, Britain on Feb. 22 defended plans to renew its nuclear arsenal, saying the submarine-based Trident was a strategic deterrent it would only consider using in extreme cases of self-defense.
Kim Howells, the foreign office minister responsible for disarmament issues, said current circumstances did not permit Britain unilaterally to renounce its nuclear weapons, which he said accounted for less than one percent of global stocks.
Prime Minister Tony Blair — invoking new threats from Iran, North Korea or terrorists — pledged last December to buy up to four new nuclear submarines at a cost of up to 20 billion pounds ($39.01 billion). A final parliamentary vote is due in March.
“The UK
