Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases

The annual Independence from America demonstration at Menwith Hill in 2015 was remarkable in several respects. Sunshine, a play area for children, a small number of good humored police and the presence of other peace groups all helped. Good vegetarian food provided by the 1 – 12 Café Collective was enjoyed and the CAAB stall did good business selling the last of the special “Over the Hill” Menwith mugs along with several copies of Margaret Nunnerley’s book “Surveillance, Secrecy and Sovereignty”.

But it was more than that. Two Members of Parliament (Fabian Hamilton and Richard Burgon) spoke clearly and drew our attention to the bigger political picture in which the mass collection of surveillance data plays a significant and de-stabilising part. Two ex-military service men provided an insight into the damage being done to young men and women who join the armed services in the expectation of a better life and become severely traumatized by what they experience.

Two powerful messages were shared by Lindis Percy as she read communications from John Pilger and Noam Chomsky. We heard from Sukant Chandan who drew parallels from history of how those with the power to do so have oppressed and exploited other people. Music flowed from choirs, individual singers and artists. Gary Kaye drew on more than two decades of playing and singing songs that reflected his understanding of social and political issues. The East Lancs Clarion Community Choir performed some great music drawing on the peace heritage, telling us why Yorkshire based peace campaigns should welcome like minded friends from across the Pennines.

Also from across the Pennines came Tayo Aluko, a gifted baritone, whose moving performance draws on the inspiration given to him by Paul Robeson. The formal event was taken to a lively finale by the brass instruments of Les Vegas and the International boys of Rhythm with their irrepressible vocalist Sara Allkins. It was such a privilege to hear the speakers, performers and musicians who contributed so much to the experience of participating in the event and in restating why campaigning for peace is so important.

But it was more than all that. There was a sense of growing unity amongst those present that however difficult peace campaigning may be it is essential and it is worthwhile. Maybe the take away message was that “one day we shall overcome”.

Martin Schweiger

CAAB Facilitator

It got colder and colder at NSA Menwith Hill last night as about 25 people gathered at the gates of the base to protest at the role this base plays in Drones in particular and the US Missile Defense system. How there was no rain! We were one action of 46 actions round the world by groups and individuals world in answer to the call by the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space for a week of international protest against the militarization of space – RETURN SPACE TO PEACE.

We had previously written to Christopher Gilmore (US Commander in control and occupation of the base) asking him if he would come and join us so that we could give him a letter setting out our concerns. Christopher Gilmore declined our invitation so Geoff Dickson (RAF Liaison officer at NSA Menwith Hill)
agreed to joined us to receive a letter for us. The letter which was signed by everyone who came to the demonstration is attached.

Even though this was a small demonstration in the scheme of things, there were people from Canada, the US, Italy, Pendle in Lancashire, Leeds, Colne, Otley, Bradford, Pickering, Bedale and Harrogate!

We were privileged to have Brian Terrell from the US speaking at the demonstration. Brian recently spent 6 months in prison for an action he and others did at Whiteman Air Force base where Drones are operated from. He talked about the effects of Drones, particularly on the young pilots who sit at screens thousands of
miles away and ‘take out’ targeted people sanctioned by Barack Obama and other faceless people and who are deemed to be terrorists. He said that this immoral and illegal military system is replacing conventional aircraft and it is getting out of control as there is no accountability or credible legal oversight about the use of Drones. He spoke movingly about his time in prison and why he takes the action he has taken over many years. We are so grateful to him for
what he does and privileged to hear him speak candidly about his thoughts and experiences.

We were disappointed that the Ministry of Defence police were again somewhat aggressive in their policing and attitude to those who crossed the illegal and contentious ‘yellow line’ which they say denotes the boundary of NSA Menwith Hill and which North Yorkshire Police say is ‘only an indication of the boundary’.
We will, once again be pursuing this with North Yorkshire police as the MDP police on behalf of NYP.

The demonstration ended just before 8 pm when we stood in the dark, calm night for two minutes silence to remember all the thousand of people who have been killed or injured by Drones. We especially thought about the civilian people caught up in this frightening, illegal and immoral relatively new military weapon.

Thank you so much for every one who came. To Brian Terrell, Martin Schweiger who spoke on behalf of CAAB, Brigid-Mary for pursuing the ‘right to protest’, Christine Dean who managed the CAAB stall and especially to the ‘hot, delicious soup and rolls’ team – provided by Laila and Rob Packer (not forgetting Fia!). It was extremely welcome!

Photographs above by Dor Fountain

It was GREAT people came in support and stood firm with Bradley Manning on the grass verge on the corner of the busy A59 Harrogate to Skipton Road/turning to the American base at NSA Menwith Hill. There was lots of passing traffic and a lot of friendly hoots (one or two aggressive but not many). We gave out some leaflets (thank you WISE Up – they did arrive!) to several people who stopped. There were one or two drivers and cyclists who wanted to know what we were doing.

We were very surprised when a very important person arrived (with absolutely NO bodyguards CIA/FBI etc. in tow). What a chance to ask Barack Obama, no less, some questions. I was quite surprised how sharp he was and with his usual charm and weasel words tried to sound convincing. Needless to say I was not convinced. He stayed for the whole of the two hours.

