http://news.ninemsn.com.au/National/story_48675.asp
23:50 AEDT Sun 14 Dec 2003
Missile defence an arms race risk: Hill
Australia would monitor whether signing up to the United States missile
defence program would trigger a regional arms race, Defence Minister Robert
Hill said.
Australia has come under criticism from regional neighbours including
Indonesia for
joining the controversial US program to create a missile shield against
long-range missile attack.
Indonesia has warned Australian involvement could trigger a regional arms
race.
"That's something we need to obviously watch," Senator Hill told Sky
News.
"That's been the argument against it -- that it would lead to
proliferation.
"The problem is that the proliferation is already occurring and
it's occurring by states that don't follow the rules, so what is the
alternative?
"Do you seek a capability to defend against missiles or do you simply
hope that it won't
happen?"
Indonesian MP Aisyah Aminy said last week Australia and the US were planning
to use the missile shield to extend their military hegemony across the region
and possibly invade neighbouring countries.
Senator Hill said the threat of a long-range missile attack did not exist in
Australia.
"I'm talking some years in the future because such a threat doesn't exist
at the moment," he said.
"But unless we start to invest in the capability, we won't have it a few
years in the future."
