"The Army is attempting to spin its Hawaii military expansion plans by two public relations Stryker events on the Big Island set for Saturday July 24th in Waimea and Sunday, July 25th in Hilo," said Jim Albertini of Malu `Aina.

Two Strykers will be on display at the Waimea Airport on Saturday, July 24th from 10AM to 1PM and on Sunday, July 25th 10AM to 1PM at Hilo airport --the big parking lot near the Hilo Air National Guard before the Hilo Airport Post office.

Albertini said, "I intend to join with others in a peaceful Hilo protest of these modern chariots of empire -- 20-ton, eight-wheeled Stryker killing machines, and I invite all concerned citizens to join us." Albertini said, "the Stryker is designed for urban combat --to put down uprisings to the American corporate empire's policies of global control. The Strykers are the international pit bulls for companies like Haliburton and the oil companies. There is nothing defensive about Strykers. They are not instruments of freedom and democracy. Strykers are meant to strike, kill people, destroy buildings, culture, land, historic sites, critical habitat, endangered species, and to pollute, poison, etc. They are urban assault vehicles being used to kill innocent people in U.S. occupied Iraq and it's a disgrace to have them visit here, and bigger disgrace to have them train and be based here in Hawaii."

Albertini said, "the Army wants to acquire 23,000-acres of land from Parker ranch adjacent to the existing 109,000-acre Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) in the heart of the Big Island for training with hundreds of Stryker vehicles."

"I urge Parker Ranch trustees not to sell the land to the Army but find more constructive, environmentally, culturally positive uses for the land."

Albertini noted that "the military plans to increase live-fire training at PTA from 7.1 to 14.8 million live-rounds fired annually." Albertini also noted that "PTA has more endangered species than any U.S. Army installation in the world and that it's a sacred Hawaiian cultural area."

Albertini said, "the Army and Dan Inouye's decision to go forward with a Stryker Brigade for Hawaii is NOT the final word. A Stryker is powerless in the face of a determined community committed to non-violent resistance. Strykers can kill people but they are powerless against the spirit of resistance, a lesson the military should have learned from Vietnam and the present quagmire in Iraq."

Albertini said, "the time has come to stand up, speak out, and non-violently resist the military desecration, destruction and occupation of Kanaka Maoli sovereign lands being used by the U.S. to desecrate, destroy and occupy other sovereign lands. The struggle is not over. It has just begun! It's time to start applying a little Gandhi Hawaiian style aloha!"

-pau-