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Presentation to Members of the British Parliament
London, May 3, 2001
by Karl Grossman
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The United States is seeking to make space a new arena of war--and is
looking to the United Kingdom to be a "partner" in this venture.
The Bush administration would--as President George W. Bush attempted in his
speech two days ago--have the world believe this is all about "missile
defense."
This is untrue. A broad U.S. space military program is involved, indeed
revealed in U.S. government and military documents such as the recent report of
the "Space Commission" chaired by the new U.S. Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld, the blueprint for the space military program of the Bush
administration.
As the report of the commission's report, issued January 11, says: "In the
coming period the U.S. will conduct operations to, from, in and through
space in support of
its national interests both on the earth and in space."
"Power projection in, from and through space" is advocated by the "Space
Commission," formally called the Commission to Assess United States
National Security Space Management and Organization. It urges the U.S.
president "have the option to deploy weapons in space" and the U.S. Space
Command be made a quasi-independent U.S. armed service, a Space Corps, like
the U.S. Marine Corps.
The Rumsfeld "Space Commission" report follows a series of U.S. military
reports in recent years that call for the U.S. to "control space" and from
space "dominate" the Earth below.
I have brought copies of pages from these reports for you. You will see that
"missile defense" is a "layer" in a far wider program.
As the U.S. Space Command's "Long Range Plan" declares: "The time has come to
address, among warfighters and national policy makers, the emergence of
space as a center of gravity for DoD [Department of Defense] and the
nation..Space power in the 2lst Century looks similar to previous military
revolutions, such as aircraft-carrier warfare and Blitzkrieg."
But the U.S. is hard-pressed to do this alone. We need you and a few other
nations for sites for command-and-control facilities and other
assistance--"Global Partnerships" as the "Long Range Plan" puts it to
"strengthen military space capabilities." And also there in the "Long Range
Plan," above an oval with the words: "Potential Initiatives To Enable *
Control of Space * Global Engagement * Full Force Integration" and below
the word "Partnerships" are the flags of nine nations. Among the flags: the
Union Jack.
The United Kingdom shouldn't be involved in this U.S. scheme.
It is a scheme involving, in part, money. President Bush, for example,
spoke in his speech about three emissaries he'll be sending around the
world to promote the U.S. space military plan. He identified one as Stephen
Hadley.
Stephen Hadley? Before joining the Bush administration, Hadley was a partner in
the Washington law firm of Shea & Gardner which represents Lockheed Martin, the
world's biggest weapons manufacturer and a corporation central to the U.S. Star
Wars program. The U.S. recently gave the go-ahead for development of the
Space-Based Laser, a $20 to 30 billion program. The Space-Based Laser's
builders: Boeing, TRW--and Lockheed Martin.
And it is a scheme involving power. When President Ronald Reagan first
announced the U.S. Star Wars program in 1983, he said it was about fending off
what he considered the "evil empire," the Soviet Union. There is no Soviet
Union any longer. Why Star Wars now?
The U.S. space military documents, as you will note, stress the "global
economy." As the U.S. Space Command's "Vision for 2020" report, its cover
depicting a laser weapon shooting a beam down from space zapping a target
below, says: "The globalization of the world economy will also continue with a
widening between 'haves' and 'have-nots.'" From space, the U.S., the engine of
the global economy--would keep those "have-nots" in line.
"Vision for 2020" further declares the mission of the U.S. Space Command as
"dominating the space dimension of military operations to protect US interests
and investment. Integrating Space Forces into warfighting capabilities across
the full spectrum of conflict." And it compares the U.S. effort to "control
space" and Earth below to how centuries ago "nations built navies to protect
and enhance their commercial interests," referring to you and the other empires
of Europe which once ruled the waves.
The "Long Range Plan" states: "The United States will remain a global
power and exert global leadership. The United States won't always be able
to forward base its forces.Widespread communications will highlight
disparities in resources and quality of life--contributing to unrest in
developing countries.The global economy will continue to become more
interdependent. Economic alliances, as well as the growth and influence of
multi-national corporations, will blur security agreements.The gap between
'have' and 'have-not' nations will widen--creating regional unrest.One of
the long acknowledged and commonly understood advantages of space-based
platforms is no restriction or country clearances to overfly a nation from
space."
Of power, when I was last here at the British Parliament, the Honorable Alan
Simpson took the copy of "Vision for 2020" I was showing and declared:
"Professor Grossman, we understand. We, too, were once an empire--drunk
with power."
