Call to close all foreign military bases

Global Call to close foreign military bases.

On Saturday 4^th October 2025 there will be actions around the world calling for all foreign military bases to be closed. Raising awareness and providing some education about the problems associated with foreign military bases will be taking place in different countries.

The United States has 877 foreign military bases, the UK has 117, Turkey has 133 and Russia has 29. Other countries also have smaller numbers of foreign military bases.

See the map: https://worldbeyondwar.org/military-empires

The call to close foreign military bases is being co-ordinated by an American based group called World Beyond War who have spent many years researching the issues.

Among the problems associated with foreign military bases identified by World Beyond War are:

1. Raised tensions in surrounding nations.
2. Facilitating war by allowing weapons and troops to be quickly and secretly moved around the world.
3. They encourage militarism as countries prepare to defend themselves against perceived adversaries in nearby countries.
4. Provocation of terrorism as we have seen in attacks on US bases in the Middle East.
5. Endangerment of host countries which become targets for action being taken against these bases.
6. Hosting of nuclear weapons without explicit agreement of the host government, as we see with the recent deployment of American nuclear weapons to Lakenheath with no discussion in the UK Parliament. These weapons could be used by the Americans with no reference to the British government.
7. Support of dictators and repressive regimes.
8. Causation of environmental damage and pollution because those operating the base are not constrained by local environmental regulations and control.
9. Considerable costs in establishing and maintaining these bases with some of the cost falling to the local population.
10. In several well documented cases the indigenous population have been expelled, including those from Diego Garcia.
11. Criminal acts undertaken by visiting force personnel may be difficult to report and prosecute. In the UK we have the well known case of teenager Harry Dunn who was killed on his motor bike near RAF Croughton by someone driving on the wrong side of the road, who was speedily returned to the USA to impede prosecution.

Menwith Hill has an RAF label but is run by the American National Security Agency and the American National Reconnaissance Office. The Base Commander is an un-named American civilian who is not answerable to any UK authority.

There will be a peaceful presence by the main gates of RAF Menwith Hill from 4pm to 5pm on Saturday 4^thOctober 2025 in support of the global call to close down all foreign military bases. The Menwith Hill Accountability Campaign (MHAC) will welcome anyone who wishes to participate in this call to close all foreign military bases including Menwith Hill.

Enquiries can be made on 07760311406 or by email on mail@themhac.uk

More information available on line from:  https://worldbeyondwar.org/bases/