Antinuclear

Britain seeks Australia’s support for its Trident nuclear missile buildup

….He also defended Britain’s nuclear arsenal….Dr Fox said a strong partnership with Australia had to be based not on sentiment ”but hard-headed pragmatism”.

British defence chief visits to rebuild ties, The Age, Daniel Flitton, January 14, 2011 “….. major security talks in Australia. Dr Fox will join Foreign Secretary William Hague in Sydney next week for the first such visit by senior British ministers in nearly two decades. Dr Fox told The Age Britain’s new conservative government wanted to send the signal Australia was a key ally and close friend…..

….He also defended Britain’s nuclear arsenal.

He added that Britain’s newest nuclear weapons would have a lower level of warhead but that nuclear-armed powers with greater stockpiles of warheads must reduce their arsenals before Britain.

The rhetoric from Iran and the unwillingness to co-operate with international inspectors raised suspicions the regime was determined to build an atomic bomb, he said.

”There is no point in us talking about disarmament if we’re going to allow new states, already signed up to non-proliferation, to try to develop nuclear weapons.”

Dr Fox said a strong partnership with Australia had to be based not on sentiment ”but hard-headed pragmatism”.

British defence chief visits to rebuild ties

January 14, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics international