INNU LEADER NOT SURPRISED BY NEWS OF USAF TRAINING THIS SPRING
SHESHATSHIU, LABRADOR: Innu Nation spokesperson, Daniel Ashini, said he
isn't surprised at the news that the United States Air Force will be
training in Innu air space over eastern Quebec and Labrador this spring.
"DND is marketing Goose Bay to the world's air forces, so it makes sense
that the Americans would start training here again," Mr. Ashini said.
Mr. Ashini also commented on the relationship between the announcement of
the U.S. training and the federal environmental review process. "DND must
be pretty confident that the Environmental Assessment Panel is going to
give a green-light to more training. The Department isn't even waiting for
the Panel to make its recommendations before it invites another air force
to train in our air space. For us, this is just more evidence that the
environmental review process is a sham." Mr. Ashini said.
Mr. Ashini noted that most USAF training over the last 15 years had been in
the context of NORAD exercises. "The most low-level flying they've done
was in 1983, when they flew 259 sorties. While the number of sorties
planned by the Americans for this spring (168) is less than in 1983, it
worries us greatly that they may be using this as a trial with the view to
setting up a major training operation in the near future."
Mr. Ashini said the Innu Nation will be writing to the Minister of National
Defence to find out if the one-week training session by the Americans is
the beginning of a more substantial American presence. "We want to know
under what terms the Americans have been allowed back into our air space
and whether the government modified the existing Multinational Memorandum
of Agreement to accommodate them."
The Innu Nation will also be writing to the U.S. government to appraise
them of the failings of DND's avoidance program and the reasons why Quebec
and Labrador Innu continue to oppose the training.
For more information: Daniel Ashini
Director of Innu Rights and Environment,
(709) 497-8398
Larry Innes internet: es051322@orion.yorku.ca (direct to me)
innu@web.apc.org (general to Innu Nation)
Environmental Advisor
Innu Nation phone: (709) 497-8398
PO Box 119 fax: (709) 497-8396
Sheshatshiu, Nitassinan (Labrador)
via Canada A0P 1M0
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