Hans.Moravec@cmu-ri-rover.arpa (03/30/84)
a281 2046 22 Mar 84
AM-Space Bill,320
Bill Seeks Talks on Banning Space Weapons
WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress has been asked again to push the Reagan
administration to try to negotiate a U.S.-Soviet ban on all weapons in
space.
The request came in a resolution co-sponsored in the House this week
by nine congressmen, seeking a comprehensive ban on all space-based
weapons and a separate moratorium on the testing and production of
anti-satellite weapons.
The resolutions, similar to measures sponsored earlier in the
Senate, come a year after President Reagan urged a major scientific
effort to develop a futuristic defensive shield that would protect the
United States against attack by Soviet nuclear missiles.
The proposal has been criticized by some scientific and arms-control
groups, who say it is impossible to achieve and attempts to realize
the goal might only spur the Soviets into a pre-emptive attack.
The resolutions, introduced Wednesday, were sponsored by Rep. Norman
Dicks, D-Wash.; Albert Gore, Jr., D-Tenn; Les Aspin, D-Wis.; Matthew
McHugh, D-N.Y.; Vic Fazio, D-Calif.; Joel Pritchard, R-Wash.; Thomas
S. Foley, D-Wash.; Steny Hoyer, D-Md. and Lawrence Coughlin, R-Pa.
Meanwhile, backers of a space-based defensive system known as High
Frontier released a poll Thursday that said 82 percent of 1,010
Californians questioned approve of a system of satellites to defend
the United States from attack.
High Frontier proposes to deploy 432 satellites, each armed with 40
to 50 missiles that would be capable of shooting down Soviet weapons.
It could be deployed with existing technology within five to six
years at a cost of $30 billion, retired Lt. Gen. Daniel Graham told a
news conference.
Nuclear weapons are banned from space by a treaty signed by the
United States and the Soviet Union. But there are no new negotiations
under way to limit future weapons systems and administration
officials have recently told Congress that any such pacts would be
difficult to verify.
ap-ny-03-22 2346EDT
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