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Barbara Smedema took her hammer to the military air base at Volkel, the Netherlands, on February 9 and knocked out three dish antennas involved in the control of American nuclear weapons stored there and assigned to NATO.
Smedema wrote that her action "is a protest against the possible attack on Iraq.
"For thirty years, the Volkel base has secretly prepared for mass destruction... There is no country that is a serious threat to the U.S. The reasons for the U.S. to attack Iraq have to do with political economy, with access to the oil fields is an important interest. The consequences of a war against Iraq are not foreseeable, but it will certainly be a disaster for the weakened people of Iraq.
"The biggest victims
of this war will be the civilians. They are already victims for twelve years
now. The economical boycott
caused the death of half a million children, 'collateral damage' the
U.S. calls it.
"The interest of the U.S. is not to set up democracy in Iraq. The U.S. is not interested in human rights for the people of Iraq. The country must be a safe place for business. The war machine of the U.S., the iron fist behind American economic policy, must be broken down.
"On this moment several thousands of children die every day because of poverty. To give all the people in the world food, drinking water, shelter and health-care every day, one needs .7 billion. Every day two billion is spent on weaponry worldwide. "There must come an end to this crazy situation. To make a start with this I did my action of disarmament in Volkel today. I don't have the illusion that we can stop this war machine, but I want to show something of hope and trust that things can be different in this world.
"No war in Iraq! We all have the power to disarm!"
Damage to the equipment was alleged to be half a million euros.
Smedema's first trial ended with the judge recusing himself, and a new trial date is pending. Bond was dropped, and she was released from prison April 17 upon completion of sentences from earlier acts of resistance.
