Bush looks for support for new defence system

US President George Bush is looking to gain support from other countries for his plans for a new missile defence system.

It would mean dropping the 1972 Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty so that America can create a new way of shielding itself and its allies from attack.

President Bush said: "We are not presenting our Allies with unilateral decisions already made."

Mr Bush views the old ABM Treaty as a Cold War relic and is set on deploying missile defences.

Critics in America, like arms control expert Tom Killeena, fear a nuclear arms race, saying "the missile defence cure is worse than the disease".

The Whitehouse hopes that a promise to cut America's nuclear stockpile and an offer of shelter under the missile defence umbrella will bring Allies round.