Det danske Fredsakademi
Kronologi over fredssagen og international politik 4. februar 2005 / Time Line February 4, 2005
Version 3.53. Februar 2005, 5. Februar 2005
02/04/2005
Den pacifistiske italienske journalist Giuliana Sgrena kidnappes i
Irak.
02/04/2005
Nigeria: Fight for Oil Wealth Fuels Violence in Delta
Government Must Combat Impunity; Oil Industry Should Ensure
Transparency
http://hrw.org/backgrounder/africa/nigeria0205/
(London, February 4, 2005) - In the oil-rich Niger Delta, the
struggle among local leaders for oil revenue and government funds
has fueled violent clashes between rival armed groups, Human Rights
Watch said in a report released today. An escalation in violence
last year killed dozens of innocent people and disrupted oil
production, pushing global crude futures over a record $50 a
barrel.
The 22-page report, "Rivers and Blood: Guns, Oil and Power in
Nigeria's Rivers State," based on a December fact-finding mission
to the region, documents fighting between armed groups in the
southeastern oil-producing state that escalated in late 2003 and
continued throughout 2004. The clashes resulted in the
indiscriminate killing of local people, displaced tens of thousands
of villagers from their homes, and forced the oil industry to
evacuate staff and scale back its production.
On October 1, the federal government brokered a peace agreement
between the two main rival armed groups. The federal and state
governments then granted an amnesty to the fighters. While
commending the government's effort to end the conflict, Human
Rights Watch said that the perpetrators of grave human rights
abuses must not be given immunity from prosecution.
"The Nigerian authorities must end the culture of impunity fueling
this deadly cycle of violence in the oil-rich Delta," said Peter
Takirambudde, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "And the oil
industry needs to ensure the funding that it earmarks for local
communities does not end up in the hands of those fueling this
violence." Unemployed and frustrated youth remain vulnerable for
recruitment by leaders of armed groups and unscrupulous
politicians. During the 1999 and 2003 elections, local politicians
from the country's ruling People's Democratic Party hired youths to
secure their victory through violence and intimidation.
These youths have also become involved in local conflicts over
traditional leadership positions, which are a channel for the
payments that oil company make to local communities. Contenders to
these highly sought-after traditional titles, which guarantee the
office holder access to significant financial resources, have
recruited local youths to wage their increasingly violent battles.
The oil companies operating in the region, including Shell's
joint-venture with the Nigerian government, should ensure the
transparency of payments to local communities so that funds are not
used to further the violence, Human Rights Watch said.
Similarly, those involved in the theft of crude oil have used the
same youths to assist them in struggles to control the profits of
stolen crude. The violence has become ever more deadly due to the
high proliferation of small arms which are recycled and imported
from other conflicts in the region or stolen from the security
forces.
Human Rights Watch identified the main perpetrators of the violence
in the Niger Delta as two armed groups, the Niger Delta People's
Volunteer Force (NDPVF), led by Asari Dokubo, and the Niger Delta
Vigilante (NDV), led by Ateke Tom. Both leaders have drawn support
from hundreds of smaller groups in Rivers state, and both were
originally backed by members of the state government. Asari's loss
of political patronage in mid-2003 led him into violent conflict
with Tom over control of territory and access to lucrative routes
for oil theft.
The report documents a number of attacks by both armed groups. In
Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers state and the country's hub
for oil operations, attacks by the NDPVF in August killed at least
16 bystanders. In one incident, a NDPVF gunman opened fire on a
busy restaurant in the heart of the city, indiscriminately killing
a waitress and four customers. When the federal government deployed
troops in response, NDPVF leader Asari Dokubo on September 27
declared "all-out war" on the Nigerian state. The threat of
disrupted oil production sent shockwaves through the global futures
markets.
In January, a raid by the NDV on the waterfront community of Amadi
Ama left as many as four bystanders dead in a shootout with rival
fighters. Terrified villagers told Human Rights Watch how the NDV
arrived by boat in the middle of the night and began firing at
houses. A local woman trader said, "If you peep through the window
it was like stars, there were gunshots everywhere. So we just sat
in the house and prayed. That was all we could do."
Human Rights Watch called on the Nigerian government to pursue a
comprehensive strategy to tackle theft of oil and stop the flow of
small arms into the Niger Delta. The authorities should also
provide urgent assistance to the tens of thousands of people who
have been displaced, and deploy adequate numbers of police to
protect the local population from future violence.
"The government's failure to protect the local population and
ensure justice does not bode well for the future stability of
Rivers state," said Takirambudde. "Unless justice is done, further
bloodshed is likely as politicians remobilize frustrated youth
ahead of the 2007 presidential elections."
02/04/2005
”Fredens projekt” vil sælge våben til
Kina
- EU, som EU-tilhængerne kalder fredens projekt, vil nu
sælge våben til Kina. Det viser, at EU sætter
handel før moral. Folketingspartierne må melde klart
ud, hvad de mener i denne sag før valget, udtaler Ditte
Staun, talsperson for Folkebevægelsen mod EU
Ifølge oplysninger fra ”Financial Times” den 3.
februar er EU meget tæt på at ophæve den
våbenembargoen mod Kina, som blev indført i
forbindelse med massakren på den himmelske freds plads i
1989.
