WOMENWITH HILL WOMEN'S PEACE CAMP(AIGN) at Menwith Hill US Space-War Spy Base, P.O. Box 105, HARROGATE. HG3 2FE 19th April 2001

Below is a letter of objection to the latest Planning Application for installation of a signboard at Menwith Hill US DoD National Security Agency Station, Nr Harrogate, UK.

So far the response this time has been as follows:

Dear Mr Brown,

RE: MENWITH HILL US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY STATION, HARROGATE:
PLANNING APPLICATION 6.90.171.A CROWND: ELECTRONIC DISPLAY BOARD AT MAIN GATE:

I wish to submit objection to this planning application. Please ensure that the elected Councillors of the Area no.1 Planning sub- Committee are appraised of this letter:

Although ostensibly submitted by Howard Taylor, Defence Estates' Agent at Catterick Garrison, it is evident from the accompanying documents that Mr Taylor has nothing whatsoever to do with the planning application. His covering letter is designed to give the impression that the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence seeks planning clearance. However an examination of the application for the this electronic display board elicits the information that the installation is required by Kimberly Carlson, on behalf of the `Security Department' [of the United States' National Security Agency] at Menwith Hill Station. The plans have been drafted by L Paul Lewis, United States' Project Manager, & issued by the `Consolidated Drafting Department' [of the United States' National Security Agency] at Menwith Hill Station.

It is proposed that the electronic display board will be headed prominently with the permanent legend: "RAF MENWITH HILL".

I should be grateful if you could inform me which law of the United Kingdom of Great Britain permits the citizens of the United States of America, employees of the US Government's Department of Defense, to seek planning clearance for an electronic display board purporting to be a UK Royal Airforce installation.

For clarification, the elected Councillors of Harrogate should be informed by whom, & for what purpose, this planning application has been submitted:

The "Security Department" at Menwith Hill is the United States' Government's Department of Defense National Security Agency's `Security (& Law Enforcement) Department' [S & LE] whose offices are located in the American Headquarters, Building 29, with the US Base Commander's Executive Office suite.

S & LE is the department responsible for the maintenance, on Menwith Hill Station, of security & law [the law of the United States of America, that is, under the terms of the Visiting Forces' Act 1952]. The S & LE Department acts as police & judiciary for the United States' Armed Forces, & their US DoD contractors' civilian component at the base.

All Menwith Hill's employees, including the British personnel from Harrogate, who service the Americans, are positively vetted (PeeVee'd) by S & LE for access to the base. A section of S&LE, the Office of Special Investigations [OSI] maintains covert watch & continuously monitors all persons having any contact with the base [which necessarily includes the Harrogate Council]. Operations' personnel [exclusively US citizens] are required to pass a lie- detector test to qualify for access to classified intelligence information. Every person with Top Secret/ Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance is then assigned to a Security Officer attached to the S & LE, to whom they must report regularly. The US TS/SCI personnel are forbidden to associate with "foreign nationals" (i.e. UK citizens). Specifically they are not permitted to have any contact whatsoever with peace protesters, although they are obliged to recognise that critics of the US Department of Defense have a right to demonstrate their opposition. Upon conviction the sentence for breach of this law is `dishonourable discharge'.

S & LE is also responsible for the classification of every document published within Menwith Hill Station. Classification includes, for example "Top Secret", "Secret". This Planning Application is inscribed "UNCLASSIFIED/FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY", which should restrict the access to it of only those persons "with a need to know".

The electronic display sign is required to replace the existing painted wooden board, which currently carries the message: "THREATCON BRAVO" "ALERT BLACK BIKINI", readable only by people inside Menwith Hill.

Whenever the United States is engaged in the "humanitarian bombing" of other nations such as Libya, Iraq, Serbia, etc, it involves Menwith Hill's support to the military operations - the Command, Control, Communications, Computers & Intelligence [C4I] - and the base then goes on "RED ALERT". This means that there is a danger of retaliatory "terrorist" attack, either on the base, on the US citizens living in the locality or on Harrogate District & the wider UK.

In these circumstances Kimberly Carlson of S & LE considers it urgent to change instantly the message on the display board, rather than waste precious seconds running across from the American HQ to the Main Gate with a painted "Red Alert" signboard. Hence the justification for an electronic display board.

Menwith Hill is currently being upgraded as the European Ground Relay Station for the Space Based Infra Red System - a component of the USA's National Missile Defense Programme [otherwise known as `Star Wars']. As a consequence the base & surrounding area become much more vulnerable to "terrorist" attack. The USA's proposed missile shield, which will protect the continental United States, will offer no protection to the people of Harrogate nor the United Kingdom, so the UK becomes an obvious target. If these plans are not passed it might mean that Kimberly Carlson has to run across to change the boards much more often.

