Lakenheath Alliance For Peace

A coalition of groups that is dedicated to preventing the return of US Nuclear weapons to USAF Lakenheath

Letter to be delivered to the main gate of USAF Lakenheath by LAP on Tuesday 16th July 2024

Dear Lakenheath Base Commanders and all USAF personnel,

We are all organisations allied to the Lakenheath Alliance for Peace. We are concerned that you are subjecting all of us, and especially local people, to a major existential calamity by preparing to receive US nuclear missiles. Just one warhead could kill hundreds of thousands of people and cause devastation to our environment. This is a breach of major international humanitarian and war laws as well as the UN Treaty to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons. It will also make East Anglia a primary nuclear target. We are asking you, will you please prevent the return of US nuclear weapons to the UK?

The use of our land and airspace to conduct US and NATO wars is not acceptable to the vast majority of our population who have to suffer the ongoing noise and chemical pollution of your conventional planes and the knowledge of the untold suffering of the millions of victims killed, maimed or uprooted from their homelands as refugees. Storing and deploying nuclear weapons will add the extra risk of radioactive contamination and the unacceptable risk of a catastrophic nuclear accident that could trigger a world wide nuclear exchange leading to the devastation of our planet.

We have written to you three times (and include copies of these at the end of this communication), and even had a promise by the UK commander Stewart Geary in March, where he met us at the gates of USAF Lakenheath, that he would get a reply to us. This has not materialised. We have received no replies from any of you at all.

We have now set up a peace vigil and peace camp at USAF Lakenheath to show our opposition to your preparations to engage in nuclear threats by hosting US nuclear weapons in our country. We will be here until 25th July and will keep returning until you assure us that no US nuclear weapons will arrive, be stored or deployed from Lakenheath.

Any of your personnel are invited to our 24/7 vigil that is being held at the main gate to USAF Lakenheath to exchange views on nuclear weapons, war and peace.

Our nonviolent guidelines ensure safety, and respect for everyone and can be found on our website at https://lakenheathallianceforpeace.org.uk/front-page/about-us/nonviolence-guidelines/

We ask that you show us the minimal respect of responding to this letter and our demand that you do not return US nuclear weapons to the UK.

With peace and love,

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