It's too early to judge the sales of T-50s have been stalled, given it normally takes about 10 years to sell new aircraft to other nations," Jeon said, referring to ongoing tenders in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Poland and Singapore.

As for criticism of the T-50 that the approximately $25 million jet is "too luxurious" to use as a trainer aircraft, he continued, "I believe the T-50 will eventually dominate the global trainer market. Simply, customers can't help choosing a quality product in the end."

DAPA and KAI officials say they expect the T-50 and its attack variants to secure about 30 percent of the global trainer market, or 1,100 of 3,300 trainers needed, within 25 years. They claim the Golden Eagle can satisfy air forces around the world because it is regarded as the only high-performance, supersonic trainer in production.

The single-engine jet features digital flight controls and a modern, ground-based training system. It is designed to have the maneuverability, endurance and systems to prepare pilots to fly next-generation fighters such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, the F-22 Raptor, the Rafale and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The jet has a top speed of Mach 1.4 and an operational range of 1,851 kilometers.

Who Will Be 1st Customer?

With negotiations with the United Arab Emirates and Singapore at a stalemate, Seoul is promoting a sale to Poland.

Sources say Warsaw wants to acquire 16 lead-in fighter trainers to replace its PZL TS-11 Iskra trainers and is considering either T-50s or upgraded versions of Finland's surplus Hawk trainers.

Following a visit by Polish President Lech Kaczynski to Seoul in December, a South Korean military delegation led by former Vice Defense Minister Kim Jong-cheon visited Poland Jan. 18-23 to discuss a T-50 deal. A Polish delegation led by its Air Force commander, Lt. Gen. Andrzej Blasik, flew Jan. 28 to South Korea for a five-day stay.

"According to the Polish military delegation, the Korean T-50 meets all technical criteria to become Poland's training jet," Poland's ambassador to South Korea, Marek Calka, wrote in an e-mail. "The Polish government will soon invite tenders. Polish military experts perceive a potential Korean offer as a front-runner."

South Korea has been in an uphill battle to sell T-50s to the United Arab Emirates in competition with Italy's Aermacchi M-346. The UAE government is to announce a final bidder in April.

Seoul's Yonhap news agency reported Jan. 29 that the Middle East nation's trainer acquisition program would be worth $3 billion.

During his Jan. 16-28 trip to the Middle East, South Korea's National Assembly speaker, Kim Hyung-o, met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, who concurrently serves as deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces, to tout the T-50, according to Yonhap.

However, the prince sought more attractive offset deals from South Korea, the news agency reported, and a modified offer will be made this month.

Seoul's industry and commerce minister is scheduled to visit Abu Dhabi before Feb. 20, when the International Defence Exhibition and Conference will take place there, the Yonhap report said.

The T-50 also is competing with the M-346 for a $500 million deal in Singapore.

FA-50 vs. KF-X

Debate has heated up here over a potential move to replace the Air Force's older fighters with the T-50's light-attack variant, the FA-50 which opponents say could kill the KF-X program.

KAI was awarded in December a $300 million contract to reconfigure four T-50 prototypes to FA-50 aircraft by 2012.

Once mass production starts by 2013, the Air Force would order about 60 FA-50s initially to replace its aging A-37 attack jets and F-4/ F-5 aircraft in the low-tier backup role to the service's high-end KF-16s, F-15Ks and fifth-generation aircraft to be procured, according to sources at KAI and DAPA.

This has raised concerns among local arms developers that the FA-50 could kill the ill-fated KF-X project.

The KF-X aims to develop a fighter by 2020, build 120 of them to replace the F-4s and F-5s, and then sell more globally. The single-seat, twin-engine jet would be stealthier than either Dassault's Rafale or the Eurofighter Typhoon, but not as stealthy as Lockheed Martin's F-35, according to the state-funded Agency for Defense Development, which runs the KF-X program.

In December 2007, the Korea Development Institute, a private economic policy think tank, concluded the KF-X would cost at least $10 billion but could be expected to reap only $3 billion in economic benefits.

"For the KF-X program, the FA-50 development is like rubbing salt into the wound," said a defense expert at a state research institute. "I believe the incumbent Lee Myung-bak administration, which put a top priority on efficient budget management, would also not likely choose the unaffordable KF-X option easily."

E-mail: jsungki@defensenews.com.


* Korea Aerospace Industries

Text FW: NO U.S. BASES CONFERENCE COMING UP

From the Blog of Organizing Notes(Space4Peace) by Bruce Gagnon
Saturday, February 07, 2009
NO U.S. BASES CONFERENCE COMING UP


An event called Security Without Empire: National Organizing Conference on Foreign Military Bases will be held at American University in Washington D.C. on Feb. 27–Mar. 2, 2009.

There is a sense of relief that many here in the U.S. feel after the presidential election, but we understand this is a time to step up our organizing for peace and economic justice - including the growing movement to close and withdraw the nearly 1,000 U.S. military bases located in foreign nations.

From Okinawa and Guam to Honduras, Germany, Iraq, and beyond people who have suffered from the abuses inherent to foreign military bases have been calling for their withdrawal. People in the U.S. have joined this call, outraged by the damage done by U.S. bases abroad and by their expense, which diverts $138 billion a year from addressing human needs and revitalizing our economy.

A broad coalition of groups from across the U.S. is organizing the conference including the Global Network, Veterans for Peace, FOR, CodePink, AFSC, United for Peace & Justice and Peace Action. Bruce Gagnon and GN affiliate Tim Rinne (Nebraskans for Peace) will be doing a workshop on space issues at the conference.

The conference will feature base opponents from many “host” nations and will include leading activists as keynote speakers, panelists and workshop facilitators. Monday, March 2, will be a lobbying day on Capitol Hill, in which we encourage as many conference attendees as possible to participate. The conference will begin with a protest vigil at the Pentagon on Feb 27 from 4-5 pm at the Pentagon Metro stop (take yellow or blue Metro line to get there).

For more information contact: GGold@afsc.org or (617) 661-6130. http://www.projectonmilitarybases.org/