BACKGROUND

  We are a campaigning group of concerned citizens which evolved (1992) out of the long campaign which has opposed the role and function of NSA Menwith Hill (and the presence of US bases in this country) for many years. We are totally opposed to the research, development, possession and use of weapons of mass destruction. The Joint Co-ordinators are grounded in Quakerism.

  We request that the Defence Select Committee refers to our website for details of our aims and objectives and how we work: www.caab.org.uk

AMD IN THE UK

  We were the first campaign group to discover (1996) that NSA Menwith Hill was to be a crucial component of the American Missile Defense System. In March 1997 this American base was formally designated as the European Relay Ground Station for the Space Based Infra Red System (SBIRS). There was no debate in Parliament and the information was announced in a Press release which we found while researching the Planning Department in Harrogate re planning applications at MH.

  In October 1999 we brought a legal action in the High Court London to stop the building of the two SBIRS radomes. Later that year we learnt that RAF Fylingdales was also to be used. These bases are importantly linked.

  In a statement to the High Court George Lewis (Union of Concerned Scientists USA) said "SBIRS is the clock that starts the National Missile Defence System. . ."

  CAAB has campaigned ever since through the democratic process (inter alia) to bring public scrutiny and awareness to the dangers of this American system.

  Some of our concerns are:

—  AMD is for US economic and military interests only—"Full spectrum Dominance of space" (Vision 2020—Space. . .the Warfighters' Edge

—  AMD is a US offensive system

—  Technically flawed (refer to work of Theodore Postel in US)

—  Financial cost is enormous—cannot be justified on any count when two thirds of the world are starving, hungry and deprived

—  Rich pickings for the Defense Corporations

—  Cost to the UK cannot be justified given the demands of the NHS, education, environment etc etc

—  George W Bush unilaterally dispensed with the carefully negotiated Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty 1972 which had kept the strategic balance of power for many years

—  Threatens world order in a world already in an extrememly dangerous state

—  Start of a nuclear arms race

—  AMD would not have prevented the terrible events of 11 September 2000 or acts of terrorism like "suicide bombers", attack on US Cole or weapons of mass destruction in a "suitcase"

—  Far from enhancing our security AMD puts all our security at risk—no amount of security will prevent the action of the determined

—  Cost of security (eg policing of bases, CTTV surveillance, razor wire etc etc) will continue to increase

—  NSA Menwith Hill and RAF Fylingdales become a focus for terrorist attack

—  The UK government has already made the decision to give formal consent for the use of Menwith Hill, RAF Fylingdales and probably other facilities in this country (the Deep Space Tracking Facility and Near Space Center at Feltwell)

—  Dangerous and crazed plan in an already unstable and dangerous world

  The CAAB website has an extensive and comprehensive list of useful websites and articles concerning this issue.

  We sincerely ask that the Defence Select Committee takes into account the views of CAAB. We are extremely concerned that there has been no debate in Parliament. This issue warrants a referendum. We are deeply troubled by the lack of openess and honesty by the UK government concerning this issue and do not trust Tony Blair to be independent of the US and its demands.

  We believe that the influence, integrity and careful scrutiny of the Defence Select Committee is crucial in revealing the extent of this dangerous and crazed road that we are being taken down by the UK government. We ask that the Defence Select Committee makes strenuous enquiries to find out exactly which bases and facility will be used in the AMD System.

  We trust that the Defence Select Committee will be mindful of the demanding responsibilities it has in the interests of human kind. Future generations will not thank us if we make the fatal decision of allowing these bases to be used in the UK for the AMD system. We have to think of alternatives to a system that cannot be justified on any grounds.