The Military Interest in Hawaii Superferry (we must stop the superferry)

[The Sushi Bandit]

http://www.haleakalatimes.com/pointsofview/story2291.aspx

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The corporate board of the Superferry is chaired by John Lehman. He was Reagan’s Secretary of the Navy from 1981 to 1987. He has been joined on the board by several associates from his investment firm, and by one of their consultants, John Shirley, a man with 34 years experience at the Navy Division of Nuclear Reactors.

In 2005 Pacific Business News reported that with Lehman’s expertise, the Superferry plans to operate Westpac Express service, essentially to carry military equipment and ferry vehicles from Oahu to the Big Island on a daily basis. Lehman told PBN that “This logistical plan will make it easier for soldiers to train when the Stryker Brigade comes to Hawaii. The brigade will be stationed on Oahu and conduct training exercises on the Big Island.” The builder of the Hawaiian Superferry is Austal USA. They have constructed other Westpac Express vessels that are virtually identical to Superferry. The Third Marine Expeditionary Force already has a Westpac Express ferry stationed in Okinawa. Like the our Superferry, that Westpac transport is painted up to look like a civilian vessel, making it more palatable to the locals.

So why is the Stryker a threat to Hawaii? The Stryker is a eight wheeled, 20 ton assault platform that can carry, among other things, a 105mm cannon and a 25mm machine gun. Both guns are designed to fire Depleted Uranium rounds. DU, as it is known, is actually uranium 238. It is derived from the low level radioactive waste of an atomic power plant or nuclear weapons program.

Please see this other thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2627507

[The Sushi Bandit]

1. Kick this!!!