| OCR Text |
Show Garn Comments On Reagan's Strategic Arms Proposals By JAKE GARN The President has produced a strong, workable package of proposals for bolstering our strategic forces which will send the Soviets an unmistakable signal that we are serious about defending ourselves and that it is time to work on mutual arms reduction. The President's program includes many of the elements of the proposal which Senator Laxalt and I put forward for-ward last June. Naturally, I am pleased that the President has accepted ac-cepted our contention - and that of many other experts -- that the Carter Administration's proposed MPS or "racetrack" deployment system was flawed because it would not survive a Soviet attack. Although I never wanted the MPS system in Utah ' because of its potentially devastating environmental and socioeconomic impacts, my reason for opposing it was because of strategic vulnerability. It simply was not a good deterrent. As to suggestions that the Soviets would be dancing in the streets because of the President's proposals, I must strongly disagree. I have devoted a major portion of my six years in the Senate to studying defense issues; in fact, I secured passage of legislation forcing the Carter Administration to address the missile vulnerabilty problem and to propose a solution. The President's program is viable and represents the broadest, most comprehensive effort by any President to correct the growing deficiencies in our strategic Triad. |
