October 2013
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8 PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS AND US Air Force (c) US Navy and US Marines (d) ANSWERS (Source: Hansard) NSA personnel (e) US contractors (f) British contractors (g) British Army (h) British Air Force Fabian Hamilton is MP for Leeds North East (i) British Navy and (j) Ministry of Defence and has regularly asked PQs for CAAB. There personnel work at CSO Morwenstow. are a few PQs because Parliament has been in recess since mid-July A: Alistair Burt: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Foreign and GCHQ Morwenstow Commonwealth Affairs. There are approximately Q: Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State 200 people working at Government for Defence to what agency and individual those Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) Bude working at CSO Morwenstow are accountable. (previously known as Composite Signals A: Alistair Burt (Parliamentary Under Secretary of Organisation Station Morwenstow). It is long No. 52 October 2013 State (Afghanistan / South Asia, counter terrorism standing Government policy not to provide a Raising public awareness, scrutiny and accountability of US Visiting Forces and their Agencies in the UK and world-wide / proliferation, North America, Middle East and detailed breakdown of staffing at GCHQ sites North Africa), Foreign and Commonwealth Office; [10 July 2013 c268W]. North East Bedfordshire, Conservative): I have USAF (“RAF) Barford St John Brief look at local, national and international news: been asked to reply on behalf of the Department Q: Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of hypocrisy of the US and the UK who claimed for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. Those State for Defence what his plans are for RAF to be outraged while selling the materials to working at Government Communications Barford St John over the next (a) 12 months and make chemical weapons. Also the US has a Headquarters (GCHQ) Bude, previously known (b) two years. CAAB put out a statement about the horrific long history of using chemical weapons – two as the Composite Signals Organisation Station examples: Defoliates and napalm in Vietnam A: Andrew Murrison (South West Wiltshire use of chemical weapons in Syria. We still do Morwenstow, are accountable to the Secretary and white phosphorus and depleted uranium Conservative): RAF Barford St John is made not know who did this heinous act. We are of State of Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. in Iraq. And two – the people made it clear that available to the United States Visiting Forces. strongly opposed to settling conflicts other [10 July 2013 s268W] we are tired of war. We were not going to allow The Ministry of Defence is not currently aware than by peaceful means. It looked as if Barack Q: Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of the Coalition government to follow the US. of any changes to US plans for the base over the Obama (followed by David Cameron) were State for Defence how many (a) US army (b) Parliament had to take notice. It was a historic next two years [9 July c124W]. heading into another costly and dangerous war over Syria. This was before the UN weapons vote and a good story. CAAB TALKS, MEDIA INTERVIEWS, Quaker Meeting for Worship 2013/14 inspectors had reported. A nightmare situation was once again unfolding as happened in the A Message from JUdith ARTICLES, LETTERS TO NEWSPAPERS NSA Menwith Hill: illegal war in Iraq. Our Hon Treasurer Letters to: Harrogate Advertiser, The Guardian, 2.00pm – 3.00pm; Morning Star, Red Pepper, Inside Out, BBC Look 5 October, 7 December CAAB worked hard to insist that Parliament was I volunteered to take this role on as I have North, Article for the Independent Monitor RAF Fylingdales: recalled to discuss the crisis and encouraged felt strongly for some time that the whole Donate to CAAB on the website. A PayPal account 12 midday – 1.00pm; people to contact their MPs to vote against premise of Menwith Hill is wrong. I have has been set up which will make it much easier 2 November, 4 January 2014 the utter folly of attacking Syria. In the end little spare time because of work and family to donate money for the work of CAAB: CAAB Parliament spoke and voted against any military commitments but feel that I will be able to USAF Croughton: main gate 4th Saturday account No: 500095311 Sort Code: 089229 The action in Syria. A chance remark by John Kerry fit this job in. When looking at the financial each month – 2.00pm for 1-2 hours. Cooperative Bank , I Balloon Street, Manchester (US Secretary of State) suggesting that the records, I think it’s marvellous the way that M60 4EP FINALLY ... Contact: Elisabeth Salisbury 01865 515163. conflict in Syria could be solved if Syria gave so many of you donate on a regular basis. up its stockpile of chemical weapons, resulted Without your