No War

During the Gulf War of 1991 (Desert Storm) approximately 95 percent of American troop transports happened by ship. Lieutenant General Roger G. Thompson of the United States Transportation Command was glowing about the logistic support from Europe duringthe Gulf War. On a speech on 27 April 1999 he explained:

".you in Europe supported this massive transportation effort in so many ways: bus companies delivered our troops to airfields; the ports or Northern Europe were filled with military equipment, supplies and ammunition; the Rhine river became a water highway for thousands or items or rolling stock; railroads contributed their capability; because we had so many or our own trucks either fully utilised or sent to Saudi Arabia, the armies or the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Great Britain offered their truck Units to assist; border clearance procedures were streamlined to allow our convoys and trains to pass more rapidly; airports and airlines also contributed."

The fast deployment of American military might anywhere in the world relies on the so-called Army War Reserves (AWR's) which are based outside of the United States. One of the AWR's, namely AWR-2 is based in Benelux, between the two Norther European "main ports", Antwerp and Rotterdam.

The Americans make no secret of vital role played by these harbours in troop deployments in the Horn of Africa and in the Middle-East:

"Strategic lift is the critical lifeline for the Central Command, and is essential to the success of our operations. At over 7000 air miles and 8000 sea miles, the extraordinary distances from the US amplify the immense difficulties of moving a force in response to a regional crisis or contingency. As demonstrated during recent operations in the Gulf Region and in Somalia, strategic lift must remain a high priority.
Because of the great distances involved and limited theatre infrastructure in the AOR, the en route support structure provided at European strategic ports is vital to our ability to meet our operational commitments."

(cited: US and USCENTCOM Strategy and Plans for Regional Warfare, Anthony H. Cordesman, Center for Strategic and International studies, April 1998; page 7)

Some of the American army transports are undertaken by civil shipping companies. The public invitations to tender are made public on the Internet. Antwerp is frequently named as "port of embarcation".

After a series of action in October and November, several local and national politicians (including Leo Delwaide, alderman of the Antwerp port, and André Flahaut, Minister of Defence) denied that Antwerp harbour was being used by the American. They tried to fit the use of the harbour into the remit of "NATO responsibilites". However collaboration with an attack on Irak is not a NATO responsibility. There was no answer to whether the transports from Antwerp were heading towards the Middle-East.

On the following dates and places in the past months, military transports were observed in and around the Anwterp harbour:

5th October: A convoy of empty American army rucks, without number plates, was spotted in the Ijzerlaan in Antwerp.

14th November: A convoy of empty American army rucks was spotted on the Antwerp ring road. They took the exit in the direction of Luik/Eindhoven/Duitsland. Some time later two trucks approached from the opposite direction. They drove into the gate of HesseNoordnatie quay 702-730.

19th November: Train transport with British houwitsers spotted at Lier (train junction for Duitsland)

9th December: Train transport loaded with military truck and emergency generators (nationality unknown), sand coloured paint, spotted on the road between the goods train line, and the Waaslandhaven heading in direction of the N 70.

On 5th November, the Antwerp firebrigade stated on ATV (regional television channel) that they were uneasy with the fact that they were not made aware of the American military shipments in the harbour.

Gerard Van Der Elst, ACOD-security chief from the Antwerp harbour personel, stated that he is not informed of weapon transports in the harbour, and the quays used by the US military were "hermetically sealed" so that is impossible to know what is taking place.

Oppose the US military use of Antwerp harour

Weapon transports in Antwerp Harbour

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