FRONT PAGE STORY - 11/08/2001

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PORTUGAL'S WEEKEND NEWSPAPER -- IN ENGLISH!!

Portugal Star Wars Base?

Opposition parties, primarily the PCP, demanded this week that the government clarify the alleged availability of Portugal to allow the United States to use national territory on which to base its new and controversial anti-missile system. It further emerged this week that Portugal was interested in participating in the US anti-missile system, but had still not assumed a "formal position".

At a press conference on Monday, called to mark the 56th anniversary of the dropping of an atomic bomb by the Americans on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, killing at least 140,000 people, PCP spokesman Albano Nunes spoke out against the US anti-missile programme which, he said, "despite the international uproar, the Bush administration plans to carry it out".

According to Portugal's third largest opposition party, "the programme will result in a new nuclear armament race, deteriorate international tension and revive the threat of a nuclear holocaust."

"The government is obliged to clarify the doubts raised by a former US ambassador", Gerald McGowan, who recently said that former Portuguese Defence Minister Castro Caldas had "paved the way for the US to install components of the anti-missile system at the Lajes military base" on the strategically placed Azores islands, among other venues.

Albano Nunes further criticised the government for "still not having responded" to a request directed at Prime Minister António Guterres, lodged in parliament on July 4 asking for clarification on the sensitive issue.

"To date, we have had no response, not a word from the prime minister, nor a clear and unequivocal position against this star wars programme" from the Portuguese government, stressed the PCP secretary.

Following these accusations, a spokesperson for Defence Minister Rui Pena, was quoted as saying that Portugal has been "following with interest" the development of the project which will succeed Ronald Reagan's "Star Wars" programme.

It was further added Portuguese interest was also based on the technological developments that could be made within the Portuguese Armed Forces should the country participate in the anti-missile system.

These statements are an echo of the position assumed last week in a meeting in Lisbon between British Defence Secretary Geoffrey Hoon and Portuguese counterpart Rui Pena.

The two had highlighted the "enormous scientific and technological development potential that the US programme could bring and Portuguese interest in participating in the development of the initiative as long as its objective is to gain consensus that would permit the maintenance of the current strategic world balance".

See also:

Nazi gold - evidence against Portugal grows
Documents found at an abandoned railway station in southern France appear to contain evidence implicating Portugal as a willing receptor of Jewish gold looted by Nazis during the Second World War. Portugal has denied all previous such accusations. According to an article published on Tuesday by the French daily "Le Temps", Portugal received at least 44 train loads of looted gold during the last World War.

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