Australia Eyes Missile Shield Amid N.Korea Threat
By REUTERS


Filed at 2:01 a.m. ET

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia said Thursday it was looking at joining the United States in developing a missile defense shield because of the threat posed by North Korea, further cementing Canberra's military ties with Washington.

Prime Minister John Howard said there were legitimate concerns that if communist North Korea had ballistic missiles, it could, in time, produce and export long-range missiles capable of reaching northern Australia.

``Our first responsibility is to investigate ways of protecting Australia against dangerous behavior by North Korea,'' Howard told Australian radio.

``This missile defense system...it's not an offensive thing, it's a defensive shield, that's the goal.''

Earlier this month, Britain formally agreed to a request from the United States to help it build a missile defense shield, saying Washington could use a radar base in northern England.

Washington argues it needs a shield to protect itself from long-range missiles because of the proliferation of such systems among so-called ``rogue'' states such as Iraq and North Korea.

Australia has long voiced support for the program and is viewed by many defense experts as an essential component in a shield because of the joint U.S.-Australian monitoring station at Pine Gap in the Australian outback.

But other countries, such as China, fear the controversial project could trigger a global arms race.

The Australian government says it has been having a ``close dialogue'' about a missile shield with the United States, which is its closest security partner, but Howard said no commitment had been made to the multi-billion dollar project.

His comments were immediately condemned by anti-war groups, which said a missile shield would undermine Australia's commitment to global disarmament treaties and reinforce its role as a forward base for the U.S. military in the Asia-Pacific region.

``Australia should lead by example and not contribute to any military or nuclear build-up,'' Greenpeace campaigns director Lena Aahlby said in a statement.

``Star Wars will be no defense against terrorist attacks and may, in fact, make us more vulnerable as Australia falls in line behind U.S. military strategies.''

The defense system, dubbed ``Son of Star Wars'' after an initiative pioneered by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, depends on intercepting an incoming missile with another.

There is a sharp political divide within Australia over taking any role in the project, with a leaked secret report from the government's own security expert, the Office of National Assessments, last year warning the system was not in Australia's diplomatic or security interests.

The office said any involvement could irk Russia, China and perhaps other neighbors and missile defense systems alone would be insufficient to meet the threat posed by the spread of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles.