A FRIGHTENING WORLD

"It is Europe's dirty secret that the list of nuclear-capable countries extends beyond those that have built their own weapons – Britain, France and Russia. The truth is that Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands store nuclear bombs on their air-force bases and have planes capable of delivering them. There are an estimated 200 B-61 thermonuclear-gravity bombs scattered across these four countries. Under a NATO agreement struck during the Cold War, the bombs, which are owned by the U.S., can be transferred to the control of a host nation's air force in time of conflict. Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Dutch, Belgian, Italian and German pilots remain ready to engage in nuclear war" (TIME, 4 January).

THE OIL INVASION

"British companies have benefited from the award of oil contracts in Iraq because of the decision to help to overthrow Saddam Hussein, Gordon Brown’s chief foreign policy adviser told the Chilcot inquiry yesterday. Simon McDonald said British companies had “done pretty well” in a recent auction of oil rights and that Britain had “privileged access” to the Government of Nouri al-Maliki, the Prime Minister" (Times, 6 January).



MERCHANTS OF DEATH

"Two UAE orders for military helicopters and guided bombs capped a remarkable year for procurement in which the Emirates became the largest foreign purchaser of US defence equipment, a Pentagon agency said. The UAE, which has peacekeepers in Afghanistan, awarded Sikorksy Aircraft a US$171 million (Dh628m) contract for 14 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, which are used for tactical transport. Separately, the US defence security co-operation agency, a unit of the Pentagon, said last week it had notified Congress of a potential sale of enhanced guided bomb units, parts, training and support to the UAE for about $290m. The same agency said in November that in the last fiscal year the UAE became the largest foreign purchaser of US defence equipment with sales of $7.9bn, ahead of Afghanistan ($5.4bn), Saudi Arabia ($3.3bn) and Taiwan ($3.2bn)" (The National, 2 January).


UK Branches & contacts
London

Central London branch*
  2nd Wed ,6.30pm
The Coffee Republic (Travelodge),7-15 City Road,EC1Y 1AG.Nearest tube and rail stations,Old St.& Moorgate. Bus stopepworth st. is outside the venue.buses,21,43,76,141,205,
214 and 271.
tel.Tristan 0207 6223811

Enfield and Haringey branch*
   Thursday February 11th 8pm. . Angel Community
Centre, Raynham Rd, NI8. Corres:
17 Dorset Road, N22 7SL.

South London branch
  1st Tues.
7.00pm. Head Office. 52 Clapham High St, SW4 7UN.
 Tel: 020 7622 3811

West London branch
  1st & 3rd Tues.
8pm, Chiswick Town Hall,
Heathfield Terrace (Corner Sutton Court Rd), W4.
Corres: 51 Gayford Road,
London W12 9BY

Pimlico
  C. Trinder, 24 Greenwood Ct,
155 Cambridge Street, SW1 4VQ.
Tel: 020 7834 8186

Midlands

West Midlands branch
  Meets every two months on a Sunday afternoon (see
meetings page for details. Tel: Tony Gluck 01242 235615

Northeast

Northeast branch
  Contact: Brian Barry,
86 Edgmond Ct, Ryhope, Sunderland
SR2 0DY. Tel: 0191 521 0690.

Northwest

Lancaster branch
  P. Shannon, 10
Green Street, Lancaster LA1 1DZ. Tel:
01524 382380

Manchester branch
  Paul Bennett, 6
Burleigh Mews, Hardy Lane, M21 7LB.
Tel: 0161 860 7189
Manchester Branch website
Bolton
 Tel:  H.McLaughlin.
Tel: 01204  844589

Cumbria
. Brendan Cummings, 19 Queen St, Millom, Cumbria LA18 4BG

Carlisle
  Robert Whitfield.

tel: 07906 373975

Rochdale
  Tel: R. Chadwick. 01706
522365

Southeast Manchester
  Enquiries:
Blanche Preston, 68 Fountains Road,
M32 9PH

Yorkshire
Hull
  Keith Scholey, 12 Regina Crescent,
Victoria Ave, HU5 3EA. Tel: 01482 444651

Skipton
. R Cooper, 1 Caxton Garth,
Threshfield, Skipton BD23 5EZ.
Tel: 01756 752621
South

South/SouthEast
Southwest

 South West branch.
Meets every two
months on a Saturday afternoon
(see meetings page for details)
   Tel: 01202 257556.
Bristol
  Shane Roberts, 86 High Street,
Bristol BS5 6DN.
Tel: 0117 9511199

Canterbury
  Rob Cox,
4 Stanhope Road, Deal,
Kent, CT14 6AB

Luton
  Nick White,
59 Heywood Drive,
LU2 7LP

Redruth
 Harry Sowden,
5 Clarence Villas,
 Redruth,
Cornwall, TR15 1PB.
Tel: 01209 219293

East Anglia

East Anglia branch
meets every two
months on a Saturday afternoon
(see meetings page for details).

Next meet Saturday, 13th February, 12.00 till 4.00PM.Quebec Tavern
93-97 Quebec Road Norwich NR1 4HY
Here is a link to a map.
http://www.ukpubfinder.com/pub/21675

Richard Headicar,
42 Woodcote, Firs Rd,
 Hethersett,
NR9 3JD.
Tel: 01603 814343.

Cambridge
  Andrew Westley, 10
Marksby Close, Duxford, Cambridge
CB2 4RS.
Tel: 07890343044

Northern Ireland

Newtownabbey
  Nigel NcCullough. Tel:
028 90852062

Scotland

Edinburgh branch
.1st Thur. 8-9pm.
The Quaker Hall,
Victoria Terrace (above Victoria Street),
 Edinburgh.
J. Moir. Tel: 0131 440 0995
  Edinburgh Branch website:
Lothian Socialist Discussion Group
.4th Wednesday of each month  7.30pm
ACE 17 ,West Montgomery Place,
 Edinburgh EH7 5HA
For more info contact Jimmy or Fraser

Glasgow branch
. 3rd Wednesday of
each month at 8pm in
 Community Central Halls,
304 Maryhill Road, Glasgow.
Richard Donnelly,
112 Napiershall Street,
 Glasgow G20 6HT.
Tel: 0141 5794109.
Glasgow Branch website
Ayrshire
  D. Trainer, 21 Manse Street,
Salcoats, KA21 5AA. Tel: 01294
469994. E-mail:

Dundee
  Ian Ratcliffe, 16 Birkhall Ave,
Wormit, Newport-on-Tay, DD6 8PX.
Tel: 01328 541643

West Lothian
. 2nd  Weds in
month, 7.30-9.30. Lanthorn Community Centre, Kennilworth Rise, Dedridge,
Livingston. Corres: Matt Culbert,
 53 Falcon Brae, Ladywell, Livingston,
 West Lothian,
EH5 6UW.
Tel: 01506 462359

Wales

Swansea branch
. 2nd Mon, 7.30pm,
Unitarian Church, High Street. Corres:
Geoffrey Williams,
19 Baptist Well Street,
Waun Wen,
Swansea SA1 6FB.
Tel: 01792 643624

Cardiff and District
. John James, 67
Romilly Park Road,
 Barry CF62 6RR.
Tel: 01446 405636

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    Socialist     Standard Online edition                                 February 2010