NATO PLOWSHARES

On February 9, Barbara Smedema, a member of the Dutch Peace action Camp, entered a NATO airbase in Vokel, Holland. Protesting the looming war against Iraq and the existence of nuclear weapons stored by NATO at the base, she used a sledgehammer to damage three satellite dishes. She was arrested, detained by military police and jailed. She was charged with endangering flight traffic, being a member of a criminal organization and damaging government property. Her first trial ended with a judge recusing himself and a new trial is pending. Bond was dropped and she was released from prison on April 17 upon completion of sentences from earlier actions.