The expanded US missile defence system, "Star Wars", outlined by President Bush today threatens to ignite a new arms race and completely undermines the cuts in nuclear weapons that he hinted at today. Commenting on today's announcement Andy Tait, Star Wars campaigner for Greenpeace UK, said:
"Once again Bush has shown the world his failure to move beyond outdated political thinking in his half baked ideas for a new "Star Wars" system. The Star Wars plan is itself a relic of the cold war system he claims he wants to leave behind."
President Bush needs agreement from the UK Government for Star Wars, because the Fylingdales radar base in Yorkshire would be a key part of the system. The nearby Menwith Hill satellite base might also be used.
Greenpeace will be mounting a major European campaign, focusing on the UK and Denmark, against the deployment of the Star Wars missile system. The Greenpeace flagship the Rainbow Warrior is already at the Star Wars Pacific missile test site in the Marshall Islands.
Tait continued: "Bush cannot build this system without assistance from Britain. Strong and decisive leadership from Tony Blair could still halt these dangerous plans."
A US missile defence system is expected to provoke China to expand its nuclear arsenal. Russia has also threatened to withdraw from arms control agreements in response. While Bush has announced cuts in the number of nuclear weapons, he is also proposing an increase in the budget for the design, development and production of nuclear weapons by four and a half percent to USD$5,300 million. He has also proposed a cut of 20 per cent in next year's US non-proliferation budget (1).
Bush has made very clear that he has no interest in nuclear disarmament or in curbing nuclear proliferation. In his first one hundred days in office he has rejected ratification of the global treaty banning nuclear testing, chosen to discontinue talks with North Korea and spoken of withdrawing from the US/Russian Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
Andy Tait concluded: "Bush is gearing up to be a warmonger, not a peacemaker. Developing a Star Wars system will only serve to make the world a more frightening and unstable place."
Notes for Editors:
(1) The proposed cut is in the budget for the Department of Energy's Office of Defense and Nuclear Non-Proliferation, which works to prevent the spread of materials, technology, and expertise relating to weapons of mass destruction.
Further information:
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