Originally Posted by BBC World News

Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin has reportedly decided that his country would not join a missile defence system being developed by the United States.

Officials told Canadian media that Mr Martin would make a formal announcement later this week, when he returns from the Nato summit in Belgium.

He had previously backed participation in the system, designed to detect missiles fired at North America.

A majority of Canadians are opposed to the programme, opinion polls suggest.

According to Radio-Canada television and the Canadian Press news agency, Mr Martin told Nato allies in Brussels on Tuesday that Ottawa would not join the US programme.

The Canadian Press says the US has been informed of the decision.

"It is a firm 'no'. I am not sure it is an indefinite 'no'," a federal official is quoted as saying.

Row

Canada started formal talks earlier this year on its possible participation.

In the run-up to a federal election last year, Mr Martin said he thought Canada should be part of a system designed to protect North America.

But federal officials told CBC's Radio-Canada that domestic considerations may have outweighed pressure from Washington.

The proposal is opposed by many within Mr Martin's governing Liberal Party. Opinion polls indicate that nearly two-thirds of Canadians are against it.

On Tuesday Ottawa's new ambassador to the US caused an uproar by saying a defence pact the two neighbours signed last year meant Canada was effectively already part of the defence system.

Canada agreed in August to allow the joint Canadian-US air defence command to share information with the missile defence programme.