Global Day of Action to Ban cluster Bombs - keep Raytheon cluster bomb maker out of Wales

Rhrodri Morgan and the Welsh Assembly government have celebrated Raytheon -cluster bomb maker to Wales to TEACH our young people at St Athan Military Training academy - the biggest ever privatisation in the UK - selling off military training to the biggest arms dealers - vile companies that any ethical counrty or any country with an ethical investment policy wouldn't consider investing in never mind begging for them to come and teach their children! See for more info http://metrixconsortium.blogspot.com/
http://www.nomurderacademyatstathans.com/
http://www.cynefinywerin.org.uk/

Read also QinetiQ, the War Profiteer Welsh Politicians Love to Love

The Cluster bomb feeling documentary on investment of Dutch pension fund in arms industry
Banking Secretsdocumentary on investments of Dutch banks in arms industry and other dodgy projects.
Whats it about?
The Global Day of Action to Ban Cluster Bombs is an opportunity for campaigners to organise and participate in public actions and media work exactly one month before the Vienna Conference.

It is a day to demonstrate global public concern about the problems of cluster bombs and their impact on civilians, and to call on governments to join the international effort towards a treaty to ban them. It will be the last opportunity for governments to revise their domestic positions and policies on cluster munitions before the Vienna conference, and to make sure that they go to the Vienna conference to participate meaningfully in treaty discussions.

Vienna is the next international conference on cluster munitions and takes place from 5 – 7 December 2007. In Vienna, governments will be discussing elements of the future international treaty, and we must make sure that government representatives attending the conference understand the demands of the general public in their country. There is a limited opportunity to engage States before Vienna and campaigns need to generate a sense of urgency that their governments must go to Vienna to participate in treaty discussions.

Download the Global Day of Action Campaign Toolkit (en español) and some of the visual images and messages which can be adapted and used by campaigners.

Campaign Materials available here

For more information on how to get involved contact laura@stopclustermunitions.org

http://caatblog.wordpress.com/

read also

QinetiQ, the War Profiteer Welsh Politicians Love to Love

QinetiQ, the War Profiteer Welsh Politicians Love to Love

October 2007 by Stuart Tannock

Private equity group sells out of Qinetiq amid audit office inquiry

The Carlyle Group said yesterday that it was selling its remaining stake in Qinetiq, the privatised defence and security concern, in a move that will provide further ammunition for critics of the private equity sector.
Carlyle, which acquired a 33% stake in Qinetiq in 2002 for £42.5m, sold some £160m of shares when the UK company was floated a year ago and stands to pocket a further £140m from the sale of its remaining 67.8m shares.

The National Audit Office announced last year that it was to investigate the privatisation of Qinetiq and said then that the price at which Carlyle acquired its original holding was one of the issues it would be looking at.
Last night the NAO said the investigation was continuing and that it expected its report on the Qinetiq privatisation to be completed by the spring.
Mark Milner Friday February 9, 2007 The Guardian

Ms Hutt supporting biggest ever PFI military academy to improve electoral chances of her party?

'No hitches' on academy decision Dec 1 2006
Peter Collins, South Wales Echo

There will be no 'last-minute hitches with the Treasury' to delay a decision on where a multi-billion military training academy will be built. Vale of Glamorgan MP John Smith and AM Jane Hutt were assured everything was on schedule at a meeting with the Government minister who will make the final decision.
Mr Smith and Ms Hutt met Defence Minister Derek Twigg at the Ministry of Defence, in London, yesterday, in the final push to bring the £14bn academy contract to RAF St Athan.
The Metrix consortium's bid to building the academy in South Wales is up against a bid by RAF Cosford, in the West Midlands.

Is this the same deal "Watchdog sniffs around Qinetiq's bid for billion-pacound defence deal" 11/12/2006. Under Qinetiq's plan, training for the armed forces would be transferred from sites in the West Midlands to a new academy in south Wales.But with elections in Wales due next year, critics also argue that Labour will give Qinetiq the contract to protect its constituencies in the region. "There also is some concern that politics will play a role here," said Pritchard. "The Welsh elections and the personal political ambitions of Peter Hain [the secretary of state for Wales and potential deputy prime ministerial candidate] may not be an insignificant factor in the overall decision (see more below)

At the same time PCS say "With over 20, 000 MoD jobs under threat from either job cuts or privatisation, 95% of members voting endorsed a campaign plan which includes the threat of industrial action. The indicative ballot result comes as the MoD seek to axe 14, 000 civilian posts across the country in areas including aviation repair, army repair, defence logistics and the defence supply chain. Massive privatisation of key areas of defence worth billions of pounds is also planned, including defence training and IT."
http://www.labournet.net/ukunion/0606/pcs1.html

http://www.epsu.org/IMG/pdf/Sector_by_Sector_detail_-_PCS_supplementary_paper.pdf

Biggest ever PFI Military Academy Wales

Watchdog sniffs around Qinetiq's bid for billion-pound defence deal 11/12/2006
http://www.publicprivatefinance.com/Document.aspx?ID=709565
The National Audit Office (NAO) could expand its investigation into the privatisation of defence contractor Qinetiq in order to examine whether the company's bid for a £10 billion defence private finance initiative contract created a conflict of interest.

The Ministry of Defence should choose a firm this month to lead its 30-year defence training programme, the UK's largest ever PFI scheme.

And a consortium led by Qinetiq, 19% owned by the ministry, is the hot favourite for the contract.But critics argue that this creates a clear conflict of interest because the government would benefit if Qinetiq wins.And Conservative MP for The Wrekin in Shropshire, Mark Pritchard, has written to the NAO, already looking into Qinetiq's privatisation, to scrutinise its bid."Most independent commentators have at least raised an eyebrow," he said. "But many are saying that there is a clear conflict of interest."And I would not be surprised if there was a legal challenge on these grounds if Qinetiq wins."

Under Qinetiq's plan, training for the armed forces would be transferred from sites in the West Midlands to a new academy in south Wales.But with elections in Wales due next year, critics also argue that Labour will give Qinetiq the contract to protect its constituencies in the region."There also is some concern that politics will play a role here," said Pritchard. "The Welsh elections and the personal political ambitions of Peter Hain [the secretary of state for Wales and potential deputy prime ministerial candidate] may not be an insignificant factor in the overall decision."Pritchard also asked the NAO to clarify whether the massive £10 billion contract will be recorded on the government's balance sheet.Less than half the total number of initiative deals are included in the Treasury's accounts.