IFTHESovietsigningofthe Rarotonga

Hawaii

US Outrage at Soviet Missile Tests

Hawaii could be a rocket “bullseye”.

By Ed Rampell

IFTHESovietsigningofthe Rarotonga

Treaty’s protocols on December 15, 1986, was the greatest triumph of Mik hail Gorbachev’s “Glasnost” policy in Oceania, the USSR’s September 29-30, 1987, intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests near the Hawaiian Islands is

Moscow’s biggest public relations dis aster in the Pacific.

TheSS-18 ICBM mis sile tests were soundly condemned from Honolulu to Wash ington by Hawaii and national US leaders.

Oahu Congress woman Patricia Saiki expressed “outrage” and “concern ... over Soviets turning Ha waii into an intercon tinental bullseye,” on

the floor of the House of Representatives on October 1.

The fiery response to the test firings from not only Rep Saiki, but from Gov ernor John Waihee, Rep Daniel Akaka, and officials from both the Stale and Def ence Departments as well is understand able. The test firings, as originally planned, would have included the overflight of sov ereign US territory by a Soviet ICBM for the first time in history. Moscow’s intent was for unprecedented “bracketing” tests, with the firing of two ICBMs north and south of the Hawaiian chain.

After the Kremlin announced plans for the tests'prior to their deployment, the US Government reacted strongly. On Sep tember 29, the first test failed, and on Sep tember 30, the Soviets successfully launched an ICBM with dummy war heads 1000 kilometres northwest of Kauai.

The program was then halted about a week earlier than planned, perhaps in response to US pressure.

Despite the fact that the first test with the missile destined to fly over Ha waii failed, the second successful test was the closest one in history to American soil. After the test firings reaction was rapid and angry. Rep Saiki collaborated with Senator Robert Dole, Senate Repub lican leader and presidential candidate, in introducing concurrent resolutions on the floors of both chambers of the US Con gress. Both measures were passed over whelmingly, and the House denounced the test firings as “a deliberate provocation of the United States and a direct threat to our

national security” that “demonstrate an utter disdain for civilised and acceptable standards of behaviour . . . the Soviet Union appears to have been practising. . . a strike on the United States ...”

Terming the tests a “new violation of the . . . SALT II Treaty”, the House Res olution called on US President Reagan to report to Congress within 10 days on So viet explanations for the experiments; on steps the US will take to make sure there is never a repeat performance; and what effect SDI (“Star Wars”) “could have against a missile launched in similar prox imity to US territory”.

Of particular concern to Hawaii lead ers is that “had this test misfired by only fractions of a second, lens of Soviet ballis tic missile test warheads could have landed on centres of population in the Hawaiian Islands.” The memory of the Japanese at tack on Pearl Harbour is still vivid here, and Hawaii serves as CINCPAC head quarters and purportedly stores an entire atomic arsenal (making it, in turn, a top Soviet nuclear target).

It’s not known why these tests oc curred at a lime when the superpowers are on the threshold of the first historic agree

ment to eliminate nuclear weapons. Ac cording to CINCPAC spokesperson Air Force Major Virginia Pribyla, this is Mos cow’s 11th ICBM test since 1985 in the North Pacific. “With the Pacific so vast an expanse, there is no reason for not con ducting these tests elsewhere, as the So viets have in the past,” she asserts.

One possible explanation is that the USSR tests are in retaliation for a secret US rocket test linked to “Star Wars” in the Aleutian Island of Shemya, close to Sib eria. In addition, the US has as recently as November 3 launched many mis siles from California to Kwajalein atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands for decades; 40 have been deployed since May, 1985. The Marshalls were the site of more than 100 US nuclear tests from 1946 to 1958, and “Star Wars” is currently tested at Kwajalein.

Nevertheless, the Soviet tests must call into question Moscow’s sincerity in rela tion to its signing and supporting of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty.

With the Hawaii tests, the USSR has lost much of the propaganda ground it had gained on those Western powers that re fuse to sign the accord. □

Soviet critic Senator Robert Dole.