Anti-Bases
Campaign (ABC) was alarmed to learn that the "star" of the February
2019 Wings Over Wairarapa air show was supposed to be a US Air Force B-52
Stratofortress bomber flying over Masterton (it became a no-show because it
suffered operational problems in Australia, en route from its Guam base). ABC is Christchurch-based and we have had a US
military transport base (Harewood) at our airport for more than 60 years. We
are used to US military transport planes coming and going here, and for those
planes to feature at open days at Christchurch Airport.
But a B-52
bomber is a whole different kettle of fish. Because it is synonymous with the
systematic aerial destruction inflicted upon Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos during
the Vietnam War, people may think that B-52s are historic relics, on a par with
the various vintage warplanes that are flown at NZ air shows on a regular
basis. But not so – although B-52s date back to 1955, they have been in
continuous use by the US Air Force ever since, and remain so today (they have
been most recently used to bomb Syria).
To quote Wikipedia: “The USAF continues to
rely on the B-52 because it remains an effective and economical heavy bomber in
the absence of sophisticated air defences, particularly in the type of missions
that have been conducted since the end of the Cold War against nations with
limited defensive capabilities. The B-52 has also continued in service because
there has been no reliable replacement”.
NZ has
been out of the ANZUS Treaty for nearly 35 years (the Australia, New Zealand, US military
treaty that was the foundation of all New Zealand’s defence and foreign policy
from its inception in 1951 until the US, under President Ronald Reagan, kicked
us out in 1986. It remains in force today, but only between the US and
Australia).
Soft Power
So, what
was this Masterton flyover all about? It’s aimed at softening up the New
Zealand people to support further extending the military alliance with the US,
but this time on home soil, rather than overseas. This is called “soft power”.
It took until 2016 for the first US Navy warship to visit NZ since the 1980s’
“ANZUS row”. It was invited to Auckland to take part in the multinational
celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the NZ Navy. It never
actually got to Auckland, instead being diverted to the South Island to assist
in the evacuation of people left stranded by the November 2016 Kaikoura
earthquake (this was propaganda gold for the US military).
That
warship visit was under the Key National government, which is not that
surprising. But this (abortive) B-52 flyover was authorised by the Ardern
Labour Coalition government. The US knows that it can keep on chipping away at
NZ public opinion, aided and abetted by a sympathetic Government. The steady
drip, drip, drip of soft power is intended to lead to the full resumption of
“hard power” i.e. NZ as a fully functional, albeit, junior, US satellite once
again (that is already the reality but it is not the perception that is peddled
to the NZ people).
“In a statement, US
Ambassador Scott Brown said thousands of people made plans based on being able
to see the B-52. ‘We know how disappointed they will be. We share
that disappointment. We're gutted’, Brown said. ‘We've been in touch with the
organisers and I personally called Defence Minister Ron Mark to convey our
apologies and regret…”.
“The
Wings over Wairarapa air show has established itself as a world class event and
we were honoured to be invited. The
US Embassy looks forward to future opportunities to collaborate with this great
show" (Stuff, 23/2/19, “B-52 Debut At Wings Over Wairarapa Cancelled Due To Operational Issue”, Amber-Leigh Woolf.)
ABC sees
this as a dangerous precedent, and not simply a day out for all the family to
watch a big plane fly overhead. B-52s
have no place in New Zealand (including our airspace). Nor do any other US
warplanes. We have written to the Prime Minister, with a couple of key
questions: Why did
the Government give permission for this to happen? Did the US
Embassy satisfy the Government that this particular bomber was compliant
with NZ's nuclear free law? We’ll keep you informed.
Murray Horton
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