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WRITE TO YOUR MP
If you can spare 5 or 10 minutes,
then please write to your MP about the issue. Below is a brief introduction
to the issues. Pick out as many points as you would like to make and put
them in your own words.
You can fax or e-mail your MP for
free here
If you need the contact details of your MP, you can find them here.
A brief run-down of the issues was
written by Yorkshire CND for Radio 4's Today programme and aired on 31st
December 2003. You can hear that here.
SOME POINTS TO MAKE IN YOUR LETTER
(no need to make them all)
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Missile Defence is a US system for control
and pre-emptive strikes. It is not a system that the UK should be
having anything to do with and a full, public debate and consultation
should take place before any further involvement is considered.
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There are still genuine and well founded
concerns over the health effects of the Fylingdales radar and no upgrade
should take place until a full investigation has taken place in to
the health effects of the specific type of pulsed radar emitted from
the site.
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A shield that can be used for defence
is a shield that can also be used for attack. Many countries are aware
that an effective Missile Defence shield would give the United States
"first strike ability". Statements by Donald Rumsfeld - US Defence
Secretary - back this up. In a document co-written by him for the
Project for the New American Century, he states that Missile Defence
will "provide a secure basis for US power projection around the world."
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Whether this first strike threat is
real or just perceived is irrelevant to the threat of proliferation.
So long as states perceive a threat they may increase their number
of nuclear ballistic missiles in order to ensure that they are capable
of piercing the shield - this is the best way to redress the imbalance
created by an MD shield. In 2003, China increased its nuclear arsenal
and Russia deployed 6 new nuclear missiles. Also in 2003 Indonesia
joined the list of states concerned that Star Wars will lead to a
new arms race.
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Full Spectrum Dominance - a term was
dreamt up by the US Space Command meaning
the complete military dominance of the military spectrums. These spectrums
are land, sea, air, information and now space. Missile Defence, with
its space-based lasers, space-capable ICBM interceptors, space-based
kinetic kill technology, ground-based space radars and space surveillance
satellites is a massive step not only towards the further development
of military uses of space, but is a big step towards the actually
placing of weaponry in space. Missile Defence is key to the development
of space weaponisation and many see Missile Defence as nothing more
than an excuse to develop space weapons under the tag of "defence".
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What's more, this full spectrum dominance,
if achieved, will give the USA the ability to fight wars more easily,
more often and with less casualties at home. They will be able to
fire independent drones and missiles, fire from space on to the Earth
and use the military command and control capabilities created by space
use to dominate in war and control in peace. Space Command calls space
"the fourth medium of warfare". Missile Defence is key to making this
a reality.
- The Missile Defence front Line bases
in Greenland, England, Australia and possible elsewhere would become
key targets for those wishing to attack the USA successfully with an
ICBM attack. As former UK Assistant Chief of Defence Staff Sir Timothy
Garden wrote, "The upgraded … radar sites would become the forward eyes
of a defence system. They would therefore become priority targets for
any enemy wishing to strike the US with ballistic missiles. An attack
on these sites would not necessarily be carried out be ballistic missiles"
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