continuing support, financial, “If we don’t succeed, we run the risk of failure” – Dan Quayle (one-time US Presidential candidate) in Russia brokering a deal with the Syrian physical and actual, then I am quite certain government; to list the chemical weapons that this very important work couldn’t WHO’S WHO AT CAAB? Photographer: Steve Schofield they hold and then to destroy them. The world continue. (sdschofield.wordpress.com) Hon Treasurer: Judith Rushy, 31 Blossomgate breathed again (see extract from article from So, long may the contributions continue, Ripon, HG4 2AJ. (Bank signatories Judith Rusby Coordinator: Lindis Percy Project Censored page 7). and please be patient with me – I’m new to and Martin Schweiger) Contact: Email: [email protected] Two things in particular struck us. One was the this! Judith Webmaster: Ray Middleton CAAB is on Facebook and Twitter: @C_A_A_B Mailing list organiser: Melanie Ndzinga This newsletteris printedon100%recycled Fundraiser: Christine Dean paper by: Enid Taylor Ltd, ThePrinting House, 8ColdBathRoad, Harrogate,HG2 0NA. Graphic designer: Paul Wood Tel: 01423 567764 . Fax: 01423 567765 Monitoring planning applications: Steve Hill E-mail: [email protected] 2 7 AROUND A FEW OF THE US BASES (UK) committee has any influence or knows what this POLLUTING THE WORLD unaccountable and secretive base is going. – 23 “The greatest single assault on the environment, NSA/USAF MENWITH HILL September 2013 near Harrogate, North Yorkshire on all of us around the globe, comes from one Lindis Percy Co-ordinator Campaign for the agency . the Armed Forces of the United States.” Since the last newsletter the Guardian and New Accountability of American Bases A MESSAGE FROM PETER LAZENBY – [Barry Sanders, author of The Green Zone: The York Times have been publishing worrying Demonstrations at NSA Menwith Hill Since NORTHERN REPORTER FOR THE MORNING Environmental Costs of Militarism]. documents about the NSA and GCHQ revealed Last Newsletter: There has been a lot going STAR Some Facts: The Department of Defense is the by the whistle blower, Edward Snowden. There on and CAAB has been busy. We have Media coverage of campaigns for peace and largest polluter in the world, producing more is a contingency of GCHQ personnel at the organised demonstrations against Unmanned disarmament leave a lot to be desired – where hazardous waste than the five largest US chemical base. For many years it has been known that Aerial Vehicles (DRONES), Guantanamo Bay coverage exists at all. But one daily, national companies combined. Depleted uranium, NSA Menwith Hill is ‘the hub of the ECHELON detention centre, the crisis in Syria, during the newspaper has been consistent in its support petroleum, oil, pesticides, defoliant agents such as system’ (European Parliament STOA report trial of Private Manning (now known as Chelsea for CAAB and other campaign groups – the Agent Orange, and lead, along with vast amounts 2001). However it is the scale and scope of Manning) and letting NSA Menwith Hill know that Morning Star. of radiation from weaponry produced, tested, and the surveillance and intelligence-gathering by “Whistle Blowers Urgently Needed” (written on used, are just some of the pollutants with which the NSA which has been the most surprising The Morning Star was launched in 1930 as the upside down US flag). This was in addition to the US military is contaminating the environment. revelation contained in the Snowden documents, the Daily Worker, and was the voice of the the weekly Tuesday evening demonstration (6-8 Flounders identifies key examples: [American as the documents make clear links with NSA Communist Party of Great Britain. Today it has a pm). Christopher Photograph: Yorkshire. North in Hill Menwith NSA Images Furlong/Getty spelling] Menwith Hill. William Hague stated: “If you have wider role as the voice of the labour and trades nothing to hide you have nothing to fear”. This is Weekly Tuesday Demonstration (now into 14th union movement, and as a voice for a wide • Depleted Uranium: Tens of thousands of not the point Mr Hague. There is a fundamental year): We were very disappointed and deeply variety of groups campaigning for a better, fairer pounds of micro-particles of radioactive and principle of individual privacy involved. concerned that the society, and a world free from war. highly toxic waste contaminate the Middle policing of these East, Central Asia, and the Balkans. This all happened just as and spontaneous The paper is produced by a small team of • US-made Land Mines and cluster bombs spread Parliament went into demonstrations professional journalists based mainly in London. over wide areas of Africa, Asia, Latin America, recess and there have reverted But in the last 12 months it has expanded its and the Middle East continue to spread death was no chance back to conflict, coverage of issues in the north, including and destruction even after wars have ceased.