Home Page TONY BLAIR is ready to allow the United States to base a key part of its proposed anti-missile shield in Britain, despite fears that the move could lead to a new escalation of the nuclear arms race. The Prime Minister is willing to house a listening station for the defence system, which would identify and destroy hostile missiles heading for America, Cabinet sources say. Ministers are already bracing themselves for mass demonstrations against the shield - nicknamed "son of star wars" - from anti-nuclear campaigners, similar to the Greenham Common protests in the Eighties.
Critics argue that it would lead to a new arms race by wrecking the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty between Russia and America. However, Mr Blair has discussed the national and global implications with President Clinton and is keen to co-operate in order to prove his commitment to the US. Ministers believe it would help turn Britain into a "bridge" between America and Europe.
Although no formal request has been made, Cabinet sources say Mr Blair is ready to give approval to the first phase of the system if an approach is forthcoming. Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, held talks in Washington last month to discuss details. The first phase, which would protect the US from attack by North Korea, would involve changes to computer software at Fylingdales, the early warning centre in North Yorkshire.
If a hostile missile were identified, information would be relayed to a base in Alaska which would launch a counter-attack and knock it out of the sky. Mr Blair believes that it would seem churlish to refuse to co-operate at this stage.One Cabinet minister said: "How can we turn down a request from an ally to change computer software?"
However, British involvement in phase one would make it harder for the Government to pull out later. The second stage, designed to destroy missiles from Iran, Iraq and other "rogue states" that might have acquired nuclear weapons, would involve the installation of massive new radar equipment in Britain.
The proposal has created tension in the Government. Peter Hain, the Foreign Office minister who is a member of CND, has voiced his concern about a "potential conflict of interest" between the defence system and the 1972 anti-ballistic missile treaty. British co-operation would also anger European members of Nato and negotiations are going on with them.
Iain Duncan Smith, Tory defence spokesman, called on Mr Blair to "come off the fence in public" about the issue. "He says one thing to the Americans and another to the French. It is time Britain threw itself into this project." A CND spokesman said protests against the system were already being planned at Fylingdales for July.