Menwith Hill: Greenpeace occupied the site in July 2001

Responding to Geoff Hoon's announcement in Parliament today that the government is minded to allow the United States to use UK facilities, including the Fylingdales military base in Yorkshire, for their 'Star Wars' system, Stephen Tindale, Executive Director of Greenpeace UK said,

"It's always been clear that the Blair government would roll over and let Bush do what he wants, but this is still a disgraceful decision".

He continued,

"Even if it worked, Star Wars would only defend against one, pretty unlikely, form of attack. It would be of no use against a suitcase bomb, a test tube of toxins or a hijacked plane. And the cost of NMD, beyond the financial billions, is the undermining of the global arms control system and the danger of a new arms race".

Notes to editors:
Greenpeace has campaigned against the development of the Star Wars system across the globe. On July 3rd 2001 over one hundred Greenpeace volunteers invaded Menwith Hill Spy base, near Harrogate, North Yorkshire, to expose the base's proposed role in President George W Bush's 'Star Wars' (National Missile Defence) system. The occupation ended after two days.

Further information:
Contact:
The Greenpeace UK press office on 020 7865 8255.

Greenpeace volunteers hang banner at Menwith Hill spy base, North Yorkshire

Greenpeace volunteers ended the occupation of Menwith Hill spy base at 10.10pm, Wednesday 4th July by climbing down from the radio mast they had occupied for 15 hours. The descent came at the end of American Independence day. The two climbers gave themselves up to Ministry of Defence police.

Commenting on the end of the occupation, Greenpeace Star Wars campaigner Andy Tait said:
"The whole purpose of this event was to expose the role that Britain will play in the Star Wars programme and we have done that to great effect. The British public, politicians and media now know the introduction of a Star Wars programme will dangerously destabilise international attempts to abolish nuclear weapons and make Yorkshire a target in the future."

He continued:
"The proposed Star Wars programme is not some vague technical issue but a dangerous political reality. Even the promotion of the Star Wars concept is having a destabilising effect. It is simply not acceptable for Tony Blair to sit on the fence over such a crucial security issue. He has a clear opportunity to stop the programme in its tracks by refusing to allow Menwith Hill and Fylingdales to be part of the Star Wars system and he should exercise that choice when Bush visits the UK in two weeks time."

The two volunteer climbers were Al Baker (UK) and Richard Watson (UK).

Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255/6/7

Background information:
For a briefing on the UK's role in Star Wars including background on Menwith Hill and Fylingdales click on full report at the top of the page.

Volunteers head towards Menwith Hill spy base

Four Greenpeace volunteers are maintaining the Greenpeace occupation of Menwith Hill spy base in Yorkshire as part of an international campaign to stop the United States' Star Wars (National Missile Defence) programme. The occupation began at 5.00am on Tuesday morning.

One volunteer has been sitting on top of a radio mast since last night while three others entered the base again at 6.45am this morning and climbed two other masts. All the volunteers are well equipped and carry adequate supplies.

The Menwith Hill base is rented from the RAF by the US National Security Agency (NSA) and is home to over 1,000 American NSA personnel. It is primarily a listening base, which intercepts international phone, fax and email communications. However it also houses two 'golf ball' radomes that George Bush wants permission to use as the 'eyes and ears' of his planned Star Wars system (1).

Helen Wallace, Greenpeace Star Wars campaigner, said:
"We are maintaining our occupation of the Menwith Hill spy base to send a clear message to George W Bush that he cannot just push other countries around with impunity and tear up international treaties. Today is American independence day and yet Bush seems convinced that only the independence of the United States is important."

She continued:
"If Bush's proposed Star Wars system is allowed to go ahead it will be a disaster - arms agreements will crumble and a new arms race will be triggered, as countries rush to develop new weapons to evade its 'shield'. We urge Tony Blair not to give in to Bush on such a crucial issue. He must say no to UK involvement and stop Star Wars in its tracks."

The other UK base that has been identified as having a role in Bush's Star Wars plan is Fylingdales (also in Yorkshire) which contains a powerful 40 metre high 'X Band' radar. The US Government also needs permission from the Danish Government to use a similar radar base in Thule, Greenland.

Further information:
For further information call mobile 07801 212993 or the Greenpeace UK media office 0207 865 8255/6/7/8 (for pager call 07699 113300 quote number 787076).

Notes to editors:
The four volunteers still occupying the base are: Al Baker (UK), Ricco Carlson (New Zealand), Richard Watson (UK) and Anne Marie Rasmussen (Denmark)

For a background briefing on the UK's role in Star Wars including background on Menwith Hill and Fylingdales visit www.greenpeace.org.uk . For more on Greenpeace's international campaign to Stop Star Wars visit www.stopstarwars.org

Greenpeace has several principled objections to the Star Wars system including:

• The Star Wars system will provoke a new arms race because it will encourage other nuclear states like Russia and China to expand their arsenals to overwhelm the defence system.
• Star Wars is not about defence it is about offence and the way the US wields its power over other countries. At the same time Bush is continuing to plough billions of dollars into nuclear weapons development.
• The Star Wars system makes Yorkshire a target because any enemy of the USA will attempt to knock out the 'eyes and ears' of Star Wars as part of an offensive action.
• For details of world wide opposition to the Star Wars plans visit www.stopstarwars.org

Two SBIRS (Space Based Infrared System) Radomes have been constructed in the Menwith Hill complex. If the UK government give the go ahead they will be used as a ground relay station to transmit information on missile location and trajectory back to the US to assist with targetting for ground, sea, air and space based interceptors.

• 235 MPs have signed an Early Day Motion [See briefing docs] calling on the UK Government to voice the "grave concern" that exists within the UK regarding the Star Wars programme.
• Excerpt from UK Foreign Affairs Select Committee Eighth Report of Session 1999/2000 HC407. 'We recommend the Government articulate the very strong concerns that have been expressed about NMD within the UK. We are not convinced that the US plans to deploy NMD represent an appropriate response to the proliferation problems faced by the international community. We recommend that the Government encourage the US to seek other ways of reducing the threats it perceives' (para 50).

Background information:
For a briefing on the UK's role in Star Wars including background on Menwith Hill and Fylingdales click on full report at the top of the page.