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Australia to Join U.S. Star Wars Program

Posted on: Thursday, 27 February 2003, 06:00 CST

SYDNEY (AFP) -- Australia would consider joining a United States missile defence system to protect the country from rogue states like North Korea if the project proved feasible, the Prime Minister said Thursday.

"It's very complicated, it's very expensive, it's very technical but it might, if it were developed, it might provide countries with the ultimate defensive shield against a missile attack," John Howard said.

"If we are concerned about North Korea, and we have reason to be concerned about North Korea, our first responsibility is to investigate ways of protecting Australia against dangerous behaviour by North Korea," he told commercial radio.

In a strategic defence document released this week, Howard's conservative government revealed it was interested in developing a missile shield to bolster the country's defences and would hold talks with the United States.

Defence Minister Robert Hill said Australia believes North Korea is developing weapons with a range that can reach Australia.

But Australian National Univeristy lecturer in global politics and strategy, Michael McKinley, Thursday denounced using the shield as a defence policy option.

"So far, the test results have been really quite dismal failures."

Greenpeace warned it could destabilise the region and said Australia should not contribute to any military or nuclear buildup.

North Korea escalated tensions with the international community, and with the US in particular, this week when it tested a missile over the Sea of Japan at the same time as the inauguration of the new South Korean president.

North Korea, which the United States has accused of being part of its 'axis of evil', is at the centre of a tense nuclear standoff on the peninsula and has withdrawn from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

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