U.S. to go ahead with NMD project

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, JUNE 18. The United States will walk away from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty if it is determined that curbs on missile defence are blocking American technology, the Secretary of State, Gen. Colin Powell, has said. But he was quick to point out that the point had not been reached.

At the summit meeting in Slovenia, the Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, made it clear that he opposed the abandoning of the 1972 arrangement by the United States, but Bush administration officials maintained that the treaty was reached in a different era. ``We cannot allow its constraints'' to bind U.S. technology, Gen. Powell remarked. The Secretary of State has also argued that abandoning the ABM Treaty did not mean that a country was going to start making nuclear weapons. ``If there is no ABM Treaty tomorrow, there is no nation that is going to run out and start making nuclear weapons,'' Gen. Powell said, adding that the U.S. was going forward with the missile defence system.

Gen. Powell also said the U.S. would continue to track Russian companies and scientists who were helping Iran develop weapons system. ``Russia should see it is more in their interest than ours'' in coming to terms with weapons proliferation, he remarked. While last week, the President, Mr. George W Bush, tried to sell the idea of his missile defence to a sceptical Europe, this week his administration has to do the same with another major ally in Asia - Japan. The problem for this Republican administration is that much as it may want Japan to go back to its ``lynchpin'' status in the Far East, Tokyo is quite reluctant to assume a high-profile role, for regional reasons.

Today, the Japanese Foreign Minister, Ms. Makiko Tanaka, is expected to hold high-level meetings here with Gen. Powell and the National Security Advisor, Dr. Condoleeza Rice. Japan has not exactly rushed to embrace the Missile Defence plan and has in fact, expressed reservations on the issue.

The Japanese Defence Minister has been quoted as saying that Tokyo has made no plans to participate in the Missile Defence initiative as it will be in conflict with the country's Constitution. Japan has said that it will stick to the present joint study with the U.S. on the Theatre Missile Defence which is aimed at protecting American troops in north-east Asia and allies like Japan.

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Section  : International
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