Peace Group tells USA to stop spying on us

Philip Gilligan holding a placard calling for an end to spying on people in Rochdale

Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group joined the Campaign for Accountability of American Bases and many other organisations at the Menwith Hill in Yorkshire on Thursday (4 July 2013).

They called for the closure of the communications base in the Pennines which provides intelligence support to the United States military and which whistle-blower, Edward Snowden revealed last week as a major link in the the 'Prism' project which spies on British people's use of email and the internet.

The RAF describes the Menwith Hill base as being 'made available to the US Department of Defense (DoD)'  and admits that 'the administration of the base is the responsibility of the US authorities', while in July 2007, the then Defence Minister admitted that Britain had agreed to Menwith Hill being used by US forces as part of its controversial missile defence (‘Star Wars’) system.

Philip Gilligan, on behalf of the peace group said: “It is outrageous that the US military are allowed to spy on ordinary people in Rochdale from an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the Pennines and frightening that they have been allowed to absorb Menwith Hill into their dangerous plans for sending missiles into space. We don't want our countryside used for the Pentagon’s Star Wars fantasies.

"We don't want our world to be intimidated by US missiles and we don't want people in the Pennines to become a target during a future military conflict.

"Such decisions have been made without any debate in Parliament or even the pretence of consultation with the public. There was no chance for MPs, let alone the public to discuss the decision to tie Menwith Hill into the so-called missile defence system and without the bravery of whistle-blowers like Edward Snowden we wouldn't know that they are spying on us every time we send an email."