That is the situation my dear Members of Parliament. I regret to inform you
that your former colony is out of control. Its government and a segment of
its militaryplus more modern entities called corporationsare drunk with power.
Your other North American progeny, Canada, not too incidentally, has been
trying hard to stop the U.S. Star Wars program. It has been moving at the
United Nations for a strengthening of the basic international law on space,
the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. Canada is proposing a ban on all weapons in
space (the Outer Space Treaty presently bans nuclear arms and weapons of
mass destruction in space).
At the UN in October Marc Vidricaire of the Canadian delegation declared:
"Outer space has not yet witnessed the introduction of space-based weapons.
This could change if the international community does not first prevent
this destabilizing development through the timely negotiation of measures
banning the introduction of weapons into outer space. It has been suggested
that our proposal is not relevant because the assessment on which it rests is either
premature or alarmist. In our view, it is neither. One need only look at
what is happening right now to realize that it is not premature."
"There is no question that the technology can be developed to place weapons in
outer space," said Vidricaire. "There is also no question that no state can
expect to maintain a monopoly on such knowledge -- or such capabilities --
for all time. If one state actively pursues the weaponization of space, we
can be sure others will follow."
The United States has been blocking the Canadian initiative.
Weeks later, on November 20, 2000, because of the U.S. space military
program, a vote was held on a resolution for "Prevention of an Arms Race in
Outer Space." It sought to "reaffirm" the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and
specifically its provision that space be reserved for "peaceful purposes."
Some 163 nations--including the United Kingdom--voted in favor. The
U.S.--an original signer of the treaty--abstained. We have become quite the
rogue state.
But getting drunk with power can do strange things. The legislation which
got the Rumsfeld "Space Commission" established in 2000 was authored by
U.S. Senator Bob Smith of New Hampshire. Of the U.S. "controlling space,"
Smith in a new TV documentary"Star Wars Returns"that I have written and
narrate (copies of which I have for you today) says: "It is our manifest
destiny. You know we went from the East Coast to the West Coast of the
United States of America settling the continent and they call that manifest
destiny and the next continent if you
will, the next frontier, is space and it goes on forever." Yes, now it's
U.S. Cosmic Manifest Destiny.
No, the United Kingdom shouldn't be involved in this U.S. scheme.
What the U.S. is up to will destabilize the world. Canada as well as China,
Russia, indeed basically the rest of the world, seek to keep space for
peace and are agreed on banning all weapons in space.
As, after the horror of chemical warfare in the First World War when
nations said we can no longer allow chemical warfare, the world for nearly
35 years has agreed--and successfully managed
--to keep war out of space. The Outer Space Treaty should be strengthened
to ban all weapons in space. Verification mechanisms should be added. And
space be kept for peace.
But there is only a narrow window to do this--for if the United States moves
ahead with its Star Wars scheme there will be no putting this genie back in the
bottle. Other nations will respond in kind and there will be an arms race and
ultimately war in space.
This weekend, people from around the United Kingdom--indeed from all over the
world--will gather in Leeds because of the proximity of Menwith Hill, an
important component in the U.S. space military program. The meeting is
titled "No Star Wars: An International Conference to Keep Space for Peace."
I urge you distinguished members of Parliament to join in helping stop this
move by the United States to turn the heavens into a war zone.
Karl Grossman is full professor of journalism at the State University of
New York/College at Old Westbury. He has specialized in investigative
journalism for 35 years
He is a principal of EnviroVideo, a New York-based company which produces
news, interview programs and documentaries for television and the Web.
Video documentaries he has written and hosted for EnviroVideo include
"Nukes In Space: The Nuclearization and Weaponization of the Heavens,"
"Nukes In Space 2: Unacceptable Risks" and his new video documentary, "Star
Wars Returns," just released by EnviroVideo (718.318.8045 or
http://www.envirovideo.com).
His books include "The Wrong Stuff: The Space Program's Nuclear Threat To Our
Planet" and "Weapons In Space," to be published in June 2001 by Seven Stories
Press (212.226.8760 or http://www.info@sevenstories.com
Grossman is the recipient of the George Polk Award, James Aronson Award and
John Peter Zenger Award along with six citations from Sonoma State University's
Project Censored for his journalism on space issues.
Grossman's home address: Box 1680, Sag Harbor, New York, USA 11963. Telephone:
631.725.2858. E-mail: kgrossman@hamptons.com
The Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power In Space can be reached at
352.337.9274. Its website: http://www.space4peace.org and E-mail:
globalnet@mindspring.com Its address: PO Box 90083, Gainesville, Florida,
USA 32607.
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