U.S. Harewood base

Press, 30 May 1985, Page 12

U.S. Harewood base

Sir, — In joining the debate over the American Harewood base Julie McQuilken, of the Yaldhurst Young Nationals, makes some very emotive assertions (May 28). Her group certainly demonstrates “blind support for a super-Power” in welcoming an American military presence tn Christchurch when declassified documents clearly show that one major purpose of such foreign bases is to drawnuclear fire away from the homeland (February 20). Just recently the peace researcher, Owen Wilkes, demonstrated the military jurisdiction of the Harewood base (May 20) while the Citizens for the Demilitarisation of Harewood offer carefully researched material on the base’s various military functions in their “Off Base” newsletter despite “selfish” resistance to their research “for merely political purposes.” To label concern about the Harewood base as “anti-American" is a shallow charge when millions of Americans are deeply concerned about their own Government's rampant betrayal of the ideals of peace, justice, and freedom. — Yours, etc., D. K. SMALL. May 28, 1985. Sir, — Julie McQuilken (May 28), is sadly mistaken. Nobody opposes Operation Deep Freeze's scientific work. Concerned, informed people object to America’s claiming sovereignty over part of Harewood, secrecy about some operations and non-acceptance of New Zealand trade unions. Painstaking research reveals about half the American landings at Harewood are not for Antarctic or local back-up purposes. America will not reveal their purposes. America does not believe in peace, justice and freedom for others when its access to strategic (war-making) sites and passages or its exploitation of other nations’ valuable products or the markets for its exports are threatened. Young Nationals should learn about America's providing electrical torture equipment, destroying one third of Vietnam, inciting murderous coups against democratic-ally-elected governments, installing bloodthirsty dictatorships, exploiting Third World countries' econo-

mies and cruelty to their own Indian activists. Peace, justice and freedom indeed. — Yours, etc.,

SUSAN TAYLOR. May 28, 1985.

Sir, — Julie McQuilken and her Yaldhurst Young Nationals are naive to believe that concern over the United States military base at Harewood is simple anti-American propaganda. Detachment Delta the Christchurch United States Naval Support Force, known as NAVSUPPFOR Antarctica complies with standard routines of the American military command in the Pacific. Detachment Delta uses Deep Freeze as a shield for more than 10 documented military functions of more importance to America than Deep Freeze. The test for the Yaldhurst Young Nationals is simple. Let the National Party pledge to invite the American support force for Deep Freeze back, under civilian control, not part of the Military Airlift Command’s milk run of bases, and see if the United States is willing to make a purely scientific cultural and commercial contribution to our city. — Yours, etc., DON MURRAY, of Citizens for the Demilitarisation of Harewood. May 28, 1985.