May 2010
DECOMMISSIONERS PRESS RELEASE AND PRESS PACK - EDO/ITT DECOMMISSIONERS TRIAL BEGINS MONDAY 7th JUNE 2010
In the early hours of 17th January 2009, during Israel's 'Operation Cast Lead' offensive against Gaza, six people broke in to the EDO/ITT weapons' components factory in Moulsecoomb, Brighton, and, allegedly caused hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage to the production line. (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-281XjHw50 for the local paper's video of some of the damage)
The six 'decommissioners' barricaded themselves inside, and proceeded to break computers and other equipment, with the aim of preventing the factory from being able to produce weapons. The action succeeded in stopping production at the factory for some time.
On June 7th 2010 nine people are standing trial accused of 'conspiracy to commit criminal damage' in relation to the events of 17th January 2009. The trial is expected to last for ten weeks at Hove Trial Centre (see smashedo.org.uk to confirm).
The decommissioners defence is that their actions were legally justified as they were acting to prevent a greater crime.
There is a history of juries finding anti-war activists not guilty when they attack machinery used in war crimes. In 1996 four women from Trident Ploughshares decommissioned a Hawk jet that was about to be shipped to Indonesia – they were found not guilty. In 2008 the Raytheon 9, who damaged a factory in Derry supplying weapons to Israel during the 2006 Lebanon war, were also unanimously acquitted by a jury.
Before
entering the EDO factory the decommissioners recorded statements
detailing the reasons why they planned to take part in the action
(see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfa8R2AxUFg)
one of the decommissioners, Elijah Smith said "I
don't feel I'm going to do anything illegal tonight, but I'm going
to go
into an arms factory and smash it up to the best of my ability
so that
it cannot produce munitions and these very dirty
bombs
that have been provided
to the
Israeli army so that they can kill children. The time for
talking
has gone too far. I'm not a writer, I'm just a person from the
community
and I'm deeply disgusted.”
For
more info contact: Andrew Beckett or Chloe Marsh, Smash EDO campaign
Tel: 07526557436 E-mail: smashedopress@riseup.net
Website: www.smashedo.org.uk
Please find below additional material detailing the events of 'Operation Cast Lead', the decommissioning, and EDO/ ITT's complicity in war crimes.
PRESS PACK
Who are EDO/ITT?
The EDO factory on Home Farm Road in Brighton, where the decommissioning took place, has been part of ITT Corporation (www.itt.com), since December 2007.
Before ITT took over the factory was known as EDO MBM, a trading unit of the EDO Corporation (http://web.archive.org/web/20070716124730/http://www.edocorp.com/), another US company which acquired EDO MBM (http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-23543062_ITM) in 2003 and was bought by ITT in 2007. Prior to that the factory was owned by the Emblem Group, a British company.
ITT stands for International Telegraph and Telecom. The company was established in 1920 and diversified to weapons production in the 1930s when it acquired the German Focke-Wulf company who were a manufacturer of aircraft for the Nazi Luftwaffe. It is now the 19th largest defence manufacturer in the world.
What Happened on the night?
On January the 17th 2009 the bombs had already fallen relentlessly on Gaza for three weeks. Massive, passionate demonstrations and pickets had been held in many cities around the UK and the world in protest against Israel’s war crimes, but to no avail. A growing sense of helplessness was grabbing hold of the movement as the Palestinian body count stood at 1400 and rising. 300 of the dead were children. This was the night of the “citizen’s decommissioning” of the weapons manufacturer EDO/ITT in Moulsecoomb, Brighton.
Just after midnight the six decommissioners broke into EDO’s premises with the aim of,decommissioning it. It was an entirely accountable action where each person had pre-recorded a video in which they stated the reasons for their participation –to help dismantle the war machine from the factory floor (to view their video statements go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfa8R2AxUFg&feature=related ). Once inside the building, the six barricaded themselves in and set to work; Equipment used to make weapon components -including some used in Israeli F16 fighter jets- were trashed whilst computers were thrown out of the windows. Once they were done they calmly waited for the police to arrest them. Three others have also been charged with aiding the decommissioners.
DCI Graham Pratt of Sussex Police was quoted in the Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/17/gaza-armsfactory-protest): "Windows had been smashed and offices turned over in what I would describe as wanton vandalism, but with machinery and equipment so targeted that it could have been done with a view of bringing business to a standstill”.
