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Dec. 10, 1982 - Hlgb Country News- 7

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BY DAN WHIPPLE

he MX missile is a "Peace- Norris, a research analyst for the Center for Defense Information said, "Even the keeper" because it "insures that the Soviets gain no advantage administration concedes that sooner or T later dense pack will be defeated by the from initiating an attack." The basic paradox of nuclear Soviets. Then an anti-ballistic missile Or, the MX is a "warmaker" because system (ABM)will be needed." An ABM "it is a new system that no longer just weapons is that they are too system is one which intercepts and des- gives the United States the ability to troys incoming missiles before they respond to a Sovietattack, but to try to reach their target. Under the SALT I fight a nuclear war and win it. In polite powerful to be used. But if treaty, both the US. and US.5.R are company, you can't say we need war- limited to one ABM site each. fighting weapons, so they talk instead And, according to Dr. Richard Gar- about the 'window of vulnerability'." this is so, they lose all their These are the opinions of the US. Air win, an independent arms expert and Force and the private, non-profit Center strategic and diplomatic consultant to IBM, "Packing the MXes for Defense Information, respectively. closely together virtually assures that With President Reagan'sannouncement they will be rendered inoperable by the two weeks ago that he wanted to deploy .value, so we have to keep electromagnetic pulse that would be 100 MX missilesinhardened silos in the created by the detonation of an incom- ~anching country of southeast Wyom· threatening to use them. ing weapon." Electromagnetic pulse is ing, lillie Cheyenne (pop. 47,000) has an only-recently understood effect of a become the center of the most impor- nuclear weapon's explosion. In a high- tant nuclear weapons debate of this altitude detonation, it can knock out decade and perhaps of the century. ing" and what nearlyeveryone else calls concrete in strongly confined steel, In electrical equipment over a wide area When you tum off Interstate 80 onto "dense pack." Critics call it "dunce the past, 45,000 to 50,000 pounds of by sending apowerful surge of electric- East Lincolnwayin Cheyenne, you drive pack." Dense pack is either the 31st, pressure per square inch would destroy ity through conductive materials. past the LittleAmerica motel and truck 32nd, 33rd or 34th basing mode pro- concrete. However, with the steel, the According to Jonathan Schell in Tbe stop ("Most Credit Cards") and the fan- posed for MX.No one seems to be terri- concrete silos have survived the tests." Fate of tbe Earth, "A multi-kiloton cier Hitching Post motel, where most of bly certain. The Air Force has run tests on scale nuclear weapon detonated 125 miles the state legislators live during the Dense pack - like all of the other models of the silos with the equivalent over Omaha, Nebraska, could generate yearly sessions. If you turn left at the proposed and rejected basing modes - of a 25 megaton warhead - the size an electromagnetic pulse strong second stoplight past them, you enter is an attempt to make certain that US. believed to be the most likely used by enough to damage solid-state electrical Missile Drive, which takes you to the land-based strategic nuclear weapons the Soviets against the MX. Mullaney circuits throughout the entire contin- gates of F.E.Warren Air Force Base. can survive a first assault by Soviet ntis- said the scale model survived the test. ental United States and in parts of Can- As the name of the road implies, siles. The concept has essentially two The second line of defense is "missile ada and Mexico." A. kiloton is the Warren is already the command center components - incoming missile fratri- fratricide." This is the theory that, if the equivalent of 1,000 tons oflNT. A meg- for a large portion of the current U.S. cide and superhardened silos. Soviets launch a large number of ntis- aton is the equivalent of one million nuclear arsenal. Cheyenne has been liv- 'The missiles would be put in silos siles at the MX dense pack, some will tons of lNf. Most US. weapons are ing with the most powerful weapons about 170 feet below the surface of the explode earlier than others, destroying between .335 and one megaton in des- - known to man since 1958 and local resi- ground. They would be arranged on a those behind them and decreasing the tructive power. Soviet weapons are dents have developed a pronounced . plot ofland measuring one to one-and-a- effectiveness of the attack. Mullaney larger in their destructive power, which indifference to the destructive potential half miles wide and 20 miles long. The said, "Fratricide is well understood. is usually called "throw weight." in their midst. Warren monitors 200 of 20 to 25 square mile area would be That is really not in doubt. There are Other potential methods of over com- the approximately 1,000 existing Min- arranged in a north-south direction. some very simplistic arguments against ing the dense pack, critics say, are tim- uteman III intercontinental ballistic This will be done because any Soviet it. We're very confident that a large per- ing devices. that set off the incoming missile linstallations - 87 in nearby attack is expected to come over the centage of the system will be surviva- warheads simultaneously and sequen- Nebraska, 55 in Coloradoand 48 in south- North Pole and this arrangement would ble." Exactly how many of the missiles tial launching 'of missiles SO that the eastern Wyoming. Warren is one present a narrower' target for Soviet the Air Force estimates will survive is next one in line doesn't hit the target Cheyenne's major employers and is uni- missiles. classified ,information. until the explosive force of tbe preced- versally considered. a "good neighbor." One line of defense for the missiles is However, since no one anywhere has ing one has dissipated. I• Under the president's proposal, the super-hardened silos. According to ever been involved in a massivenuclear Each MX missile will be equipped I Warren would be the command center Air Force Captain Patrick Mullaney: attack, the question of whether fratri- with 10 nuclear warheads. These will for all I 00 MXmissiles, arrayed in what director of public affairs for the Ballistic cide will happen is highly debatable, . have a throw weight of between .335 the Air Force calls "Closely Spaced lias- Missile Office, "The silos encapsulate despite the Air Force's certainty. Stan (continued on next page) 'j . 5,. A f . Xc..

