OCR Text |
Show Utah Governor Scott Matheson said that he would not endorse a land based MX even if President Reagan decides to put the entire nuclear, missile system in Nevada. The Governor said the multiple shelter shell game is far too complex and expensive ex-pensive and does nothing to protect the long range missiles mis-siles against aSovlet nuclear attack. And a possible White range complex, would not make the concept of land based missiles more palatable. pala-table. House order to base the MX on military reservations, such as the Nellis Air Force "I don't like It," Matheson Mathe-son said of the Air Forces original plan to shuttle 200 missiles among .4,600 shelters shel-ters In Nevada and Utah. "And I would not like It even if all of it were to go to Nevada." The Utah Democrat said a decision to build a smaller system would not make him an advocate of land based strategic nuclear arms. "I don't think that building build-ing half the project, or less, will make it any more palatable." palat-able." The Las Vegas Sun reported re-ported that the Reagan Administration Ad-ministration may sideline Utah and decide to put 100 missiles In Nevada. Up to 1,000 shelters or silos, would be built on Defense Department property. Pentagon sources said such a system would have to be expanded, or defended with anti ballistic missiles, to keep up with the anticipated antici-pated growth of Soviet strategic stra-tegic missile forces. "As far as the location goes for such a system, the Air Force still wants the system deployed in Nevada and Utah," said Air Force Major Bob McMains, the MX liaison officer In Salt Lake City. "But the opposition forces have concentrated their efforts ef-forts on Utah. The state has become a focal point for many groups opposed to the MX," he said. They are better organized here than in Nevada, and have strong support in the governor's gov-ernor's office. A Defense Department source said, "If politics played a part In keeping the MX out of Utah, It will set a dangerous precedent. If a group which express -es a selfish point of view Is allowed to get away with It, then other groups will do the same," he said. The government gov-ernment can't reward these factions by giving in. |