More on BAE fraud investigation

News via the Ekklesia website:

High Court re-opens Saudi arms corruption investigation
By agency reporter
24 Apr 2008

The High Court today formally quashed the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) decision to drop its corruption investigation into arms deals between BAE Systems and Saudi Arabia. The decision is a huge success for the campaign groups that brought the case.

The decision follows the Court's ruling on 10 April 2008 that the SFO, acting on government advice, acted unlawfully in stopping its investigation in December 2006 following a threat from Saudi Arabia.

[and it continues with additional background and information]

Conscientious Objection - remembering and looking forward

Just got in the post today a leaflet for the Conscientious Objectors Day ceremony taking place in Manchester (Peace Gardens, St Peter's Sq, 1.00-2.00, with Bruce Kent at the keynote speaker. Actually, CO day is 15th May and the Manchester event is the following Sunday, 18th May. Just hope they can cope with the challenges of the Great Manchester Run happening all around them at the same time!

Whilst some sort of progress has been made recently in relations between Greece, Turkey and Cyprus, it is in that part of the world when Conscientious Objection is still a big issue. A group of human rights and CO groups was in Athens last week and issued a .... Call for Greece, Cyprus and Turkey to recognise international standards on the right to conscientious objection

Greek Section of Amnesty International
Association of Greek Conscientious Objectors
Initiative for Conscientious Objection in Cyprus (north)
European Bureau for Conscientious Objection
War Resisters' International

To the

Embassy of Turkish Republic, Athens
Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, Athens
Prime Minister of Greece, Athens

Athens, 11 April 2008
Greece, Cyprus and Turkey to recognise international standards on the right to conscientious objection

Representatives of conscientious objection and human rights organisations from several European countries, meeting in Athens over the weekend, call for Greece, Cyprus and Turkey to recognise the right to conscientious objection according to European and international standards.

The representatives remind the governments of Greece, Cyprus and Turkey that the right to conscientious objection has been recognised by several international institutions, among others the United Nations[1] and the Council of Europe[2]. More specifically, in a decision on two individual complaints from South Korea, the United Nations Human Rights Committee ruled in 2007 that not to provide for the right to conscientious objection is a violation of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

(More information about the situation in these countries on the page link here)

Missile Defence/ Defense

The spelling depends on whether you see this from a US or UK perspective. A comprehensive analysis of the state of play on this is provided in the latest issue of Disarmamanet Diplomacy, with Nicola Butler and Martin Butcher concluding their long and fascinating piece with the conclusion:

"... it will be important for any new [US] administration to take more account of Allied opinion, giving Europeans a way to avoid a potential new confrontation with Russia and reason not to rush agreement on deploying an unproven system. Canada, for example, has negotiated a way through its similar dilemma by allowing the US to use NORAD facilities for BMD purposes, while refusing to participate themselves - both on cost grounds but also because Ottawa fears an arms race in space.[67] The UK and Czech Republic may come to regret having dashed to support Bush administration policies, while Polish leaders may well look the shrewder for having waited."

The same issue of the journal contains an equally detailed analysis of the future of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Editor Rebecca Johnson looks beyond non-proliferation towards making the use of nuclear weapons illegal as a starting point for a real turning away from the development and deployment of these dangerous tools of insecurity:

"A more effective deterrent against the use of nuclear weapons is to make it a crime against humanity. Even despots fear being held personally accountable and subjected to public trial and punishment.
Many have already achieved the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons. To move towards accomplishing the reality of that world, we now need to outlaw the use of nuclear weapons for all."

60 years on

A good number of church leaders (particularly from the UK, it seems) are adding their names to a declaration on the occasion of Israel's 60th Anniversary, which concludes:

To acknowledge and respect these dual histories is not, by itself, sufficient, but does offer a paradigm for building a peaceful future. Many lives have been lost, and there has been much suffering. The weak are exploited by the strong, while fear and bitterness stunt the imagination and cripple the capacity for forgiveness.

We therefore urge all those working for peace and justice in Israel/Palestine to consider that any lasting solution must be built on the foundation of justice, which is rooted in the very character of God. After all, it is justice that “will produce lasting peace and security” (Isaiah 32:17). Let us commit ourselves in prophetic word and practical deed to a courageous settlement whose details will honour both peoples’ shared love for the land, and protect the individual and collective rights of Jews and Palestinians in the Holy Land.

“Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid” (Micah 4:4)

Food security

This is an issue that is only now getting into the headlines and one that we are probably all going to have to become more familiar with, with pressures on land coming from the growth of bio-fuels and climate uncertainty also adversly affecting harvests around the world. The article - The price of food: ingredients of global crisis
by Heidi Fritschel - in Open Democracy today, concludes thus:
"A new agriculture, food, and nutrition governance architecture is needed. With so much at stake - the world's food supply, environmental threats to agriculture, and unacceptably high rates of hunger and poverty - a fresh response is needed. We cannot afford to be complacent."

BAE investigation should not have been stopped

Very interesting and encouraging news just through regarding the government's decision (through the Serious Fraud Office) to stop its investigation into BAE corruption...

Court rules Government's termination of BAE investigation unlawful

The High Court this morning ruled that the Director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) acted unlawfully when he stopped a corruption investigation into BAE Systems' arms deals with Saudi Arabia.

The judgment was handed down by Lord Justice Moses and Mr Justice Sullivan in response to a judicial review brought by Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) and The Corner House.

In the light of this judgment, the Serious Fraud Office must reopen the BAE-Saudi corruption investigation immediately. Both groups are calling upon the SFO to work jointly with US and Swiss investigators in doing so. [and there's a lot more background information in the press release]

On the last point they make, there seems to be some ambiguity, however, with the BBC saying "The judges in London did not rule that the case would be reopened, but have said they would listen to further arguments. "

No doubt this will be clarified soon. Congratulations of CAAT and Cornerhouse and to all their supporters for peristing with this.

It is also important to note at this point the following, released by CAAT and The Conerhouse just last week:

"As The Corner House and Campaign Against Arms Trade await judgment on their landmark judicial review of the decision by the Serious Fraud Office to halt its BAE-Saudi Arabia corruption investigation,[1] the Government has introduced draft legislation that would prevent such a judicial review in future.

Clauses 12-14 of the draft Constitutional Renewal Bill [2] propose to create a new power for the Attorney General – a political appointee and member of the Government – to stop a criminal investigation or prosecution on the grounds of 'national security'. This new power allows for extremely limited oversight by
Parliament and prevents and future review by the judiciary of such a decision. "

.... and, again, it continues with a lot of additional background to this.

Listening or making a noise for peace?

I was intrigued today to receive news of three planned actions. Firstly, Stop the War Coalition are planning to make as much noise as possible as Tony Blair speaks inside Westminster Cathedral on 3rd April (Sounding Out Tony Blair). The question immediately arose in my mind whether creating a 'wall of sound' (as they describe it) in order to hinder his ability to give his speech, is helpful to the cause. I'm still undecided, but encouraged to see that Pax Christi are holding a silent vigil in the half-hour leading up to the planned action.

Secondly, news from Peace Direct of Gill Hicks' planned walk (or WALKTALK as it is to be known) from Leeds to London. This is to take place during July and Augst this year. Gill, a survivor of the London bombings lost her legs that day. Now Gill and a core group including her husband Joe, will be walking from Leeds to London during July and August. ... It's a nationwide initiative to bring together people who may otherwise never meet, never talk and, almost certainly never walk side-by-side. It will focus on humanity - on all that we have in common - and aim to create a new 'path' of understanding and reconciliation.

My inactivity on this blog is largely due to the amount of work involved in the preparation and follow-up of our conference on 'Building Peace- Tackling Racism' on 15th March. This seems to have gone well, due in no small part to the additional help on the day from Quakers in Huddersfield. Powerful themes of the day included dialogue and listening - so you don't need to work too hard to sense where my sympathies lie in comparing the contrasting actions outlined above.

And this gives me an excuse to plug the 5th Annual Peace Lecture being organised by Huddersfield Quakers....

15 May 2008 at 7.00pm
Feargal Cochrane

'Can Hope and History Rhyme?
The Role of the Arts in Overcoming Violence in Northern Ireland'

The central theme of this lecture aims to illustrate the dynamics of violence and peace through the eyes of poets and musicians from Northern Ireland, and how this played a role in reflecting and overcoming divisions in the context of the Northern Ireland conflict. The purpose here is to illustrate the visceral and emotional aspects of political violence and the ways in which poetry and music can both reflect destructive emotions and help to mediate or transform such feelings into more constructive engagements.

