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BASES AUSTRALIA Ten More Years US BasEs IN AUSTRALIA Ten More Years ON December 22nd 1988 Prime Minis- Until now the Prime Minister andthe | tralian Wing Commander will become ter Hawke told parliament and the na- | Defence Minister Kim Beasley have | Deputy Commander. These moves for- tion that new agreements covering the | giventworeasonsforretainingthe bases. | malise Australian input into selecting as- operations of the Pine Gap and Nurrun- | The first is the fulfilment of our alliance | signment of tasks for the bases. Austra- gar satellite bases have been signed with | obligations, which are incurred more by | lian officials will have a greater say se- the United States. Australia is now com- | the UKUSA Agreement (the UK, US, | lecting areas from which intelligence is mitted to hosting these electronic spy | Canada, NZ and Australia are the mem- | tobe gathered and the number of Austra- bases for at least another ten years. bers of this Anglo club) than by the | lians involved in the operations of the, This is the first time bases is being increased. in Australia that it's been It’s impossible to publicly confirmed that know what the extent of Pine Gap is an electronic Australian influence and intelligence gathering control over the opera- facility (a spy satellite tion of the bases is. Al- base). Nurrungar was though these bases were described as a ground claimed to be joint facili- station used for control- ties, Australians had no ling US Defence Support influence on and little Program satellites (for knowledge of their op- the details on the func- erations. The bases will tions of these bases see now operate, at least NEXUS#S,Des Ball and || ‘2tellite ground some of the time, to the Bases). | collects ~ J = Australia’s benefit in- The original ten year Utelligeccsl aaa stead of entirely for the agreement on Pine Gap benefit of the US. was signed in 1966 and In his statement Mr extended for another ten Hawke said that the ycars in 1973. Under these agreements | ANZUS treaty. Second is the stability of | peace movement should support the cither government could request termi- | the nuclear balance. Pine Gap in particu- | bases because of their role in verifying nation with one ycar’s notice. The agree- | lar has an important role in arms control | nuclear disarmament treaties and pre- ment on Nurrungar, signed in 1969, al- | negotiations and verification of arms | venting nuclear war (through lowed termination on a year’s notice limitation (SALT) and arms reduction Nurrungar’s early-warning role). But after 1978. (INF) treaties. both anti-nuclear Senators disagreed and As well as extending the agreements Mr. Beasley has now added a third | condemned the agrecments. Senator Jo under which these ‘joint facilities’ oper- | reason - that the bases are now essential | Valentine issued a statement saying that ate for ten years the new agreements | for Australia’s own intelligence gather- | the bases are unwanted and should go. require three years notice to end their | ing activities. Under Beasley as Minister | Senator Irina Dunn said that the bases operations. the level of skill and expertise of the | tied Australia to US foreign policy and The Prime Minister said that one | Defence science and technology sec- | called for the bases’ verification role to year’s notice wasn't satisfactory because | tions has been significantly upgraded. | be taken over by an international agency. of the “specific benefits to Australia of | This technical ability will allow Austra- long-term access to their capabilities”. | lia to take advantage of the bases for its | J jfe After ANZUS These “specific benefits” are the intelli- | Own purposes far more than has been gence information gained on Indonesian | possible in the past. and other Southwest and Southeast | To ensure that the bases are used to | SENATOR DUNN may have Asian military activities. With the costof | benefit Australia (beyond preventing a | recently read a book by Keith Suter, /s continually upgrading the technologies | hypothetical nuclear war) new manage- | There Life After ANZUS. Keith Suter is used in the bases so high, the government | ment and staffing are part of the new | oncoftwenty recipients of the Australian claims that there are operational and | agreements. At Pine Gap the Deputy | Government’s Peace Awards and the financial reasons for ensuring that the | Chief, a newly created position, will be | Director of the Trinity Peace Research bases have long-term guarantees. an Australian and at Nurrungar an Aus- | Institute in Perth. His new book raises the