A cartoon used in a presentation by a British government official showing a group of men in stereotypical Arab dress in a "terrorist school" has raised the anger of Muslim leaders, the Independent said Saturday.

The cartoon depicts a bearded Arab in traditional headdress and with explosives wrapped around his waist preparing to detonate the device.

Standing next to a sign reading "Human Bomb Class", he tells similarly dressed colleagues: "Pay attention, because I'm only going to do this once, ok?"

The cartoon was part of a slide presentation given in November by a senior official in the Home Office's terrorism and protection unit on the threat of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks, the paper said.

These reports claim that Moroccan officers subsequently appeared behind them penning the migrants in, and firing shots, thus catching them between two fires. Over a hundred were injured and taken to hospital, six with bullet wounds, and unofficial reports claim that up to six people may have died. It later surfaced from the autopsies of the two dead bodies from the Spanish side of the fence that they were shot, as they had bullet wounds, showing that live ammunition was fired. This is reportedly also the case for one of the migrants who died on the Moroccan side of the fence. A report by the Spanish police claims that the Moroccan gendarmerie used firearms and that the shots they fired were also responsible for the deaths on the Spanish side of the border. The Guardia Civil supports this view, claiming that the trajectory of the shots and the bullet that was found on Spanish soil (which is of a different kind from those with which the Guardia Civil is equipped) confirm this view. The Moroccan press agency MAP claimed that the shots that killed the migrants in Morocco came from the Spanish side. The two countries' prime ministers, Zapatero and Jettu, who were at a Moroccan-Spanish summit in Seville, announced that these events would be the object of a joint investigation.

The army has already been deployed to control the border for an "indefinite period", with two companies of 120 soldiers from the army bases in Ceuta and Melilla posted in each of the two towns' border fence areas. Melilla is the other Spanish enclave in northern Morocco, and has been the scene of a number of similar attempts to cross the border fence in large numbers using rustic ladders that are made for the occasion using branches over the last month, in which at least three migrants have died. The Guardia Civil was accused by eye-witnesses of responsibility in events resulting in the death of the first casualty, a man from Cameroon who died on 28 August on the Moroccan side of the fence in Melilla (which is set to be raised to six metres). An internal investigation by the Guardia Civil excluded that it had any responsibility in the death, but contrasting witness statements claimed that rubber bullets were fired at him at point-blank range, and that he was beaten on the Spanish side of the fence by officers. The Moroccan police, which is investigating the incident, denied these possibilities, claiming that the autopsy revealed that the likeliest cause of death was a fall. A number of witnesses claimed that two people had died rather than one, and that Guardia Civil officers had fired rubber bullets and struck migrants on the chest with the butts of their rifles. The second death took place on 8 September, when migrants brought an unconscious body to the border fence hours after the Guardia Civil had prevented a border crossing. The man was taken to hospital, where he died four days later. On 15 September, another migrant died in a hospital in Melilla after he was handed to officers shortly after a border crossing attempt (his companions claimed that he hadn't taken part in it) suffering from asphyxia and with wounds on his neck.

The Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de Andalucía (APDHA) issued a statement to highlight the alarming situation and human rights violations that migrants are suffering in Morocco, which is described as having been subcontracted to do the EU's "dirty work" in the prevention of immigration. Another statement issued jointly with Andalucía Acoge and Chabaka, a network of northern Moroccan human rights groups, highlights that cooperation between Spain and the EU and Morocco, currently largely concerned with preventing "illegal" immigration, far from giving rise to an improvement in the human rights situation in the north African country, (one of its envisaged beneficial effects, according to official EU documents) is resulting in an increase in human right abuses. The NGOs have called for a delegation of international observers to visit the Ceuta and Melilla border areas to investigate the human rights situation. These organisations have been reporting human rights violations in the border region for several months. Statewatch

In southern Morocco, more than 500 immigrants have been abandoned and left to fend for themselves after being expelled from Ceuta and Melilla

The public relations exercise

"GALILEO will offer everybody everywhere satellite positioning services with guaranteed reliability. Individuals, companies and administrations will all be able to benefit, whether on the roads, railways, in the skies or at sea: hikers will be able to find their way, and tourists will be able to find the museum or restaurant they are looking for, and taxi drivers will arrive at the right destination. However, this new global public service also has many professional applications."

IT WILL ALSO BE A CONSTELLATION OF SPY SATTELITES THAT CAN TRACK AND TRACE YOUR EVERY MOVE...ENABLING A SYSTEM OF COMPLETE GLOBAL SURVEILLANCE

A permanent reference in time and space.

More and more often, it will become necessary to ascertain one's precise position in space and time in a reliable manner. In a few years time this will be possible with the GALILEO satellite radio navigation system, an initiative launched by the European Union and the European Space Agency. This worldwide system will ensure complementarity with the current GPS system.

Satellite radio navigation is an advanced technology. It is based on the emission from satellites of signals indicating the time extremely precisely.

