Space

DATE=7/19/01

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=PENTAGON/RUSSIA (L-O)

NUMBER=2-278423

BYLINE=ALEX BELIDA

DATELINE=PENTAGON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: A top Pentagon official says the United States would like Russia to have the ability to defend itself against limited missile attack. Correspondent Alex Belida reports from the Defense Department on a new tactic in the Pentagon's search for Congressional support for development of a U-S missile-defense system.

TEXT: Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz departed from the text of his prepared statement to a Congressional committee (Thursday) to voice his backing for Russian missile defense.

/// WOLFOWITZ ACT ///

It is not in my prepared testimony, but I think it is important to make this point - we would like to see Russia with the ability to defend itself against limited missile attack.

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Wolfowitz made the statement to reject congressional suggestions that the U-S effort to develop missile defenses poses a threat to Russia. He denied that the United States feels threatened by Russia's missile defenses, noting Pentagon officials are not worried about the primitive system already in place around Moscow.

He went on to say one good reason for Russia to have an effective system of its own would be to shoot down a U-S missile that might be launched accidentally.

/// WOLFOWITZ ACT ///

If, Heaven forbid, something went wrong and I can not imagine it going wrong, but if we had an accident with one of our missiles and it was flying towards Russia, I would dearly hope they could shoot it down. I cannot imagine circumstances in which it is in our interest for Russia to be vulnerable to limited missile attack. I think that it is a very important point: we are talking about a common interest here and that is the reason why I am optimistic that we can achieve a cooperative outcome.

/// END ACT ///

Russia has in the past been critical of the U-S effort to develop missile defenses, suggesting it could trigger a new arms race.

But such criticism appears to have been muted in recent days, with Russian officials welcoming a dialogue with the Bush administration on strategic issues.

The Bush administration wants to develop missile defenses to protect the United States against possible limited attack by rogue states such as North Korea or Iraq.

But U-S officials have said that in order to move forward with the plan, the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Russia will have to be renegotiated or else Washington will have to withdraw from the pact. (SIGNED)

NEB/BEL/RAE