DAR AL HARB - FRANCE: MISSILE DEFENSE FOR FRANCE?!? NON, NON, NON ! ! !

France Will Not Join U.S. Missile Defense Plan
Komfie Manalo - All Headline News Correspondent

Paris, France (AHN) - After Canada's rejection of the Washington-backed missile defense plan, France said Tuesday it was not interested and would not directly participate in the program.

French Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei made the announcement during a press conference and said Washington has been trying to convince other countries, particularly those in Europe, to cooperate.

The Russian government strongly opposes the U.S. plan to build missile defense sites in eastern Europe particularly in Poland and the Czech Republic, arguing that such plan poses threat to Moscos.

Mattei told reporters, "It is important that the relevant countries should take the possible concerns the plan causes into consideration."

He added, "All countries concerned, such as Russia and other countries of strategic partnership related to such kind of plans, should conduct dialogue on the issue to eliminate the concerns this kind of plans probably cause."

Earlier, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said his government will not join the U.S. missile defense plan.

Harper was quoted as saying, "The government of Canada is not prepared to open the issue of missile defense at this time."

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1) France Will Not Join U.S. Missile Defense Plan