This enables any individual to determine his or her position or the location of any moving or stationary object (e.g. a vehicle, a ship, or a herd of cattle, etc.) to within one metre thanks to a small cheap individual receiver.

GALILEO is based on a constellation of 30 satellites and ground stations providing information concerning the positioning of users in many sectors such as transport (vehicle location, route searching, speed control, guidance systems, etc.), social services (e.g. aid for the disabled or elderly), the justice system and customs services (location of suspects, border controls), public works (geographical information systems), search and rescue systems, or leisure (direction-finding at sea or in the mountains, etc.). - europa.eu.int

EU to build network of spy satellites

By David Rennie in Brussels (Filed: 15/11/2005)

The European Union is building its own network of spy satellites allowing Brussels to ensure nations and private individuals are obeying its policies, it was announced yesterday.

The multi-billion-pound system, known as "Global Monitoring for Environment and Security" (GMES), should be up and running by 2010, a commission spokesman said. Announcing the launch of a "pilot stage" for GMES, the commission stressed its "user-friendly" application in guiding relief work after disasters or providing real time images of forest fires or oil spills.

But a commission memo also acknowledged that GMES would play a key role in the "implementation, review and monitoring of EU policies", including watching for agriculture and fisheries fraud and boosting "internal security".

In addition, officials hope GMES will support the EU's first steps towards becoming a military power. It will "provide authorities with necessary elements for a European Security and Defence Policy", the commission memo said.

The commission in Brussels will identify and develop possible uses for GMES. The management of the satellites will fall to the European Space Agency (ESA), which pools the space resources of 15 EU member states, including Britain, plus Norway and Switzerland.

US politicians are already suspicious of the ESA's "Galileo" project, a 30-satellite global navigation system designed to improve on the Pentagon-controlled GPS system. The EU's invitation to China to become a major investor only increased US concern.

Gregor Kreuzhuber, the commission's spokesman for industry policy, yesterday described GMES as "a little brother for Galileo, a sort of satellite system where you can better monitor what is happening on our planet".

GMES is intended to exploit existing assets belonging to individual EU nations. National governments would retain control over their satellites, Mr Kreuzhuber pledged.

Harmonising the use of national assets in space should mean Europe does not need to launch a full set of new satellites though some EU spacecraft are expected to be needed.

With the ESA, the commission has already spent £154 million on preparatory work, and expects the whole project to cost £1.54 billion between 2006 and 2013. Funding is to come from the commission, national governments and private defence and space firms. - telegraph.co.uk

European navigation satellite a challenge to US

By George Parker in Brussels and John Thornhill in Paris Published: December 28 2005

The European Union fired its first Galileo navigation satellite into space on Wednesday, in a direct challenge to the dominance of the US military's Global Positioning System. A Soyuz rocket launched from Kazakhstan carried into orbit the first of 30 Galileo satellites, marking the deployment phase of Europe's most ambitious space project. The launch of the highly accurate system was hailed in Brussels and Paris as an emblem of European co-operation, but its development is viewed with concern in Washington.

Although Galileo is intended for civilian use, the US fears it could also play a military role. Concerns were heightened when China became a partner in its development. The €3.6bn ($4.3bn, £2.5bn) satellite system, due to go into service in 2008, will be able to pinpoint an object to within one metre, while GPS is precise to within five metres.

Jacques Barrot, the EU transport commissioner, said Galileo would be used in car navigation systems, air traffic control, tracking dangerous cargoes and for many other purposes. "The launch today is the proof that Europe can deliver ambitious projects to the benefit of its citizens and companies," he said.

EU officials say the project could create 140,000 jobs in Europe and tap into a world market for navigational services worth as much as €300bn by 2020.

After a dispiriting year for the European Union, marked by political divisions and the rejection in France and the Netherlands of a draft constitution, Galileo is seen in Brussels as a symbol of a brighter future. The project was proposed by the European Commission and receives EU funding, but it is now being taken forward by some of Europe's biggest aerospace companies. European Union leaders argue the world should not be dependent on one satellite navigation service, which could be switched off by the US military in a crisis.

The European challenge to US dominance in space has been welcomed ecstatically in France, where the launch of the 600kg British-built Giove-A satellite made front- page news. "Political Europe may have stalled, but technological Europe advances," Le Figaro newspaper said.

Jacques Chirac, France's president, expressed his "very great satisfaction" at the successful satellite launch. "Space is an essential component of the great European project," he said.

Philippe Douste-Blazy, foreign minister, added: "It is at the same time independence for our country, independence for the European Union, and a scientific success superior to that of the Americans," he said.

Although Galileo is a civil project, French analysts said it could be used for sending military signals, lessening army dependence on GPS. However, the UK has long opposed any military applications for Galileo and any change in its status would have to be approved by all 25 EU members. GPS is offered free and will soon be upgraded, but the EU has succeeded in signing up China, India and Israel among its partners in developing Galileo. - ft.com

Russia launches US communications satellite

MOSCOW (AFP) Dec 29, 2005 - A Russian Proton-M rocket blasted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan early Thursday to launch into orbit a US communications satellite AMC-23, space officials said.

