MORAL and strategic objections have so far failed to persuade President George W Bush to reconsider his belief in missile defence. He is more determined than ever to press ahead, as demonstrated by his bluntest warning yet that the United States is about to breach the long-standing Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

Around the world, experts are warning that this will destabilise world peace and provoke a new arms race.

This is particularly grim news for North Yorkshire, which would be home to the most vulnerable link in the Son Of Star Wars system, the listening bases at Menwith Hill and Fylingdales.

Although Mr Bush has not been influenced by informed argument, his dangerous plan might yet be scuppered by technical and financial problems.

Missile Defence is a vastly expensive project, costing perhaps $30 billion. At a time when US growth has slowed almost to a standstill, it will become more and more difficult for the White House to justify spending on this scale.

That investment looks especially irrational when there is little evidence that Missile Defence will work. The system has been described as "hitting a bullet with a bullet". In tests, the Pentagon has only scored a direct hit once.

Earlier this week, defence experts on Radio 4's documentary The Heavens At War described how America's enemies could adapt their own missiles and send up decoys to confuse the Star Wars targeting systems. Now US scientist Ted Postol, from the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, has added further doubts. According to his research, Star Wars missiles would not destroy the nuclear warheads, just the booster rockets. The warheads would fall to earth where they were intercepted - even on Britain.

Mr Bush is choosing to ignore the world's concerns about his Missile Defence project. He might find it more difficult to ignore the very real possibility that he is creating a multi-billion dollar white elephant.

Updated: 10:48 Thursday, August 30, 2001