Center Applauds The US West Decision, Warns Of New Dangers To Technology Security

(Washington, D.C.): The Center for Security Policy today commended the Bush Administration for its decision to disapprove the construction of a fiber optic communications system in the Soviet Union on national security grounds. The Administration vetoed the proposal for such a telecommunications line made by the Denver-based US West company at the same time that the British government rejected a similar plan offered by the U.K. corporation, Cable & Wireless. The Center warned, however, of impending actions that could more than offset — and may even outright reverse — this prudent action.

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr., the Center’s director, said, "By declining to approve a fiber optic network for the USSR, the Bush Administration has blocked a quantum improvement in the efficiency, reliability, security and robustness of the Soviet military’s communications system. What is more, the Administration showed that it can still prevail upon its allies — in this case, Britain — to act responsibly concerning the control of strategic technologies if only the United States is prepared to provide strong leadership."

Gaffney added, "Unfortunately, the rejection of the US West deal represents the Administration’s first sensible decision on technology security in months. It stands in particular contrast to the sweeping decontrol of sensitive, militarily relevant technologies adopted by President Bush a few weeks ago. What is particularly worrisome is the prospect that the United States will, within the next two days, accede to allied demands to make still more dangerous decontrol decisions — perhaps even reversing the position just taken on the fiber-optic communications proposals."

The strategic implications of the steps already taken by the Bush Administration to facilitate Moscow’s efforts to acquire militarily-relevant technology are suggested by the attachments. The drawings reveal a wide array of potentially significant contributions to future Soviet weapon systems that will be made by Western technologies now in the process of being decontrolled. Incredible as it may seem, the Joint Chiefs of Staff evidently were ignorant of these potential contributions when a study they performed recommended that controls on such technologies (identified in the attachments by their COCOM "International List" or IL designator) be eased or eliminated.

Worse yet, the U.S. House of Representatives is today considering H.R. 4653, "The Export Facilitation Act of 1990." As the attached op.ed. by Frank Gaffney from the 5 June 1990 edition of the Washington Times indicates, this legislation — if adopted by the full Congress — would decimate what remains of the U.S. and multilateral technology security regime. As Gaffney puts it, a more appropriate title for this bill would be "The Soviet Military Relief Act of 1990."