The AMC-23/Worldsat-3 satellite is to provide communications, Internet access and digital broadcasting for the US Pacific coast, as well as ensure telecommunications for clients in the entire Pacific region, officials quoted by the Interfax news agency said. - space daily

Both Paradigm companies are wholly owned by EADS, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company - the leading aerospace company in Europe and number 2 in the world.

EADS' breadth of experience covers all aspects of civil and military aviation, including names like Airbus and Eurofighter in its portfolio. However, most pertinent to Paradigm, is EADS' delivery of comprehensive network enabled capability solutions to military customers worldwide – together, EADS and Paradigm can meet all modern warfare requirements.

The EADS SPACE division, to which the Paradigm companies belong, is a global space industry leader, with world-class expertise and extensive prime contractor experience across all sectors of the space business – a variety of launch capabilities; satellites, payloads and equipment for a vast range of civil and military applications; space vehicle equipment; and a wide portfolio of space-based services.

EADS SPACE Services is the entity which has been specifically created to address the emerging space services market in the fields of navigation and telecommunication. It complements the manufacturing branches of EADS SPACE; EADS Astrium and EADS Space Transportation.

EADS is one of the largest space systems manufacturing companies in the world and the leading European supplier of satellites, orbital infrastructures and launchers. EADS SPACE is unique in Europe and one of the few companies in the world to offer such a wide range of space business activities. In 2003, EADS SPACE turnover amounted to €2.4 billion.

A multinational group, EADS SPACE employs over 12,000 people in France, Germany, Spain and the UK. - eads.net

UK Built MilCom Satellite To Go Into Orbit

The Armed Forces will be able to rely on a third British built communications satellite as part of the SKYNET 5 PFI contract, Defence Procurement Minister Lord Drayson announced today.

The change will see the placing of three high-tech satellites in orbit instead of the original two, with the additional satellite providing 'back-up' for the system.

The contract period for the Skynet 5 programme, which will deliver the next generation of military satellite communications to our forces across the globe, will be extended from 2018 to at least 2020 providing better value for money. The revamped contract will ensure around 300 high tech jobs in the UK are safeguarded with costs for the extended capability essentially being met by savings from insurance costs and deferring the introduction of any subsequent systems.

Lord Drayson said: "The original deal with Paradigm Secure Communications included money for 'space insurance' to protect against technical problems in the launch phase or outer space, but because of current trends in the space insurance market and its unpredictability over long periods of time, we have decided that agreeing to the company providing a third satellite as a spare provides for better value for money.

"The new deal is an excellent example of the innovative approach the Defence Industrial Strategy aims to encourage in an already successful programme. We are providing our Armed Forces with an even better long term communication service deal than the excellent one that is already available.

"The new deal has been built on effective partnering and demonstrates how well the MoD and industry can work together over time under the Private Finance Initiative to deliver the best services for the Armed Forces, whilst at the same time increasing value for money for the tax payer."

One of the three satellites will assume the role of an in-orbit spare providing a better risk balance approach. In case one of the three satellites is lost during the launch phase, which completes at the end of 2008, the new deal also allows for the part build of a fourth satellite in reserve. If a loss occurs the fourth satellite will automatically be built and launched to ensure continuation of the three satellite approach.

The programme achieved its In Service Date a month ahead of schedule in February 2005. - spacewar.com

NATO Communications Program Merges 3 National Systems

By PETER B. de SELDING, PARIS - May 19, 2004

NATO's decision to select a joint three-nation European bid for its next-generation satellite communications services will nudge European governments one step further towards an integration of their military satellite assets, according to European government and industry officials.

The three winning bidders will begin that process by establishing a single NATO Mission Access Center, which will be the point of contact for routing NATO satellite communications needs to one or more of the three satellite systems to be deployed.

The May 5 decision by the NATO C3 Agency awards the joint British-French-Italian consortium a 15-year contract valued at 457 million euros ($549 million) to provide services now delivered by NATO's two aging NATO 4 satellites for super- and ultra-high frequency communications.

The winning consortium offered a system that by 2007 should include two new British Skynet 5 satellites, owned and operated by Paradigm Secure Communications for the British Defence Ministry and now NATO; two French Syracuse 3 satellites, to be owned by the French Defense Ministry; and two Italian Sicral satellites, to be owned by the Italian Defense Ministry.

NATO is expected to receive final bids by late 2004 for its extremely-high frequency satellite contract, valued at 191 million euros. A selection is expected in 2005. While the French government is bidding, French officials say it is all but certain that the U.S. government's offer, to include the Advanced EHF satellites under construction at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, is a shoo-in given the U.S. lead in EHF satellite technology.

The U.S offer for the SHF and UHF services included the Wideband Gapfiller system under construction at Boeing Satellite Systems. In part because of specific anti-jamming and radiation-hardening features insisted on by NATO - which would have required additional investment in the Wideband Gapfiller satellites - the U.S. bid was more expensive than the European proposal.

