US stands by 'Star Wars'

Some Western countries have misgivings

United States Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has told European ministers that President Bush's plans for a new missile defence system will go ahead - whether they like it or not.

These systems will be a threat to no one. That is a fact. They should be of concern to no one save those who would threaten others

Donald Rumsfeld

But he said the issue should not separate the US from its Nato partners, as the missile system did not pose a threat to international security.

Mr Rumsfeld was addressing a European defence conference in the German city of Munich.

Opening the conference, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder called on the US to clarify and discuss its plans openly with its European partners.

Tests on the system failed last July

Russia and China both oppose the plan, and many western European countries have considerable misgivings about it.

The BBC defence correspondent, Jonathan Marcus, says there is also concern about the possible direction that the new Bush administration will take with regard to its allies.

But Mr Rumsfeld's own message left little doubt that the Bush administration's mind was already made up on the issue, he says.

Call for trust

Mr Rumsfeld said the rest of the world had nothing to fear.

Only in a trusting atmosphere, when we discuss with our US partners, only then is there a solid basis for decision-making

Gerhard Schroeder

"These systems will be a threat to no one," he said. "That is a fact. They should be of concern to no one save those who would threaten others."

He added that Washington had no interest in deploying defences that would separate it from its friends and allies.

They would be helped to deploy similar defences if they so wanted, he said.

But Mr Schroeder said he was not yet sure there was clarity in Europe about the US position.

"Only in a trusting atmosphere, when we discuss with our US partners, only then is there a solid basis for decision-making," he said.

Nato would have to discuss the implications of the missile defence for the alliance, as well as for Russia and China, he added.

'Instability' warning

Mr Rumsfeld also spoke about other concerns felt by Nato allies.

He said the new US administration would review its peacekeeping missions in the Balkans, but only within the scope of regular Nato reviews.

And he warned of a risk of "instability" if a new European rapid reaction force came into being.

"Actions that could reduce Nato's effectiveness by confusing duplication or by perturbing the transatlantic link would not be positive," he said.