AMERICA appeared to be at loggerheads with Britain and other allies yesterday after it declared that it had the authority to intercept any suspect ships and aircraft in international waters and airspace.

“We are prepared to undertake interdictions right now and, if that opportunity arises, if we had actionable intelligence and it was appropriate, we would do it now,” John Bolton, Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, said.

He was speaking after a meeting in Brisbane of the new Proliferation Security Initiative, whose 11 members include Britain. Under present laws it is only legal for nations to stop and search foreign ships suspected of carrying weapons of mass destruction within their 12-mile territorial limit.

British diplomatic sources were taken aback by Mr Bolton’s interpretation. A Foreign Office spokesman said: “All 11 participants agreed that any action that might be taken would have to be consistent with international law.”

However, Mr Bolton, a Washington hawk, said that the countries had reached an agreement that in itself authorised the US to take action on the high seas and in international airspace. “There is broad agreement within the group that we have that authority,” he said.

The Brisbane meeting, which agreed to hold military exercises to train for interceptions, was also attended by Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Spain.

The US initiative was launched after an attempt to stop Scud missiles being shipped from North Korea to Yemen failed for legal reasons. Mr Bolton said the US might seek a UN Security Council resolution to add further weight to the action.

The International Maritime Organisation said the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation was being reviewed. The US had proposed a new power to board ships on the high seas. It was “pretty contentious”.

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