Online NewsHour: A Viable Defense? -- January 28, 1999



	A VIABLE DEFENSE?

January 28, 1999

The Clinton administration has proposed spending $6.6 billion to build a national missile defense system. Following a background report, Elizabeth Farnsworth and guests discuss the pros and cons of the program. Also, participate in an online forum on this topic.

Online NewsHour Special Report:
National Missile Defense

July 15, 1998:
A discussion of the development of ballistic missile technology in Third World nations.

June 4, 1996:
A report on the Strategic Defense Initiative.

Sept. 25, 1996:
An online forum on the future of the armed forces.

Browse the NewsHour's coverage of military issues.

The Department of Defense's National Missile Defense Program

The Department of Defense's press release announcing the additional fund for the national missile defense

Union of Concerned Scientists on Ballistic Missile Defense

The Federation of American Scientist's page on the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty

ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: Remember "Star Wars," the space-based system conceived during the administration of President Reagan as a way to defend the U.S. against Soviet ballistic missiles? Well, now that countries like North Korea can build rockets, too, the missile defense debate is back. It's not Star Wars this time, but something different. At the Pentagon last week, Secretary of Defense William Cohen pledged $6.6 billion, between now and 2005, to build a more limited national missile defense system. It would be aimed at attacks from places like North Korea or an accidental attack from Russia or China.

WILLIAM COHEN, Secretary of Defense: We are committing additional billions of dollars and taking other steps to protect our troops and the American people from the growing threat posed by weapons of mass destruction delivered by ballistic missiles.

The return of Star Wars.

Satellite dish ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: This video from the Defense Department shows some elements of the proposed system. Satellites in space and radars on the ground would detect and track an enemy missile launch. Then interceptor missiles would be launched to destroy the invader. About $55 billion have been spent since 1983 on missile defense research. The $6.6 billion announced by Cohen last week will pay for building the missiles, radars, and other aspects of the new, limited system.
During his briefing last week, the secretary made four key points:

First, the threat of missile attacks from nations like North Korea is increasing.

Second, no firm decision has been made about actually deploying a defense system, but a final decision will be made in June next year.

Third, building a missile defense system might violate the anti-ballistic missile or A.B.M. Treaty.

And finally, implementation of the missile defense system depends on further testing. The flight tests of interceptors so far have almost all failed.

quote from Rumsfled Concern over the threat posed by missile attacks has grown since a bipartisan report on the subject was released last July by a commission headed by former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. The commission, appointed by congress, found that "concerted efforts by a number of overtly or potentially hostile nations to acquire ballistic missiles with biological or nuclear payloads poses a growing threat to the United States, and that the warning times the U.S. can expect of a new, threatening ballistic missile deployment are being reduced."

Russian opposition.

MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, Secretary of State: Mayor Luzhkov had some questions about some of the policies of the United States, and I hope that -

ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: Already the administration is dealing with the fall-out from Cohen's announcement last week. In Russia earlier this week, Secretary of State Albright heard objections from Russian leaders to rewriting the anti-ballistic missile treaty. That treaty, which was signed in 1972 by Presidents Nixon and Brezhnev, limited the nuclear weapons arsenals of the two world superpowers and ruled out development of nationwide ballistic missile defenses. At a Moscow press conference Tuesday, Albright and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said they had referred the matter to a bilateral security committee. Albright also said the U.S. might seek amendments to the ABM treaty, which Ivanov said Russia would oppose.