Far from being a 'wanton' act it was a pre-planned act of resistance against the massacre going on in Gaza. However, the second part of his statement was entirely accurate: the decommissioning prevented the manufacturing side of EDO from working, slowing down the murderous war machine they are a part of.
To read more about why the decommissioners decided to take action see the 2009 pamphlet 'If I had a hammer'
EDO/ITT's Supply of Weapons to Israel
ITT supplies weapons to Israel both from the EDO/ITT factory in Brighton and as a global corporation. Here are a few examples. Please contact smashedopress@riseup.net for more details of what EDO/ITT manufacture and documentary evidence.
The Saar Gunship
ITT has several contracts to supply equipment to the Israeli Navy. One of those contracts is for the SAAR gunship (see www.defense.itt.com/Sas/Electronic/ITT_ES_RRAS_Bro_R5.pdf page 9).
After Operation Cast Lead the British government reviewed all licenses from Britain to Israel and found that there was 'credible evidence' that the Saar gunships had been involved in attacks on Gaza (http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?view=PressS&id=16637031), as a result licenses relating to the SAAR were revoked. (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/britain-punishes-israel-for-gaza-naval-bombardment-1744969.html).
Bomb Racks for the Israeli F-16 and F-15s
The EDO/ITT factory in Brighton owns the patents for several components for main the bomb rack used in Israel's F-16, the VER-2. Israel has been supplied with hundreds of F-16s by the US government under a series of agreements known as Peace Marble, that date back to the 1970s. These F-16s have been used repeatedly in attacks against civilians in Lebanon and Palestine.
EDO have advertised the VER-2 on their website (web.archive.org/web/20040401120233/http://www.mbmtech.co.uk/br.html) and own the patents for several parts for the VER-2 – the ERU-151 (http://es.is.itt.com/ERU151.htm) and the Zero Retention Force Arming Unit (http://es.is.itt.com/WeaponInterfacingMechanical.htm#ZRFAU). ITT also manufacture the ESTER bomb rack which is used on the F-16 (http://es.is.itt.com/DocumentationCenter/ESTER%20brochure.pdf)
Research and Development of Weapons Systems
EDO/ITT have manufactured thousands of bomb ejector units for F-16 and F-15 war planes around the world, and supplied these direct to the Israeli Air Force from at least as early as the 1980s.
EDO/ITT in Brighton is a UK Government approved ‘List-X’ facility cleared to handle classified military secrets. They have led the way in research and development of smart bomb racks and ancillary components for these planes and are a world leader in the production of arming units, bomb fuses, and ancillaries for smart weapons release systems. They hold sub contracts with, amongst others, BAE, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, General Dynamics and Cobham. Some of these weapons are then supplied to Israel as part of larger armament systems.
The Brighton firm are also engaged in research and development of fifth generation jet fighter weapons systems such as the F-35 (which Israel is negotiating to buy from the US) and have pioneered miniature bomb racks for military drones and UAV’s including BAE’s classified programs in collaboration with the Israeli arms industry
FRCS (Field Replaceable Connector System)
The FRCS is an 'umbilical' weapons release mechanism invented, patented and produced by ITT Integrated Structures at the EDO factory in Brighton. It was designed by current Brighton director John Eaton. The FRCS is used as a connector for smart bomb racks and weapons pylons on, amongst others, F-16 fighter planes.I TT says that each FRCS release mechanism can be used for over 100 “ejected releases” (i.e. bomb drops), providing 'efficiency' and 'consistency' of weapons releases. Managing Director of EDO, Paul Hills, has been quoted expressing the degree to which the FRCS has “strengthened” the market position of ITT. Since 2006 The FRCS has been used on American A-10, B-1B, F-15, and F-16 weapons release systems. Some of these systems have then been supplied to Israel and were almost certainly used in the attacks on Gaza.
Paveway Guided Bombs
Since the 1980s, EDO/ITT in Brighton have been involved in the production of the Paveway bomb series in conjunction with Raytheon. This development work led to the creation of enhanced systems that have since been incorporated into US variants of the bombs that have in turn been supplied to Israel. Israel has since been supplied with Paveway II, Paveway III and has ordered Raytheon Enhanced Paveway III 5000lb Bunker Buster bombs with could be used to attack Iran. Paveway weapons were extensively used in the Israeli attacks on Gaza and Lebanon.
