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Vandenberg Space Command is located in Southern Califor-nia, 200 miles north of Los Angeles. Poised at the edge of thePacic, the base routinely tests Intercontinental BallisticMissiles (ICBMs). These long-range high speed hydrogenbomb elivery systems are tested several times a year landingin the once beautiful Kwajalein atoll in the MarshallIslands. Every three years Vandenberg does an extended rangetest all the way to Guam. If North Korea or Iran test a fewmissiles, hysteria breaks out worldwide. When the US doesthese routine tests, it does not even make the news except asa local story. Many peace activists are not aware that thesetests occur, much less the general public.

David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Founda-tion, said, The US moratorium on nuclear testing remainsincomplete as long as we continue testing missiles designedto carry nuclear warheads. Minuteman III missiles are usedsolely to deliver nuclear warheads.

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation seeks the abolition

of all nuclear weapons worldwide. The Foundation callson the United States and all countries around the world torecognize their full obligation to halt all nuclear testing notonly of the warheads, but also of nuclear-capable missiles.The Preamble to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)calls upon the 189 countries that signed the NPT to facilitatethe elimination from national arsenals of nuclear weaponsand the means of their delivery.

The US is demonstrating a stark double standard by con-demning missile tests of other nations while continuing toconduct them on a regular basis itself. Continued testing ofMinuteman III missiles by the United States sends a provoca-

tive message and encourages other countries to pursue theirown nuclear weapon and missile delivery programs.

Over the decades a dedicated band from Catholic Worker com-munities, Womens International League for Peace and Free-dom, and the Global Network (since 1999) have held protestsat the base. These protests also oppose the Star Wars missiledefense interceptor launches that also take place fromVandenberg (mostly failed interceptions) and the launch ofthe polar orbit satellites used to conduct war from space.

Until 2008 most of the protests were held during KeepSpace for Peace Week, Hiroshima Day or other days chosen

by the peace movement. In August of 2008, a smallprotest was held at night at the time of an ICBM launch.The base authorities over-reacted with a heavy armeddetachment surrounding the protesters (three women) andtrying to intimidate us. Since then launch time protests havebeen held at Vandenberg. Twice there have been companionprotests at the Los Angeles Space and Missile center in ElSegundo, which tracks the ICBM trajectory. There have beennighttime arrests of Fr. Louie Vitale, Sister Megan Rice andmyself, who have gone onto the base to ask the commanderto comply with international law.

On September 21, 2011 the USAF scheduled an ICBnight launch toward Kwajalein atoll. September 21 is United Nations International Day of Peace. That day is cially recognized each year by the United Nations GeneAssembly as a day for commemorating and strengthening ideals of peace both within and among all nations and people

This launch was denounced all over the world, with manations expressing surprise that the tests were being condued. This campaign made people worldwide aware that thelaunches are taking place. The 9/21 launch was postpon

These ICBM Minuteman III nuclear capable delivesystems are the ones that are armed and set in silos 450 locations around the Midwest of the USA. These cowar legacy hydrogen bombs are on hair trigger alert, thgreatly increasing our risk of accident. Each ICBM cries up to 3 to 12 warheads and can travel 5,000 miles30 minutes. Once launched they cannot be recalled. (wwnucleardarkness.org)

The launching of these tests increases tensions in the worand sends a message that the US disregards its moobligations under Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proeration Treaty. This states that the nuclear powers mengage in good faith disarmament efforts. It also violates 1996 International Court of Justice decision stating that use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is a violation international law.

The few medium range missiles of the DPRK (NoKorea) are used as a pretext for the military build up in Pacic. The proposed naval base at Jeju Island, although rected toward China, uses the North Korea missiles as its ptext. The Pacic Missile Range Facility at Barking Sandbeing expanded on Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands. This buup also uses the North Korean threat as an excuse.

The island peoples of the Pacic pay the price of tmilitary build up. Jeju, Guam, the Marshall Islands, HawOkinawa all join in the call for peace in the Pacic.

On February 24-25, protests are planned around the woto demand a stop to the ICBM test launch. In Santa BarbaDaniel Ellsberg and David Krieger will hold a press confence and rally at 11 am on February 24 to demand at hAt midnight (11:55 pm, February 24) a front gate prot

will be held at Vandenberg Space Command, six miles noof Lompoc, in California. In the Los Angeles area, a noprotest will be held at the Space and Missile tracking centeEl Segundo, which is key to the launch. These launches world events and a protest can be held at a US embassyconsulate anywhere. Contact macgregoreddy@gmail.cfor details about the Vandenberg and El Segundo events.

This article is from Space Alert! (the newsletter of Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space),

Winter 2012, page 2 http://www.space4peace.org/newsletter/Space%20Alert%2025.pdf

MacGregoer Eddy is a member of the Womens InternatioLegaue for Peace & Freedom and serves on the Global NetworAdvisory Board. She lives in Salinas, California.

Vandenberg Space Command Dominates the Pacifcby MacGregor Eddy