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{ 12 - Orono Weekly Times, Wednesday, May 14,2003 ) Viewpoint by Alex Shepherd, MP Durham National Missile Defense System The twisted logic driving the government's interest in the U.S. national missile defence (NMD) system goes something like this; the U.S. is going to do it anyway so we might as well join them as this may give us a voice at the table. The NMD, which has been talked about for decades and sometimes called Star Wars, is now a simpler system than the one originally proposed. It operates by numerous radar detection sites, land- based missiles in California and Alaska and air and sea- based systems as well. The concept of the defence system is that once you know a missile has been launched then you can shoot it down before it reaches the intended target. It's like a bullet chasing down a bullet. Currently NMD is believed to be only 75 percent accurate. Still, the Americans are bent on deploying the system. There is no question the world is a scarier and smaller smaller place today even with the end of the cold war. Countries like Pakistan and India represent the next generation of countries who possess nuclear weapons. They are proud of the fact they possess these weapons and hold their finger on the triggers in some sort of demented religious fervour pitting Islam against Hinduism. NMD is the U.S. government's government's platform for the eventual weaponization of space. NMD also abdicates U.S. commitments to reduce their number of nuclear weapons. Some observers suggest NMD will actually cause the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The logic is if only 25 percent of missiles can get through to their targets targets then you need more of them to launch. The fact that Iraq did not have nuclear weapons while North Korea does is stark evidence of the cautionary approach the U.S. will take toward a nation that has nuclear weapons. For example example you don't see the U.S. rolling over North Korea like they did Iraq. It is unclear what strategic strategic advantage Canada can gain by having biological weapons, aimed at the U.S., shot down over our territory. territory. To me it's an indication that our security will be in jeopardy with such a scheme. But it's our sovereignty that becomes the most vulnerable. vulnerable. The question I raised with both the foreign affairs minister and defence minister is that in order to be successful the missile system would have to use Canadian air space. This is important because there are three phases in which you can intercept an incoming missile: missile: just after the launch while it is picking up speed; through its normal trajectory; trajectory; or when it's making its final decent. When it is making its final decent it is travelling at such a high rate 1 of speed that it is almost an impossible impossible target to hit. Therefore, the most logical place to intercept it is during the normal trajectory which is over Canada. Quite frankly attacks on Canada are remote. It is clear the Americans could care less about our sever-' eignty and our air space and the falling fragments from missiles. Since it is clear they could care less about our point of view it is hard to believe that adding some rubber stamp to their NMD system would give Canadians any future say over the deployment of the system. Canada should be going in the opposite direction by finding ways to strengthen a multilateral approach to the reduction of nuclear weapons. As I said in my last column column U.S. foreign policy can be dangerous to your health. DISTRESS CENTRE DURHAM FEELING CORNERED? SCARED? ALONE? Distress Centre Durham offers a free, confidential, 24-hour, help-line service. Call 905-433-1121 or 1-800-452-0688. To volunteer call 905-7234461 or visit: www.distress centredurham.com for info. mm It's a fact that many fire deaths are caused by people attempting to cook or smoke while under the influence of alcohol. There's more to responsible drinking | than taking a cab. Don't put yourself- swmJJ or your family- at risk to fire. ( ( ) ( • I N (. Willi I II I S ( Il A I l I Nl.l S I mil,(.I INI. ! n 111 ( OV I II | Il | V I NI , IOI1 III A I 111 AND I N I > I I' I N D I N< I A I II DM I Nurses. Real Heart. Real Smart Nurses are at your side and on your side, offering knowledge, compassion and courage. A nurse is your lifeline - working in partnership with you, providing skilled care that makes the difference between life and death, comfort and pain, hope and despair. Nurses. Putting patients first in communities across Ontario. RNAO AwocMton'rtOntlrio I'AmocMoa 4m MrniUn. « MMIm «utoriM. m lOnUrto RPtm- REGISTERED PRACTICAL NURSES ASSOCIATION Of ONTARIO