Once negotiations with NATO are completed, the winning European partners are expected to take steps to assure interoperability between their systems and a clean NATO interface through a single mission access center and a joint program office.

The NATO selection buttresses the business plan of Paradigm Secure Communications, a subsidiary of EADS Space that in 2003 won a 15-year satellite services contract with the British Defence Ministry. Valued at 2.5 billion British pounds ($4.4 billion), the contract was signed with the understanding that Paradigm seek other users, including NATO, to solidify its business case.

Paul Millington, Paradigm's business development manager, said May 7 that the company already has received expressions of interest from other NATO nations. "The NATO contract is for services to be conducted only as part of NATO missions, and other governments that don't have their own satellite capacity are interested," he said.

Caroline Laurent, manager of the Syracuse 3 program at the French arms procurement agency, DGA, said May 7 that the NATO win will make it more likely that a third Syracuse 3 satellite - two are already on order - will be ordered from Alcatel Space.

But Laurent also said a Syracuse 3C spacecraft may be ordered as part of a privately financed arrangement in which France would purchase only capacity. "We are evaluating our options to see whether going the British route for a Syracuse 3C is preferable," Laurent said. "It is in any event not a decision we need to make immediately."

Four Syracuse 2 payloads are now in orbit on the Telecom 2 hybrid commercial-military satellites. One of those, Telecom 2D, is to be taken out of service in June. Three others are expected to operate until 2007. Syracuse 3A is scheduled for launch in early 2005; Syracuse 3B follows in 2006. Both are under construction at Alcatel Space of Paris.

Italy's Sicral 1 satellite, in orbit since 2001, will be joined by Sicral 1B by 2006. The Sicral satellites, both built by Alenia Spazio of Rome, will supply the UHF communications, with the Skynet 5 and Syracuse 3 satellites taking prime responsibility for SHF.

Officials said the French, British and Italian teams would divide the NATO contract evenly. Alenia Spazio, Alcatel Space and Paradigm will share responsibility for operating the NATO Mission Access Center. These companies or their corporate affiliates also will be bidding on a NATO contract later this year for a series of modems that will permit communications with all three systems. - Isr journal

The Changing face of NATO

EUROGENDFOR, the European Gendarmerie force

In order to meet the needs aroused by the evolution of the international context in terms of crisis handling, the French Minister of Defence, Mrs Alliot-Marie, suggested that Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and France, which all have Gendarmerie forces, work together to create a European Gendarmerie force (EGF) able to carry out police missions on theatres of operation, under military command or civilian authority.

The creation of this force was approved by the statement of intent signed by the Ministers of Defence in Noordwijk (Netherlands) on September 17, 2004.

The French Gendarmerie general Gérard Deanaz was appointed first commander of EUROGENDFOR at the close of the meeting of the EGF's political-military committee on January 21st, 2005.

An initial table training took place in April 2005 in Vicenza (Italy), in order to introduce the staff to its functions. Its upgrading occurred during a tactical exercise without troops organized from June 15th to 17th, 2005 at the Saint-Astier national gendarmerie forces training centre (CNEFG).

A solution inspired by Euroforce, EUROGENDFOR implements a permanent dedicated, pre-positioned staff, and rotating capabilities among the different countries. It conducts a specific training and is destined to be quickly deployable.

EUROGENDFOR is divided into four units: A multinational staff, necessary for upstream planning, deployment and command of the European gendarmerie force. An operational task force, comprising squadrons from the Gendarmerie mobile or equivalent units, focused on missions of general public safety and maintaining public order. A company of specialized personnel in the fields of detective police, fight against organized crime, searching and working on intelligence, protection of important people or witnesses, population movement control, anti-terrorist struggle and specialized intervention, is to work alongside with Gendarmerie mobile squadrons. A logistical company to ensure the support of the force. The EGF may intervene at several stages of the crisis: military stage: the EGF is committed in the wake of the military force, and carries out missions of general public safety and detective police. transition stage - crises of medium-range intensity: the EGF continues its mission and facilitates the coordination and cooperation with police units. stabilized theatre: the EGF, under an international civilian authority, facilitates the transition to cooperation action, or may be withdrawn. engagement of the EGF as a preventive measure: should no military force be previously deployed, the EGF would be used in very specific cases.

The EGF has an initial reaction capability of about 800 men within 30 days. It must be able to cover all aspects of a crisis handling operation, especially on a substitution mission. It is first and foremost put at the disposal of the European Union, then at the disposal of international organizations (UNO, NATO, OSCE), or ad hoc coalitions. It is meant as an integrated police tool, comprising police duties as a whole, and gathering all relating missions, such as maintaining public order, public safety, detective police, and intelligence research and work.

