ACCESSION
NUMBER:346693
FILE ID:POL206
DATE:05/31/94
TITLE:DEFENSE DEPARTMENT REPORT, TUESDAY, MAY 31 (05/31/94)
TEXT:*94053106.POL
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT REPORT, TUESDAY, MAY 31
(Missile detargeting, U.S.-Russian exercise, Columbia/drug intelligence)
(470)
NEWS BRIEFING -- Spokesman Kathleen DeLaski discussed the following topics:
U.S. DETARGETS ALL STRATEGIC NUCLEAR MISSILES
The United States has detargeted all of its strategic nuclear missiles which
were pointed at locations in the former Soviet Union for the first time in
15 years, deLaski said, adding that the joint U.S.-Russian decision was
announced in January and implementation was completed by May 30.
"Detargeting is an important symbolic point," she said, because it
emphasizes "the strengthening partnership between the United States and
Russia." Implementation of the detargeting agreement is "a significant
milestone," deLaski said, because it indicates that the two nations "are no
longer nuclear adversaries."
She said the 500 older U.S. Minuteman III missiles are now aimed at oceans,
while the new Trident and Peacekeeper missiles contain no targeting
information at all.
While detargeting cannot be "actively verified," deLaski noted, strategic
missiles can be retargeted "fairly quickly" if there is a need to do so.
The spokesman also said the British made "a unilateral decision" to detarget
their strategic missiles and have done so.
RUSSIA POSTPONES PEACEKEEPING EXERCISE WITH U.S.
DeLaski said the United States has learned that the U.S.-Russian
peacekeeping exercise scheduled for July in the Volga District has been
postponed.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sam Nunn has proposed holding the
exercise in the United States rather than in Russia. The spokesman said
Nunn's idea "sounds like a good suggestion" and is being considered.
She noted, however, that if the exercise occurs in the United States as Nunn
is proposing, it would have to take place later in the year than everyone
would like. She said the U.S. would prefer that the exercise "just be
rescheduled a bit later this year in the same place (the Volga District)"
where it was originally scheduled.
U.S. GOVERNMENT REVIEWING DRUG INTELLIGENCE SHARING
An interagency task force is reviewing U.S. government policy for sharing
drug intelligence with other countries, deLaski said, pointing out that the
government "implements a wide-ranging program of support to counter-drug
efforts by host nations in areas where illegal drugs are produced or
transported, and across the government we're all very supportive of, and
strongly committed to, supporting those efforts."
Questions on this subject were prompted by a recent press report indicating
the United States had stopped sharing drug intelligence with Colombia and
Peru following reports that those two countries were using the information
to shoot down suspected drug smuggling aircraft without first determining
guilt or innocence. (At the State Department, spokesman Michael McCurry
said May 31 that using American intelligence information to shoot first and
ask questions later violates U.S. law.)
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