B-Higb Country News - Dec. 10, 1982

• SUitable Nea ~ing (conltnued from previous page) 1150 foot rock & water! ~u.s. Govemment Property and.5 megatons each. They will be mul- tiple, independently targetable re-entry • Representative Array Deployment Site vehicles, or MIRVs_ This means that F. E. Warren AFB 'Ii each of the 10 warheads can be targeted for a different site. Thus, the IQO-missile MX system theoretica1Jy would be able to hit 1,000 different targets in the Soviet Union. The chief strategic advan- ~~j~~Il tage beyond the increased "payload" is the better accuracy -promised by the .;::::):: ;:l 2 w.rren mat·:·.-.·.· missile. Currently, both U.S. and Soviet missiles can hit within an average of .2 miles of the target. The MX would improve that average to .05 miles.

he Minuteman III missile, which the MX will comple- Tment, currently carries three .335 megaton warheads. Linda and Alan Kirkbride have three Minuteman mis- sile silos on their ranch northeast of Cheyenne in Meriden, Wyoming. The F:E~:nm ~80 sites are unimpressive, even close up. 'They are fenced areas of about an acre and a half with a lot of concrete and ~80 some antennas. Linda said, "I've only seen the missile out of its silo once. It was huge. Psychologically, if it were located above ground, I don't think we'd have been able to deal with it. The fact that it's buried makes it easier." The Kirkbrides have been instrumen- "Traditional values are part of it, too. the policy to comply with state rules. - $10.6 billion for research and devel- tal in the establishment of the Tri-State My husband's family is a fourth genera- We are moving into the community to opment, $13.0 billion for procurement MX Coalition. This group, which tion ranch family. We want to be live there, and it is our intention' to and 82.8 billion for construction. Much includes ranchers and fanners from ranchers. We want to be able to con- comply with state law." of the latter cash will end up in the Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska, is tinue to do what we've been doing." . There may be a move in this session of Cheyenne business community and working on the local level to stop the - Pete Hansen is a neighbor of the Kirk- the state legislature to amend the Indus- many of the local business and political MX. leaders welcome the influx of capital brides'. He lives alone in the ranch trial Siting Act to bring the project into Linda said, "We've had the Minute- and jobs. The primary concern of this house his grandfather built in 1896. He state jurisdiction. Even if it passes, how- man JlI silos since the early 19605. At interest group has been impact mitiga- jokingly referred to the Kirkbrides as ever, the federal government could the time, they were mostly accepted. the "new folks" because he, too, is a override it on the grounds of national tion, an area in which many western People felt it was their duty to help out fourth generation rancher whose ances- security if it chose to do so. states have substantial experience as a in the national defense. And, at the time, tors settled in the area in 1890, a year or result of energy development. The the Air Force built the roads and then two before the Kirkbrides. He demon- hile the ranching commun- Cheyenne-Laramie County Regional turned them over to the county to main- strated some of the "traditional values" iry is heavily opposed to the Planning Office prepared a preliminary tain. People still say, Well, we got a in action as he stopped gathering cattle W MX, the reaction down- issue paper outlining the potential great road system out ofit.' to pull the car of a visiting reporter out town in Cheyenne is decidedly mixed. impact from the MX development. "But the MX is different. The first of a snow bank. While hooking the tow The MX is expected to cost 526.4 billion The construction force will present thing that bothered us is the great chain to his truck he said, "That MXis amount ofland it's going to take up. It is going to mess up everyone around here. going to affect every rancher around I'm one of the smallest ranches in the here, whether they put it on their land area and if they take any of my land, it or not. There is going to be land out of could mean the end of my ranch." The use, increased traffic and several other Hansen said that nearly all of the problems. ranchers in the area are opposed to the "In addition, there's a qualltative dif- The following glossary \s an explanation of many of the terms used in the MX. However, one rancher, Paul Etche- ference between the MX and the Min- debate over the MX missile and the nuclear stance of the United States. pare of the Warren Livestock Company, uteman III. There are 10 warheads as the area's largest ranch, has offered to opposed to' three. It is an offensive wea- lease his land to the Air Force as a site pon as opposed to a defensive one. ABM _ for the MX. Anti-ballistic missile. A defensive missile system designed to destroy attacking Aside from the question of the land to intercontinental ballistic missiles. The ABM missiles could be armed with either be used, water may be a problem for the