As a transition tool for crisis handling, the EGF will be fit to carry out all its missions, under military command, in the wake of a power device in a high intensity conflict, or under civilian authority for the establishment of a democratic regime. - defense.gouv.fr

European Gendarmerie Force (EGF)
to be launched in Italy on 19 January

- and EU discussing the creation of cross-border law enforcement "Special Task Forces"

On 19 January 2005 the EU Gendarmerie Force (EGF) involving para-military police forces from Italy, Spain, France, Holland and Portugal will be launched in Vicenza (Veneto), Italy. Vicenza is the seat of Camp Ederle - the third largest US base in Italy.

The proposal was put forward at an informal meeting of Ministers of Defence in Rome on 3-4 October 2003 by the then French Minister of Defence, Michelle Alliot-Marie. The "Declaration of Intent" between the five states was signed "in the margins" (ie: outside of the formal proceedings) at another informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Noordwijk, Netherlands on 17 September 2004. In a speech to this meeting Mr Solana, the EU's High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, said he welcomed the establishment of the European Gendarmerie Force "covering activities such as security and public order missions".

The EGF involves the French Gendarmerie, the Italian Carabinieri, the Portuguese Guardia Nacional Republicana, the Dutch Royal Marechausee and the Spanish Civil Guard.

The idea of creating an para-military police force in the EU capable of acting within and outside has been part of the planning for its military role. It was the EU Council at Santa Maria da Feira on 19-20 June 2000, when considering the creation of the mechanisms for "non-military crises management", which agreed that EU states would "cooperate voluntarily":

"to provide up to 5,000 police officers for international missions across the range of conflict prevention and crisis management operations. Member States have also undertaken to be able to identify and deploy up to 1,000 police officers within 30 days." See: Global policing role for EU

However, a follow-up report (13831/01, 12 November 2001) showed only five member states (France, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Finland) were prepared to make commitments.

Perhaps more relevant was a meeting in Paris of officers from paramilitary units in France (F), Italy (I), Spain (E) and Portugal (P) on 25-26 January 2000. The F.I.E.P. meeting agreed on the need for a "European security and investigation force" (FESI). The model for FESI units would be the "Multinational Special Units" (MSU) developed by NATO and implemented by the Arma dei Carabinieri. The units would have a capability for: "intelligence, general surveillance, judicial police and maintaining order". In what are called "peace support operations" the units could carry out "preventive and repressive" actions" because:

"Paramilitary police forces offer, above all else, the capability for the restoration of public order where the absence of any state legitimacy reigns. They have the required expertise and capability to engage in deteriorated situations as a component of armed forces."

An article by a Spanish officer (Enrique Esquivel Lalinde, Lieutenant Commander, May 2005, Link to article ) gives more detail on the intended role of the EGF as the "Declaration of Intent" has not been published.

The key elements are that the EGF can operate inside and outside the EU. Its HQ in Vicenza will have a staff of 30 with around 800 "troops" available within 30 days. The para-military force will work under a High Level Inter-Ministry Committee (HLIMC) drawn from Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Defence. This will provide "political and military coordination" - including the appointment of the Commander and agreeing Guidelines.

Under the heading of "Security and public order" the roles of the EGF include: public surveillance, border control, general intelligence, criminal investigation, and the "maintenance of public order in the event of disturbances".

Schengen: EU discussing creation of cross-border "Special Task Forces"

Another initiative, this time at the EU level, is being discussed in the Police Cooperation Working Party. It is being proposed that the "competent authorities" of one state can request the "competent authorities" of another to send its national "Special Task Force" to enter and act in support of the "Special Task Force" of requesting member state in "crisis situations". The European Commission is to compile a list of the "competent authorities".

The "Special Task Forces" are defined as "any law enforcement agency" (which can differ from state to state). A "crisis situation" includes, but is not limited to, "hostage-taking, hijacking and comparable incidents" where there is:

"a serious direct threat to persons or institutions"

The UK Presidency Note sets out the liabilities for "collateral damage" (in Annex B) based on the First Protocol of the Geneva Convention (1977) though it notes that this Protocol does not use the term "collateral damage".

- statewatch

- Police cooperation arrangements
concerning assistance between
police authorities in crisis situations
(doc no: 13937/1/05, pdf)

Michele Alliot-Marie went to Vicenza (Italy) on 23 January 2006 to attend the official implementation of the European Gendarmerie Force staff. Launched at the initiative of France, the force was set up by five European countries (France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain), and has an initial reaction capability of 800 gendarmes. It must assume all police missions in a crisis handling operation (enforcing law and order, public security, judicial police). EGF can intervene within a 30-day notice, and will first and foremost be set at the EU's disposal.

The implementation of the EGF was made official at the EU Defence Ministers' meeting in Noordwijk (Netherlands) on 17 September 2004. It is set under the French Gendarmerie general Gérard Deanaz, appointed on 21 January 2005.

Besides, within the framework of the build-up of the EGF, a first exercise took place in June 2005 at the Saint-Astier Gendarmerie training centre (Dordogne, France).

The forthcoming exercise destined to validate the EGF's operational capacity will be conducted by the EGF staff in April 2006.

