Who Runs US Spybase in UK??

Interesting developments here as a judge asks the tricky questions regarding Menwith Hill the well-known US spybase in N. England (apparently the US's biggest).

It's also incidently where the US intercepts all UK phone traffic through Hunter Stones, passes it to the NSA and then GCHQ (neatly sidestepping the issue of spying on our own people!)

A judge has ordered that operational details of a US military spy base be brought before a court.
District Judge Martin Walker made his demand during a resumed hearing into the case of veteran peace protesters Helen John, 69, and Sylvia Boyes, 63.

The grandmothers were arrested as they entered RAF Menwith Hill near Harrogate in North Yorkshire last April.

The women, both from Keighley, West Yorks, deny criminal trespass under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act.

The case at Harrogate Magistrates' Court was adjourned on Tuesday - provisionally until 8 June - to give defence and prosecution lawyers more time to prepare legal documents.

But Judge Walker said he wanted to know what the spy base did, whether it was considered British or American territory and who ran it.

He said: "Who is the commander? Who presses the button on any weapons? Who authorises any weapons to be used?"

news.bbc.co.uk...

for more details on Menwith Hill, its role and obscure legal status see

duncan.gn.apc.org...

cndyorks.gn.apc.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

Should be interesting

I don't think that judge is going to get very far with finding out who runs it. By the U.S. spying on the U.K. and sending the information back to the U.K. they can get around many laws.