11 February 2000.
Source: E-mail from Margaret Newsham. With permission.
See Margaret Newsham interview, "Echelon Is My Baby: http://cryptome.org/echelon-baby.htm
By Margaret Newsham February 10, 2000
The trip to Menwith Hill was on the spur of the moment. I mentioned to 60 Minutes producer Peter Klein: have passport will travel, I just do not have the funds. Next thing I knew Trisha Sorrels from 60 Minutes was e-mailing me asking if I would go and that they would pay for the trip, wow. I said yes, so we left the next week.
Trisha flew to Las Vegas to get me because of my health; my doctor said I could go but had to have some one with me. So, Trisha got into McCaren Airport at 8:00 am, I met her and then we took a flight to Kennedy Airport, it was 10 below 0 -- oh my gosh.... thank goodness I took a really warm coat.
Then we took Delta Business Elite to Manchester England, then she hired a private taxi to take us to the Imperial Hotel in Harrogate. I was so .....exhausted but I thought I may never see the site again. We checked in -- switched rooms and I crashed, slept for it seemed hours. Trisha and the crew had to go do a shoot at the site. Later I found out that the NSA now has dogs and the British carry rifles, big ones , automatic.
That night we all went to dinner, the camera crew, Trisha and myself. Peter Klein flew in that night. Keep in mind that I'm traveling with a broken left shoulder in Pain!!! but it was so worth it. Ok, then the next day Peter Klein, all of us and the camera crew of 6 or 7 with these huge camera's, etc., went to the site.
Oh my God !!!! was I surprised, when I was at Menwith Hill we only had 3 domes. We rounded the bend and I really gasped, now between the big and smaller ones I counted 25 domes. [See illustration and aerial photo.]
Ok, so we arrive at a Farmers field that says MOD on the barn, I said to Trisha why don't we just walk up the hill to the top so that I/we can see all of the base. Well, Trisha say's she was warned that they would throw her in jail if she crossed the line by the barn. She said she thinks that they are coming and is shaking. I said you can count on it, they not only can see you but they are listening to every word that we are saying. So, I said, look, I did not come half way around the world to sit in the car. I helped build this site, I gave tons of blood sweat and tears and I for one am not going to just walk away.
Steve Croft [60 Minutes reporter] was with us, he had to have on $300 shoes, and we are standing in the middle of a cow field full of gunk... and cow whoooo, whoooo (shit). I said you guys stay if you want I am walking up the hill. Trisha said take my coat (leather) and I gave her my fox and at that time a plane was circling us from up above and then we saw a car dispatched from the base. I had a mike on the entire time.
I told Steve that they would not arrest us because it would cause such an incident; that the NSA rule is: do not confirm or deny anything (I was trained at Fort George G. Meade in Baltimore Md) in security. So I started up the hill and Steve then began to walk with me asking me questions about the base and my job what I actually did during the time I was at Menwith Hill Station. If you could just picture us walking thru the gunk....up to our ankels practically.
Well another car was dispatched from the base. One made it up to the barn, just looked and then left, then another which was being dispatched made Steve, Peter and the crew really uncomfortable. Well, I walked just about to the fence and just looked at the base. It is huge! About 1500 NSA, same amount of CIA and Air Force and the British. It is totally amazing.
Well, I walked back, Steve came forward, we talked on camera, then all got into the vehicles and went back to the Imperial Hotel. I wish you would of been in Harrogate, I thought everyone knew. Once back at the hotel a conference room was used and the cameras were set up. They put Guy Saperstein [Newsham's attorney] on the phone and then we had an interview. Guy did not say anything so I guess I did not compromise the case [suit against former employers]. I hope not.
I do not know when the show is going to air.
always
Peg
