Det danske Fredsakademi
Kronologi over fredssagen og international politik 12. maj 2005 / Time Line May 12, 2005
Version 3.005/12/2005
GREENPEACE TILTALT EFTER PARAGRAF FRA TERRORPAKKEN
København 12.Maj 2005 - Greenpeace bliver nu som den
første organisation herhjemme tiltalt efter en af
paragrafferne, der blev ændret i forbindelse med vedtagelsen
af terrorpakken for en protest-aktion mod gensplejsning den 13.
oktober 2003 ved landbrugets hovedkvarter Axelborg i
København.
Aktivisterne trængte ind i Axelborg og hængte et
kæmpebanner op. Samme metode har Greenpeace aktivister brugt
ved snesevis af tidligere aktioner, og det plejer at udløse
en bøde til hver enkelt aktivist. For første gang
anklages nu også organisationen Greenpeace med en paragraf
ændret med den såkaldte terrorpakke.
Helt enestående og for første gang nogensinde har
Politianklageren besluttet at rejse tiltale mod Greenpeace som
organisation ved at gøre brug af den med terrorpakken
ændrede §306. Før ændringen kunne
virksomheder og organisationer kun tiltales hvis de havde foretaget
ulovlige handlinger med økonomisk vinding for øje.
For også at ramme terrororganisationer dækker
paragraffen nu - efter sin ordlyd - helt bredt.
Advokat Steen Bech udtaler "Det er denne ændring der har
gjort det muligt for anklageren at rejse tiltale mod Greenpeace som
organisation. Det er uhørt at terrorpakken på den
måde rammer organisationer der bygger sit arbejde på
fredelige ikke-voldelige metoder. Aktioner af den slags som
Greenpeace aktivister gennemføre bygger på
hæderkronede principper om civil-ulydighed hvor individet
tager ansvar for sine egne handlinger. Det bør man ikke
straffe kollektivt".
I dag, den 12 maj, har politiadvokat Jens Rasmussen udtalt til
Ritzau, at ændringen af §306 intet har at gøre
med terrorpakken udover at den blev foretaget på samme tid.
Dette er IKKE korrekt. Justitsministeriet skrev selv i lovforslaget
om terrorpakken om ændringen af §306 "Justitsministeriet
finder på den baggrund, at gennemførelsen af artikel 5
i FN's terrorfinansieringskonvention bør ske ved en
ophævelse af kravet i straffelovens § 306 om, at
overtrædelsen skal være begået for at skaffe den
juridiske person vinding." (1).
Yderligere oplysninger:
Advokat Steen Bech. + 45 33 36 90 10
Mads Christensen, Kampagneleder Greenpeace +45 28 10 90 22
Noter:
1.L 35 (som fremsat): Forslag til lov om ændring af
straffeloven, retsplejeloven, lov om konkurrence- og
forbrugerforhold på telemarkedet, våbenloven,
udleveringsloven samt lov om udlevering af lovovertrædere til
Finland, Island, Norge og Sverige. (Gennemførelse af
FN-konventionen til bekæmpelse af finansiering af terrorisme,
gennemførelse af FN's Sikkerhedsråds resolution nr.
1373 (2001) samt øvrige initiativer til bekæmpelse af
terrorisme m.v.).
http://www.ft.dk/Samling/20012/lovforslag_som_fremsat/L35.htm
05/12/2005
Bush Approves $82 Billion in Supplemental Funding
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 12, 2005 - President Bush signed into law on May 11
legislation that provides $82 billion in supplemental funding, most
of it to help cover the cost of operations in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
The measure provides $75.9 billion for the Defense Department,
including funds for Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
Also included are additional protections for deployed troops and
new benefits for wounded servicemembers and families of those
killed in the war.
The package provides $42.6 billion to support requirements in Iraq
and Afghanistan and $18.8 billion to ensure the U.S. forces remain
well equipped and well structured to fight the global war on
terror, according to the White House Office of Management and
Budget.
This includes $13.5 billion to repair, refurbish or replace
war-torn military equipment, including funds to improve force
protection by adding armor to all convoy trucks and buying armored
security vehicles, night-vision equipment and
helicopter-survivability systems, officials said.
It also includes $5.3 billion to begin implementing plans to
restructure the Army and Marine Corps into more flexible,
self-sufficient modular units better able to fight the global war
on terror.
The supplemental spending package also provides enhanced survivor
benefits, with up to $500,000 in lump-sum payments to survivors of
servicemembers killed supporting the global war on terror since
operations in Afghanistan began in October 2001. This represents a
$238,000 increase over the current level, officials noted. The law
also includes a new insurance benefit to provide up to $100,000 for
troops who suffer traumatic injuries.
