The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament today condemned the US decision to site interceptor missiles at the Deveselu air base in Romania. The base will form a key part of the so-called ‘missile defence’ system, which risks spurring the development of new missile and warhead technologies in an attempt to circumvent the US system.
Kate Hudson, General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said “Despite Obama slimming down the Bush-era plans for ‘Star Wars’ bases in Europe, these plans remain a threat to peace. Missile defence is certain to spur on the development of ever more advanced offensive technologies which seek to overcome the system. Whilst Russia has demanded its full inclusion in the network of radars and missiles, any disagreement over its role may well jeopardise future arms control efforts.
“Putting an obstacle in the way of the elimination of the thousands of nuclear weapons still in US and Russian arsenals is a recipe for a more dangerous future. To do so in an effort to combat a phantom threat from states whose militaries are no match for US conventional forces makes this an unnecessarily destabilising development. It provides no greater security for the populations of Europe or the US – on the contrary, it puts everyone at greater risk.”