11668 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS May 9, 1984 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS WHAT'S AT STAKE? the four corners of the globe, and threatens every ocean of the world. This month they the peace of an insecure world. conducted the largest naval exercise in their Virginians have a respect for history. We history in the North Atlantic and Norwe­ HON. J. KENNETH ROBINSON know lessons of the past cannot be ignored. gian Sea. OF VIRGINIA Neither in dealing with the Soviet Union They have the world's largest military air can we ignore: IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES force. That in 1939 they entered into a non-ag­ They have 371 submarines of which 64 Wednesday, May 9, 1984 gression pact with the Nazis to partition can launch ballistic missiles. Our total sub­ Poland. In that same year they invaded Fin­ marine force is 133. e Mr. ROBINSON. Mr. Speaker, I had land. We are not dealing with a country with an the opportunity last week-on In 1940 they seized Latvia, Lithuania, Es- ox cart technology. There are areas in Monday, April 30-to hear my distin­ tonia. - which they have a technological lead over guished predecessor in the House, the In 1948 they tried to blocade Berlin. the United States. Honorable John 0. Marsh, now the In 1950 they supported the North Korean It is estimated they have a 10 year lead in Secretary of the Army, address the invasion of South Korea. the casting of titanium, enabling them to In 1953 they put down the popular upris­ build a submarine with diving depths well 36th Annual Congressional Dinner of ing in East Germany. the Virginia State Chamber of Com­ below conventional operations. In 1956 they brutally crushed the Hungar­ They are pressing ahead in the develop­ merce in Arlington, Va. ian Revolution. ment of nuclear weapons. For example, they Secretary Marsh's comments on the In 1961 they built the Berlin Wall. have operational 1,398 silo launchers. Their threat which hangs over us-and over In 1968 they occupied Czechoslovakia to ICBM's are considered to be at least as accu­ all free peoples-impressed me as real­ suppress the freedom being manifested rate as our Minutemen III's. Many of these istic and solidly based. I commend his there. missile systems have Multiple Reentry Vehi­ message to the consideration of my In 1979 they invaded Afghanistan. cles, each of which is a separate atomic pro­ And, the most recent flagrant example of jectile. Their SS-18's can carry 10 MIRVs colleagues, and I include the text their disrespect for human life and rights under leave to extend my remarks. and their SS-19's can carry 6. Our modern occurred last September when they shot Minuteman has three. The SS-18's can neu­ WHAT'S AT STAKE? down an unarmed Korean airliner, taking tralize 80 percent of our land based ICBM's This coming June the 6th marks the 40th 269 lives. For those who feel this was a mis­ using two strikes per silo. This imbalance is anniversary of the invasion of Normandy. take-who think they have remorse or why the President's MX program for a As Virginians, we should remember in the regret-! point out earlier this month, a modern missile is so important. initial assault on Omaha Beach, there were senior official of the Soviet Government, in To those who advocate a nuclear freeze, It only two National Guard units, both were a public statement in Moscow, hailed the should be pointed out that our stockpile from Virginia. The !16th Infantry, the downing of the Korean airliner. The Soviets have made Cuba into a Carib­ today is one-fourth less than what it was in Stonewall Brigade, from the Valley, Central bean arsenal. Their intelligence collection 1967. and Southside Virginia, and the lllth Field station at Lourdes, near Havana, is the They have about 50,000 tanks. We have Artillery from Richmond, Fredericksburg, second largest they operate in the world. nearly 12,000. Each year they out produce and the Tidewater. They are the primary source of arms us by 1,600. D-Day should teach us we have an inter­ going into Nicaragua. For effective deterrance it is not necessary est in what happens in the rest of the world, Cuban combat troops are their proxies in we match the Soviets man for man, or tank because what happens there can help or Angola and Ethiopia. for tank, but there are steps we must take hurt us. Soviet military representatives numbering to strengthen our defenses. It is to our advantage this planet be a about 20,000 are in nearly 30 nations as a Significant gains have been made in stable place, and that it be a place of peace, part of their foreign military sales program. recent years in the readiness of all of our with freedom under law. They have supported both Iran and Iraq forces. I can tell you there has been a quan­ To that end, we must understand there is in a war that could destabilize the Persian tum jump in the readiness of your Army. a direct relationship between defense, your Gulf. In the Middle East, they are responsi­ More remains to be done. These things that security, and your economic endeavors. ble for the enormous military force devel­ remain to be done are at the heart of the I was asked to speak to you this evening oped by Syria. President's defense request. about National Defense. Approximately 90,000 students from the Additionally, to help meet this threat. It is my hope that I can give you some lesser developed nations of the world study The NATO Alliance is vital, as well as our background that will enable you to better in the Soviet Union, the Bloc countries, or participation in it. This Alliance has pre­ understand the reasons for the President's Cuba. Included are 14,000 from Central and served the peace in Western Europe longer program. South America. They will return to their than any time since the Roman Empire. The Commonwealth of Virginia has countries to spread Marxist/Leninist doc­ There is another important dimension to played a great role in the building of the trine, and they will be anti-American. national security. Economic stability is es­ Republic. We have a great responsibility for Why do we need a strong defense? Be­ sential for a secure world. And it is neces­ its preservation. cause the world is not at peace. There are 20 sary for a prosperous America. When compared to other national cap­ to 22 conflicts and insurgencies being waged For example, the oil embargo of 1973 had itals, in the words of "America the Beauti­ in the lesser developed countries of the a worldwide impact. It contributed to insta­ ful," Washington seems to be the city of the world. There are at least 15 other countries bilities in the Third World. It helped spawn patriot's dream which "gleams undimmed that are politically unstable which might insurgencies. This has been true in Central by human tears." destabilize and become insurgencies. America. But for much of the planet Earth, it is a Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Central America comprises the countries world of tears, of turmoil and conflict. Southwest Asia and Southeast Asia,-These of Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Hondu­ The stakes are high. America, with its ma­ are targets of Soviet intrusion, adventurism ras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. As terial and human resources, finds its leader­ and trouble making. These are areas vital to President Reagan has observed the objec­ ship challenged and its vital interests United States and free world interests. tive of the insurgency there is the entire threatened. To support these aggressive aims the Sovi­ region, not just El Salvador. The insurgent This century has seen the birth of a new ets have built a gigantic war machine and leaders also have said as much. colossus, one driven by an alien ideology. It industrial complex to fuel it. Their army Backed by Cuba and the Soviet Union. draws its strength from the force of arms. It consists of 194 divisions. Ours has 24 with 8 Nicaragua is building the largest military has waged ruthless aggression on its neigh­ in the National Guard. force in Central America. More than 2,300 bor states. From its Eurasian power base, In the last 25 years they have built a blue Cuban military advisers are in Nicaragua. the Soviet Union now leap frogs its power to water navy for the projection of power to About 7,000 other Cuban advisers are there e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member on the floor. May 9, 1984 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 11669 to help the Sandinistas impose control on This Forum would assemble a cross sec­ Since 1884, ASME codes and stand­ Nicaragua-to aid the infiltration of arms tion of key leaders for a one-day seminar on ards have had a major impact on the and equipment to Salvador and other areas Defense issues including economic concerns in the region. as well as national values. lives and livelihoods of all Americans. Central America is not half a world away. The Chamber sponsored such a forum in The ASME codes and standards activi­ It is on our doorstep. It is a vital area where the 60's where the Governor was a keynote ty began when a small group met in nearly one half of all United States foreign speaker to an audience of about 600 blue New York City to consider safety of trade transits the Panama Canal and the ribbon members.