- more pics and galleries

Speech by Michele Alliot-Marie Vicenza

- 23 January 2006

"It is a great pleasure for me to be here today, in Vicenza, for an event which, I am sure of it, is a major step in the European defence building process. The spectacular progress of the European security and defence policy over the recent years shows that the security of Europe is more than ever a responsibility of the Europeans.

More than ever, the European Union is called to play a major part in solving international crises.

In order to take on this role, Europe must have the adapted and reactive tools that enable it to intervene at any stage in the development of a crisis. As it seemed essential to me to provide the Europeans with this capability, I suggested the creation of the European Gendarmerie Force to my counterparts. Based on my experience in the foreign theatres of operation, where French troops are deployed, I could indeed see that Gendarmerie is a particularly qualified force in these provisional situations between war and peace.

We have made significant progress since the declaration of intention was signed in September 2004 in the Netherlands. Today, the Headquarters has a one-year common experience, and is able to draw lessons from a first exercise. [continued below]

"I want to congratulate the Headquarters for the significant work achieved since it was set up, less than one year ago. The quality of the people involved in this adventure, their determination, make me particularly confident in EGF's ability to take up the challenges of the oncoming months.

The first and most significant oncoming challenge is the operational use of EGF. I wish EGF be engaged as early as in this year. We have to think together about the possible future commitments.

France will provide the necessary support to make this commitment easier. EGF's first deployment must be a success. Moreover, it will have to be visible, in order to reinforce the credibility of the European defence vis-à-vis our partners, and to enable our fellow citizens to join in more with our action.

Indeed, I am absolutely convinced that the future of Europe relies on setting up concrete and visible projects, like the one that is bringing us here today.

This is how we will restore the Europeans' appetite for Europe.

This is also how they will take over tomorrow's Europe building process: a Europe that listens to their needs and expectations, a Europe that is ready to defend their interests and values in the world." - defense.gouv.fr

Former Soviet Dissident Warns For EU Dictatorship

From the desk of Paul Belien on Mon, 2006-02-27 21:13

Vladimir Bukovksy, the 63-year old former Soviet dissident, fears that the European Union is on its way to becoming another Soviet Union. In a speech he delivered in Brussels last week Mr Bukovsky called the EU a “monster” that must be destroyed, the sooner the better, before it develops into a fullfledged totalitarian state.

Mr Bukovsky paid a visit to the European Parliament on Thursday at the invitation of Fidesz, the Hungarian Civic Forum. Fidesz, a member of the European Christian Democrat group, had invited the former Soviet dissident over from England, where he lives, on the occasion of this year's 50th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Uprising. After his morning meeting with the Hungarians, Mr Bukovsky gave an afternoon speech in a Polish restaurant in the Trier straat, opposite the European Parliament, where he spoke at the invitation of the United Kingdom Independence Party, of which he is a patron.

In his speech Mr Bukovsky referred to confidential documents from secret Soviet files which he was allowed to read in 1992. These documents confirm the existence of a “conspiracy” to turn the European Union into a socialist organization. I attended the meeting and taped the speech. A transcript, as well as the audio fragment (approx. 15 minutes) can be found below. I also had a brief interview with Mr Bukovsky (4 minutes), a transcript and audio fragment of which can also be found below. The interview about the European Union had to be cut short because Mr Bukovsky had other engagements, but it brought back some memories to me, as I had interviewed Vladimir Bukovsky twenty years ago, in 1986, when the Soviet Union, the first monster that he so valiantly fought, was still alive and thriving.

Mr Bukovsky was one of the heroes of the 20th century. As a young man he exposed the use of psychiatric imprisonment against political prisoners in the former USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, 1917-1991) and spent a total of twelve years (1964-1976), from his 22nd to his 34th year, in Soviet jails, labour camps and psychiatric institutions. In 1976 the Soviets expelled him to the West. In 1992 he was invited by the Russian government to serve as an expert testifying at the trial conducted to determine whether the Soviet Communist Party had been a criminal institution. To prepare for his testimony Mr Bukovsky was granted access to a large number of documents from Soviet secret archives. He is one of the few people ever to have seen these documents because they are still classified. Using a small handheld scanner and a laptop computer, however, he managed to copy many documents (some with high security clearance), including KGB reports to the Soviet government.

Paul Belien: You were a very famous Soviet dissident and now you are drawing a parallel between the European Union and the Soviet Union. Can you explain this?

Vladimir Bukovsky: I am referrring to structures, to certain ideologies being instilled, to the plans, the direction, the inevitable expansion, the obliteration of nations, which was the purpose of the Soviet Union. Most people do not understand this. They do not know it, but we do because we were raised in the Soviet Union where we had to study the Soviet ideology in school and at university. The ultimate purpose of the Soviet Union was to create a new historic entity, the Soviet people, all around the globe. The same is true in the EU today. They are trying to create a new people. They call this people “Europeans”, whatever that means.

