USS Denver DU carrying amphib ship to visit Townsville

USS Denver DU carrying amphib ship to visit Townsville
http://cynicismcentral.org/node/66

I’m glad Mr Gore has admitted that the cruise ship terminal is “dead in the water”.
(See “Business counts navy ship losses”
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2009/06/25/60661_hpnews.html and
“Phantoms and pies in the sky www.cynicismcentral.org/node/63 )

This is because it means that the canal estate is dead in the water. Qld Premier Bligh and mates are saying its not. Guess why ?

Its to give confidence to everyone else who donates copious amounts to labor that they will do everything in their power to do their bidding. Anna, the public could have used the 50k spent on the swing basin research, and the 15m in public funding to the terminal plan, not to mention the money spent on the EIS that is going nowhere.

I am all for increasing the capacity for the Australian Navy to use the Townsville Port. However, in relation to the” reported reasons for the USS Essex going to Cairns instead of us, they would be carrying Depleted Uranium ammunition. And in so doing are involving us in leaving a radioactive mess for future generations to deal with when they use that stuff for real.

The USS Denver, which will dock is also an amphibious ship ,able to carry attack choppers ,Harriers, Tanks and so forth ,its capabilities and armaments means it will also be carrying such Ammo.

This DU stuff is not welcome here, neither are nuclear powered or armed vessels. We should not be a part of a nuclear threat, whether implied or not against any other country. We are still a nuclear free zone unless Mayor Les Tyrell and mob change this.

If the Yanks are our mates then they should do things they way we do (The good bits).

Navy ship turned away, millions lost
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2009/06/24/60481_hpnews.html

Business counts navy ship losses
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2009/06/25/60661_hpnews.html

USS Denver : http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/navy/lpd-9.htm

POEM - BECAUSE WE CAN! http://www.cynicismcentral.org/node/55
Wed, 01/21/2009 - 05:03 — Pat Coleman
Composed on the auspicious occaision of the swearing in of a new American President.

Nuclear weekend October 20th 2005 http://www.magnetictimes.com/index.php?p=6&ID=1608

Comments

Nukes Comming to East Coast

The USS George Washington , a nuclear powered aircraft carrier , the USS Cowpens , a guided missle destroyer (no doubt carrying nukes for tomahawks) and no doubt an unseen nuke submarine "screen" have Reportedly left Fremantle Western Australia to RV with Australian forces and the USS Essex , Tortuga and Denver near central Queensland .

Whether its a ruse and they might take the carrier somewhere else, who knows ?

Arrested for talking to yanks

Peace activist arrested, ordered to stay away from US sailors after peaceful banner waving protest

4th July 2009, 15:30 WST
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=152873

Veteran peace activist Jo Vallentine has been arrested for a breach of the peace following her participation in an anti-nuclear and peace rally on the Fremantle wharf this morning.

Ms Vallentine, 63, was arrested after being given a move on order by WA police during a peaceful protest near the E-Shed market car park.

A former Greens senator, Ms Vallentine has spent her life campaigning for social justice, peace and environmental issues. She has been involved in peace and anti-nuclear protests around the world.

She was arrested and taken to the Fremantle police lock-up just after 12 noon and later released on condition she refrain from visiting Fremantle wharf or speaking to any US navy personnel for the next seven days.

“I don’t know how I’m going to avoid them (the US sailors) as Fremantle is crawling with them, there are 5,300 of them and my chances of running into one are fairly high,” Mr Vallentine said.

If convicted Ms Vallentine faces a fine of up to $12,000 and/or 12 months jail for refusing the move on order.

She said it was ironic that on American Independence Day she had been gagged from speaking to Americans who were in her home town.

“It is funny that me speaking to US navy personnel is seen as a threat when there is a warship sitting off our coast that can blow whole cities to pieces. I was just speaking to people,” Ms Vallentine said.

Ms Vallentine told thewest.com.au she was concerned at the presence of US warships in the port of Fremantle and the refusal by the US to either confirm or deny the presence of nuclear weapons aboard the visiting vessels.

She was part of a group of around 50 taking part in a protest this morning.

The group included Quakers, peace activists and conservationists. Ms Vallentine was the only person arrested at the protest.

The protesters led by the Fremantle Anti-Nuclear Group, FANG, used the July 4 American Independence Day to call for “Australian independence from the United States.”

Nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington and guided missile cruiser USS Cowpens docked off Fremantle on Thursday.

Ms Vallentine said her group demanded clarification from the US about whether or not the warships were carrying nuclear weapons.

“They still will neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons on board but the USS George Washington is a huge battleship and we can’t really imagine that a ship its size it would leave home without carrying its nuclear arsenal. We assume it is a given that there are nuclear weapons onboard,” Ms Vallentine said.

A heavy police presence at the site kept the protesters in check and Ms Vallentine said she had been advised “not to interfere with the visiting sailors comfort” by speaking to them about peace and nuclear issues.

“We would like to welcome the sailors to Fremantle but we can’t when they come as part of the American military machine. They are welcome here as civilians but not as part of the military.”

Ms Vallentine said the US warships were in Australia as part of Talisman Sabre, a massive military exercise involving 30,000 American troops and 8,000 Australian military personnel.

Most of the exercises will take place in Queensland.

Ms Vallentine said the military exercises presented an “unacceptable risk” to the environment and to Australia’s sovereignty.

“We don’t know for sure but we think they will be doing exercises in Lancelin (north of Perth) next week. We will be watching very closely,” Ms Vallentine said.

FANG spokesperson Kerry-Ann Garlick said the presence of the US warships in Fremantle was a violation of the city’s Nuclear Free Zone status.

“We have huge health concerns about a nuclear powered warship sitting off our coast,” Ms Garlick said.

“If anything happens we will be the ones left with a toxic legacy to clean up while the ship will just sail away.”

Meanwhile Perth brothels have been flying in reinforcements to cope with the increase in business brought by the more than 5400 sailors from the two visiting warships.

Business groups estimate the sailors’ arrival will boost the local economy by $5 million over the ships’ five-day stay.

The owner of Perth brothel Langtrees, Beverly Clarke, said she had put on five extra staff for the weekend, including two from the Eastern States.

“Mandy” from City West Massage also said they were preparing for a bumper weekend.

“Normally when the US sailors come in we definitely do have a surge in business and we expect that over the weekend,” she said.

Ms Vallentine is due to appear in the Fremantle Magistrates Court on July 10.

PERTH
JANE HAMMOND with AAP

DU weapons

The following site is a "think tank" , however, I provide the link only to show what weapons the US Navy and Marines bring into Australia that use DU ammunition :

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/du.htm

If Yank amphibious ships are in your towns port ,then they will have DU ammo onboard.

Armoured Personel Carriers such as the Bradleys , Strykers, and Abrams Tanks use DU ammo.

Marine Harrier Aircraft use a combination of half DU half conventional ammo for their cannons.

Yank artillery may also use DU rounds when they create minefields from a distance.

Whilst the US Navy used to use DU for its "close in Phalanx" defence systems but replaced the ammo with Tungsten rounds , its said that they still have DU in stock.

There are plenty of sites around that deal with the health effects of DU ammo.

Pat Coleman

Royalist words in my mouth

When the Townsville Bulletin printed my views above on 27/6/09 they put "Royal" in front of "Australian Navy" . That wasn't what I put.

I am a republican and I mean it. Below is what I am sending them:

"One word can be a powerful thing, it means so much that it can burn inside a man.
The bully may be trying to protect me ,but I intentionally dropped the term ”royal” when i spoke of the Australian Navy.

That is how they are described , but I never said ”royal”.
When you put that word where I didn’t , then you pretend to speak for me.
Townsville Bulletin, I am a republican, you cant put royalist words in my mouth ."