What do EDO/ITT Say?
ITT make no attempt to hide their supply of weapons components to Israel: a previous CEO of ITT defence said "Israel's military needs make it a good market," (see http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/states/IN.html). The managing director of EDO/ITT in Brighton, Paul Hills, maintains that the Brighton factory do not supply components to Israel. "We make things that ensure the safe carriage and release of weapons from aircraft.” (www.theargus.co.uk/news/4330205.EDO_boss_tells_Brighton_protesters___You_ve_got_your_facts_wrong_/). Campaigners hotly contest this assertion.
The Campaign against EDO
Campaigners have been calling for the closure of EDO MBM/ITT since 2004. The campaign was kickstarted with a roof occupation and lock-on at the factory in May 2004 and demonstrations have taken place every week since then. Several protest camps have been held outside the factory and recent mass demonstrations at the factory have attracted thousands of people, for example at last years Mayday demonstration.
'Operation Cast Lead' – Israel's Massacre in Gaza
On 27 December 2008, without warning, Israeli forces began a devastating bombing campaign on the Gaza Strip codenamed Operation “Cast Lead”. By 18 January 2009 some 1,400 Palestinians had been killed and large areas of Gaza had been razed to the ground.
According to the Israeli Government, the Israeli armed forces’ rules of engagement states “Strikes shall be directed against military objectives and combatants only. It is absolutely prohibited to intentionally strike civilians or civilian objects".
The report of the United Nations fact finding on the Gaza conflict
(http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/specialsession/9/docs/UNFFMGC_Report.pdf) relates 36 incidents in which serious allegations of direct attacks were made against civilians. There appears to have been no justifiable military objective pursued in many of them. It would be impossible to try and summarise the events of 'Operation Cast Lead' in a short and concise piece, the following are a few confirmed examples found within the 575 page UN report.
On the 3rd of January there was an attack on the al-Maqadmah mosque resulting in at least 15 people killed and around 40 seriously injured when the Israeli armed forces struck the entrance of the mosque with a missile. People were attending the mosque for prayers as the attack occurred. Victims included 13 year old Muhammad and 8 year old Hani. According to Israeli armed forces the uninvolved civilians who were the casualties of the attacks were in fact Hamas operatives killed whilst fighting against the IDF. The UN concluded that this was an attack on the civilian population and not in the pursuit of a legitimate military objective.
On 3 and 4 January 2009, there was
heavy aerial bombardment and shelling by tanks of the open areas around
Siyafa village where the Abu Halima family was sheltering. At around
4.30p.m., a white phosphorous shell came through the ceiling into the
room where they were huddled. According to family members who survived,
there was intense fire and white smoke in the room, the walls of which
were glowing red. Five members of the family died immediately,
including 18 month old Shahid. Muhammad Sa’ad and Abd al-Rahim Sa’ad
who were decapitated, the others burnt to death. The Israeli armed
forces denied the ambulances access to the area to evacuate the wounded
and then opened fire on the relatives of the wounded who were trying to
take them to the nearest hospital. The UN concluded that the risks this
attack posed to the civilian population and civilian objects in the
area under attack were excessive in relation to the specific military
advantages sought.
One incident concerns the launch
of a bomb on a house resulting in the killing of 22 family members.
Israel's position in this case is that there was an 'operational error'
and that the intended target was a neighbouring house storing weapons.
On 6 January 2009 the Al-Daya family house that was located South East
of Gaza city was struck by a projectile fired from an F-16 aircraft
which killed 22 members of the family. Twelve of those killed were
children under 10 all crushed under the rubble of the house. No
neighbouring house was attacked at any time after the Al Daya house was
destroyed in the remaining 12 days of the land operation.
Policy could be summarized, in the words of
one of the soldiers: “if we see something - suspect and
shoot, better hit an innocent than hesitate to target an enemy. In
urban warfare, anyone is your enemy. No innocents.”
In reviewing the above incidents the UN
mission found in many cases that the Israeli armed forces had carried
out direct intentional strikes against civilians.
Contact: Andrew Beckett or Chloe Marsh, Smash EDO campaign
Tel: 07526557436 E-mail: smashedopress@riseup.net Website: www.smashedo.org.uk