There have been 4 July protests at the base since 1980

See also: "Patriot Protestor"

A UN weapons inspector who resigned over the issue of weapons of mass destruction joined campaigners at a North Yorkshire military base.

Scott Ritter addressed activists at the annual 4 July protests outside the US intelligence and surveillance base at Menwith Hill, near Harrogate.

Mr Ritter then gave a talk at Leeds Civic Hall on Monday evening.

Protesters from the Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases said they "will not be silenced".

Joint co-ordinator Lindis Percy said: "We will be making the links between the outrage of poverty in Africa and the hypocrisy of the billions and billions of dollars that are being spent on military weaponry and war fighting world wide.

"Menwith Hill is crucial in the American missile defence programme. This is something that George W Bush and Tony Blair keep very quiet about.

"However, we will not be silent or be silenced."

The leader of 14 missions to Iraq during the Saddam Hussein era will join protesters at Menwith Hill on the Yorkshire moors near Harrogate, where a steadily increasing number of golfball radomes house electronic listening devices operated by the US national security agency.

Mr Ritter has been an increasingly vociferous opponent of the Iraq war and subsequent operations. He was chief inspector for Unscom, the special commission to disarm Saddam's regime. A former officers in the US Marines, his appearance at Menwith's annual Independence from America rally on July 4, US Independence Day, will further enrage his critics in the Bush administration who dismiss him as a renegade.

Mr Ritter will repeat arguments that US forces do not ultimately have the capability to control Iraq or win over mass support for a new democratic regime. The event also ties in to protests at the G8 summit in Edinburgh, with a focus this year on the extent of military spending compared with overseas aid, especially in the US.

The veteran campaigner Lindis Percy, who last month defeated a Ministry of Defence attempt to have an antisocial behaviour order imposed on her after hundreds of trespasses at the base, will speak alongside Mr Ritter, carrying her trademark upside-down Stars and Stripes, with the slogan Independence from America.

"We will be making the links between the outrage of poverty in Africa and the hyprocrisy of the billions and billions of dollars that are being spent on military weaponry world wide," Ms Percy said.

"Menwith Hill is crucial in the American missile defence programme, along with Fylingdales on the moors between Scarborough and Whitby. This is something that George Bush and Tony Blair seem to be keeping very quiet about."

The ex-US Marine, who resigned over the issue of weapons of mass destruction, has accepted an invitation to attend the annual Independence from America demonstration held on July 4 at the signals intelligence station near Harrogate.

Menwith Hill, which has satellite tracking radomes occupying 500 acres of moorland west of Harrogate, played a vital part in intelligence gathering in both Gulf War and its 1,200 United States staff were commended for their role.

Since 9/11 it has had a 24-hour armed guard.

Now it is about to take on a new role as the European ground station for Mr Bush's Son of Star Wars shield, which is intended to protect the US from missile attacks.

Mr Ritter, 44, served as a ballistic missile expert under General Norman Schwarzkopf in the first Gulf War and in 1991 joined UNSCOM – the United Nationals Special Commission – taking part in more than 30 inspections in Iraq, 14 as team leader.

After Mr Ritter was accused by Iraq of being a US spy, UNSCOM left the country in 1998.

Mr Ritter resigned and accused the US and the Security Council of "caving in" to Iraq. Later he accused the West of being too tough on Iraq.

Before Mr Bush launched the second Gulf War in 2003, Mr Ritter claimed the US was "on the verge of an historic mistake".

After speaking at the demonstration at Menwith Hill, which is being held on July 4 between noon and 4pm, Mr Ritter will speak at 7.30pm at a meeting in Leeds Civic Hall organised by the Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases and Menwith Hill Forum.