Continued Next Page NEXUS New Times Eight - Autumn 1989 ON December 22nd 1988 Prime Minis- Until now the Prime Minister andthe | tralian Wing Commander will become ter Hawke told parliament and the na- | Defence Minister Kim Beasley have | Deputy Commander. These moves for- tion that new agreements covering the | giventworeasonsforretainingthe bases. | malise Australian input into selecting as- operations of the Pine Gap and Nurrun- | The first is the fulfilment of our alliance | signment of tasks for the bases. Austra- gar satellite bases have been signed with | obligations, which are incurred more by | lian officials will have a greater say se- the United States. Australia is now com- | the UKUSA Agreement (the UK, US, | lecting areas from which intelligence is mitted to hosting these electronic spy | Canada, NZ and Australia are the mem- | tobe gathered and the number of Austra- bases for at least another ten years. bers of this Anglo club) than by the | lians involved in the operations of the, This is the first time bases is being increased. in Australia that it's been It’s impossible to publicly confirmed that know what the extent of Pine Gap is an electronic Australian influence and intelligence gathering control over the opera- facility (a spy satellite tion of the bases is. Al- base). Nurrungar was though these bases were described as a ground claimed to be joint facili- station used for control- ties, Australians had no ling US Defence Support influence on and little Program satellites (for knowledge of their op- the details on the func- erations. The bases will tions of these bases see now operate, at least NEXUS#S,Des Ball and || ‘2tellite ground some of the time, to the Bases). | collects ~ J = Australia’s benefit in- The original ten year fatelll geniceiciaras stead of entirely for the agreement on Pine Gap benefit of the US. was signed in 1966 and In his statement Mr extended for another ten Hawke said that the ycars in 1973. Under these agreements | ANZUS treaty. Second is the stability of | peace movement should support the cither government could request termi- | the nuclear balance. Pine Gap in particu- | bases because of their role in verifying nation with one ycar’s notice. The agree- | lar has an important role in arms control | nuclear disarmament treaties and pre- ment on Nurrungar, signed in 1969, al- | negotiations and verification of arms | venting nuclear war (through lowed termination on a year’s notice limitation (SALT) and arms reduction Nurrungar’s early-warning role). But after 1978. (INF) treaties. both anti-nuclear Senators disagreed and As well as extending the agreements Mr. Beasley has now added a third | condemned the agrecments. Senator Jo under which these ‘joint facilities’ oper- | reason - that the bases are now essential | Valentine issued a statement saying that ate for ten years the new agreements | for Australia’s own intelligence gather- | the bases are unwanted and should go. require three years notice to end their | ing activities. Under Beasley as Minister | Senator Irina Dunn said that the bases operations. the level of skill and expertise of the | tied Australia to US foreign policy and The Prime Minister said that one | Defence science and technology sec- | called for the bases’ verification role to year’s notice wasn't satisfactory because | tions has been significantly upgraded. | be taken over by an international agency. of the “specific benefits to Australia of | This technical ability will allow Austra- long-term access to their capabilities”. | lia to take advantage of the bases for its | J jfe After ANZUS These “specific benefits” are the intelli- | Own purposes far more than has been gence information gained on Indonesian | possible in the past. and other Southwest and Southeast | To ensure that the bases are usedto | SENATOR DUNN may have Asian military activities. With the costof | benefit Australia (beyond preventing a | recently read a book by Keith Suter, /s continually upgrading the technologies | hypothetical nuclear war) new manage- | There Life After ANZUS. Keith Suter is used in the bases so high, the government | ment and staffing are part of the new | oncoftwenty recipients of the Australian claims that there are operational and | agreements. At Pine Gap the Deputy | Government’s Peace Awards and the financial reasons for ensuring that the | Chief, a newly created position, will be | Director of the Trinity Peace Research bases have long-term guarantees. an Australian and at Nurrungar an Aus- | Institute in Perth. His new book raises the Continued Next Page NEXUS New Times Eight - Autumn 1989 war