War Profiteers

While diplomats and lobbyists are preparing for the renewal of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty and peace activists are preparing for a closure of European nuclear bases on april the 3th, the arms industry is making money of developing new nukes. These are the biggest profiteers making new NATO nukes:

For the US

Honeywell is one of the biggest global arms companies, although only 10% of its profits comes from arms. Honeywell produces equipment for simulated nuclear explosions. Such simulated explosion are essential to develop new nuclear weapons.

On 15 November and as part of the "Decentralised Day of Action - War Starts from Europe", activists from KEM-MOC Bilbao blockaded ITP (Industria de Turbopropulsores), one of the leading Basque factories which produces engines and turbines for the military industry, mainly military planes and helicopters. The activists blocked the door with chains and used red paint symbolizing the blood and destruction that the ITP products cause around the world.

My money clear conscience is a Belgian campaign that initially began asking the banks to disinvest from arms producers, later, the goal became disinvesting from controversial arms producers.

Citigroup, operating as Citi, is a major financial services company based in New York City. Formed by the 1998 merger of Citicorp and Travelers Group, the company employs 332,000 people around the world and holds over 200 million customer accounts in more than 100 countries.

Campaign Against Arms Trade Local Campaigns Guide

With tips and case studies on working with local media, setting up a group, online campaigning, challenging arms companies, effective lobbying and more, this is a useful tool for anyone who wants to make a real impact through local campaigning.

Download it from: http://www.caat.org.uk/getinvolved/local/LocalCampaignsGuide2008.pdf

Report on EU policies on weapons of space

Students at the New School in New York City, USA, have joined those fighting for justice around the world by occupying their campus. They are demanding the administration honour their rights as students to shape the University in their own interest. They are standing up to the corporate and military powers that are reshaping education across the country. From tuition hikes at CUNY to investing in war industries, it's time to take the schools back!

For more information: http://www.newschoolinexile.com/

The verdict will be slow in coming. There are several things to be optimistic, shall we say, “hopeful,” about when it comes to confronting the corruption, fraud, waste, and deceit of war profiteers – and, not surprisingly, there are many reasons to doubt that we’ll see any real change after all. I am genuinely torn as to what to expect. If Obama follows through on his positive programs, life will be much more difficult for military contractors.

Sweden has historically been a big weapons producer and exporter. For decades the Swedish peace movement have been working to end the Swedish weapons export. In spite of this the weapons export has dramatically increased lately. Since 2001 it has tripled and today Sweden is the second biggest weapons exporter in world per capita. Swedish weapons go to countries at war like the US, to dictatorships like Saudi Arabia and human rights abusers like Bahrain.

This is the last issue of 2008, which has been a year full of events related to war profiteering. We have reported on many successful actions, as again we do with this issue with the disarmament action in Sweden. The last part of the year has been dominated by the financial crisis in the world - a financial crisis in many ways due to the way the system favours big corporations whose priority it is to make their own shareholders richer and nothing else.

On 14-15 November, antimilitarist nonviolent actions took place in a number of countries around Europe, as part of the a European Day of Action against military infrastructure. The day of action was another step in the coordinated work of radical nonviolent antimilitarist groups in Europe.

The thorn in the flesh of the armaments giant Daimler/EADS is the organisation of Critical Shareholders and with them the activists of the DFG-VK (German Peace Society – United Conscientious Objectors). An armaments producing business which is a corporation offers an efficient basis for their peace work: according to the shareholders’ law, they have the right of speech, the right to obtain information and the right to make motions at the general assembly.

Mercedes/Daimler – Luxury Limousines for High Society and Military Vehicles for the Battlefields of the World

The Daimler Corporation is known throughout the world for the production of Mercedes vehicles. The Mercedes Car Group sold almost 1,3 million vehicles in 2007, from “Smart” to luxury limousines of the C, E and S class to the “Maybach” as well as more than 467 000 trucks and 328 000 vans and buses. The Daimler Corporation is one of the world’s leading car groups.