大象传媒

This is relevant to Wales.
Why is the Welsh Government Supporting Cluster Bomb Manufacturers?
Monday 5th November is the Global Day of Action Against Cluster Bombs, which will demonstrate global public concern about the problems of cluster bombs and their impact on civilians. Campaigners, led by the Cluster Munition Coalition, will call on governments to join the international effort towards a treaty to ban them.
Although the UK pledged its support of the ban, it has since stated that it intends to maintain a certain type of cluster bomb, even though this very type has been proven in Lebanon to be indiscriminately lethal. In 2005, a European Parliament resolution was introduced to ban investments in companies, such as Raytheon, that produce cluster munitions. In response to this, Norway and Belgium have already endorsed this call. Liverpool City Council has also recently adopted a similar position.
Yet the Welsh government has ignored all of these concerns, and instead launched a high profile development project with Raytheon. Raytheon is a central member of the Metrix Consortium that was awarded the St Athan Defence Training Academy contract in January 2007. According to Metrix CEO, Raytheon is 鈥渁t the core of the training system redesign鈥� the Consortium proposed to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The St Athan Defence Academy has been supported by all of the main political parties in Wales and sold to the public on the basis of alleged benefits to the economy. The involvement in the project of the world鈥檚 largest arms companies has so far not received any attention.
Anne Greagsby, coordinator of the campaign to stop the St Athan Academy being built said,
鈥淕iven the evident public concern over cluster bombs and the arms trade more generally, I am sure that most people would be shocked to hear that the Assembly has laid a welcome mat for such companies, especially at a time when other governments are turning their backs on them.鈥�
Rhodri Morgan and Peter Hain both recently rushed to reassure the public that the Academy would still go ahead, despite a major setback about phase two of the development.
Jill Gough of CND Cymru said,
How far do we have to go before politicians of Wales鈥� four main parties realise that the whole project is a terrible mistake and is not going anywhere? It does nothing to deliver the Wales that people in this country want: a Wales that honestly addresses global warming and other environmental problems, champions human rights, teaches our children that violence solves nothing, does not invest in the arms trade, encourages valuable, long term employment and delivers decent public services.鈥�
Cynefin y Werin (Common Ground)