We should stop criticising or opposing America's National Missile Defence (NMD) system and instead join with America and others in expanding it into an International Missile Defence system for protecting all the world's democracies against missile attack (Clinton plea as missile plan splits Nato allies, 6 June 2000).

It will be too late to be sorry after the first nuclear tipped missile has annihilated a western city, which we can be fairly sure sooner or later some crackpot or religious fanatic will attempt to do. And how is America likely to react if it is one of hers? That will depend, of course, but quite possibly by completely destroying the country it came from, killing millions upon millions of innocent people.

The world's democracies have the superior technology and economic clout to develop and deploy a missile defence system that will protect them from missile attack by any terrorist group or small to medium-sized state. No amount of effort will guarantee complete protection, but we should do our best to provide the protection we can.

If larger states, such as Russia or China, insist on playing military superpower, it is up to them, but the last thing the West should do is encourage them by playing along and rewarding them with respect and special status.

The German chancellor's criticism of America's defensive shield plan, because it would "trigger an arms race" with Russia, does just this, and is thus completely misconceived.

Russia, as one of Europe's great and most important nations, should be made welcome and supported by the West, but only if it puts aside the puerile ambitions of those numb-skull politicians who would re-establish it as a military superpower.

We face problems enough in creating a just, prosperous and sustainable world order, which will be impossible if we allow ourselves to be drawn into another wasteful and threatening round of military rivalry and power politics.