Menwith Hill: A US Spy Base in Yorkshire March 1st

Lifting the lid on Menwith Hill

Lifting the Lid on Menwith Hill:
The Strategic Roles and Economic Impact of the US Spy Base in Yorkshire
 
Thursday 1st March 2012
 7.30pm
 Harrogate Friends Meeting House
12a Queens Parade Harrogate


This is the first report of its kind that investigates the role of Menwith Hill since the European Parliament resolved that the electronic surveillance breached the European Convention of Human Rights in 2001.

It sheds light on the work of the US base which is run by the National Security Agency (NSA) under an informal and secretive lease agreement with the UK Government. Important questions are raised within the report regarding the base's accountability to Parliament.

The report covers:
  • Menwith Hill's strategic role as a regional intelligence base illegally collecting and analysing information from satellites, phone tapping and the interception of internet traffic
  • The role that Menwith Hill plays in information-led warfare for US military actions such as drone attacks
  • An examiniation of claims made by the US authorities, and repeated in Parliament, of the economic benefit of the base to the local community
  • The hidden economic costs of the base and the degree to which these are subsidised by the UK taxpayer

The launch will include a presentation by the report author Dr Steve Schofield and a discussion on the main findings. 

Further information on Menwith Hill can be found on our campaigns pages.