US,Australia holding talks on missile shield: Backlash from Asia feared
SYDNEY, Jan 14: Prime Minister John Howard will meet US military chief General Richard Myers this week for talks expected to focus on Australia's commitment to the US missile defence shield
as fears emerge of a diplomatic backlash from Asia over the program.
Howard's office said he would interrupt his summer holidays on Friday to attend the meeting which coincides with talks already under way between US and Australian officials to discuss specific projects in the controversial program dubbed "Son of Star Wars."
The negotiations, likely to take months, are aimed principally at agreeing a memorandum of understanding on the detail of Australia's involvement and financial commitment to the program about which fears have been raised in China, Indonesia and elsewhere.
The Labor opposition, backed by the minor Democrats and Greens parties and some defence analysts have also raised concerns about the government's strong support for the project.
Myers, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, will be in Australia at the end of a four-nation tour that also took in Japan, China and Mongolia, the US embassy confirmed.
An embassy official said only that Myers was "here to thank Australia for their support in the global war on terrorism and for Operation Iraqi Freedom," but could not confirm whether the missile program was on his agenda.
However, defence analysts here say Myers is probably here at least partly to encourage a deal with Australia on a missile defence shield, although he is not expected to participate in detailed discussions about it.
The government believes the system would boost Australia's defences, shielding it from ballistic inter-continental attack and even conventional surface-to-air missiles while opponents of the system question how effective and costly it would be.
Japan announced its support for the missile shield amid growing anxiety last month over North Korea's nuclear ambitions and developments in missile technology. But a number of Asian countries expressed concerns about the US program.
Opposition defence spokesman Chris Evans said the program would only encourage other countries, specifically China and India, to ramp up their spending on defence.
In Jakarta, Djoko Susilo, a member of the Indonesian parliament's commission for security, defence and foreign affairs, rejected this week Australian government claims the project was aimed only at rogue states like North Korea.
"I know that Australian defence policy is to protect Australia from attack by northern countries," he said. "But which country is near northern Australia? It's obviously Indonesia."
Australian Strategic Policy Institute program director Aldo Borgu said there were doubts about the ability of the program to deliver its claimed results as well as concerns in Asia about its purpose.
"China is certainly concerned about being hemmed in by the United States on missile defence," Borgu said. "With Australia and Japan both signing up, China would be very much concerned that this policy is about the containment of China." -AFP
