By Zohl de Ishtar
US secretary of state Madeleine Albright and defence secretary William Cohen recently visited Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand. Meeting with Australia's defence minister, Ian McLachlan, and foreign minister Alexander Downer, Albright and Cohen urged Australia to upgrade its military technology, doctrines and training; otherwise Canberra would not be able to keep up with US. This would result in Australia losing its status as a "valuable" US ally and being unable to participate in training (and wars) with the US.
The US officials insisted Australia increase its military budget and establish a "joint defence acquisition committee" with the US. This committee would enable US and Australian experts to consult, cooperate and collaborate so that technology and information gaps are eliminated and Australia functions under a US-controlled alliance.
The US is developing a combination of satellite and laser technologies that goes far beyond what was unleashed against Iraq in 1991.
Its plans to militarise and control space, outlined in a document called "Vision for 2020", require the development of ground-based anti-satellite weapons (ASATs), space-based ASATs and space-based earth strike weapons. These systems, as with all weapons systems, are controlled and coordinated by ground bases such as those in Australia, the Marshall Islands and other countries.
This will require a military budget which is greater than the economy of all south-east Asia countries combined.
In exchange, Australia will be allowed to upgrade its involvement in the new US space-based missile early warning and monitoring system. This includes stationing Australian defence personnel at Colorado Springs, the headquarters of the US early warning system.
Increased weaponry and other facilities would strengthen Australia's readiness for future cooperation in US wars in the Middle East, specifically Iraq. It would also enhance Australia's ties with the US Central and Atlantic commands the US army command, and increase its involvement with the US Pacific Command, based in Hawaii, which provides training with naval and air components.
Part of the package is that the US facility at Nurrungar in South Australia will close after 30 years, but will be replaced by two new antennae to be built at Pine Gap, the CIA intelligence station near Alice Springs.
The antennae will link into the new geostationary satellites targeted to detect tactical and intermediate range missiles (like those of Iraq, India and Pakistan), as well as intercontinental ballistic missiles. The data collected by these antennae will be sent directly to Colorado, rather than to Nurrungar.
While in Aotearoa/New Zealand, Albright and Cohen made it clear Wellington would not be allowed to rejoin the ANZUS alliance unless it repudiates its nuclear-free legislation that prevents US nuclear-armed warships from entering its ports.
[Zohl de Ishtar is Oceania representative of Women for a Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific International Peace Bureau. PO Box 172, Annandale, NSW 2038. Phone 9660 3670 or e-mail <pacific@rainbow.net.au>.]