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UH physicist goes
to Washington to oppose
missile defense

By Helen Altonn
Star-Bulletin

University of Hawaii physicist Michael Jones will speak for scientists at a national gathering Monday to protest a proposed missile-defense system.

"The rush to make a decision on deploying this isn't based on sound scientific and technical information," Jones said before leaving today for Washington, D.C.

Citing frustration with "the politicization" of the issues, the Union of Concerned Scientists is seeking to educate Congress on the issues. More than 35 scientists and missile experts from 16 states will meet at the Capitol to tell President Clinton and lawmakers "the proposed system won't work."

Others speaking at a news conference Monday afternoon will be: Roy Danchick, mathematician and former employee of TRW, a national missile defense contractor; Dr. Joseph Lach, physicist at Fermi National Accelerator Lab, Chicago; and Dr. Lisbeth Gronlund, research fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Security Studies Program.

Gronlund also is senior staff scientist for the Union of Concerned Scientists and author of a study on the planned missile system.

Clinton is expected to decide whether to deploy the system after a third intercept test in July and a Pentagon recommendation.

One of two tests so far has failed, Jones pointed out. "There is so very little information and what little there is doesn't seem particularly encouraging."

Leaders of Russia, Germany, China and other countries oppose the proposed system as a threat to their security.

The plan, estimated at a cost of about $49 billion, would start in 2005 with construction of 20 interceptor missiles in Alaska, growing to 100 two years later. They would be armed with non-nuclear "hit-to-kill" vehicles.

Ground-based phased radar stations and satellite-based infrared sensors would back the interceptor missiles in a system designed to shield the United States from a limited missile attack.

Hawaii Sens. Daniel Akaka and Dan Inouye and Rep. Neil Abercrombie last year co-sponsored legislation to deploy national missile defense "as soon as is technologically feasible." Abercrombie had opposed it, then switched, Jones said.

"I'm hoping to learn more about what they're actually worried about and why they did this," he said, adding that he believes they're worried about a threat from North Korea.

The Union of Concerned Scientists argues that the proposed missile-defense system wouldn't be effective "unless tested against the kinds of countermeasures that even countries like North Korea are capable of," Jones said.

Even if tests were successful, it's uncertain whether the deployed system would be able to distinguish a real warhead from decoys and other counter-measures, Jones said.

He said it's worth pursuing and testing sea-based theater missile defense systems, being developed against short-range missiles such as the Scuds used by Iraq in the Gulf War. But they have many of the same drawbacks as the national missile defense system, he said.

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Ka Leo O Hawaii