DATE=3/21/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=U-S MISSILE DEFENSE (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-260450
BYLINE=JON TKACH
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The head of the Pentagon's national missile
defense program says a testing delay will not keep
President Clinton from deciding this summer on whether
to deploy an anti-missile system. The delay comes on
the heels of a failed test in January. And as V-O-A's
Jon Tkach (pron: KOTCH) reports, Lieutenant General
Ronald Kadish says his office needs a little more time
to make the fixes before launching another 100-
million-dollar test.
TEXT: The third try at shooting down a mock-missile
warhead over the Pacific Ocean had been set for late
April. But now, General Kadish says the Pentagon is
aiming for June 26th.
It is two months later than planned, but he says
President Clinton will still have the information he
needs to decide this summer whether or not to begin
deploying a national missile defense system.
The General says with the President's okay, the
program should be up and running by the Congressional
deadline.
/// KADISH ACT ///
As of today, even with this slip on the flight
test, we are just about on schedule to deploy
this system in 2005.
/// END ACT ///
So far, one test of the system has been a success.
But during a second test, the "kill vehicle" swerved
off course and missed its target. Defense officials
blame a cooling system leak and General Kadish says
scientists now know how to fix the problem.
President Clinton has been under increasing political
pressure to approve the deployment of the system.
Jim Lindsay of the Brookings Institute says this
summer's deadline was set with politics - much more
than science - in mind.
/// LINDSAY ACT ///
It was a deadline set by the President to
diffuse pressure from Republicans on Capitol
Hill who were really pushing for missile
defense.
//// END ACT ///
Mr. Lindsay says Democrats are worried that Vice
President Al Gore's presidential campaign will take a
hit if President Clinton does not decide to begin
deployment.
/// BEGIN OPT ///
The system is being designed to fend off a limited
ballistic missile attack. Supporters of national
missile defense say the United States is facing
growing threats from rogue states such as North Korea
and Iran.
But even with the recent glitches, Mr. Lindsay says,
technology is still way ahead of diplomacy.
/// END OPT ///
Russia and U-S allies in Europe have raised concerns
that deployment could lead to another arms race. And
even the staunchest supporters concede that such a
system is banned by the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile
Treaty. (signed)
NEB/PT
NEB/JON/
21-Mar-2000 16:53 PM EDT (21-Mar-2000 2153 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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