At the end of the demonstration an upside down US flag with the words STANDING FIRM WITH BRADLEY MANNING was handed into NSA Menwith Hill via James Sheardown (Sergeant Ministry of Defence Police – paid for and under the operational control of the US authorities) with the express request that this be given to Christopher Gilmore (US Commander who occupies and controls all that goes on at NSA Menwith Hill) given to him by THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF AMERICAN BASES – CAAB.

We left another upside US flag which said THANK YOU BRADLEY MANNING on the GIVE WAY traffic sign on the corner where the demonstration was held. Later we noticed a man who was jogging down the road in the direction of NSA Menwith Hill and holding the rolled up flag. He was asked if he would please give the flag back. He took no notice and kept on jogging still holding the rolled up flag. He continued up the road, a photo was taken of him as this was potentially theft and as he got near he was asked again to give the flag back. He was an American from the base and said that he was taking it back to the base ‘as you usually have the flags there mam” (presumably with reference to the weekly Tuesday pm demonstration). He gave the flag back and was thanked (and given the benefit of any doubts!). Over the years several upside down US flags and banners have gone missing. We have some idea as to who has taken them.

THINKING OF YOU, BRADLEY MANNING.
Thank you so much to everyone who came.

Don’t know what to do next weekend to show solidarity with the Guantanamo hunger strikers as their protest hits 100 days?

We’ve produced a list of things you can do now/then – from petitions to sign, protests to join, places you can donate, t-shirts you can buy & so do something.

There’s more here!.

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A compelling reason for joining the demonstration below at NSA Menwith Hill.
There will also be a presence at the Cenotaph in Harrogate from 11-1pm. Please consider joining either (or both!) for sometime on Saturday.

This Saturday marks the 101st day of the hunger strike.

Lindis Percy (Coordinator of CAAB) will be at the American base at NSA Menwith Hill on Saturday 18 May 2013. She will be there at 7 am to start a 24 hour fast in solidarity with the hunger strikers at Guantanamo. She will be dressed in the iconic orange suit and black hood of Guantanamo dreadful detention centre. If you don’t want to or can’t fast please come for some of the 24 hours or join in the fast.

Demonstrators gathered at Menwith Hill last weekend to protest against the vastly increased use of armed unmanned aerial vehicles – or ‘drones’- now being controlled over Afghanistan from RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire from information gathered at intelligence bases in the UK led by Menwith Hill.

Lindis Percy, co-ordinator of CAAB, the Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases, said, ‘Drones operate in a climate of secrecy and make it easier for politicians to launch military strikes without democratic oversight. Already many innocent civilians have been killed. Drones are illegal, immoral and deadly and make the world a much more dangerous place.’

On this day Bradley Manning had been detained for 1,000 days without trial. A group of people gathered at the gates of the American base at NSA Menwith Hill in North Yorkshire from 11 – 1 pm, in response to the international call for action by the Bradley Manning Support Network in the US and others to mark this shocking day of his continued detention.

We stood in front of the cars coming out of the base, blew whistles and held upside down US flags with messages of support eg “GOOD ON YOU BRADLEY MANNING”. It was cold and snowing. Afterwards an US upside down flag (“THANK YOU BRADLEY MANNING”) was tied on to the perimeter fence for Christopher Gilmore(Colonel US Commander of NSA Menwith Hill) and the people who work on this base; making it clear that CAAB supports Bradley Manning.

Lindis Percy (Joint Coordinator of CAAB) said: “There is often a terrible price to pay for ‘blowing the whistle’ to reveal crimes and abuses going on. Bradley Manning has seriously stirred the hornets nest involving the most serious and shocking cover up by the US government and US military. He has exposed war crimes.
These people should be in court. We need more whistle blowers like Bradley Manning”.

The weather was kind enough to keep all of us dry on our new year’s day demonstration at Menwith Hill – although it was a little blustery. We celebrated the new year with hot soup, cakes and biscuits and a real hope for a peaceful 2013. The MDPA policing was discreet and courteous as some of us crossed the yellow line to demonstrate directly in front of the main gates.

For those of you who couldn’t be there, we will be there every Tuesday evening between 6 & 8pm.

Please Join us if you can!

CAAB will be focussing on this important international week of protest which is called for every year by the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space – on Tuesday 9 October (6-8 pm) when the cyclists who are cycling from Fylingdales to Menwith Hill (7-9 October) will be arriving to join us:

Imaging satellites capture the visual images of the targets (including individual people) that warmakers wish to destroy. Signals satellites pick up voices and other sounds which further identify a target, while the GPS system provides the gunsight or bombsight which directs the bullet or bomb to its destination. All these same orbiting instruments of war help the Pentagon assess damage, often leading to more strikes repeating the same process. The addition of drones and other new age weapons bring us close to having no human being in the loop at all.

There is a perception among those aware of space that most orbital activity in the past five years has shifted to the private sector, and that federal government satellite activity has declined during the Obama administration. While civilian government agencies like NASA are facing cutbacks, satellite launches have kept up with a Bush-era pace. The satellites that manage spying, navigation, targeting, and military communications are launched by agencies such as the National Reconnaissance Office and the Defense Information Systems Agency, whose budgets are larger than ever, but whose activities take place largely out of the public eye.

While the satellites orbiting miles above our heads may be out of our sights, the ground stations they depend upon, in locations such as Menwith Hill, UK; Pine Gap, Australia; and Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado are vast bases that play a large role in local economies worldwide.

Some photographs taken during the Keep Space for Peace demonstration at Menwith Hill.

More soon.