According to Communist doctrine as well as to many forms of Socialist thinking, the state, the national state, is supposed to wither away. In Russia, however, the opposite happened. Instead of withering away the Soviet state became a very powerful state, but the nationalities were obliterated. But when the time of the Soviet collapse came these suppressed feelings of national identity came bouncing back and they nearly destroyed the country. It was so frightening.

PB: Do you think the same thing can happen when the European Union collapses?

VB: Absolutely, you can press a spring only that much, and the human psyche is very resilient you know. You can press it, you can press it, but don't forget it is still accumulating a power to rebound. It is like a spring and it always goes to overshoot.

PB: But all these countries that joined the European Union did so voluntarily.

VB: No, they did not. Look at Denmark which voted against the Maastricht treaty twice. Look at Ireland [which voted against the Nice treaty]. Look at many other countries, they are under enormous pressure. It is almost blackmail. Switzerland was forced to vote five times in a referendum. All five times they have rejected it, but who knows what will happen the sixth time, the seventh time. It is always the same thing. It is a trick for idiots. The people have to vote in referendums until the people vote the way that is wanted. Then they have to stop voting. Why stop? Let us continue voting. The European Union is what Americans would call a shotgun marriage.

PB: What do you think young people should do about the European Union? What should they insist on, to democratize the institution or just abolish it?

VB: I think that the European Union, like the Soviet Union, cannot be democratized. Gorbachev tried to democratize it and it blew up. This kind of structures cannot be democratized.

PB: But we have a European Parliament which is chosen by the people.

VB: The European Parliament is elected on the basis of proportional representation, which is not true representation. And what does it vote on? The percentage of fat in yoghurt, that kind of thing. It is ridiculous. It is given the task of the Supreme Soviet. The average MP can speak for six minutes per year in the Chamber. That is not a real parliament.

Transcript of Mr Bukovsky's Brussels speech

In 1992 I had unprecedented access to Politburo and Central Committee secret documents which have been classified, and still are even now, for 30 years. These documents show very clearly that the whole idea of turning the European common market into a federal state was agreed between the left-wing parties of Europe and Moscow as a joint project which [Soviet leader Mikhail] Gorbachev in 1988-89 called our “common European home.”

The idea was very simple. It first came up in 1985-86, when the Italian Communists visited Gorbachev, followed by the German Social-Democrats. They all complained that the changes in the world, particularly after [British Prime Minister Margaret] Thatcher introduced privatisation and economic liberalisation, were threatening to wipe out the achievement (as they called it) of generations of Socialists and Social-Democrats – threatening to reverse it completely. Therefore the only way to withstand this onslaught of wild capitalism (as they called it) was to try to introduce the same socialist goals in all countries at once. Prior to that, the left-wing parties and the Soviet Union had opposed European integration very much because they perceived it as a means to block their socialist goals. From 1985 onwards they completely changed their view. The Soviets came to a conclusion and to an agreement with the left-wing parties that if they worked together they could hijack the whole European project and turn it upside down. Instead of an open market they would turn it into a federal state.

According to the [secret Soviet] documents, 1985-86 is the turning point. I have published most of these documents. You might even find them on the internet. But the conversations they had are really eye opening. For the first time you understand that there is a conspiracy – quite understandable for them, as they were trying to save their political hides. In the East the Soviets needed a change of relations with Europe because they were entering a protracted and very deep structural crisis; in the West the left-wing parties were afraid of being wiped out and losing their influence and prestige. So it was a conspiracy, quite openly made by them, agreed upon, and worked out.

In January of 1989, for example, a delegation of the Trilateral Commission came to see Gorbachev. It included [former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro] Nakasone, [former French President Valéry] Giscard d'Estaing, [American banker David] Rockefeller and [former US Secretary of State Henry] Kissinger. They had a very nice conversation where they tried to explain to Gorbachev that Soviet Russia had to integrate into the financial institutions of the world, such as Gatt, the IMF and the World Bank.

In the middle of it Giscard d'Estaing suddenly takes the floor and says: “Mr President, I cannot tell you exactly when it will happen – probably within 15 years – but Europe is going to be a federal state and you have to prepare yourself for that. You have to work out with us, and the European leaders, how you would react to that, how would you allow the other Easteuropean countries to interact with it or how to become a part of it, you have to be prepared.”

This was January 1989, at a time when the [1992] Maastricht treaty had not even been drafted. How the hell did Giscard d'Estaing know what was going to happen in 15 years time? And surprise, surprise, how did he become the author of the European constitution [in 2002-03]? A very good question. It does smell of conspiracy, doesn't it?

Luckily for us the Soviet part of this conspiracy collapsed earlier and it did not reach the point where Moscow could influence the course of events. But the original idea was to have what they called a convergency, whereby the Soviet Union would mellow somewhat and become more social-democratic, while Western Europe would become social-democratic and socialist. Then there will be convergency. The structures have to fit each other. This is why the structures of the European Union were initially built with the purpose of fitting into the Soviet structure. This is why they are so similar in functioning and in structure.

