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New Mexico and Colorado to be large war practice area for oil field wars

A notice appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Friday, Sep. 3, 2010 that the U. S. Air Force Special Operations Command wants to create a covert war training zone that stretches from Albuquerque, NM to Aspen, CO and Grand Junction, CO to Clovis, NM (go to “LATN” on the website www.cannon.af.mil).

The Air Force wants an area that is similar to the desert and mountain terrain of Eurasia’s oil fields where they can practice covert attacks (assassinations) with low level, high speed night time incursions and escapes. The aircraft and black ops forces out of Kirtland AFB and Cannon AFB, NM will be greatly involved in this immoral war planning. Drones will probably be involved too.

It also happens that this area is home to an active progressive U. S. anti-war movement too.

What is happening is that the Empire’s plan for a quick rip-off of oil-rich Eurasia, with the war in Iraq, has gone bad and resistance has grown greatly across the middle-east. As a result the war machine needs more space here for planning. Large scale war planning in other countries has become costly and provocative.

The AF proposal asks for public comments but their announcement also states that New Mexico and Colorado lack a “large civilian population.” And by implication there is no human value assigned to our indigenous peoples nor natural wildlife populations or issues, not to mention our reliance on tourism and solar industries that are developing here.

All are invited to spread the word on this.

We need to prepare a region-wide resistance to this attempt to turn our beautiful homeland into a practice zone for these colonial wars of aggression against people with whom we actually have a lot in common. We and the people of Eurasia are both fighting the same corporate war machine as we struggle to have jobs along with sovereignty and self-determination.

The AF wants comments by Oct. 4, which is of course a ridiculously short time for people to be alerted. They are trying to rush this through without many people noticing it, no one lives here anyway. We need to take this to the Federal level and reach out to all the populations that will be affected.

Below is some of the information from the Cannon AFB web page and more can be seen in the attached pdf files if they come through. You can find the files on the Cannon AFB web page… www.cannon.af.mil under LATN.

Talk with activists in your area and group. Share some of your ideas with us on the SWM-d list serve, if you feel comfortable doing that. All our lists and emails are monitored, be cautious.

Bob Anderson/Jeanne Pahls
Stop the War Machine Albuquerque, NM
www.stopthewarmachine.org citizen@comcast.net

From the AF Web site:

Pease submit written comments before October 4, 2010 or for general information contact: Cannon AFB Public Affairs 110 E Sextant Suite 1150 Cannon AFB NM 88103 Phone: (575) 784-4131, Fax: (575) 784-7412 Email: 27SOWpublicaffairs@cannon.af.mil. www.cannon.af.mil.

What is the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)?

AFSOC, headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida, was established in 1990 to provide Air Force Special Operations Forces (SOF) for worldwide deployment and assignment to regional unified commands. AFSOC is composed of highly trained, rapidly deployable airmen who are equipped with highly specialized aircraft. These forces provide global ability to conduct special operations missions ranging from precision application of firepower, to infiltration, exfiltration, resupply, and refueling of SOF operational elements. AFSOC is a Major Command (MAJCOM) and the Air Force component of U. S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), a unified command located at MacDill AFB, Florida. AFSOC is responsible to USSOCOM for the readiness of Air Force SOF for worldwide deployment. On August 20, 2007 a Record of Decision (ROD) approved the beddown of AFSOC personnel and equipment at Cannon AFB, New Mexico and created a new AFSOC Wing, the 27th Special Operations Wing (27 SOW). AFSOC’s core tasks and the 27 SOW training requirements are grouped into four mission areas:  Forward presence and engagement; Information operations; Precision employment and strike; and SOF mobility. Why is AFSOC looking to terrain in New Mexico and Colorado to meet Training Requirements? To meet SOF mobility training requirements, the Air Force is proposing that various types of C-130 and CV-22 Osprey aircrews, flying as low as 200 feet above-ground-level (AGL) with speeds below 250 knots indicated airspeed, train in the proposed LATN area. The proposed LATN area is necessary because the existing Military Training Routes (MTRs) controlled by 27 SOW at Cannon AFB are generally narrow corridors over flat terrain designed for use by F-16 aircraft previously flown from Cannon AFB.

These MTRs do not provide the access to aircrew training opportunities over high mountainous terrain need to represent current real world taskings. No air drops are proposed in the LATN area and aircraft lights and communications systems will be used in the LATN area.

These aircrews would hone unique skills by flying: At night In high altitude mountains With vertical terrain separated from large human populations.

This SOF mobility capability is a unique, national asset and proficiency at these skills are required for successful operations in ongoing global conflicts.

The northern New Mexico and southern Colorado area proposed for the SOF training meets these terrain requirements. This environment is very challenging for crews to keep the aircraft on the proper time schedule and course while avoiding simulated threats.

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