From May 8 to May 17, Exercise Trident Fury - testing of inoperability of US, GB, NATO and Canadian military hardware including US nuclear arms capable F-15--is taking place in Greater Victoria area. For years, nuclear powered and nuclear arms capable vessels have circulated in Canadian waters and berthed in Canadian ports.

Please communicate your opposition to the participation by military hardware from the UK.

To:  peace_caucuswssd@yahoogroups.com
From: Joan Russow
Subject: Military madness : EXERCISE TRIDENT FURY
Cc:
Bcc:
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Military madness CAMPAIGN OPPOSING THE EXERCISE TRIDENT FURY

Joan Russow

People are urged to sign the petition and e-mail it to the Minister of Defence the Hon Gordon O'Connor at  OConnor.G@parl.gc.ca and to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Peter Mackay at  Mackay.P@gc.ca

IN the US please send petition to the US Department of defense etc
in UK to Department of Defence
in NATO countries send to NATO

SIGN-ON PETITION ATTACHED


PETITION OPPOSING THE EXERCISE TRIDENT FURY

We the undersigned citizens draw the attention of the House to the following:

Recalling that under Article 20 SS 1 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, the following obligation was incurred:

Any propaganda for war shall be prohibited by law.

- Convinced that a display of militarism like Exercise Trident Fury by states that are involved in offensive military actions constitutes propaganda for war;
- Concerned that the Exercise Trident Fury is a flaunting of militarism that in a time when Canada is playing an offensive role in the US- led invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, a deep military integration display in Victoria could increasingly create the risk of the area being targeted and thus would seriously jeopardize the security of the citizens of Victoria, British Columbia and Canada.
-Aware that the Exercise Trident Fury involves participation of US military hardware with nuclear arms capability at a time when the US is becoming increasing willing to not rule out the use nuclear weapons;
-Concerned that Canada's participation along with nuclear arms capable US arsenal would thus demonstrate Canada's willingness to condone the US threat to use or potential use nuclear weapons in contravention of the 1996 decision of the International Court of Justice that the threat to use nuclear weapons is contrary to international human rights law.
-Recognizing that in 1992, the BC legislature declared BC to be a nuclear arms free zone, and also in 1992 eight out of the ten municipalities in the Greater Victoria Area supported motions calling for an environmental review assessment of visits of nuclear powered and nuclear arms capable vessels in the port of Greater Victoria.
- Noting with serious concern the potential short-term and long-term environmental, psychological and health consequences of Exercise Trident Fury.
- Affirming that the Exercise Trident fury violates the precautionary principle and displays blatant dereliction of duty and gross negligence on the part of the government

THEREFORE, your petitioners request that Parliament
CALL upon the Department of Defence to cancel the present and any future Exercise Trident Fury


SIGN-ON: NAME:
CITY
E-MAIL.

SEND COPY TO  j.russow@shawlink.ca

Background:

NOTE: F 15 ARE NUCLEAR ARMS CAPABLE

Trident Fury 2006 - Fact Sheet Off DND web site

* Exercise TRIDENT FURY is a two-week joint, coalition based
exercise hosted by Joint Task Force Pacific Headquarters (JTFP) and
executed by the Pacific Fleet Commander. The exercise will run from
8-19 May and incorporates Naval, Air and Land Force elements from
Canada, the United States, Great Britain and NATO. It will be an
assembly of the largest and most diverse list of exercise
participants ever seen on the West Coast.
* TRIDENT FURY will see participation from four Canadian Navy
warships (HMCS ALGONQUIN, WINNIPEG, VANCOUVER and YELLOWKNIFE),
auxiliaries (HMCS ORIOLE and Fleet Diving Unit vessels) and two
United States Naval vessels (USS INGRAHAM and USNS BRIDGE).
Operations will include live surface-to-air and air-to-air missile
firings and the employment of air-to-surface Precision Guided
Munitions.
* Approximately 20 aircraft will be operating out of Victoria
International Airport. They will include F-15 and F-16 fighters, E2
Hawkeyes from the United States, an AWACS from the United Kingdom,
Canadian SeaKing Helicopters and AlphaJets from Top Aces.
* Approximately 20 other aircraft will be operating out of 19 Wing
Comox, including CF-18 Hornets, CP-140 Auroras and a NATO AWACS. Due
to space constraints the base could not accommodate all participating
aircraft. Some aircraft will also be flying back to their home bases
in the United States at the end of each mission such as the B-52
Stratofortress, bringing the total number of aircraft participating
in the exercise to approximately 60.
* The exercise is expected to result in over $2 million being
spent on Vancouver Island during the two-week period. There will be
over 2000 participants, 1000 of which will be coming to the local
area specifically for the exercise.
* The aircraft will primarily have two take off times each day.
They will take off as a group at around 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The
missions will take about 2 1/2 hours so the majority of the aircraft
will return around 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily. The public is
welcome to come out and watch the flying from the public viewing
areas around Victoria International airport.
* To try to reduce noise disruptions, there will be no exercise
flying at night or on the weekend of 13-14 May.

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