I am writing to the Defence Select Committee on behalf of CND Cymru, to register opposition to plans for the British Government to allow the United States of America military authorities the facility to use the military bases at Menwith Hill and Fylingdales for their so-called "Missile Defense" system. This "Missile Defense System" is a unilateral system designed for the US military to intercept missiles aimed at the USA before they reach their targets.

OUR OPPOSITION IS BASED ON FOUR CRITERIA:

  1.  Allowing missile defense spy and communication stations at Menwith Hill and Fylingdales will make Yorkshire a prime target for any group or country which has a disagreement with the US Government. This could have horrific consequences for the population of Britain and could make large areas of the North of Britain uninhabitable.

  2.  It will result in the vertical proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction because any potential enemy of the United States will consider increase the sophistication and number of its weapons in order to overcome the perceived number of US NMD missiles.

  3.  The US Government will use the US NMD system as a bullying tactic. They will be in a position to threaten any country with the argument that if they don't comply with US wishes they will be attacked and it will be useless for a counter-attack to be launched. We do not accept bullying within our society, why is bullying at an international level acceptable and why is it promoted by government?

  4.  The British Government has a commitment under Article 6 of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to work towards the elimination of nuclear weapons. The act of supporting the US NMD is contrary to this commitment.

  Will the Defence Committee show some moral principle and in the interest of the future of humanity and the environment advise Parliament and the British Government to deny the US military's request to use Menwith Hill and Fylingdales for their NMD.