WMDs

Bulletin No. 9

During the lifetime of this Parliament, Tony Blair will have to decide whether to let the United States use two bases in Yorkshire as part of President Bush's controversial plan for a National Missile Defence system (NMD) or Star Wars, as it has become known.

The development of Star Wars is likely to make the world a more dangerous place. Any attempt by the US to build a missile shield is expected to spur countries such as China into an arms race to try to overcome the shield, and to jeopardise nuclear arms control agreements with Russia.

Summary
Greenpeace's campaign to stop a Star Wars missile system evolves from a thirty-year history campaigning for nuclear disarmament.

Greenpeace opposes the U.S. Star Wars Missile plan because such a system would ignite a new nuclear arms race. Should the plan go ahead Americans will spend hundreds of billions of tax dollars for a technically flawed scheme that offers only the illusion of protection. There will also be increased nuclear dangers in a world where there are far more nuclear weapons as countries such as China bolster their nuclear arsenals to overcome Star Wars. "Star Wars" sole beneficiaries will be U.S.

Greenpeace uses the term "Star Wars" to describe U.S government's proposed National Missile Defence (NMD) because of the current plan's similarity to the "Star Wars" plan promoted by defence contractors and President Ronald Reagan in the 1980's. "Star Wars" is a system of radars and satellites used to detect incoming missiles. These radars and satellites are intended to communicate information to missiles launched from the U.S. to enable them to intercept and destroy the incoming enemy missiles before they reach their target. As yet, the plan remains a only a theory.

Star wars is likely lead to a new arms race, make the US more aggressive in its foreign policy and create new targets for attack, including the UK. Below are a selection of quotes from political leaders, military commanders, parliamentarians, media commentators and foreign affairs specialists on Star Wars (National Missile Defence).