An additional $6.7 billion in funding will accelerate the training
of Iraqi and Afghan security forces, including State Department-led
training for Afghan law-enforcement agencies. White House officials
said this will enable both new governments to begin to assume more
responsibility for their security and sovereignty.
Nearly $2 billion will support the U.S. mission in Afghanistan,
addressing some of the most critical remaining security and
reconstruction needs. This includes $750 million to help combat
drug trafficking through a five-part program that includes public
information, law enforcement, alternative livelihoods, interdiction
and eradication, officials said.
The fundingh package provides funding for a permanent U.S.
diplomatic presence in Iraq, with $690 million for operations and
security for the U.S. Embassy and $592 million for a new, secure
facility.
An additional $354 million is provided for the Commander's
Emergency Response Program, a successful program that enables U.S.
military commanders to assist in small-scale local reconstruction,
rehabilitation and recovery initiatives in Iraq and Afghanistan,
officials said.
Some $1.7 billion is earmarked for coalition partners, and $230
million is included to provide security assistance to nations with
troops fighting alongside U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Also included is $150 million for the United States' multi-year
security-assistance commitment to Pakistan and $300 million in
economic and security assistance for Jordan.
Support for Sudan, Palestine and Ukraine and for international
peacekeeping activities also is part of the package.
05/12/2005
Fifth Franco-German Council of Ministers – Statement by
the Franco-German Defense and Security Council
Embassy of France in the United States - May 12, 2005
France and Germany reaffirm their conviction that the entry into
force of the Constitutional Treaty will be an important milestone
in the effort to assert Europe's influence on the international
stage and increase its ability to promote world peace and
security.
For France and Germany, these commitments are naturally compatible
with those undertaken in the Atlantic Alliance, which is the
foundation of our collective defence.
The Constitution will also be the instrument for increasing the
effectiveness of European action on the international stage thanks
to:
- a more coherent and high-profile common foreign, security and
defence policy, thanks to the creation of the post of EU foreign
minister;
- a stronger remit for European defence by broadening the spectrum
of EU tasks;
- more efficient European defence efforts and a stronger industrial
defence base through the joint work in the European Defence
Agency;
- the possibility for member States wishing to do so to go further
together in the building of an increasingly efficient and
mutually-supportive Defence Europe in the framework of permanent
structured cooperation.
Already, the momentum triggered by the Constitutional Treaty has
brought some new instruments to improve the operational efficiency
of European defence. France and Germany support strengthening the
European capabilities for planning and conducting operations which
are currently being established within the EU general staff
(civilian-military cell). Thanks to these capabilities, in 2006 the
EU will be able rapidly to set up an operations centre to conduct
autonomous operations of the size of Operation Artemis,
particularly where a civilian-military response is necessary and a
national HQ has not been designated. Moreover, they consider that a
small European Union cell in SHAPE and liaison arrangements between
NATO and the EU general staff will contribute to the development of
the strategic partnership between the EU and NATO in crisis
management. We are convinced that development of the ESDP is
helping to strengthen the Alliance's European pillar.
France and Germany are contributing to the battle groups project
and are pleased that a very large number of member States have
decided to participate in it. The increase in the EU's rapid
response capability it permits – through the establishment of
very rapidly deployable multinational or national forces –
will facilitate the EU's ability to conduct autonomous military
operations, particularly in support of the United Nations. The
Franco-German Brigade (FGB) will supply the nucleus of a battle
group in 2008. France and Germany are contributing to the initial
operational capacity of the battle groups by supplying, as early as
2006, joint elements which they will command alternately. Both our
countries have decided to make other battle groups available to the
European Union. The battle groups and the NATO Response Force (NRF)
are compatible. Over the past two years, our countries are proud to
have contributed to the European Union's first military operations
to promote peace. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, our
countries participated in the European Union's first autonomous
operation (Artemis). First in the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia and then in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the European Union took
over from NATO. In the latter country it is still conducting a
major operation deploying 6,700 troops (Operation Althea) with
recourse to NATO assets and capabilities. This action has been
complemented by the European Union Police Mission (EUPM). In the
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Proxima police operation
is pursuing its mission. In Georgia, the EU has launched a mission
to help establish the rule of law. In the Democratic Republic of
Congo and Iraq, it is preparing to launch training programmes for
civil servants, particularly police officers and judges.