Feargal Cochrane is Director of the Richardson Institute for Peace Research at Lancaster University.
He has written widely on conflict related issues and his latest book, 'Ending Wars', will be published by Polity Press in October 2008.

Huddersfield Quaker Meeting House, Church Street, Paddock, Huddersfield HD1 4TR

This event is organized by Huddersfield Quakers
For more information Tel 07792309897 Email cara@cooptel.net

Keeping on keeping on

Somehow a story in the Albuquerque Tribune has made its way into my email inbox and awareness. ..
Longtime Albuquerque nuclear protester has heard curses, seen successes

It's obviously made an impression on those who have read it, and Chuck Hosking, the American Quaker involved, has obviously done likewise on those who have come across him, including one of our own NFPB members, it transpires.

I was reminded yesterday of the words of Margaret Mead ... "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." ...which seems very apt to this story of committed activism and sheer persistence.

On checking the web reference for this piece, I notice that the Albuquerque Tribune ceased publication last Saturday - so here's a 'thank you!' for publishing such an inspiring story in your last days!

War costs

On BBC's 'Start the Week' programme on the radio yesterday morning, there was an interview with an economist who gave stark figures about the estimated cost of the war in Iraq, in terms of money directly spent and on the fabric of American society. I've since found out more details, as outlined in this article in the Times:

'February 23, 2008
The three trillion dollar war
by Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes
The cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts have grown to staggering proportions

'The Bush Administration was wrong about the benefits of the war and it was wrong about the costs of the war. The president and his advisers expected a quick, inexpensive conflict. Instead, we have a war that is costing more than anyone could have imagined.

'The cost of direct US military operations - not even including long-term costs such as taking care of wounded veterans - already exceeds the cost of the 12-year war in Vietnam and is more than double the cost of the Korean War.'

"That's really upsetting", said the young person sitting next to me as we listened to the radio interview. Even more so, when it's put in perspective. Joseph Stiglitz reckoned (if I remember rightly) that the entire US aid budget for Africa for one year is the equivalent of around 8 days spending on the US army's operations in Iraq. And in relation to the UK, the Times article concludes:

'Based on assumptions set out in our book, the budgetary cost to the UK of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through 2010 will total more than £18 billion. If we include the social costs, the total impact on the UK will exceed £20 billion.'

Read more about it here and here

On a related theme, on Ekklesia we read, in Healing the psychological wounds of war By Andrew J. Weaver:

'The saying, "war is hell," only begins to describe how horrible it has been for tens of thousands in the military. War is a life-threatening experience that involves witnessing and sometimes engaging in terrifying and gruesome acts of violence. It also is, for most service personnel, a patriotic response to protect and defend their country, loved ones, values, and way of life. War is a shocking confrontation with death, devastation, and violence. It is normal for human beings to react to war's psychic trauma with profound feelings of fear, anger, grief, repulsion, helplessness, and horror, as well as with emotional numbness and disbelief.'

and

'The word "trauma" is derived from the Greek word meaning "wound." Just as a physical wound from combat can cause suffering in the body, a psychological trauma can cause suffering in the mind and soul. The church is in a critical position to help heal these wounds of war.'

Gaza

What to do.

One article (on the International Middle East Media Centre website) has as its start headline:
"98 Palestinian patients, including 17 Children, die due to the Gaza siege"

On Saturday there will be protests in London and around the world, and there are Petitions to sign online for the attention of Gordon Brown and for the United Nations.

Meanwhile on The Guardian's comment pages, Jonathan Freedland explores the possibility of active non-violence as a strategy for the Palestinians and gets a fascinating range of responses - some more predictable than others.

Kosova - no lessons learnt

TFF (Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research) carries an interesting collection of pieces about Kosova and its newly-declared independence here.

In deeply pessimistic mood, editor Jan Oberg concludes:

It is the EU, the US and the UN that has failed since 1990. At least as much as the Serbs. The formula of archtype human folly and conflict illiteracy applies: “The winners take it all - the loser shall be humiliated. To hell with mutual understanding, reconciliation and fairness. We’ve done it to foes around the world for cventuries, to the Russians since 1989 with such excellent results - and now we do it with the Serbs.”

