Nexus - 0227 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

sile early-warning and nuclear-test detection. It also involves pho- tographic and electronic intelligence. For further explanation, see Ball (1980, pp. 65-82). near Exmouth Bay, Western Australia, was and still is used to transmit very powerful undersea electric currents to US sub- marines which trail long antennae behind them. It is also known that electricity transmitted in this way can be ‘strong’ enough to recharge on-board high-voltage batteries known as plasma-dynam- ic storage cells (Deyo, 1992, p. 24). * On 25th October 1973, two US Navy personnel observed a UFO hovering near the restricted Naval Communication Station at North West Cape which is used by the NSA. "The object was due west of Area B, the location of the High Frequency Transmitter...it was completely stationary except for a halo around the centre, which appeared to be either revolving or pulsating... It suddenly took off at a tremendous speed and disappeared..." (Good, 1987, p. 170). DEFENCE DEATHS LINKED TO UKUSA PROJECTS Between 1982 and 1988, 22 British defence scientists died in mysterious circumstances. Most of the scientists were employees of General Electric or its subsidiary, Marconi. Some were under- taking contract work for the Defence Ministry. Marconi specialis- es in simulation techniques both in space and underwater— processes fundamental to the Strategic Defense Initiative. Industry sources believe that many of the scientists’ work involved computer software programmes designed to guide or intercept pro- jectiles, both undersea and airborne. All 22 deaths have been the result of bizarre accidents or sui- cides. Inquests into the ‘suicides’ have recorded open verdicts, with authorities unable to explain the deaths. 7 Some of the more gruesome deaths are: ¢ Ashhad Shariff, 26, a computer expert with Marconi Defence Systems, died in a car near Bristol. Shariff killed himself by pressing the car's accelerator while a rope was tied around his neck and attached to a tree. * David Sands, 37, computer expert at British defence contractor Marconi Company Ltd, killed himself by driving a car laden with gasoline cans into an abandoned building in Surrey. ¢ Vimal Dajibhai, 24, a programmer with Marconi Underwater Systems, died after apparently jumping from a bridge in Bristol. The British Opposition has tied the scientists' deaths to research for the Strategic Defense Initiative, claiming that some were work- ing on aspects of underwater vibration implications which have extensive implications for SDI, while others were involved in SDI-related research on computer-controlled radar. Signatories to the UKUSA Agreement have a longstanding CASINO In November 1969, construction began on the Nurrungar facili- ty, code-named Casino. The location, known as the "Woomera Prohibited Area”, is a small valley in South Australia and was formerly used for joint British and Australian weapons testing. Like Pine Gap, Nurrungar was equipped by Scalor Electronics and has a direct communications link with the Department of Defence in Canberra. Nurrungar is also reported to have direct radio and submarine cable links with the US (Ball, 1980, p. 65). IBM, TRW, Philco-Ford and Aerojet are heavily involved as con- tractors to Nurrungar. Known as a "Joint Defence Space Communications Station", Nurrungar station is inherently involved, to some extent at least, in the SDI programme (Ball, 1992, p. 79). Its role in SDI occurs through the Defense Support Program (Code 647). The DSP is a series of multi-purpose or integrated satellites placed at geostationary altitude and concerned with mis- 14 * NEXUS AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1995