SJR 30: Relating to the defense of Alaska from offensive nuclear attack.
00SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 30 01 Relating to the defense of Alaska from offensive nuclear attack. 02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 WHEREAS Alaska is the 49th state to enter the federal union of the United States of 04 America and is entitled to all of the rights, privileges, and obligations that the union affords 05 and requires; and 06 WHEREAS Alaska possesses natural resources, both material and human, vital to the 07 prosperity and national security of the United States; and 08 WHEREAS the people of Alaska are conscious of the state's remote northern location 09 and proximity to Northeast Asia and the Eurasian land mass, and of how that unique location 10 places the state in a more vulnerable position than other states with regard to missiles that 11 could be launched in Asia and Europe; and 12 WHEREAS the people of Alaska recognize the changing nature of the international 13 political structure and the evolution and proliferation of missile delivery systems and weapons 14 of mass destruction as foreign states seek the military means to deter the power of the United
01 States in international affairs; and 02 WHEREAS there is a growing threat to Alaska by potential aggressors in these nations 03 and in rogue nations that may be gaining nuclear weapons capability and that have sponsored 04 international terrorism; and 05 WHEREAS ballistic missile defense technology exists to help defend Alaska from 06 threat by potential aggressors, but, despite the availability of funding from Congress to deploy 07 this technology, the Executive Branch has determined not to deploy these defenses and is 08 relying on a National Intelligence Estimate that left out Alaska and Hawaii to support that 09 policy; and 10 WHEREAS one of the primary reasons for joining the Union of the United States of 11 America was to gain security for the people of Alaska and for the common regulation of 12 foreign affairs on the basis of an equitable membership in the United States federation; and 13 WHEREAS the United States plans to field a national missile defense, perhaps as 14 early as 2003; this national missile defense plan will provide only a fragile defense for Alaska, 15 the state most likely to be threatened by new missile powers that are emerging in Northeast 16 Asia; 17 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests the 18 President of the United States to take all actions necessary, within the considerable limits of 19 the resources of the United States, to protect on an equal basis all peoples and resources of 20 this great Union from threat of missile attack regardless of the physical location of the 21 member state; and be it 22 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests that 23 Alaska be included in every National Intelligence Estimate conducted by the United States 24 joint intelligence agencies; and be it 25 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests the 26 President of the United States to include in any estimate of threat to the United States all 27 member states, not just the contiguous 48 states that the 1996 National Intelligence Estimate 28 included in its missile threat assessment; and be it 29 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States 30 government to take necessary measures to ensure that Alaska is protected against foreseeable 31 threats, nuclear and otherwise, posed by foreign aggressors, including deployment of a ballistic
01 missile defense system to protect Alaska; and be it 02 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature conveys to the President 03 of the United States expectations that Alaska's safety and security take priority over any 04 international treaty or obligation and that the President take whatever action is necessary to 05 ensure that Alaska can be defended against limited missile attacks with the same degree of 06 assurance as that provided to all other states; and be it 07 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests that 08 the appropriate Congressional committees hold hearings in Alaska that include defense experts 09 and administration officials to help Alaskans understand their risks, their level of security, and 10 Alaska's vulnerability. 11 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Bill Clinton, President of the 12 United States; the Honorable Al Gore, Jr., Vice-President of the United States and President 13 of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the U.S. House of 14 Representatives; the Honorable Ted Stevens, Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on 15 Appropriations; the Honorable Bob Livingston, Chair of the U.S. House of Representatives 16 Committee on Appropriations; the Honorable Strom Thurmond, Chair of the U.S. Senate 17 Committee on Armed Services; the Honorable Floyd Spence, Chair of the U.S. House of 18 Representatives Committee on National Security; and to the Honorable Frank Murkowski, U.S. 19 Senator, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska 20 delegation in Congress.