02/02/1999 03:32 PM Senate STA

         SJR  4-NATIONAL BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR TIM KELLY, sponsor of SJR 4, informed committee members                                                                 
that Secretary of Defense William Cohen announced that the United                                                               
States will proceed with the deployment of a national ballistic                                                                 
missile defense system and confirmed that Alaska and North Dakota                                                               
are under active consideration as potential sites.  SJR 4 states                                                                
the reasons why that system should be deployed in Alaska, primarily                                                             
because its strategic location makes it the only site in which all                                                              
50 states can be defended.  The North Dakota base cannot defend                                                                 
Alaska and Hawaii.  Alaskans have always supported a strong                                                                     
national defense system.  Brigadier General Willy Nance, Program                                                                
Manager for the National Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, is                                                             
making a special trip to Juneau on February 22 to brief the                                                                     
Legislature on the details of the program.  SENATOR KELLY urged                                                                 
bipartisan support of SJR 4 so that the resolution can be presented                                                             
to Brigadier General Nance upon his arrival.  He requested the                                                                  
committee amend SJR 4 to include Secretary of Defense William Cohen                                                             
as a recipient of the resolution.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
VICE-CHAIR GREEN noted that SJR 4 does not make any reference to                                                                
the fact that North Dakota's location does not have Alaska's                                                                    
strategic advantage.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KELLY reiterated that the problem with a North Dakotan site                                                             
is that it cannot protect Alaska and Hawaii.  He added it is                                                                    
possible that missiles will be located in both Alaska and North                                                                 
Dakota.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHRIS NELSON, staff director for the Joint Committee on Military                                                                
Bases, gave the following testimony.  Five months ago North Korea                                                               
launched a multi-stage ballistic missile that landed in the North                                                               
Pacific.  The New York Times made the following comments in an                                                                  
editorial the next day.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     North Korea's test of a medium range missile, capable of                                                                   
     reaching targets in Japan and beyond, represents a                                                                         
     technological breakthrough.  Officials and arms experts said                                                               
     that the test suggested that North Korea had made real                                                                     
     progress in its efforts to build a longer range missile, the                                                               
     Tapo Dawn (ph) II, which is reportedly capable of traveling                                                                
     2400 to 3600 miles.  That would give North Korea the ability                                                               
     to strike targets throughout Asia and as far away as                                                                       
     Alaska....                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. NELSON stated military experts believe that North Korea intends                                                             
to put nuclear warheads on its intercontinental missiles or export                                                              
its missiles to someone who would.  North Korea's launch confirmed                                                              
the conclusion reached by a bipartisan commission headed by former                                                              
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfelt: that the United States is now                                                                
vulnerable to ballistic missile attack and that our nation has no                                                               
means to defend itself.  He summarized by saying the rules of                                                                   
international relations and national defense changed when North                                                                 
Korean launched its missile.  Support for SJR 4 indicates Alaska's                                                              
traditional agreement and commitment to defending Alaska and fellow                                                             
Americans.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR PHILLIPS moved to amend page 2, line 8, by adding "the                                                                  
Honorable William Cohen, Secretary of Defense," to the list.  There                                                             
being no objection, the motion carried.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MACKIE moved CSSJR 4(STA) out of committee with individual                                                              
recommendations.  There being no objection, the motion carried.