The erection of an electronic display board which may only be read by persons inside the base cannot be justified on "grounds of UK national security". Perhaps when the "THREATCON" is "ALPHA", Kimberly Carlson of S & LE at Menwith Hill ought to make a courtesy call to Harrogate Borough Council & the RAF.

This planning application has been designated `significant', therefore it has been advertised & objections/observations invited from members of the public, who are then informed that their objections will be taken into consideration by the Council before the plans are approved.

This cynical charade of a consultation procedure was conducted for the previous Menwith Hill planning application [6.500.164 A CROWND: Jetsams Battery Charging Houses] but the elected Councillors did not get the opportunity to make the decision whether or not to approve those plans, because the matter was decided under `delegated legislation' by Mr Harling, the Area Planning Officer - the same officer who designated the application `significant', advertised it, invited objections & then dismissed the 126 letters of objection, signed by c.200 people, which demanded a Public Inquiry.

This time I am submitting my objection through the Chief Planning Officer.

How can the Councillors, elected to run the Harrogate District, not be given opportunity to examine a planning application held to be `significant'? Is this democratic? What a waste of public money!

I fear that the elected Councillors will not be informed of this new application - & if not I shall make a complaint to the Ombudsman.

Helen John & I still await reply from the Secretary of State for Defence, Geoff Hoon, in response to our application to him [supported by Harold Best MP & others] to initiate a Public Inquiry into the "Star Wars" developments at Menwith Hill, as a result of the number of demands to do so. We anticipate that such a Public Inquiry, which would give the public the opportunity to express their concerns, will receive greater support in the future, & the evidence & implications of Menwith Hill's role in "Star Wars" will be properly & honestly investigated.

Yours sincerely,

Anne Lee

N.B. The information concerning the United States National Security Agency's Security [& Law Enforcement] Department is knowledge in the public domain. It was discovered inside the base & has been used as evidence in 3 Menwith Hill court cases brought against women from WOMENWITH HILL WOMEN'S PEACE [CAMP]AIGN.

"Those who resist believe...that democracy is no longer open to them." John Pilger, 1986.

cc. Kimberly Carlson, L Paul Lewis, Menwith Hill Station, Harrogate. HG3 4RF.
Howard Taylor, Defence Estates' Office, Catterick Garrison, N. Yorks. DL9 3EJ
Harold Best MP.
Menwith Hill Forum.

The following is the cover letter sent out by snail mail to folks who might send in objections. If you wish to participate, a short letter will suffice. Please do.

PLEASE SUBMIT OBJECTION TO THE LATEST MENWITH HILL PLANNING APPLICATION:
6.90.171.A CROWND: for ELECTRONIC DISPLAY BOARD AT MAIN GATE.

In 1997 when Harrogate Council passed the plans for the Space Based Infra Red System [SBIRS] installations at Menwith Hill, we none of us realised its "Star Wars" significance. At that time there were no objections on grounds that this was a component of "Star Wars".

The first media exposure was Duncan Campbell's article: "Star Wars Strikes Back", December 3rd 1998, & the BBC2 TV programme "Uncle Sam's Eavesdroppers".

In January Harrogate Planning Office dealt with 126 letters of objection, signed by c.200 people, to the Jetsams Battery Charging Houses. Area Planning Officer, Denis Harling, dismissed the objections, but, because there were so many, forwarded them to "the Developing Department" - the MoD Land Agent (North), Howard Taylor. Harold Best MP agreed to contact Geoff Hoon, Sec. State for Defence about a Public Inquiry. This is asking him to investigate his own Ministry - a case for the Ombudsman? We await reply.

Legal advice we received was to approach John Prescott, Dep. PM, which Ann Cryer MP did, to ask the Department of the Environment for a Public Inquiry. The DoE's reply was "...Harrogate Borough Council has been consulted...will be considering whether the development is acceptable...will also take account of any representations...you should make your views known to the Council..." - we could go round in circles!

We'd like to build a network of objectors, so that by the time Menwith Hill applies for the next Space Based Infra Red golf balls [the visibly obvious "Star Wars" stuff] the volume of objections will be such that the Harrogate Council will wonder what's hit `em - & a Public Inquiry will be inevitable.

Get ready to present your evidence!

PLEASE KEEP ON WITH THE OBJECTIONS TO "STAR WARS" PLANS AT MENWITH HILL. PLEASE KEEP ON SPREADING THE WORD.

"Having made my way through half a dozen wars and numerous other human upheavals, I have always trusted that, if all my faculties fail, my sense of the ridiculous will remain..." John Pilger, "Heroes" 1986.

Menwith Hill website