HEADING TO STRATCOM

They used to call it the Strategic Air Command (SAC). They were in charge of the nuclear bombers and nuclear missiles. Then the Pentagon changed the name to the Strategic Command - StratCom.

StratCom is headquartered at Offutt AFB in Omaha, Nebraska. Their mission now includes being in charge of "full-spectrum global strike" (staging offensive, preemptive attacks); combating weapons of mass destruction; space and computer warfare; ballistic missile defense; and surveillance and reconnaissance (the "warrant-less wiretaps" conducted by the National Security Agency). In other words it runs almost the whole shebang!

I will be spending almost the entire Keep Space for Peace Week in Omaha as the guest of Global Network affiliate Nebraskans for Peace. They are planning a series of events during space week to highlight the growing and dangerous mission of StratCom.

According to Nebraskans for Peace Coordinator Tim Rinne, "Under the [Bush] administration’s 'doctrine of preemption,' StratCom has been commissioned to launch a first-strike attack anywhere on earth — within two hours — if a threat to America’s national security is even suspected. Following the same drill used on Iraq over its alleged stockpiles of WMD, this new StratCom directive (called 'CONPLAN 8022') is a high-tech version of ‘shoot first and ask questions later.’ And neither a dithering Congress nor international rule of law will be permitted to stand in the way.......StratCom’s attack plan even includes the use of tactical nuclear weapons to take out the reinforced bunkers housing Iran’s nuclear research facilities. "

Rinne continues, "The mission array of the newly retooled StratCom, however, extends far beyond this vigilante role. In its struggle with the forces of international terrorism, the Bush-Cheney Administration has seen fit to equip the Omaha command center with powers worthy of 'Big Brother.' The 'warrantless wiretaps' on American citizens conducted by the National Security Agency are, it turns out, a StratCom brainchild. As part of StratCom’s C-4ISR mission set, the NSA was made a 'Component Command' of StratCom, and the decision to begin this domestic spying operation was made by General Michael Hayden before he subsequently moved on to become the director of the CIA."

"At present, though, the world doesn’t even know what’s going on at StratCom. The changes have been so dizzying, public awareness hasn’t been able to keep up. Unless the world community has a working knowledge of the threat StratCom now represents, however, we will never be able to muster the power needed to start reining it in."

One key reason I will be going to Omaha during this coming week is to help Nebraskans for Peace make preparations to host the Global Network's (GN) annual space organizing conference on April 11-13, 2008. At our last GN conference in Germany last spring it was agreed that we need to help shine a bright light on what we are calling the "most dangerous place on the face of the Earth."

The International Network against Foreign Military Bases has put out a call for activists around the world to oppose all U.S. bases. They have also called on U.S. peace activists to do more to oppose U.S. bases in our own country. Surely StratCom ranks right at the top of the list of bases that must be known about and protested in the U.S. Thus the International Network has endorsed the GN's 2008 conference in Omaha and will be sending key leaders from their organization to the event.

The time has come to end the empire. Bringing StratCom, and its mission of global dominance, to the world's attention is now our mission. Please help us do so.