The unavoidable result of Sunday February 17, 2008, then? The beginning of a new round of conflict and violence for future generations to suffer from.

When will they ever learn?

Ekklesia

Lots of interesting reading on the Ekklesia website..

Arms giant BAE lobbied Fraud Office to stop investigation
Documents released in the High Court yesterday show that Britain’s biggest arms company, BAE Systems, wrote to the Attorney General on a "strictly private and confidential" basis urging him to halt the Serious Fraud Office investigation into allegations that BAE had bribed Saudi officials to secure the Al Yamamah arms deal.

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Kobia pinpoints ethnic and political rifts hampering Kenya's churches
Ethnic and political divisions have prevented church leaders in Kenya from responding to the political crisis in their country, the main governing body of the World Council of Churches has been told by its general secretary, the Rev Samuel Kobia.

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Kingston Jamaica to host global churches' peace conference
Kingston, Jamaica, will be the host city for the World Council of Churches' International Ecumenical Peace Convocation in 2011, it has been announced - marking a decade of activity promoting practical responses to violence.

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Church and aid groups say Gaza situation is worsening
Church and aid workers are warning that the situation in Gaza is deteriorating as Israelis and Palestinians continue to face off, more than two weeks after Israel cut the electric power supply to Gaza in response to Palestinian missile launchings into Israel

Peace plan for Iraq

Just had posted this week a document and YouTube link for a ten point peace plan for Iraq, from the Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research.

Read their document here (and key points summarised below)

and view Hans von Sponeck, former UN humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, presenting the proposals at the World Against War conference in London in December here:


TOWARDS PEACE IN AND WITH IRAQ

1. The End of Occupation: Withdrawal of Foreign Troops, Mercenaries and Military Bases
2. Return of Iraq’s Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity
3. A UN-Led International Peace-Building Mission for Iraq
4. Debt Cancellation
5. International Compensation for Sanctions, Invasion and Occupation
6. Sovereignty Over Oil Resources
7. The Middle East – A Zone Free of Weapons of Mass Destruction
8. A Truth and Reconciliation Process
9. People-to-People Cooperation
10. A Comprehensive Settlement for the Entire Region

The present situation in Iraq, Palestine and other parts of the Middle East is simply undeserving for the people in the area. It is also unworthy of a democracy-minded global community.

This peace proposal should be seen as an encouragement, indeed a moral appeal, to think about and constructively debate ways to end the tragic policy of confrontation and to find new ways of creating peace in and with Iraq and the wider Middle East. Peace is possible. However, it can be achieved only when all actors, governments, civil society and international organizations are willing to leave old and self-serving approaches behind and have the courage and commitment to proceed in new ways.

Kenyan Quakers appeal for peace

The Quaker leadership of Kenya gathered together in Sheywe Guest House in Kakamega between 24th and 27th
January 2008 and issued an OPEN LETTER To the Leaders and Citizens of Kenya...
Which includes the following appeal:

# We appeal to you engage in reconciliation among and rehabilitation of displaced people, integrating them back into the places from which they were displaced, not sending them to other parts of the country.
# We remind you that this country and its land belongs to all of us. Let us not destroy it for by doing so, we put our own future generations in jeopardy. We need a negotiated social contract to live together as Kenyans.
# We urge you to resolve problems in a peaceful way, because we know that there is hope for peace in this country.
# We warn you to desist from rumour-mongering which increases hostility and uncertainty, and urge you to use modern means of communication for positive ends.
# We know that those most affected by this conflict and violence are women, children, disabled and the aged. We must address their suffering, and protect and care for them.
# We encourage every Kenyan to look for “that of God” in every person and to treat life as sacred.
# As Kenyans, we urge you to uphold our core national values, practice forgiveness and embrace reconciliation.

and ...
To our fellow Christians and other Religious groups:

* As people of faith, we must not engage in violence and revenge because if we do so we betray our faith in God.
* We invite you to join us in praying for deliverance from evil spirits which are at work in our country, and continue to intercede for Kenya.

As a peace church, we are involved in humanitarian, spiritual and social/economic empowerment of our people. We urge everyone to take time to assist his/her neighbour in order to bring normalcy to the affected people, affirming truth, justice, peace and reconciliation in our nation.

More news of Quakers' current experiences in Kenya can be found at:
http://fwcckenyanews.blogspot.com/