Menwith Hill and ending the space arms race – Yorkshire Post Letters

From: Sarah Swift, Ripon.

I WRITE in response to your recent report about the Prince of Wales visiting the top-secret US spy base in North Yorkshire.

Your reporter Lucy Leeson describes Menwith Hill correctly as “largely used by personnel from the US National Security Agency (NSA), as well as staff from the UK’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)”.

Ms Sally Holcombe, the US Chief of Station, is in control of Menwith Hill. The base’s activities are not accountable to the UK Parliament.

Two days before Prince Charles’s visit to Menwith Hill, I was one of five protesters outside the main gates of Menwith Hill for an annual Keep Space for Peace demonstration organised by the Menwith Hill Accountability Campaign and Yorkshire CND. This year, the event was mainly held online but with a live link to the protest.

The US and the UK have both ratified the Outer Space Treaty (1967) which binds them to use space only for peaceful purposes.

The activities of NSA/NRO Menwith Hill contravene this treaty – by intercepting communications between satellites and by intercepting, via satellites, mobile phone communications across the world. The intelligence gained in these clandestine ways is used for military operations – to target illegal drone attacks in countries where we are not at war and could be used to initiate a nuclear strike.

Menwith Hill’s activities result in the indiscriminate killing of civilians across the world, contravening international law and ideals of justice and compassion.

We ask that the US and the UK rethink security.

It is imperative to invest money to tackle the threats posed by climate change and pandemics rather than in the militarisation of space, to work towards arms-control treaties rather than to take part in a 
self-perpetuating space arms race.

Reading and writing help

From: Neil Richardson, Kirkheaton.

YOUR article on the oddly labelled “left-behind” children (The Yorkshire Post, November 4) gives two reasons for under-performance – pupils who (rationally) don’t apply themselves and inadequate parental support through a “very highly academic GSCE system”.

However, I don’t believe we should expect most youngsters to ponder deeply over jobs, careers and higher education until their mid-teens. In any case, who would provide a fair picture of the worst recurrent issues faced by teachers, ambulance crews or front-line police?

Perhaps the Commons Education Committee ought to seriously consider how concerned parents might be coached not about bureaucratic GCSE systems, but rather the ongoing reflective habits of reading and writing, which might help themselves and their youngsters from an early age.

Ban method
of slaughter

From: Bob Watson, Baildon.

WELL said, A J A Smith (The Yorkshire Post, November 3) in connection with the non-stun slaughter of animals.

This is indeed a wholly unacceptable practice that belongs in the Middle Ages. It is high time such slaughter was made illegal and if this disturbs some religious sensibilities, then tough.

Governments have sat on their hands on this issue for far too long and action is long overdue. What are they afraid of, one wonders? Just get on with it.

No special relationship

From: Peter Bye, 
Park Crescent, Addingham.

I HAVE visited America many times and have never met an American who has ever heard of a “special relationship” between our nations (Bernard Ingham, The Yorkshire Post, November 4).

So before we Brits get doughy-eyed about the next president, you should consider what Henry Kissinger said some years ago: “America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests.” This sums up our relationship with the USA.

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

LOOKING at all the shenanigans going on in the American presidential election, doesn’t it make our Queen and the monarchy seem a wonderful institution?

Quick refund from airline

From: Mike Lacey, Elloughton.

We read lot about problems obtaining refunds from airlines and others. I would like to give a big pat on the back to Air France.

My wife and I had booked and paid to travel with Air France from Manchester to the West Indies next February.

On Wednesday last week I had to cancel the trip. Air France told me there might be a delay in processing the refund.

However the refund was credited to my credit card on Friday. That is such good service in these difficult times and I don’t have some gold-plated frequent-flyer card. Well done, Air France.

Has council learned lesson?

From: Dave Ellis, Hedon.

AS a reader who subscribes to your excellent paper, I would like to ask if one of your reporters could do a Saturday feature interviewing Sheffield Council leader Julie Dore about the lessons that have been learnt about tree felling and give some examples of these being put into practice.