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Date: 2001-07-04
UK: Greenpeace besetzt Menwith Hill
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Rund hundert Greenpeace-Aktivisten haben heute die
Absperrungen rund um Menwith Hill überwunden und sich auf dem
Gelände einer der Top drei ECHELON-Stationen festgesetzt.
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relayed by Goetz Ohnesorge
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Over 100 Greenpeace volunteers invade Menwith Hill spy base to
expose Britain's role in Star Wars programme At 5am, over one
hundred Greenpeace volunteers from the UK, Denmark and the
USA 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. They are
currently occupying three areas within the high security site.
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).
Fifty Greenpeace volunteers, many carrying flags with the message
"Star Wars Starts Wars" and others dressed as missiles to
symbolise the new arms race that Star Wars will create, entered
the base via the front gate accompanied by the theme tune from
Mission Impossible. They are currently occupying a water tower
just inside the entrance.
The other two teams of volunteers evaded the UK military police
that guard the site and scaled a series of three-metre-high razor-
wire fences to enter the heart of the base. One team is occupying
the area surrounding the radomes that Bush proposes to use as
part of Star Wars, the other is occupying the roof of one of the
facility's buildings.
Greenpeace UK Executive Director, Stephen Tindale (who is at
Menwith Hill), said: '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'.
He continued: 'There are two UK sites - here at Menwith Hill and
another at Fylingdales - that George Bush needs as the 'eyes and
ears' of his planned Star Wars system. But Bush can't install the
system without Blair's approval '.
'We urge Tony Blair not to kowtow 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.
Andy Tait, Star Wars campaigner for Greenpeace UK, said, 'If Blair
gives the go ahead for Bush to use this base as part of his Star
Wars fantasies he will make Britain a prime target for anyone
wanting to knock out the Star Wars system. Blair must say no and
help stop Star Wars'.
Mehr
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/contentlookup.cfm?UCIDParam=20010703054620&BannerParam=nav_med
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edited by
published on: 2001-07-04
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