MENWITH HILL. I came here to demonstrate on various occasions in the 1980's at the height of the Cold War. Chumbawamba played here at one of the Peace Camp Festivals (July 4 1986). The last time we drove by was New Years Day 2000. Me and my partner, Laura who is American on the way back from a trip to Brimham Rocks, a beautifully pleasant day until we drove (along this road) past the Menwith Hill base, on our route back to Leeds. Laura knew that such bases existed but she had never seen one. She was horrified. We had twins born Jan 15th 2000. The horror of having this place on our doorstep is suddenly multiplied a million-fold.

On the surface. The 1990's saw (on the one hand) the dawning of a new period of optimism with regard to the nuclear arms race. Arms reduction agreements between the super powers, Test ban Treaties being apparently observed to the letter. BUT as we stand here again outside the Menwith Hill base, it has become without our consent, and without our prior knowledge, enmeshed in the SBIRS SON OF STAR WARS, Space Based Infra Red System and it becomes obvious that the optimism was mis-placed.

Menwith HIll as well as the home of the world's biggest and most secret listening station (ECHELON) is to become a tracking station for Lasers from Space. LASERS FROM SPACE apparently to destroy 'enemy missiles'. from so called "rogue states". (Iraq, Iran, N. Korea?). OR is that just another cover story.

George Bush Junior, in his US presidential bid and with a fondness for this father's war heroics, has pledged to make sure that he and the United States are both ready and fully prepared from a military standpoint, to face the emerging dual threats of the new millenium: IRAN? IRAQ? NO! According to Bush a newly emergent Russia, and the now dominant Chinese communist bloc. AND A WHOLE NEW COLD WAR. So is George Bush Junior, just some tragic left-over from a bygone age? Unfortunately not.

The September 1999 issue of "Scientific American," tells how US spending. under the Clinton Administration, in the last half of the nineteen nineties, has regularly exceeded the average spent supporting nuclear capability during the cold war.

How so? Virtual Nuclear Testing! Pray tell? The military argument for 'virtual testing' - building the world's most advanced, and most expensive super computers needed to simulate nuclear explosions - is the constant need to maintain the safe handling of current nuclear stock-piles. But all such weapons have already been tested in actuality. A more sinister goal lurks beneath the surface. Most obvious, the upgrading of existing nucler weapons, BUT WORSE the ability to build a whole new generation of nuclear scientists who developed existing nuclear weapons reach retirement age. Computers and Virtual nuclear explosions get around the nuclear test ban treaty, BUT are in complete contradition to the official U.S. policy of working towards less nuclear wepons, rather than more. And as with any nuclear proliferation, the government's need for secrecy increases proportionately.

SON OF STAR WARS, being built here IS EUPHEMISTICALLY CALLED A SHIELD ie. for defensive purposes only. When is a shield not a shield? When it is part of the military double-speak. Not least when it is a part of a military policy that is committed to keeping the upper hand. If the US GOVERNMENT chose to launch a nuclear attack, by intent or de-fault, then the SHIELD would be perfectly in place to LAUNCH AN ATTACK against any enemy retaliation. This is the twisted logic of military planners, and the langage of the Cold War at its worst, that a war between major powers could be won.

To the untrained observer, Britain is committed to arms reduction. Tony Blair stands shoulder to shoulder with the rest of Europe in opposing new US weapons systems. Mr Blair, even pretends in public to make special appeals to Bill Clinton not to pursue policies which may increase the amount of arms in the world. But as most of us know Mr Blair is the Military Industrial Complex's favourite back-door man. Think that Tony Blair is unaware the shadowy dealings here at Menwith Hill? Of course not. This government has become adept at trying to sneak things in through the back door and, especially so when it reflects the wishes of the cronies in crime, the United States policy makers. You can bet that despite the Labour Party's apparent anti-nuclear credibility, they have already dragged us into the next generation of the nuclear age, up to and over our heads.

In this country, with the government's help Genetically Modified Foods were introduced throught the back door, but have been outed, and the GM industry thrown into panic because of mass popular opposition. In Seattle in November of last year concerned ordinary American citizens rendered the World Trade Organization showpiece inoperable and rightfully turned the spotlight of the world on their shady practices. It can be done. It is our duty today to publicise this monstrosity which stands before us. It's our task to demand, by hook or by crook, to force these secretive practices into the open and bring the pressure to halt a new escalation in the Arms Race.