DATE=03/22/99
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-111202
TITLE=THE NEW ANTI-MISSILE DEFENSE
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: CONGRESS HAS GIVEN THE GO-AHEAD TO A NEW NATIONAL,
MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM, A SUBSTANTIALLY SCALED-DOWN VERSION OF
THE SO-CALLED "STAR WARS" ANTI-MISSILE SYSTEM PROPOSED DURING THE
REAGAN ADMINISTRATION TO COUNTER A WAVE OF HOSTILE SOVIET
MISSILES.
THAT SYSTEM WAS NEVER BUILT, ALTHOUGH BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WAS
SPENT ON RESEARCH. THIS NEW SYSTEM WILL BE DESIGNED TO DESTROY A
SINGLE INCOMING ROCKET FROM A ROGUE NATION, AND WILL BE BUILT AS
SOON AS TECHNOLOGICALLY POSSIBLE, ACCORDING TO THE CONGRESSIONAL
WORDING.
IN THE NATION'S PRESS, A DEBATE THAT RAGED IN THE 1980'S ABOUT
THE EFFICACY OF SUCH AS SYSTEM, HAS BEEN REKINDLED. WE GET A
SAMPLING NOW FROM _______________ IN TODAY'S EDITORIAL DIGEST.
TEXT: THE SYSTEM APPROVED BY THE CONGRESS WILL USE A SYSTEM OF
GROUND-BASED ANTI-MISSILE ROCKETS WHICH HOPEFULLY WOULD BE ABLE
TO DESTROY AN INTER-CONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE BEFORE IT HIT
THE TARGET. ONE OF THE LEADING FACTORS IN THE RE-BIRTH OF THIS
IDEA WAS LAST YEAR'S LAUNCH BY THE NORTH KOREANS OF A THREE-STAGE
MISSILE, IN WHAT THE NORTH KOREANS SAID, WAS AN ATTEMPT TO LAUNCH
THEIR FIRST SPACE SATELLITE. U-S ANALYSTS SAY SUCH A POWERFUL
ROCKET MIGHT SOON BE ABLE TO HIT NORTH AMERICA WITH A NUCLEAR
WARHEAD.
THE U-S PRESS CONTINUES TO DEBATE THE ANTI-MISSILE PLAN. WE
BEGIN IN TEXAS, WHERE MOLLY IVINS, A WELL-KNOWN SYNDICATED
COLUMNIST OF "THE FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM" DOES NOT LIKE THE
IDEA.
VOICE: IN HIS MOST SPECTACULAR AND STUPID REVERSAL IN YEARS,
[PRESIDENT] CLINTON HAS NOW ENDORSED 'STAR WARS,' THE
OLD REAGAN-ERA SCHEME TO BUILD AN ANTI-MISSILE SYSTEM
THAT WOULD PROTECT US FROM AN ALL-OUT ATTACK BY THE
SOVIET UNION. IT WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA THEN AND, AS YOU
MAY HAVE NOTICED, THE SOVIET UNION HAS BEEN SERIOUSLY
DEFUNCT FOR SEVEN YEARS. ... WE HAVE ALREADY SPENT
55-BILLION DOLLARS ON THIS PIECE OF LEFTOVER COLD WAR
LUNACY, AND ABSOLUTELY NONE OF IT WORKS, AT ANY LEVEL,
NOT TO MENTION THE RATHER GLARING FACT THAT -- WE DO NOT
NEED IT.
TEXT: HOWEVER, IN THE MIDDLE OF AMERICA, NEBRASKA'S "OMAHA
WORLD-HERALD" SAYS IN ITS EDITORIAL HEADLINE, "CHANGING TIMES
MAKE IT WISER TO PROCEED WITH MISSILE DEFENSE."
VOICE: IT HAS TAKEN 20-YEARS, BUT STRATEGIC MISSILE DEFENSE
FINALLY IS GETTING THE SERIOUS TREATMENT IT DESERVES.
...THE NUCLEAR THREAT HAS CHANGED SINCE THE UNITED
STATES AND THE SOVIET UNION SIGNED A TREATY IN 1972
STATING THAT NEITHER SUPERPOWER WOULD BUILD A
MISSILE-DEFENSE SYSTEM. ...THE NUMBER-ONE PRIORITY OF
GOVERNMENT IS TO PROTECT THE LIVES OF ITS CITIZENS. AS
EVIDENCE MOUNTS THAT MORE COUNTRIES ARE ACQUIRING
NUCLEAR WEAPONS, AND THAT THE CHINESE, PARTICULARLY, ARE
DEVELOPING SOPHISTICATED WEAPONS THAT COULD STRIKE THE
AMERICAN MAINLAND FROM ASIA, CONGRESS IS ONLY BEING
SENSIBLE -- BELATEDLY SENSIBLE -- BY TAKING A NEW LOOK
AT MISSILE DEFENSES.
