Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin announced yesterday that his country will not participate in the missile defense system that the US hopes to build for North America. "This is our airspace, we're a sovereign nation and you don't intrude on a sovereign nation's airspace without seeking permission," Martin said.

Paul Cellucci, the outgoing US Ambassador to Canada, saying he was "perplexed" by the decision, made clear that the US would not respect Canadian airspace in the event of an attack: "We simply cannot understand why Canada would in effect give up its sovereignty--its seat at the table--to decide what to do about a missile that might be coming towards Canada." (CSM, Feb. 25)

The so-called "Son of Star Wars" program doesn't seem to be performing very well anyway. In an important $85 million test Feb. 14, a missile interceptor at Ronald Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein Atoll failed to launch and destroy an incoming ballistic missile fired from Kodiak Island, Alaska. It was the second such failure in as many months. December's failed test was the first of the completed interceptor. (LAT, Feb. 15)

See also WW4 REPORT #64