Activists put drone base in their sights

Sheffield CND in Yorkshire is to mount a protest on Sunday at RAF Waddington military base on the outskirts of Lincoln. Group secretary Kath Cripps said the base's 39 Squadron was undergoing training to create 44 crews to operate Reaper drones in Afghanistan.

"In March 2011, a British Reaper drone mistakenly killed four civilians in Afghanistan," she said. "It is estimated that hundreds of civilians have been killed in 200 drone attacks."

Protesters plan to be at the base by noon. A protest camp outside the base has already been set up by veteran peace activist Helen John.

Activists' resolve has been stiffened by recent revelations as to the extent of British bases' involvement in the deadly drone strikes.

Former director of public prosecutions Lord MacDonald has said there is "pretty compelling evidence" that the government's intelligence and surveillance operation GCHQ in Cheltenham is passing information to the US to help it locate targets for the controversial drone attacks.

A GCHQ official said the agency was proud of providing "locational intelligence" to the CIA.

And US base Menwith Hill on the Yorkshire Moors - home to 1,000 US military and civilian personnel and operating independently of British control - is also known to be gathering information for use in drone attacks.

Leeds Labour MP Fabian Hamilton has raised questions about the site's role in drone strikes.

Illegal drone strikes are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of civilians in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

CND vice chairwoman Sarah Cartin said: "Remote control warfare will not bring peace and unity anywhere in the world."

peterlazenby@peoples-press.com