Us want to put star wars missile in Britain

[jay]

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RSS feedUS wants son of Star Wars base in Britain
By JASON LEWIS and WILLIAM LOWTHER - More by this author » Last updated at 22:40pm on 6th October 2007
Comments (7)

The Government is in secret talks to allow President George Bush's controversial "son-of-Star Wars" missile-defence shield to be based in Britain.

But it would not protect the UK and could make the country a prime target for a "first strike" nuclear attack.

The system is made up of a battery of radar-controlled ground-to-air missiles and is designed to protect the US Eastern seaboard, including New York and Washington, from a nuclear strike from Iran or another Middle Eastern rogue state.





Lift off: A missile launched last month to test the system

Any move to site the system in Britain would be deeply opposed by anti-nuclear campaigners and backbench Labour MPs who have already voiced concerns over the decision to allow a US early-warning radar station to be built in Yorkshire.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets her opposite number in Russia next Friday in a final attempt to persuade Moscow to allow the interceptor system to be built in neighbouring Poland and the Czech Republic.

But with President Putin likely to block any deal as a threat to Russian security, the Pentagon is now looking for somewhere else to put the missiles and the top-secret X-band radar base that controls them.

X-band works alongside broader-band radar systems such as the one now in place at RAF Fylingdales in Yorkshire.

This is used to spot a missile launch and give the general flight path of an incoming missile, then the X-band radar – having been told where to look – can lock on to the missile and track it with enormous accuracy.

Information from the X-band radar is then used to guide an interceptor.

The Mail on Sunday has learned that the Government has opened talks to allow the US to put both the missiles and the radar station on British soil.

The system could be installed on ships around the British coastline, probably in the North Sea, or secret US-controlled installations such as the Menwith Hill spy station near Harrogate.

New British Ambassador to Washington Sir Nigel Sheinwald, Tony Blair's former foreign policy adviser, has been put in charge of the delicate negotiations.

And even if the Russians relent and allow the bases to be built on their borders, Britain is still likely to be used for a back-up X-radar station and missile battery.



Possible site: The Menwith Hill spy station in Yorkshire

The system was successfully tested for the first time ten days ago and the Pentagon is planning to spend £24billion installing it over the next five years.

Missile expert Philip Coyle, of the Washington-based Center for Defense Information, said the US military boasts that X-band radar can "see a golf ball at 3,000 miles".

However, he added, it had a narrow focus and it was like "looking at the world through a straw".

Dr Coyle said that the Bush administration wanted a "layered" system of missile defence and that "it would not be inconsistent" to put X-band radar or interceptors in Britain as well as in Poland and the Czech Republic to act as a back-up system.

He said the original idea had been to put an X-band radar as the second layer of missile defence on Baffin Island but Canada had rejected the idea.

Dr Coyle added: "The US military is now rummaging around for another site for X-band radar and it wouldn't be surprising if that ended up in Britain."

A senior diplomatic source confirmed Britain was negotiating a key role in the missile-defence project and that plans for both an X-band radar-tracking station and interceptor missiles on British soil had not been ruled out.

"Everything is still on the table," he said. Meanwhile, a Foreign Office spokesman confirmed missile defence was one of the key topics on the agenda for Sir Nigel when he takes up his Washington post.

The spokesman added: "Britain is giving its full support to US plans to site its missile-defence system in Europe. Britain has regular discussions over our possible role but talks are at an early stage."

Last week General Henry Obering, director of the US Missile Defense Agency, confirmed the successful interceptor tests.

He said the impetus was now to find a host nation "so that we can move ahead with construction".

Asked what happened if the Czech Republic decided against allowing a radar site, he said: "There are other countries that could host the radar or the interceptor as well."




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It will be just another sell out, just like everything else in Britain-or a clever idea? Fill the country up with every foreign terrorist and then make it a target?

- C Swingler, Birmingham

I say NO to any "Star Wars" base in the UK. It will be of no benefit to us whatsoever - in fact it will attract trouble to our shores.
Why don't they put the base in Iraq. They will be there 'til they have used all the oil ?.


- Stu, Stockport

So the UK will become the prime target for the aggressors to hit, while the Americans calmly carry on living in peace. Thanks Mr Prime Minister, I always wanted to be used as a human shield "NOT"

[kirtida8]

So the UK will become the prime target for the aggressors to hit, while the Americans calmly carry on living in peace. Thanks Mr Prime Minister, I always wanted to be used as a human shield "NOT"

100% agree with the above statement. I thought Brown was supposed to have more backbone than Blair? Haven't seen any evidence of it yet!

[jay]

so we get told Britain wont change Americas immigration laws, but they can stick a missile in our country, this is all wrong, maybe its time to hit the uk MP's with letters because they seem to be under the impression America is our friend they need to be made aware this is not the case at all.
jayne

[Susie]

Well, now we know the UK and USA are in secret talks, seems I will be sending a few more e-mail, to those powers that be

This is terrible for people living in the UK and will become the prime one target for world war three to start !

A friend of mine who works for the UN in NY says that America want to dictate to them too :fit:

[Sharon]

definitely a no no as far as I am concerned. Makes you wonder if a huge sum of money will pass hands to the UK to allow the US to do this. Just asking for trouble cos Britain will be number one on the hit list with the terrorists, madness to even think about going ahead let alone having secret talks about it

[moon light]

nothing will be change

[chris]

Power corrupts. Ultimate power ultimately corrupts. I forget who said that but if the cap fits as they say.
America is an immensely rich and powerful country, but unfortunately like the British Empire before it, it is becoming dictatorial in its outlook.
Susie remarked about the USA telling the UN what to do. If you look at who funds the UN, you will find that the US funds something like 90% of what it costs to run that organisation.
He who pay the piper, calls the tune I think.
On a more +ve note as far as sticking missiles up the british ass, I think if you recall Greenham Common, the efforts of a small, but cohesive group turned the tide in public opinion and we got rid of the cruise missiles from there. With enough support in the UK, I think the US could be looking at sticking their missiles on some anchored ship in international waters at this rate. Now Boston Harbor and repeating history might be a good place.

[Susie]

Power corrupts. Ultimate power ultimately corrupts. I forget who said that but if the cap fits as they say.
America is an immensely rich and powerful country, but unfortunately like the British Empire before it, it is becoming dictatorial in its outlook.
Susie remarked about the USA telling the UN what to do. If you look at who funds the UN, you will find that the US funds something like 90% of what it costs to run that organisation.
He who pay the piper, calls the tune I think.
On a more +ve note as far as sticking missiles up the british ass, I think if you recall Greenham Common, the efforts of a small, but cohesive group turned the tide in public opinion and we got rid of the cruise missiles from there. With enough support in the UK, I think the US could be looking at sticking their missiles on some anchored ship in international waters at this rate. Now Boston Harbor and repeating history might be a good place.

Hmmm, me thinks like you Chris, becoming more and more like a dictatorship.

He who has the most dosh, shouts the loudest :)

[kirtida8]

If I remember rightly - it was George Orwell in Animal Farm who said those words Chris, and whilst it was a reference to the communist regime in the old USSR - it still holds true today.