
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 22, 1991                   TAG: 9103220875
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-12   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DAN GRAHAM
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SDI KNOWLEDGE MAKES BETTER PATRIOT

THE EDITORIAL March 5 was as erroneous as it was misleading. The Patriot missile, which saved countless lives in the Gulf War, is indeed connected to the Strategic Defense Initiative. It was only after President Reagan announced the SDI program that development was begun to give the anti-aircraft Patriot a capability against missiles.

Furthermore, if the anti-SDI group of Congressmen and "experts" had had their way, the Patriot would never have gotten an anti-missile capability. They slashed the budget for Patriot in 1985 and zeroed the budget in 1987. It was only through the staunch effort of pro-SDI senators, notably Dan Quayle, that those opposed to defending America from missile attacks were frustrated in their attempts.

Their opposition was based on the standard anti-SDI arguments: It is a first step toward Reagan's Star Wars; it might offend the ABM treaty; and it won't work. They are still trying to claim that it won't work, despite the successes of the Patriot. That Patriot was an Army program doesn't change the fact that you can hit a bullet with a bullet - ballistic missiles can be shot down.

As for the editorial's claim that defenses against longer-range missiles are "trickier," perhaps so. But we have proved with recent testing that we can shoot them down as well, while far off in space. In some ways it's easier since there is more time to react.

The editorial, though trying to discredit the idea of SDI, concludes that "In the post-Cold War era, it makes sense to defend against nuclear-armed or other missiles" and "Research should continue," adding that maybe knowledge from Patriot could be used.

Well, knowledge from SDI will be used to make a better Patriot, with the new Patriot Growth system. I fail to see how the author of the editorial can say, "SDI is impractical," yet conclude that we need it. The means is there, the technology works; all we need is the political will to do it. We can defend our country - if we want to.

by CNB