Russia to retaliate if weapons deployed in outer space

Moscow, Sep 27 (UNI) Russia would take appropriate measures if weapons of mass destruction are deployed in outer space by any country, the Commander of the Russian Space Forces Col Gen Vladimir Popovkin said today ''Should any country deploy weapons in outer space, then the laws of armed warfare are such that retaliatory weapons are certain to appear,'' he said.

''It is necessary to establish the rules of the game in space,'' he said, adding the deployment of offensive arms in space will lead ''To very dangerous consequences,'' since such weapons are ''Very complex systems.'' ''A sizable war could break out,'' RIA Novosti quoted Gen Popovkin as saying, stressing the outer space must not be the sphere of interests of any one country.

''We do not want to fight in space, and we do not want to call the shots there either, but we will not permit any other country to do so,'' he said.

Gen Popovkin also said Russia has an integrated missile attack warning system, covering the country's entire territory.

He said Russia and China have drafted an international declaration on the non-deployment of weapons in space and sent it to the UN.

Earlier, a Russian UN mission official in a statement said Russia was to present a draft resolution to the United Nations banning the deployment of weapons in outer space, The resolution 'Transparency and Confidence Building Measures in Outer Space Activities', was submitted to the UN five years ago and proposed a ban on the deployment of all types of weapons in space.

Russia said that treaty should set forth the following obligations, a ban on all objects capable of carrying weapons from orbiting earth, no deployment and installation of such weapons in space, including other planets, a ban on the threat or use of force against space objects, and providing assistance for any activity banned under the agreement.

UNI