- Gennem 1990’erne stod EU-landene samlet set for 29 procent
af verdens eksport af krigsmateriel. Men dette er ikke godt nok for
EU, der har ophævet våbenembargoen overfor Libyen og nu
er på vej til også at tillade våbensalg til Kina,
udtaler Ditte Staun, som er talsperson for Folkebevægelsen
mod EU.
- Kina holder stadigvæk studenter og andre fængslede
fra 1989, og landet bryder menneskerettighederne på en lang
række områder. Vi skal ikke være uvenner med
Kina, men at sælge våben til et land, der konsekvent
bryder menneskerettigheder, og kan bruge våbnene mod sin egen
befolkning, er helt uacceptabelt, siger Ditte Staun.
- Vi har tidligere hørt, at vores statsminister har
været åben for våbensalg til Kina. Nu er det
på tide, at danske vælgere hører hvordan
partierne stiller sig, før vi sætter vores kryds den
8. februar, understreger Ditte Staun og tilføjer:
- Sagen viser, at EU hverken er menneskerettighedernes eller
fredens projekt. EU har for travlt med at tjene penge på
krigsindustrien, som EUs industrikommissær Günter
Verheugen netop har varslet konkrete skridt til at styrke.
02/04/2005
CONTRACTS from the United States Department of Defense
The Charles Stark Draper
Laboratory in Cambridge, Mass., is receiving a $12,999,970
cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification to previously awarded
contract (N00030-05-C-0008) for the exercise of an option to
procure additional tactical engineering support for the TRIDENT II (D5) missile guidance subsystem being
procured under the basic contract. Work will be performed in
Cambridge, Mass., and is expected to be completed September 2005.
This contract was not competitively procured. Contract funds will
not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Navy's
Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C., is the contracting
activity (Mod P00002).
02/04/2005
Ambassador Cofer Black Becomes Vice-Chairman at Blackwater
USA
http://www.blackwaterusa.com/btw2005/articles/pr1.html
Blackwater USA proudly announces that Ambassador Cofer Black,
former Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the U. S. State
Department, and former Director of the CIA's Counterterrorism
Center has joined our team as Vice Chairman.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Erik Prince stated,
"Ambassador Black brings with him 30 years of experience in
combating terrorism around the globe and absolute devotion to
freedom and democracy and the United States of America. We are
honored to have him as part of our great team".
As the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Ambassador Black's office,
S/CT, had primary responsibility for developing, coordinating and
implementing U.S. counterterrorism policy. On behalf of the
Secretary of State, Ambassador Black represented the Department on
the Counterterrorism Security Group. His office played a leading
role on the Department of State's counterterrorism task forces
organized to coordinate responses to international terrorist
incidents. Ambassador Black's responsibilities included
coordinating U.S. Government efforts to improve counterterrorism
cooperation with foreign governments, including the policy and
planning of the Department's Antiterrorism Training Assistance
Program...
02/04/2005
Germany To Privatize Certain Army Weapon And Vehicle
Maintenance
DEFENSE DAILY INTERNATIONAL
February 4, 2005
Vol. 5, No. 5
The Germany Bundestag's budget committee decided to put $1.4
billion over eight years in private hands for the maintenance of
certain Army vehicles and weapons systems, involving a new company,
Heeresinstandsetzunglogistik (HIL).
The pilot project involves cooperation between the Bundeswehr and
German industry, with Rheinmetall Group playing a key role, the
company said last week.
Soon to be incorporated, HIL is to be awarded a contract in
February where it will be responsible for ensuring the combat
readiness of at least 70 percent of the German army weapon systems
in the inventory for eight years, the company said.
Germany holds a 49 percent minority stake in HIL, which is a joint
venture formed by Rheinmetall Landsysteme, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann
and Industriewerke Saar, each of which will hold a 17 percent
share.
An additional $872 million in resources has been allocated for
items that will be invoiced separately, such as spare parts and
transport costs. As early as 2005, HIL is expected to generate
sales around $162 million, rising to roughly $306 million in the
following years. For the Bundeswehr, this will save some $260
million over the life of the contract.
The German army would see a significant improvement in equipment
availability rates, boosting operational readiness and training.
This will also free troops focused on logistics to move into core
military activity.
During the privatization, existing maintenance facilities will be
used and optimized to avoid duplication, and HIL will award service
subcontracts.
02/04/2005
Watergate Papers Now Public
NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE (Vol. 11, 7; 17 February 2005)
On 4 February 2005, the University of Texas unveiled the Woodward
and Bernstein Watergate Papers. The Woodward-Bernstein Collection
includes thousands of pages of hand-written notes, typed memos, and
transcripts culled from 75 file-drawer size boxes bought by the
University for $5 million. The archive, however, will not reveal
the identity of "Deep Throat" and other confidential sources until
their deaths. View the description and highlights of the collection
at:
http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/research/fa/woodstein.hp.html
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