Paradigm Shift 4zzz fm 102.1, friday at noon 16 Sep 2016

Andy interviews Richard Tanter (Uni Melb and Independent & Peaceful Australia Network IPAN).

1. Signals intelligence
Pine Gap is a ground base for three military satellites that pick up radio signals and a vast amount of data that is spread throughout US military .

2. Relay Station for Early warning of missile launches

3. Listening in on telecommunications
i.e. spying on Indonesia

Pine gap is immensely important to the US military. It works in with other bases around the world mainly in New Zealand and in Yorkshire in England.

It is a military target together with the satellites that it controls.

Message from Richard Tanter:

You asked how do we know about Pine  Gap. The research work that Des Ball, Bill Robinson and I have done is all published (with more to come) in detailed papers published through the Nautilus Institute in the Pine Gap Project. All are online at this url, together with some more accessible media commentary on them:
http://nautilus.org/briefing-books/australian-defence-facilities/pine-gap/the-pine-gap-project/

Pine Gap is now much more concerned with war fighting in the Middle East in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq.

How important is time gap?
Hard to tell, because in the old days it was a standalone facility, and now it works together with others.

If there was a conflict between the US and China what is the role of pine gap?

In would require a nuclear attack on pine gap by China in order to blind the other side. If there is a war with Russia is even more a high priority target.

How much power has Australia got to affect what’s going on there?

The United States is likely to put a lot of political pressure on the government and we haven’t seen stronger government going to resist.

Interview with Jim Dowling about attempts to shutdown Pine Gap

Can you tell us the times you have been out to Pine Gap and the reasons?
Jim visited Pine Gap first in 1987 which was the anniversary of the setting up of the US spy base in 1967. On another occasion in 2002 prior to the Iraq war a large group of people went out to find out to try to oppose the war and challenge the US presence on Australian soil. On a third occasion in 2005 Jim went with the group called Christians against all terrorism to do a citizen’s inspection of the base and to expose the fact that it was a terrorist base. He sees no difference between the terrorism of the suicide vest and the terrorism of this electronic facility. Four people were arrested went though a long process of trial. Belief that direct action and still disobedience is the best method of challenging the state.

Citizens inspection
Went in at night test pass on the base and then had a long legal battle to last time of the Defence Special Undertakings Act of 1952 carried penalties of seven years for trespass and two years for taking a photo.

John Negraponte was at the base at the time & frowned on the lack of security. Done I’ll hand organise the former charge Ron that call to defend the four charged and launched account repeal saying they were getting a fair trial. Making a case that this act could only be used if there was defence of Australia involved. They won the appeal at all charges were dismissed. The Labor government changed the law to declare that a place like home was covered by the Defence special undertakings act.

Going back out to find out this month, why is that?

Wars are still going on in the middle east and much worse could happen. Pine Gap is integral to Star Wars and the US ability to have first strike. The pine gap agreement

Andy interviews Chris Tomlin, an Arrente man from central Australia.
Australia government has not the power or the guts to challenge the United States and get rid of Pine Gap. Chris invites everyone to come to Alice, to come together in unity and help with a healing process.

The Pine Gap agreement was signed in December 1966 by Harold Holt then Prime Minister of Australia. Bob Askin and Harold Holt greeted Lyndon Baynes Johnson the President of the United States. Demonstrators lay in front of the limosine and Bob Askin told his driver to run them over.

http://ondemand.4zzzfm.org.au/paradigm-shift

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