Bulletin No. 9

Publication date: April- May 2002

Summary
When President Bush announced last May that in future US military posture would rely on "both offensive and defensive forces", the rationale given was to "preserve peace for generations to come". In the past month, two developments have highlighted the true nature of the Bush Administration's intentions for "offensive and defensive" forces.

The leaked Nuclear Posture Review revealed that the US was prepared to use nuclear weapons against seven named countries and confirmed US intentions to develop new nuclear weapons potentially involving a resumption of nuclear testing. At the same time, Pentagon officials revealed that with the ABM treaty out of the way, the US is planning an expanded Star Wars system possibly including nuclear-tipped interceptors.

Bulletin No. 8

Publication date: February/ March 2002

Summary
Since Bush's "axis of evil" speech in January, international opposition to US unilateralist policies has been mounting. Whilst European leaders such as Lionel Jospin and Jose Maria Aznar, along with senior EU officials Chris Patten and Javier Solana have all questioned US policy, one government has lent support Britain.

Far from using his influence to try to reign-in the Bush Administration's enthusiasm for trashing international treaties, Tony Blair praises Bush's "tremendous leadership" skills and says he is "absolutely right" to raise the issue of weapons of mass destruction.

According to Foreign Secretary Jack Straw missile defence is "not an alternative to the wider non-proliferation effort, but could be part of it." Whilst Defence Minister Adam Ingram says that the UK has "consistently made it clear that we understand the role that missile defences can play" and claims that the US is "not proceeding in a unilateral manner."

Parliamentary briefings

Publication date: November 2001

Summary
Behind the smiles and handshakes in Crawford, Texas, at the summit between Presidents Bush and Putin, a much mooted amendment to the ABM treaty failed to materialise. This leaves the U.S. administration with a major problem. Defence Secretary Rumsfeld has indicated that missile tests involving the AEGIS radar system, now scheduled for February 2002 risk breaking the 1972 agreement as does proposed construction work at Fort Greely, Alaska, in the spring/ summer of next year. Many in the Russian administration, and elsewhere, continue to see the ABM treaty as the "cornerstone" of the existing arms control regime.

Parliamentary briefing

Publication date: October 2001

Summary
15 Greenpeace volunteers and two freelance journalists face up to six years in prison in the US following a peaceful protest against the most recent test of the Star Wars missile defence system at Vandenberg airforce base in California during July. The 17, charged with "conspiracy to violate a safety zone" are due before the US courts for trial on 20 th November, although defence lawyers are currently pushing for a delay to the trial date.

Parliamentary briefing

Publication date: July 2001

Summary
President Bush arrives for his first visit to Britain on Wednesday 18 th July on his way to the G8 summit in Genoa, Italy. Bush's visit gives Tony Blair the perfect opportunity to implement the Foreign Affairs Select Committee's recommendation that "the Government articulate the very strong concerns that have been expressed about NMD within the UK".

British concerns about Star Wars have been made clear inside and outside Westminster. On July 3 rd , over 100 Greenpeace activists, many carrying banners with the message "Star Wars Starts Wars", peacefully invaded the US spy base at Menwith Hill, near Harrogate to expose the base's proposed role relaying early warning data for Star Wars. Menwith Hill hosts two Space-based Infra Red System (SBIRS) radomes which, if the Government gives consent, would be used to transmit information on ballistic missile launches for a US missile defence system.

Parliamentary briefing

Publication date: June 2001

Summary
A stark reminder of the decisions on National Missile Defence that must be made by Tony Blair during this Parliament were presented to him shortly after the Election as President Bush touched down in Europe for meetings with the allies Star Wars and Kyoto were top of the agenda. Whilst political leaders welcomed Bush, civil society was much more hostile with protests following the President from meeting to meeting across the continent.

Throughout Europe Greenpeace made it clear that Bush's unilateralist policies were not welcome. As Airforce One arrived in Brussels activists blockaded the exit gates at the airport and called on allied leaders to stand up to Bush and "Stop Star Wars". A further demonstration involved a motorised parachute circling NATO HQ during the heads of state meeting, trailing a "Stop Star Wars" banner. And in Slovenia while the US and Russian leaders met, Greenpeace launched a giant kite flying a "Stop Star Wars" banner over the meeting venue.

Parliamentary briefing

Publication date: April 2001

Summary
International and US domestic opposition to Star Wars is increasing. In the US, senior Democrats are speaking out against the Bush Administration's confrontational policies. Senator Joseph Biden (senior Democratic member, Senate Foreign Relations Committee): " If people aren't careful, National Missile Defence could come at the expense of both nuclear non-proliferation and alliance cohesion All this for a system, that at this point we cannot yet build, at a cost we have no idea of."

Meanwhile, the Greenpeace flagship, Rainbow Warrior, has arrived at the Kwajalein Missile Range, in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, to protest against the forthcoming US Star Wars missile test. Greenpeace is campaigning against Star Wars because it will make conflict more likely and increase the threat of nuclear conflict.

Parliamentary briefing

Publication date: May 2001

Summary
Whichever political party wins the general election, the next British Government will have to decide whether to allow the US to use early warning facilities at RAF Fylingdales and RAF Menwith Hill as part of a Star Wars system. Without the use of these bases the US cannot proceed with the dangerous and destabilising Star Wars programme.

A decision to allow the use of US bases in the UK will have a profoundly negative impact on the future of international security, and will make the UK a target for attack...