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3 September 2001 |
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"I certainly do not hope they (U.S.) withdraw from ABM," Greenland's home rule Prime Minister Jonathan Motzfeldt told Reuters in a interview. The U.S. is expected to withdraw unilaterally from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty and start building a missile defense system, prohibited under ABM, unless a compromise with Moscow, which opposes the missile shield plans, is reached by November. Greenland, a territory belonging to NATO member Denmark, has enjoyed limited home rule since 1979 with the Danish government responsible for foreign, security and defense policy on the vast island. "I hope the dialogue between the United States, Russia and also China will continue," Motzfeldt said. Washington's missile defense plans could require extended use of the U.S. Thule air base in the far northwest part of Greenland. The base, built in the 1950s, is part of a chain of radar stations that stretches from Alaska to Britain that could play a crucial part in a system to shield the U.S. from a perceived threat of rocket attack by "rogue states" such as Iraq or North Korea. "If the upgrade is a modernization, it is fine with us. We just want to be assured that a modernization is not used for anything offensive and it must not have any element of armament," Motzfeldt said. Denmark has officially adopted a wait-and-see attitude until it receives a formal request from Washington to alter the status of Thule. "We and Denmark still haven't seen any details for a possible upgrade of the Thule radar." "The contacts we have in the United States have clearly said that Thule is part of the missile defense plan." In 1987 the Danish parliament passed a resolution forbidding the use of the base at Thule for offensive purposes or in contradiction to the ABM treaty, seen as the foundation for international arms control. PRAGMATIC STANCE Greenland seems to have adopted a pragmatic stance toward Washington's plans to include Thule in its missile defense plans. No matter what Greenland and Denmark think of Washington's plans they will not be able to stop them, politicians and locals seem to accept. Therefore Greenland might just as well try to get the best out of it, seems to be the prevalent local attitude. "Greenlanders are a peace/loving people and we don't want to participate in armament but we cannot dictate the development of the world from here," said Motzfeldt, leader of the ruling Social Democratic/style Siumut party. Finance Minister Josef Motzfeldt, a distant relative of the premier and leader of the left-leaning junior government partner Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA), has softened his opposition to the Thule base. "If the U.S. is prevented from upgrading the Thule radar they will just go and do it somewhere else," he said. "So if our decision does not make any difference to world peace, why not try and get the best out of it." Currently 120 Greenlanders are
employed at the Thule base, a big number by local standards, Josef
Motzfeldt said. |
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