NMD/Pine Gap/Star Wars

The US military base at Pine Gap and the town of Alice Springs

Alice Springs in central Australia is the home of the United States military base Pine Gap. The base, which has 900 staff, is just 19 kms from Alice Springs which is where the staff live and play.

Through Pine Gap's activities, Australia is implicated in the US National Missile Defence (NMD), a space battle system which can trigger a new nuclear arms race. Involvement in NMD can destroy stability and security in our region and undermine Australian relations with China, Russia and Korea as well as many Asian countries which see Australia as an unthinking puppet of the US. This is not in the interests of Australia or in the interests of world peace and disarmament.

To inform the Australian people about National Missile Defence and Pine Gap's role in it, large, determined and well planned demonstrations at the gates of Pine Gap and other places in and around Alice Springs which sustain the base are essential.

This demonstration is being planned to take place on 5, 6 & 7 October 2002. The following pictures are intended to give you a sense of the area and what is involved.

Photos of Pine Gap facility:

 

Here is the latest sign post on the way to Pine Gap
(photographed 17/8/02 by DD).

Not content with hiding the base behind mountains they are saying we cannot go with 1 km of the main gate. They must have something to hide!

  Pine Gap approach

The approach to the gates of Pine Gap during the day. The gates are open; the guards apparently do not expect that anyone other than base personnel will attempt to enter. This is likely to change during our protest!
  Pine Gap view through gates

Through the gates and into special car park for visitors. Strangers are told to leave or they risk arrest for being on prohibited ground. Seven kilometers away and hidden from sight are the 12 radomes which are being used now to develop and will be used to deploy NMD.
  Pine Gap no trespassing sign

There is a sign that forbids trespassing. However, minor laws sometimes must be broken to achieve greater ends. NMD puts millions of lives and the survival of our planet at risk.

The Government and the Labor Opposition regard this as legal. But it is illegal for the Australian people to walk into the base and we and our Parliamentary representatives cannot be informed of what goes on in Pine Gap.
  Pine Gap fence

It is possible to get into the base by jumping this fence which is about 160 cms high. The model in the picture is an average size male about 130cms.
Why is the fence not higher when the base has so much to hide?
The thick wire at waist level is very strong to protect the fence from being squashed by a runaway car. The fence stretches for only 100 metres left and right of the gate. It then reverts to a standard cattle fence only 80 (or less) cms high.

  Pine Gap view of fence

A view of the fence to the left of the main gate. There is small cattle fence and then a few metres to another cattle fence.
Surely a higher fence is needed to protect these Americans and their killing machine.
The base costs the Australian people $30 million a year. The extra $60 million hidden in the defence budget for the relay station at Pine Gap will mean less hospitals and schools.
  Collins Radio in Wilkinson Street. Alice.

Collins Radio in Wilkinson Street, Alice Springs is a front company for Pine Gap, an American company which hires and fires for the CIA and the NSA.
There is a rumour that Collins Radio may be closing down as a large new warehouse has been built in Alice Spring's industrial area.
  Pine Gap new warehouse

The brand new warehouse and supply line for the base or the so-called "joint facility".
This warehouse contains supplies for the base. It surrounded by an extensive parking area for the buses which transport the workers to and from the base.
It also contains vehicles which appear to be for plumbers, electricians and communications

  Pine Gap tradesmens' vehicles

Tradesmens' vehicles in the new warehouse parking area. On 14 March 2001 there were 20 vehicles
  Pine Gap unmarked buses

The unmarked buses which pick up workers from their homes all over Alice Springs and take them to and from Pine Gap.

If these buses cannot function, work at the base would be seriously interrupted.

There are 6 buses here but apparently there are usually 13 operating between the base and town.

 

The Joint US-Australian seismological station in Alice Springs. This is another example of Australian integration into the US military and its interests.
 

Some of Pine Gap's radomes can just be seen through a gap in the hills in an isolated part of the Alice Springs area. This is the nearest ordinary taxpayers can get to the base.



Despite the fact that the Australian Government has paid billions for the upkeep of this US facility, it does not tell the people about Pine Gap. It has willingly offered Pine Gap to be used for NMD despite the fact that this will undermine Australia's security and trade interests with countries such as China.