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Womenwith Hill Women's Peace Camp[aign],
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Press Release |
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During the afternoon of Wednesday June 19th, Anne Lee was apprehended by Inspector Barlow of the
Ministry of Defence (MoD) Police, as she approached the USA HQ Building inside Menwith Hill National Security Agency (NSA) Base. She was subsequently arrested by PC
Devlin, taken to Harrogate Police Station, where she was charged with Criminal Damage, and bailed to appear at Harrogate Magistrates' Court on Thursday 27th June. A pair
of boltcroppers was seized as evidence. It is alleged that she used the boltcroppers to cut a hole in the perimeter security fence and that she climbed through it to gain
access to the base. Her response to charge was: "The security is pathetic."
Following the Greenpeace anti-'Star Wars' invasion of the Menwith Hill Base last July 3rd/4th, the base security has been substantially upgraded with additional MoD Police, extra CCTV cameras, new security gates, more weld-mesh and razor-wire fences. This latest incursion is the first major breach of security at the base since the Greenpeace action. Ms Lee, old age pensioner, retired teacher and long-time peace activist, was carrying a letter for delivery to the station's US NSA Director of Installations. The DI's office is in the USA HQ Building along with that of the US Base Commander. The DI is responsible for drafting planning applications for developments at Menwith Hill. The letter, also seized as evidence, expresses concern about recent plans for substantial developments at the base. Ms Lee stated that she had hoped to speak personally to the DI, because of failure to respond to letters sent in the past. Ms Lee has since posted a copy of her letter to the DI. During the past few months16 planning applications for expansion of Menwith Hill and for extra security installations have been submitted to Harrogate Borough Council's Planning Office. These plans are despatched by the DI to the UK Ministry of Defence Estates' Office at Catterick Garrison, where a covering letter is prepared by the MoD Senior Estates Advisor, Mr C J Duke. This is a deception which conveys, to the local authority and the public, that the plans are on behalf of the Royal Air Force for so-called 'RAF' Menwith Hill. Although some of these planning applications have generated a significant number of representations from members of the public, many demanding a Public Inquiry, not one of them was submitted for consideration to the Harrogate Borough Council's Area no.1 Planning Committee. In the case of MoD land, the local authority can make recommendations only. Although not empowered to implement them, it would expect that its observations be taken into consideration. All Menwith Hill's recent planning applications have been determined under 'delegated legislation', by an employee in the Planning Office. Menwith Hill is identified, along with Fylingdales, also in North Yorkshire, as one of the bases the USA wishes to develop for its National Missile Defence (NMD) programme, commonly known as 'Star Wars', if the UK Government grants permission for the use of the bases. Some of the installations for the Space Based Infra Red System [SBIRS], a component of 'Star Wars', have already been installed at the Menwith Hill. Peace protesters believe that the expansion of the infrastructure and the security upgrades at both bases are preparatory to an announcement that 'Star Wars' will go ahead. The tighter security, they say, is to deter anticipated large-scale protests such as the Greenpeace action (which presupposes that the decision to allow 'Star Wars' has already been made in secret). June 19th is a significant date for the peace movement:
Menwith Hill is also due to expand to accommodate US personnel from the listening station at Bad Aibling in Germany. The closure of this base follows the year-long investigation by the European Parliament into the ECHELON global interception network and it's damage to European interests. Anne Lee, c/o WoMenwith Hill Women's Peace Camp[aign], P O Box 105, Harrogate HG3 2FE Tel: 01943 466825 |