TEXT: APPEARING TO RESERVE JUDGMENT ON THE MERITS OF THE SYSTEM,
"THE LOS ANGELES TIMES" IS WORRIED THAT A RUSH TO PRODUCE THE
SYSTEM WILL BE WASTEFUL.
VOICE: THE MISSILE THREAT FROM ROGUE STATES HAS TO BE TAKEN
SERIOUSLY. NORTH KOREA, IRAN AND IRAQ DO NOT NEED
LONG-RANGE MISSILES TO INTIMIDATE THEIR NEIGHBORS; IT IS
THE UNITED STATES THEY HAVE IN MIND. IS A DEFENSE
AGAINST THIS THREAT FEASIBLE? A RUSHED AND WASTEFULLY
EXPENSIVE PROGRAM THAT PROVES TO BE INEFFECTIVE WOULD DO
NOTHING TO MAKE AMERICANS MORE SECURE. DOING IT RIGHT
IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN DOING IT QUICKLY.
TEXT: ANOTHER CALIFORNIA DAILY THAT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE COST,
BUT EQUALLY UPSET ABOUT THE PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
AMONG SMALLER, LESS STABLE NATIONS, IS "THE SAN FRANCISCO
CHRONICLE."
VOICE: .... SPREADING TECHNOLOGY HAS TURNED CHINA INTO A
POTENTIAL THREAT ALONG WITH NORTH KOREA AND IRAN. HOW
SHOULD WE REACT TO THIS NEW LANDSCAPE? THIS IS NOT A
WAR ROOM DEBATE. THE WEST COAST IS A CLEAR TARGET ZONE
FOR THESE SMALL, BUT LETHAL, MISSILES ... THE NATIONAL
MOOD ... WANTS FAIL-SAFE PROTECTION. BUT THIS
INCLINATION SHOULD NOT BECOME A BLANK CHECK FOR ENDLESS
MILITARY SPENDING. TOUGH MEASUREMENTS MUST BE MADE OF
ANTI-MISSILE RESEARCH TO PREVENT RUNAWAY SPENDING.
TEXT: MAINE'S "PORTLAND PRESS HERALD" HAS ITS DOUBTS ABOUT THE
FEASIBILITY OF EVEN PRODUCING SUCH A SYSTEM, DESPITE A POTENTIAL
NEED.
VOICE: A GROUND-BASED SYSTEM WOULD REPLACE THE LASERS AND
ROCKETS IN SPACE DESIGNED TO HEAD OFF THE NUCLEAR
FIRESTORM ENVISIONED IN RONALD REAGAN'S STRATEGIC
DEFENSE INITIATIVE [S-D-I] . THE TECHNOLOGICAL
CHALLENGES ARE STAGGERING EVEN FOR THIS LASER SYSTEM.
THAT IS WHY THE LEGISLATION DECLARING ITS DEVELOPMENT TO
BE U-S POLICY PRUDENTLY SAYS IT WILL BE DONE AS SOON AS
'TECHNOLOGICALLY POSSIBLE.' ... A NATIONAL MISSILE
DEFENSE MAY BE NO NEARER REALITY THAN S-D-I, BUT SOME
BOUNDARIES NOW HAVE BEEN DRAWN WITHIN WHICH THE NATIONAL
CONVERSATION ABOUT IT CAN OCCUR.
TEXT: LASTLY,"THE WASHINGTON POST" SAYS THE UNITED STATES MUST
BE CAREFUL NOT TO ALTER THE STRATEGIC BALANCE WITH THE MAJOR
NUCLEAR POWERS, AS IT TRIES TO DEVELOP THIS NEW DEFENSIVE WEAPON.
VOICE: THE MISSILE-DEFENSE LEGISLATION BEARS AN AMENDMENT,
ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY IN THE SENATE, REAFFIRMING THE U-S
COMMITMENT TO ARMS CONTROL WITH MOSCOW. THE REQUIREMENT
NOW IS TO TURN THIS GENERAL EXPRESSION INTO A CONCRETE
NEGOTIATING PLAN -- THERE MUST BE ONE FOR CHINA TOO.
THE UNITED STATES MUST DEFEND ITSELF AS WELL AS POSSIBLE
AGAINST ROGUE AND TERRORIST WEAPONS AND AVOID GIVING
GRATUITOUS STRATEGIC AND POLITICAL OFFENSE TO RUSSIA AND
CHINA. ... AMERICANS CANNOT EXPECT OTHERS TO LIVE WITH
A CONDITION OF PERCEIVED STRATEGIC VULNERABILITY THAT
THEY WOULD NEVER ACCEPT FOR THEMSELVES.
TEXT: THAT CONCLUDES THIS SAMPLING OF COMMENT ON THE LATEST MOVE
IN CONGRESS TO RENEW FINANCING OF A LIMITED ANTI-NUCLEAR MISSILE
DEFENSE SYSTEM TO GUARD AGAINST ATTACKS FROM ROGUE NATIONS.
NEB/ANG/RAE
22-Mar-99 2:28 PM EST (1928 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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