-Caveat Lector-
High-Tech Radar will NOT track N. Korea Missile
Source: The Washington Time
Published: August 17, 1999
By Bill Gertz
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has turned down a U.S.
commander's request to use a new missile-defense radar to monitor
North Korea's upcoming Taepo Dong missile launch, Pentagon
officials said.
Gen. Henry H. Shelton, the chairman, decided on Friday to reject
an appeal from the commander of the U.S. Space Command in
Colorado because of costs and because using the radar now might
slow its development.
The radar system is known as the Theater High Altitude Area
Defense, or THAAD.
A senior defense official, speaking on the condition that he not
be identified by name, said Gen. Shelton's decision was based on
his view that the $3 million to $5 million cost of sending the
radar to Japan outweighed the benefits.
"By and large, you don't get enough benefit to justify the
costs," the defense official said.
But some military officials said monitoring the Taepo Dong with
the powerful THAAD radar, which can track missiles over long
distances, would have been an important test against a "real
world threat."
The monitoring also could have tested the radar's capability of
providing early warning of a missile launch against the United
States and provided valuable field training for the Army units
that will eventually be deployed with the completed THAAD system,
the officials said.
Critics said the Pentagon bowed to pressure from Clinton
administration arms-control officials who opposed sending the
radar because it might upset the Russians. A new round of
strategic arms talks is set to begin today in Moscow.
Separately, a confidant of reclusive North Korean leader Kim
Jong-il told CNN yesterday in an interview that his country was
prepared to respond in kind to U.S. and South Korean efforts to
halt a new missile test.
"If the visitor comes and offers us a cake, we'll respond with a
cake," said Kim Yong-sun, secretary of North Korea's Workers
Party, in a rare interview.
"But if somebody comes with a sword or a knife, we'll respond
with a knife," he added.
Earlier, the senior official said arms-control issues were a
factor in deciding whether to send the THAAD radar to Japan for
tests against North Korea's second test of a long-range missile.
U.S. intelligence agencies are closely monitoring a missile site
on North Korea's east coast where the test is anticipated. Ships,
spy satellites and aircraft are monitoring the test area,
officials said.
The senior official said in an interview that possible violations
of U.S.-Russian arms accords were not taken into account by Gen.
Shelton, even though a special treaty "compliance review group"
discussed the matter during a meeting at the Pentagon Friday.
Other officials said the decision not to test the radar against a
real-world missile threat is a sign of the Clinton
administration's bias against missile defenses.
Gen. Richard Myers, commander of the U.S. Space Command, made the
initial request to send one of the two THAAD radars currently
based in the United States to Japan to monitor the test.
The request was backed by the Pentagon's Ballistic Missile
Defense Organization, the U.S. Pacific Command and the Army's
Space and Missile Defense Command.
The defense official said the compliance-review group "never made
a decision" on whether sending the radar was allowed under
U.S.-Russian treaties. The cost and other factors were the
critical considerations for Gen. Shelton, he said.
Other officials said it was unusual for Gen. Shelton to reject
the commander's request and was based more on political
sensitivities toward Russia than on costs or operational worries.
"It is pathetic that Gen. Shelton's first impulse is to wring his
hands over some convoluted -- and unfounded -- arms-control
concern, instead of embracing this innovative proposal that can
do nothing but enhance the nation's security," said one official
angered by the decision.
"This administration has enough political hacks willing to
sacrifice national security to their political concerns," this
official said. "Someone needs to be an advocate for our security
interests. It's clear that Gen. Shelton is not up to that task."
U.S. and Russian arms specialists will hold their first round of
meetings today in Moscow to discuss new strategic arms reductions
and changes to the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty.
President Clinton signed legislation in July that says it is U.S.
policy to deploy a national missile defense as soon as
"technologically possible." The president said in a statement
that the law does not bind him to deploy a system unless
arms-control considerations are first taken into account.
Mr. Clinton has said the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty is "the
cornerstone" of strategic relations with Russia. The treaty
prohibits deployment of nationwide missile defenses and limits
signatories to a single site. Russia has deployed its missile
defense around Moscow. The United States has no system capable of
hitting a long-range missile.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon announced yesterday that it has completed
an agreement with Japan to conduct joint research on a sea-based
regional missile-defense system.
The agreement calls for the United States and Japan to conduct
joint research and experiments on a system that would use the
Standard SM-3 missile. The missile will be used on U.S. and
Japanese Aegis-equipped ships that would provide wide-area
coverage of medium-range missiles.
On Aug. 31, 1998, North Korea launched a medium-range Taepo Dong
missile over Japanese air space and into the Pacific Ocean.
Tokyo, Seoul and Washington have been warning North Korea against
a follow-up test of a missile suspected of being able to reach
Alaska and Guam.
Asked if Mr. Kim's comments on CNN were a possible signal that
North Korea may suspend the second test of its medium-range Taepo
Dong missile, State Department spokesman James P. Rubin said
yesterday: "We hope this statement does mean that."
With North Korea in the midst of a prolonged famine as its
economy deteriorates, the United States, Japan and South Korea
have threatened to cancel a number of aid programs if Pyongyang
proceeds with the missile test.
"We do certainly hope that the North Koreans choose the benefits
that would accrue to their people, their country and their
relations with the United States from forgoing such testing," Mr.
Rubin said. But, he added, "the answer is something I'm not
prepared to speculate on at this time."
Scott Snyder, a Korea analyst at the U.S. Institute of Peace in
Washington, said the "period of risk" over the missile test is
far from passed, despite Mr. Kim's remarks. He noted that North
Korea has benefited in the past from military brinksmanship,
winning an aid package from the United States when it agreed to
drop a secret nuclear weapons program in 1994.
"This could mean North Korea is ready to pursue diplomacy but
also still plans to carry out the missile test," Mr. Snyder said.
"This is a regime that needs crises, that relies on crises, to
carry out its diplomatic strategy."
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Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT
FROM THE DESK OF: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
*Mike Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
~~~~~~~~ <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends
Shalom, A Salaam Aleikum, and to all, A Good Day.
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