THE US Government has replied to our Son of Star Wars special. President George Bush failed to take the opportunity to announce he was scrapping the project. That disappointment aside, the letter from his representative is as good a response as we could have expected.
The Evening Press special edition, making clear North Yorkshire's opposition to its involvement in the US missile defence system, was delivered to the American Embassy and Tony Blair during President Bush's visit last month. It was accompanied by a letter from the editor.
Downing Street, with its vast army of press officers, has promised a reply in due course. American attach Lee McClenny has written a detailed justification of missile defence.
Mr McClenny's reply is impressive and certainly puts our own Government's legendary media machine in the shade. His letter also helps to fulfil one of the aims of our campaign of opposition: to provoke debate.
That said, we are not convinced by Mr McClenny's arguments. He rightly states that the post-Cold War world remains a dangerous place. It is not, however, made any safer by its only superpower unilaterally ripping up the treaty that has prevented nuclear proliferation for 30 years.
In truth, by going it alone with missile defence, America is destabilising world peace by igniting a new arms race.
RAF Fylingdales and Menwith Hill will be crucial links in the missile defence chain. But the American attach dismisses the idea that this would make North Yorkshire a prime target for any "rogue states" wishing to disable the system. They would bomb nations not connected with missile defence, he suggests.
So Fylingdales would not be a target. Yet the Americans still feel the need to protect North Yorkshire from this non-threat. What does that "protection" mean: cruise missiles on the moors? An unpalatable thought.
There is only one way to safeguard North Yorkshire from this military madness. That is to ensure that we have no part in President Bush's multi-billion dollar folly.
Updated: 10:20 Monday, August 13, 2001
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