PRESS RELEASE

14 December 2002

U.S. to formally request use of UK bases for Missile Defence

BASIC was informed on Friday that the U.S. Administration had made a formal request for the use of facilities in the UK to support its proposed missile defence system. BASIC understands that Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon will make an announcement to Parliament next week, probably on Tuesday.

This development closely follows the Defence Secretary’s announcement on Monday of a public debate on the issue based on the Ministry of Defence publication ‘Missile Defence: a public discussion paper.’

"We welcome the long-awaited and much-heralded public discussion paper from the MoD but its lack of detail on how the consultation is to proceed, when it ends and if the government will be making a formal response to the submissions are somewhat disconcerting,” said BASIC analyst Nigel Chamberlain.

BASIC wrote to the Defence Secretary on 3 December and sought clarification from the MoD via the e-mail address given at the end of the document but has not received a response from either.

"Just as we are digesting the contents of the MoD discussion paper, we hear that the U.S. is about to make a formal request for the use of facilities in the UK. The phrase 'indecent haste' comes to mind,” said Mr Chamberlain.

“Surely, it would have been more appropriate to have a longer lead time for national consultation uninhibited by international negotiations?”

This might suggest to some observers that a decision has already been taken or as an official at the U.S. Missile Defence Agency reportedly said, “basically it’s a done deal”.

ENDS

‘Official UK position on Missile Defence’ by Nigel Chamberlain
http://www.basicint.org/pubs/Notes/MDEuroPositions.htm

‘US Requests use of British bases for ‘son of start wars’ defence project’ by Richard Norton-Taylor in the Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,859739,00.html

‘US spy base request ‘imminent’ by BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2575001.stm

For further information, comment or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Nigel Chamberlain on +44-(0)20-7407-2977 or +44-(0)1768 898641, nchamberlain@basicint.org, in London.

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