M.P. tells of war accident worry

Press, 29 February 1984, Page 11

M.P. tells of war accident worry

NZPA-PA London A nuclear war could be started accidentally by an American serviceman high on drugs, a British Labour member of Parliament claimed yesterday. Roland Boyes demanded a House of Commons statement from the Defence Secretary, Mr Michael Heseltine, after being told in a written reply that a total of 14 United States Air Force personnel at the Greenham Common airbase had been returned to America for drug taking. Mr Boyes told the Press Association: “It means drugs are freely available on the base. Somebody under the influence of drugs could easily fire a cruise missile by mistake.”

The Armed Forces Minister, Mr John Stanley, said in his reply that six'U.S.A.F. members had been reported for drug-taking earlier this month and had since been returned to the United States and discharged. Another was shortly to be returned to America for discharge.

He added that in 1973 a further seven Greenham Common servicemen had been returned to America for drug-taking. “All those involved this year and last year were in

non-sensitive clerical posts,” Mr Stanley said. Later, Mr Boyes said he found it "intolerable” that drugs were available at Greenham. “Quite frankly, I do not believe the people involved were only in non-sensitive areas. It is possible that a serviceman could get into the silos where the missiles are stored and accidentally fire off a missile. “People who are worried about the cruise missiles will want some answers from the Government as to what exactly is going on at Greenham. "The police fine motorists heavily for being drunk in

charge of a car. I cannot think what the penalty would be for an American serviceman found to be ‘high’ on drugs in charge of a cruise missile. I want a massive investigation into this and a statement from the Defence Secretary.” A spokesman for the U.S.A.F. at its Mildenhall, Suffolk, headquarters confirmed Mr Stanley’s statement that the 14 returned men were in clerical positions. There was a much tighter and more stringent security clearance procedure for people in sensitive positions, he said. It was made clear that drug abuse was a very serious offence for anyone on the base. Meanwhile, Reuter reported that a Left-wing Labour member of Parliament had said American guards at the Greenham Common base had opened fire when two women antinuclear protesters intruded. Norman Atkinson tabled a Parliamentary question to Mr Heseltine, asking him to make a full statement on the incident. He said two women protesters, whom he did not name, met a United States patrol after cutting through wire fencing.