Australia joins U.S.-led missile defense system<\/p>\n
Belinda Goldsmith, Reuters, Canberra<\/p>\n
Australia has joined a controversial U.S.-led \"Son of Star Wars\"
\ndefense program designed to shoot down ballistic missiles,
\nstrengthening military ties with its key ally despite a risk of
\nAsian displeasure.<\/p>\n
Announcing the decision on Thursday, foreign minister
\nAlexander Downer said the shield system would deter rogue states
\nfrom acquiring missile technology, but he gave no details of
\npossible costs or how Australia would participate.<\/p>\n
\"This is a strategic decision to put in place a long-term
\nmeasure to counter potential threats to Australia's security and
\nits interests from ballistic missile proliferation,\" Downer told
\nparliament, adding Britain and Japan supported the program.<\/p>\n
While he did not mention North Korea by name, the communist
\nstate has a nuclear weapons program and ballistic missiles
\ncapable of hitting U.S.-ally Japan. North Korea is also a major
\nexporter of missiles and technology.<\/p>\n
Australia's left-leaning Democrats and Greens parties strongly
\nobjected to Australia's involvement in a project with unproven
\ntechnology, saying it could trigger an arms race.<\/p>\n
\"It is a mistake to spend billions of dollars developing
\ntechnology that may never work and will just encourage others to
\ncreate new weapons,\" said Democrats leader Andrew Bartlett.<\/p>\n
The Bush administration has earmarked US$50 billion over five
\nyears to build a missile defense with an initial, rudimentary,
\ncapability to shoot down incoming warheads by next September.<\/p>\n
The multi-layered system is still under development and could
\ninclude interceptor rockets to smash into a missile soon after
\ntakeoff, high-powered lasers and ship-based antimissile rockets.<\/p>\n
Critics say it would be years, if not decades, before a
\nreliable shield could be built and cost the United States
\nhundreds of billions of dollars over the coming decades.<\/p>\n
A Japanese newspaper said on Thursday Prime Minister Junichiro
\nKoizumi planned to introduce a missile defense system to protect
\nJapan from North Korea, which fired a ballistic missile over
\nJapan in 1998. Koizumi denied any decision had been made but said
\nthe issue must be tackled soon.<\/p>\n
Some defense experts view Australia as an essential component
\nin the missile defense system. Australia already hosts small but
\nimportant U.S. security operations, notably the remote Pine Gap
\nbase that receives information collected by eavesdropping
\nsatellites.<\/p>\n
But Canberra's move to join the system -- as well as the U.S.
\nJoint Strike Fighter project to build an advanced fighter-bomber
\n-- could irk Asian neighbors who already accuse Canberra of
\nplaying \"deputy sheriff\" for Washington in the region.<\/p>\n
Downer said it would strengthen military ties with the United
\nStates that his conservative government has bolstered since
\ncoming to power in 1996.<\/p>\n
Analysts said joining the program added \"another layer of
\nintimacy\" to the U.S.\/Australia relationship that would not go
\ndown well in the region.<\/p>\n
\"It is dangerous in as much as it seems that when the United
\nStates acts, Australia follows by reflex,\" said foreign policy
\nexpert Michael McKinley from the Australian National University.<\/p>\n
\"It creates a sense that Australia is only reluctantly a part
\nof the region in social and economic terms.\"<\/p>\n
Downer, aware of regional sensitivities, said the government
\nhad already briefed some Asian nations of its involvement and
\nwould keep its regional partners informed of its participation.<\/p>\n
Defense minister Robert Hill said that under the program,
\nAustralia could include expanded cooperation to detect missiles
\nat launch, acquiring ship or ground-based sensors, and research,
\nbut ruled out a ground-based missile defense system.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Ambassador to Australia, Tom Schieffer, said the
\nprogram could have commercial benefits by allowing Australian
\nindustry to participate in the development stages.<\/p>\n
The original \"Star Wars\" initiative pioneered by former U.S.
\nPresident Ronald Reagan never got off the ground and was seen as
\ntoo costly and too ambitious.<\/p>",
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