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The Gloucestershire
Weapons Inspectors - Update| 21-01-03
[see also original
piece published 10-12-02]
Will Fairford become
Blair's Greenham?
Greenham women
will be joining mass citizens weapons inspection at Fairford
|
 Photo: Ann Pettitt |
In 1981, Ann Pettitt organized a march from Cardiff in Wales to the Greenham Common airbase in England where cruise missiles were being deployed. From small beginnings it snowballed into the Greenham Common Peace Camp.
On Sunday 26 January 2003, Ann and many of the Greenham women will be joining Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors (GWI) for a mass citizens weapons inspection at US Air Force base Fairford in the Cotswolds.
‘There are remarkable parallels between then and now and that’s what caught my imagination,’ says Ann Pettitt. ‘In 1981 we were told that theatre nuclear weapons, cruise missiles, at Greenham would make the world safer. But we felt they edged us nearer to crossing the nuclear threshold. It took years to pull back from the threshold back then. And yet we now find ourselves, once more, on the brink...
‘I’d go even further and say that Fairford stands at the edge of a precipice. My fear is that once over the edge there’s no turning back. Contemplating the use of weapons of mass destruction in a war that is supposed to be about eliminating such weapons is absurd. It’s just plain wrong.’
 Photo: Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors |
Self-styled Chief Weapons Inspector of Gloucestershire, Dave Cockcroft, explains:
‘The United States makes it quite clear that the new generation of ‘more usable’ nuclear weapons, designed to target deep bunkers, were developed for use in situations like those in Iraq today. These are not deterrents, they are first-use weapons and this makes it possible the next nuclear bomb to be used will be carried on a bomber from Fairford. After all, Fairford is the biggest bomber base in Europe and one of only three forward bases for the B-2 Stealth Bomber in the whole world. It’s time we all paid some attention to what goes on here.
‘At our first inspection attempt at Fairford there were just 20 citizen inspectors – that was on 31 October 2002. We were refused entry, but said we’d be back. On 14 December we were back with over 500 citizen inspectors and staged a very inspiring demonstration. Once again refused entry, we pledged to return. This time we’re expecting thousands of inspectors. January 26th is the day before Hans Blix reports to the UN Security Council. We felt we should mark the day with our third attempt to inspect Fairford.’
Background
Fairford
is the biggest bomber base in Europe. It has recently been upgraded to a forward
base for the B-2 Stealth bombers as well as the smaller B-1 and older B-52 bombers.
There are only three forward bases for the Stealth bombers, two on British territory
– at Fairford and Diego Garcia – the third in Guam. These bombers
are nuclear capable. The B-2 has test-dropped B61-11 nuclear bunker busters,
which are the only land-based US nuclear weapons still deployed outside US borders.
Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors is an open group of concerned citizens with no affiliation to any political party or pressure group. It employs a humorous approach to the serious business of weapons inspection. Dressed in white decontamination suits, inspectors carry equipment made from household appliances. Sophisticated devices include smart bomb intelligence testers and collateral damage anticipation indicators.
Contact:
Ann Pettitt +44 (0)1559 384671
Dave Cockcroft +44 (0)7768 418960
e-mail: info@gwi.org.uk
http://www.gwi.org.uk
See also our earlier coverage here.
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