* Bi- and multilateral cooperation at operational level has been
one of the major successes of the past six months. The deployment
of Eurocorps and the Franco-German Brigade (FGB) in Afghanistan in
the second half of 2004 in NATO's ISAF has demonstrated the great
capacity of these multinational European forces to carry out their
mission in a difficult environment. This deployment was marked by
the smooth conduct of the Afghan presidential election. Our two
countries are pursuing their efforts in Kosovo. NATO's KFOR,
commanded by a French general, who took over from a German general
in 2004, will have a decisive role in 2005, since this year may see
the opening of the discussions on Kosovo's future status.
* France and Germany want to step up their bilateral military
cooperation in order to support the development of Defence Europe.
Exchanges of officer cadets and of serving officers are helping
create a common defence culture. The reciprocal exchanges of French
and German officer cadets in military and academic training schemes
and scheduled participation of two German pilots in the
Franco-Belgian fighter-pilot training programme are contributing to
this development.
Similarly, our two countries are committed to speeding up the
modernization of the multinational forces in which they are
participating. What is to be a more integrated Franco-German
Brigade will become a major modern, very rapidly deployable unit
capable of carrying out the most demanding missions particularly
for the European Union and NATO. To this end, the French and German
armies have set out their major policy guidelines for the next few
years in a paper entitled “Vision commune sur l’avenir
de la Brigade Franco-allemande” [common vision of the future
of the Franco-German Brigade]. As well as contributing to the
battle groups project, in 2006 the Brigade will also participate
with Eurocorps in the NATO Rapid Response Force.
Closer cooperation between our defence capabilities will
increasingly mean acquiring common equipment and pooling our
capabilities. In this respect, our countries welcome the entry into
service of the Tiger combat helicopter. Joint training is already
provided for trainers and maintenance personnel in the Le Luc
(France) and Fassberg (Germany) training schools respectively.
Pilots will begin their training in September.
Similarly, France and Germany have agreed to explore with
interested partners all the possibilities of European cooperation
offered by the entry into service, in 2008, of the A 400M strategic
airlifter. This involves establishing European training programmes
and logistic capabilities and joint use of the planes. In this
context, France and Germany are pursuing their goal of eventually
forming a joint air transport squadron. Our countries have agreed
to step up their studies of all these issues within the framework
of the France-German Defence and Security Council.
Our countries are also intent on pursuing their cooperation in
order together to take up the strategic challenge of space by
strengthening the EU's threat-assessment capabilities and its
ability to conduct military operations. So we are working on
bringing together our national satellite reconnaissance
capabilities: the French Helios II (optics and infrared) and German
SAR-Lupe (radar). The French Helios II satellite was successfully
put into orbit on 18 December 2004. The launch of the first German
SAR-Lupe satellite is scheduled for February 2006. Joint use of the
pooled system is scheduled to begin at the end of 2008.
05/12/2005
Red Tape Hinders EU Military Space Cooperation
By PETER B. de SELDING, PARIS
May 12, 2005
C4ISR Journal
The six nations participating in the two-satellite Helios 2 optical
and infrared reconnaissance satellite system have agreed to supply
some imagery free of charge to the 25-nation European Union (EU),
but EU authorities will have to pay if they want more than a
limited amount of data, according to European government
officials.
Officials said that despite the limited nature of the agreement,
securing the necessary political approval will take months, if not
longer.
For example, they noted, an agreement on sharing Helios 1 imagery
with the European Union Satellite Center in Torrejon, Spain, was
reached in late 2003. But the final political-level authorization
to put the agreement into force has not been given. As a result,
the satellite center has been forced to rely on commercial and
Helios 1 imagery purchased with its relatively small budget.
"The best we can hope for concerning a Helios 2 agreement is a
general accord at the end of 2005," said one French military
official. "It will take until late 2006 before we get final
signatures implementing the agreement."
The first Helios 1 satellite was launched in 1995 and remains
healthy, according to French military officials. A second
satellite, launched in 1999, failed in October 2004.
The Helios 2A satellite — featuring sharper imagery and an
infrared capability for nighttime imaging — was launched in
December and began operations April 5. Financed mainly by France,
the system now includes the participation of Belgium, Spain and
Germany, with Italy about to join the program. Greece also has
agreed to pay for a small stake in Helios starting in 2009.
In a series of presentations here April 25-27 during the "Military
Space: Questions in Europe" conference organized by the French
Aeronautical and Astronautic Federation, government officials said
EU red tape and individual nations' national pride continue to pose
barriers to cooperative efforts in military space programs.
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