U.S. HOPES TO WRAP UP MISSILE DEFENSE ACCORDS IN 2002

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The United States hopes to complete missile defensecooperation accords with its allies in the Middle East and Asia over thenext year. U.S. officials said the Bush administration will launch cooperationefforts with such countries as Israel, Japan and Turkey after Washingtonconcludes an effort to reach an agreement with Russia to revise the 1972Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.The revisions would allow the establishment of a U.S.-sponsored missiledefense umbrella.