It is no accident that the European Parliament, for example, reminds me of the Supreme Soviet. It looks like the Supreme Soviet because it was designed like it. Similary, when you look at the European Commission it looks like the Politburo. I mean it does so exactly, except for the fact that the Commission now has 25 members and the Politburo usually had 13 or 15 members. Apart from that they are exactly the same, unaccountable to anyone, not directly elected by anyone at all. When you look into all this bizarre activity of the European Union with its 80,000 pages of regulations it looks like Gosplan. We used to have an organisation which was planning everything in the economy, to the last nut and bolt, five years in advance. Exactly the same thing is happening in the EU. When you look at the type of EU corruption, it is exactly the Soviet type of corruption, going from top to bottom rather than going from bottom to top.

If you go through all the structures and features of this emerging European monster you will notice that it more and more resembles the Soviet Union. Of course, it is a milder version of the Soviet Union. Please, do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that it has a Gulag. It has no KGB – not yet – but I am very carefully watching such structures as Europol for example. That really worries me a lot because this organisation will probably have powers bigger than those of the KGB. They will have diplomatic immunity. Can you imagine a KGB with diplomatic immunity? They will have to police us on 32 kinds of crimes – two of which are particularly worrying, one is called racism, another is called xenophobia. No criminal court on earth defines anything like this as a crime [this is not entirely true, as Belgium already does so – pb]. So it is a new crime, and we have already been warned. Someone from the British government told us that those who object to uncontrolled immigration from the Third World will be regarded as racist and those who oppose further European integration will be regarded as xenophobes. I think Patricia Hewitt said this publicly.

Hence, we have now been warned. Meanwhile they are introducing more and more ideology. The Soviet Union used to be a state run by ideology. Today's ideology of the European Union is social-democratic, statist, and a big part of it is also political correctness. I watch very carefully how political correctness spreads and becomes an oppressive ideology, not to mention the fact that they forbid smoking almost everywhere now. Look at this persecution of people like the Swedish pastor who was persecuted for several months because he said that the Bible does not approve homosexuality. France passed the same law of hate speech concerning gays. Britain is passing hate speech laws concerning race relations and now religious speech, and so on and so forth. What you observe, taken into perspective, is a systematic introduction of ideology which could later be enforced with oppressive measures. Apparently that is the whole purpose of Europol. Otherwise why do we need it? To me Europol looks very suspicious. I watch very carefully who is persecuted for what and what is happening, because that is one field in which I am an expert. I know how Gulags spring up.

It looks like we are living in a period of rapid, systematic and very consistent dismantlement of democracy. Look at this Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill. It makes ministers into legislators who can introduce new laws without bothering to tell Parliament or anyone. My immediate reaction is why do we need it? Britain survived two world wars, the war with Napoleon, the Spanish Armada, not to mention the Cold War, when we were told at any moment we might have a nuclear world war, without any need for introducing this kind legislation, without the need for suspending our civil liberaties and introducing emergency powers. Why do we need it right now? This can make a dictatorship out of your country in no time.

Today's situation is really grim. Major political parties have been completely taken in by the new EU project. None of them really opposes it. They have become very corrupt. Who is going to defend our freedoms? It looks like we are heading towards some kind of collapse, some kind of crisis. The most likely outcome is that there will be an economic collapse in Europe, which in due time is bound to happen with this growth of expenses and taxes. The inability to create a competitive environment, the overregulation of the economy, the bureaucratisation, it is going to lead to economic collapse. Particularly the introduction of the euro was a crazy idea. Currency is not supposed to be political.

I have no doubt about it. There will be a collapse of the European Union pretty much like the Soviet Union collapsed. But do not forget that when these things collapse they leave such devastation that it takes a generation to recover. Just think what will happen if it comes to an economic crisis. The recrimination between nations will be huge. It might come to blows. Look to the huge number of immigrants from Third World countries now living in Europe. This was promoted by the European Union. What will happen with them if there is an economic collapse? We will probably have, like in the Soviet Union at the end, so much ethnic strife that the mind boggles. In no other country were there such ethnic tensions as in the Soviet Union, except probably in Yugoslavia. So that is exactly what will happen here, too. We have to be prepared for that. This huge edifice of bureaucracy is going to collapse on our heads.

This is why, and I am very frank about it, the sooner we finish with the EU the better. The sooner it collapses the less damage it will have done to us and to other countries. But we have to be quick because the Eurocrats are moving very fast. It will be difficult to defeat them. Today it is still simple. If one million people march on Brussels today these guys will run away to the Bahamas. If tomorrow half of the British population refuses to pay its taxes, nothing will happen and no-one will go to jail. Today you can still do that. But I do not know what the situation will be tomorrow with a fully fledged Europol staffed by former Stasi or Securitate officers. Anything may happen.

We are losing time. We have to defeat them. We have to sit and think, work out a strategy in the shortest possible way to achieve maximum effect. Otherwise it will be too late. So what should I say? My conclusion is not optimistic. So far, despite the fact that we do have some anti-EU forces in almost every country, it is not enough. We are losing and we are wasting time. - brussels Journal