LACK CLUSTER EXCUSE

On the morning of October 1st, 2006, a group of activists broke into the Lakenheath air base. Having monitored Israeli jets on their way to Lebanon they became aware of the presence of cluster bombs - the recorded victims of which are 98% civilian - at the US military base in Suffolk.

Aware also that the MOD has no jurisdiction on US bases - in fact they’re not even allowed to enter without what’s known as a ‘Bloody Good Reason’ - they decided to cut their way through the fences and chain themselves to the gates of the Special Munitions Store to prevent the cluster bombs (or any other explosive) being loaded onto waiting F-15s destined for the Middle East.

They than rang the MOD to inform them that war crimes were taking place and encouraged them to pop over and take a look.

Two years on and they are now preparing to stand trial at Ipswich Crown Court having been prosecuted under SOCPA section 128, as well as for criminal damage.

SOCPA, the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act, first came into action in 2005 (see SchNEWS 483 and every t’other week since) and the ‘Lakenheath 8’ were among the first to be prosecuted under it.

While admitting to being pleasantly surprised at becoming officially designated ‘seriously organised’, spokeswoman and accused Mel Harrison was rather less enamoured with the label criminal. Section 128 refers to trespassing on certain sites designated by the Secretary of State – sometimes royally-owned Crown land or places chosen in the interests of ‘national security’.

The maximum sentence is a year in the nick and a £5000 fine.

Fortunately it doesn’t state whose national security it should be in the interest of – and many of the designated sites are US military bases. The official reason for this is to protect them from terrorist attack, however, as Harrison points out, terrorists generally willing to blow themselves to little pieces for the cause are unlikely to be deterred by the threat of a year in jail and a fine. Instead, in Harrison’s opinion, the real targets of the legislation appear to be peace activists.

Given the recent victories in court for protesters successfully using the 'Stopping War Crimes' defence, (see SchNEWS 589, 646 on how Kingsnorth climate campaigners and the B52 Two - who broke into RAF Fairford in March 2003 - won their cases), it will be interesting to see how the Lakenheath defendents fair when the trial begins on the first of December…

* See also www.lakenheathaction.org