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 .