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The View From Europe
America Can Rest Easy Concerning Missile Defence
By Nicola Mitchell
Friday, July 6, 2001 -- London (APJP -- As celebrations got underway in America to mark another Independence day, here in the UK we decided to take a few lessons and exert some independence of our own, and never ones to pass up an opportunity, make Bush look stupid into the bargain.
I now feel it is my duty to ease the fears of those who consider Bush's proposed Son of Star Wars system as some kind of threat. Trust me, if events witnessed in the UK during the past week are anything to go by, we certainly have no need to worry.
It seems that before Bush even thinks about kitting out the US with the world's most sophisticated missile defence system, he needs to sort out the security he already has as earlier this week, it took just a few minutes and 120 anti-missile defence protesters, to run rings around one of the most secure US spy bases in the world, Menwith Hill situated here in the UK.
Menwith Hill is said to have the capacity to intercept and monitor up to 2 million phone calls and e-mails an hour, but despite all this technology, it was unable to detect a large group of flag waving Greenpeace protesters, many of whom were dressed as giant missiles, brandishing all manner of banners and placards running at them head on.
It later failed to spot the said protesters are they began to hurl themselves over the maximum-security razor sharp fences. Not an alarm sounded, not at worker appeared as around 30 "missiles" began running around the grounds of the base, with further groups managing to take the protest a step further and occupy a water tower.
Now I would have thought that the base which, with the backing of Britain, looks set to play one of the most fundamental roles in the proposed missile defence strategy would be crawling with the most high-tech security, but it seems that members and staff of Greenpeace UK simply breezed onto the base, allegedly one of the most secure in the world, with hardly a question asked, the only thing standing in their way being a couple of startled security guards and a rather docile dog.
And as if all that wasn't embarrassing enough, protesters managed to invade the base just as easily for a second time only a day later. This time they even tried to give staff a head start by striking later in the day when they knew everyone would be awake, but it seems that no amount of sleep could help the bases beleaguered staff.
As the last protesters trickled away after some 15 hours of occupation, they spoke out about Bush's plans and the role Britain may eventually play. Speculation as to Britain role in missile defence has long been debated. Tony Blair has tried to stay tight-lipped on the subject as far as possible, but the recent protest has catapulted it into the spotlight. Maybe now Blair will be forced to stop sitting on the fence and make a decision one way or another. If he doesn't more protests look set to take place, which under the present circumstances certainly won't do much good for President -- sorry, Vice President Cheney's health.
Copyright © 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, American Politics Journal Publications, Inc.
