War Profiteers News

Cut the military! That's the message of this issue - and not for the first time. As cuts on social spending continue to be dramatically enforced in many countries, there is one area that has been more protected than the rest. It's no surprise that this is the area of military spending.

Global Day of Action on Military Spending: an overview

By Colin Archer

The big monster of militarism can be challenged in many different ways. Substantial campaigning communities have grown up over the years around specific weapons systems: for example, nuclear, landmines/clusters, small arms, and more recently drones. Others are working on issues like conscription, military bases, war taxes or the arms trade. The Global Day of Action on Military Spending, GDAMS, was brought into being to focus attention on the economic aspects of the problem, notably public spending. For the International Peace Bureau (coordinating organisation) it is a part of our wider programme on Disarmament for Sustainable Development.

By Chris Cole

On January 28, the New York Times reported that the US is planning to establish a new base for its drones in north-west Africa. While the base is to be used initially to fly unarmed surveillance drones, according to the article the US does not rule out the possibility of using the base to launch drone strikes in the future. One day after the NYT piece, Reuters reported the base would be established in Niger. According to ”a senior government source” says Reuters, ”the U.S. ambassador to Niger, Bisa Williams, made the request at a meeting on Monday with President Mahamadou Issoufou, who immediately accepted it.”

By Wendy Horler

The arms dealers were out to dinner again on 29th January. This time at The London Hilton. Perhaps our national institutions like the Imperial War Museum, the National Gallery and the Natural History Museum don’t want them anymore.

The London Hilton may not want them either after last night!

Twelve of us got together to attempt to highlight the indecency of what was going on, and though I say it myself, we did rather well.

PRESS RELEASE

30-01-2013 -- Groups organised in the European Network Against Arms Trade (ENAAT) strongly oppose any moves to amend the current EU arms embargo on Syria as proposed by the United Kingdom. A proposal to do so, to enable military equipment to be sent to anti-Assad groups, will most likely be presented to the Council of the European Union by the UK on Thursday 31 January.

Embraer, the Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica S.A., is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate. The company produces commercial, military, and corporate aircraft, as well as providing related aerospace services. Embraer is one of the three main exporters in Brazil. Among all aircraft manufacturers, it currently has the third largest yearly delivery of commercial aircraft (behind Boeing and Airbus) and the fourth largest workforce (behind Boeing, Airbus and Bombardier).

The destruction of millions of jobs and the increase of inequality and social exclusion are the most scandalous consequences of the current crisis of the capitalist system. In spite of this, the Spanish government continues to cut back on education, health, social service, etc, jeopardising people's ability to enjoy these rights.