ABC Updates
11 July 2019 - Time To Recognise Rocket Lab For What It Is - An American-Owned Facility For The US Military & Spies On The Mahia Peninsula
Rocket Lab was originally
touted as a shining example of Kiwi innovation. It continues to be,
under the present Government.
But, in fact, it is now
simply the NZ subsidiary of an American company, one with major
ownership by Lockheed Martin, the world's biggest weapons
manufacturer.
And Rocket Lab's clients,
whose payloads it launches into space from its Mahia
Peninsula facility, include a whole range of US miitary, intelligence
and surveillance agencies. It is directly contributing to the
militarisation of space. A central theme of Trump's Presidency is that
the uS must be able to "dominate space" and wage war in space and from
space.
So, let's call it for what
it is - an American-owned facility for the US military and spies on NZ
soil. As such it is as much a base as the Waihopai spy base, which has
been of great interest to the Anti-Bases Campaign for more than 30
years. More so actually, as Waihopai is nominally a "New Zealand"
spybase, operated by the NZ Government Communications Security Bureau.
Rocket Lab is American-owned and privately-owned, so it is a corporate
contractor to the US military and intelligence empire.
Here are some very
informative and very recent articles about it.
Ollie Neas of
The Spinoff,
"She'll be right' attitude to Rocket Lab putting Nuclear Free NZ at
risk, experts say: https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/17-05-2019/shell-be-right-attitude-to-rocket-lab-putting-nuclear-free-nz-at-risk-experts-say/
17/05/2019.
Also see: http://www.kiwipolitico.com/2019/05/launching-into-trouble/
7/05/2019. It suggests that Aotearoa/NZ is now a target.
Most recently, Rocket Lab has said that part of its latest
payload would be kept secret
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/113564986/confidential-payload-aboard-rocket-labs-sixth-orbital-mission 18/6/19
Anti-Bases Campaign calls
for these concerns about Rocket Lab to be turned into action. The powers that be are
acutely sensitive to the "risks" posed to Rocket Lab by any protests.
Here's a couple of quotes from
The Spinoff
article:
"In the May 2017 briefing to (National Minister Simon) Bridges, the
(Government's) NZ Space Agency suggested the Government should convey
to the US that it was pleased the new space industry 'will enable us
to broaden and deepen our security collaboration'..Bridges was also
advised that one of the risks was the reaction of the New Zealand
public.
'Certain groups are opposed to New Zealand’s security relationship
with the US,
and it is possible that such groups would be
motivated to disrupt launches if they were aware that US Government
security payloads were being launched from New Zealand,' the briefing says".
And: (Labour Minister David) "Parker says he’s comfortable with the
degree of disclosure around US government launches, and that the Space
Agency is developing a process for the proactive release of payload
information.
The Space Agency’s own
advice indicates this is a fragile peace.
"'Even
a single protestor could have a disproportionate effect on space
launch activities from New Zealand', one briefing
says. This risk can be managed, but only to an extent.”
Enough said. Let's start the conversation about what to do about it.
Secretary/Organiser
Anti-Bases Campaign
Box 2258, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
abc@chch.planet.org.nz
www.converge.org.nz/abc
www.facebook.com/AotearoaABC