Vandenberg Air Force Base, located on the beautiful coastline of Santa Barbara Coun-ty, is a global surveillance and target center for modern war. Home of the Air Forces’s 30th Space Wing, VAFB is a "Space Com-mand" center providing what the military calls "total spectrum dominance." Together with the Colorado Space Command, Van-denberg coordinates the bombing of Af-ghanistan, Iraq and the ongoing air strikes in Colombia. As a center of the infamous Star Wars program (recently revived at tremendous cost) thousands of protestors participated in nonviolent direct action at the base in the 1980s. Since 1990, VAFB has been key to the direction from space of air, ground and sea military activities.

For the last two decades, Bud Boothe of Los Olivos has made his home and farm open to protesters to use as a peace camp

during these actions. Bud is a World War II Air Force veteran and a member of the Santa Barbara Veterans for Peace and the Green Party. On December 3, 2002, Mr. Boothe was participating in a peace vigil at the front gate of the base when he was arrested on false charges of trespassing. The federal prosecutor seems intent on target-ing Bud while refusing to produce evidence against him. His trial is set for December 19 at the federal courthouse at 1415 State Street in Santa Barbara. Come to the courthouse to support Bud. The defense of Bud Boothe is more than just his case; the case will test the power of the military to restrict the civil rights of civilians who are exercising protected free speech. Rights that we do not defend are lost.

On October 11 protestors went to the front gate (on Highway 1, six miles north of Lompoc) to participate in the worldwide Keep Space for Peace week. Demonstra-tions were held in England, Australia, Russia, Syria and many more countries, sponsored by the Global Network Against Weapons in Space (www.space4peace.org). Although many central coast peace activ-ists are aware of the role of VAFB in missile defense, the role of the base as a nerve center for coordinating modern war from space by satellite is not as well known.

In March while the US was bombing Iraq, three brave peace activists went to the base to ask them to stop participating in war crimes by coordinating the attack on Iraq by satellite. Sister Mary Pat White and Sheila Baker of San Luis Obispo were arrested as well as Sanderson Beck of Santa Barbara. Beck was arrested again the next day when he returned to ask them to stop and is now in jail (to be released November 4). David Reilly of UCSB made a moving film of the arrests. If you would like a copy of the film on CD or video please send $10 (for cost of copy and shipping) to MacGregor Eddy PO Box 5789, Salinas, CA 93905.

For more information check the Vandenberg Peace Legal Defense Fund web site at www.vpeaceldf.org or call MacGregor Eddy at (831) 754-5554 Email mindful@redshift.com. Donations to the defense of Bud Boothe can be made out to VPeaceLDFund and sent to 40 Central Ave, Salinas, CA 93901.