Republican News · Thursday 17 April 2003

Hume urged to secure release of Raytheon protesters

SDLP leader John Hume is being urged to lobby for the release of four American activists arrested on criminal trespassing charges after they attempted to make a citizens' arrest of Raytheon arms boss Daniel Burnham.

The four were working with the Massachussetts Anti-Corporate Clearinghouse (MACC) when they were detained at Raytheon's US headquarters in Massachussetts.

MACC spokesperson Sean Donahue - head of MACC's 'War Crimes Investigation Unit' - said the activists had approached Raytheon's CEO and attempted to arrest him for "conspiring to provide the US government with the tools to commit war crimes and crimes against peace".

"We were acting on a report from British journalist Robert Fisk," said Donahue. "He had obtained physical evidence proving the US Navy used a HARM missile made by Raytheon in an attack on a Baghdad market place on Friday 28 March that killed 62 civilians.

"This was clearly a violation of the First Protocol to the Geneva Convention prohibiting the use of weapons and tactics that cannot distinguish between civilian and military targets."

Dr Peter Doran, spokesperson for the Derry-based Foyle Ethical Investment Campaign, said this week: "Just a couple of years ago, Daniel Burnham strutted the streets of Derry with out local MP telling us what a fine job we had done on the peace process.

"The Raytheon Executive now finds himself the subject of an attempted citizens' arrest for conspiring to provide the US government with the tools to commit war crimes and crimes against peace in Iraq.

"Perhaps Mr Hume will use his political influence in Massachussetts to ensure that those who attempted to arrest Burnham are released immediately without charge for their act of conscience and courage."