This U.S. Spy Base Is The Heart of The U.S. Program To Conduct Global ‘Kill Or Capture’ Missions

© Nigel Roddis / Reuters

The Intercept: Inside Menwith Hill

The NSA’s British Base at the Heart of U.S. Targeted Killing

THE NARROW ROADS are quiet and winding, surrounded by rolling green fields and few visible signs of life beyond the occasional herd of sheep. But on the horizon, massive white golf ball-like domes protrude from the earth, protected behind a perimeter fence that is topped with piercing razor wire. Here, in the heart of the tranquil English countryside, is the National Security Agency’s largest overseas spying base.

Once known only by the code name Field Station 8613, the secret base — now called Menwith Hill Station — is located about nine miles west of the small town of Harrogate in North Yorkshire. Originally used to monitor Soviet communications through the Cold War, its focus has since dramatically shifted, and today it is a vital part of the NSA’s sprawling global surveillance network.

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Update #1: New leaked files reveal more about NSA satellite eavesdropping (The Verge)
Update #2: NSA leaks show US spooks use UK base to launch ‘kill-capture’ missions (RT)

WNU Editor: This news story is going to make many in the U.K. uncomfortable with their role in America's drone program.