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14 January 2003 |
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The team of five, organised by Cambridge Students Against the War, entered the base freely but were arrested after spending around 45 minutes gathering information on
the site's operations. All five, along with a support team of four stationed outside Feltwell, were taken to police stations in Norfolk and Suffolk; eight were released
without charge. One of the group was released on police bail pending further investigation. A vehicle used by the group was impounded.
Feltwell, which forms part of the US air force's network of "near-space tracking facilities", is the third base to have been targeted for
"inspection" since the beginning of December. The group have also paid visits to RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath - the latter visit earning them the
recognition of 24 MPs who signed an early day motion supporting their action.
RAF Lakenheath is the largest US air force-operated base in England and hosts the 48th fighter wing. According to the base's own website, "Nato and US leaders
have asserted that if America is needed again in this region, the 48th fighter wing will be called out first."
RAF Mildenhall, situated 20 miles from Cambridge, is a staging post for US flights to Europe. It also acts as a base for special operations, reconnaissance and
intelligence.
One of the self-styled inspectors, "Spikey", said he felt the action was entirely justified. "Unfortunately, all our findings confirm local fears that
East Anglia is being conscripted into US military programmes without any democratic discussion or accountability. The presence of nuclear weapons is not only illegal and
immoral, it also makes this area a potential target for enemies of the US," he said.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the base's perimeter fence had been breached, adding that US military personnel had detained the protesters until the police
arrived. However, the MoD denied that the incident was indicative of poor security at Feltwell.
"It is not practicable to prevent all incursions. Our target is to close down these incursions as quickly as possible, which on this occasion we managed
successfully. We fully respect the right of protesters to make their point with lawful action, but those who go beyond the bounds of the law have to be dealt with
firmly," a spokeperson said.
A spokesperson for the Stop the War Coalition, a national organiser of anti-war action, said: "There is a genuine mass movement in this country, of which the
Cambridge students are a small part, against war on Iraq. People use the tactics they feel are appropriate ... when the government is planning to take us into a war
involving huge loss of life, people reacting to this should not be attacked."
The Cambridge student group is not formally affiliated to the campaign, but according to the coalition the two organisations do have "some contact" through
public meetings and events.
Paul Flynn MP, one of the signatories to the early day motion supporting the Lakenheath action, said: "They're making a serious point, that there are many
countries in the world with weapons of mass destruction, but that the only justification for war is the threat that these weapons will be used. Possession in itself is
not justification for war. It is wholly irrational to go to war against them purely because they possess certain weapons." |
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