nuclear or non-nuclear warheads. missile. According to Capt. Mullaney, WHAT'S INA the project will use 45,200 acre-feet of Atomic bomb water over a six-year period. However, A weapon utilizing fission energy. Fission occurs when a neutron splits an there is presently no unappropriated atom intosmaller pieces. NAME? surface water in Laramie County and there is a moratorium on drilling any BaUtstic missile A missile that, after a period of powered flight, moves on a free-falling President Ronald Reagan ought new wells to tap the groundwater. Mul- trajectory under iheforce of gravity, Ballistic missiles have range of up to about to have his poetic license revoked laney said that it is Air Force policy to a: for dubbing the MX the "Peace- comply with all local water laws. He 6,000 miles. said, "We will purchase or lease existing keeper." For 40 years, weapons CEP water rights to get the water we need." nomenclature has had a belliger- Circular error probable. 111is is the measure of missile accuracy. It is the radius ent tinge and the president is fly- The peak year demand will be about of a circle around a target within which 50 percent of the missile warheads will ing in the bee. of this tradition for a 11,000 acre-feet at the height of con- land. The smaller the CEP, the more likely it is that an enemy warhead will few public relations points. The struction in 1987. These water demand weapon that destroyed Nagasaki figures indude the amount necessary damage a hard target, such as a missile silo. in 194 5 was called Fat Man and for construction needs and domestic Counter force the big stick approach to naming water consumption by the increased The use of strategic weaponry to destroy enemy missiles, bombersandother population. weapons has been prevalent ever military forces. since. Some activists, including the Wyom- Most weapons are given one ing Outdoor Council, a state-wide envir- Deployment Dame during their development onmental group, will probably try to The distribution of weapons for use in combat. stages and another after they are make sure that the MX project comes . approved and under construction. under the jurisdictioo of the Wyoming EMP So, it is not unusual that Reagan Industrial Siting Council. The IS<: was Electromagoetic pulse. One effect of a nuclear explosion, not well under- would give the MX a new name. established in 1974 to help communi- stood, which is capable of destroying electronic circuitry. However, the Peacekeeper is ties cope with the boom impacts of First strike going to sound tame indeed com- large industrial projects. These projects . An initial attack with nuclear weapons. pared to such existing weapons as have been mostly energy-related, but. the Sidewinder, Minuteman and the impact mitigation for a large military FIrst use Adas or the French Pluton and installation would not be a great deal The policy of using nuclear weapons to meet a conventional Soviet attack. The Hades. different from any other large project. US. has not ruled out a first use of nuclear weapons, for instance, in the event of a The new moniker doesn't seem However, the act establishing the IS<: Soviet conventional assault on Europe. to be catching on, though. Even specifically excludes defense projects Air Force public relations people from IS<: jurisdiction. The Air Force's Fratrldde are ~ calling it the MX Mullaney said, however, "We will coop- The situation in -which an exploding incoming nuclear warhead destroys erate with all state laws. We are not those coming in behind it. <, -DSW bound by IS<:regulation, but it has been mm·,Y t t eT RE, ,n •

Dec. 10, 1982 - High Country News-9 One pro-MX Cheyenne man said, "If we ever have a nuclear war, I'd rather be at ing of the MXin Congress and have no the greatest immediate problem for the ground zero anyway." overriding objections to basing it in community. About 6,100 new workers Wyoming None have lobbied for the are expected to be drawn to the com- One anti-MX activist said, "It'skind of hard missile's placement in the state. but they munity. Planners expect that this would to oppose theMXbecause the quality of life in have taken a wait-and-see attitude. result in an overall population Increase On the state level, Gov. Ed Herschler of about 30,000, .considering those Cheyenne will deteriorate. It can't get much workers would' probably bring their (D) is willing to take the missile. The only state politican who seems willing families and would require additional worse." to take the issue on SO far is State Rep. support services, bringing in more The Jackson Hole News asked the question, Alvin Wiederspahn (D-Laramie workers. This represents an increase of "What isyour understanding of the MX missile about 50 percent in the county popula- County) who opposes the missile for a tion. It is almost certain to strain hous- system?" Richard Murphy replied, "It is tbe : variety of reasons. Two resolutions have been pre-filed in the state legislature, ing facilities, social services, law result of precise mathematical projection. If enforcement and other services. How- one opposing the MXand one advocat- ever, the total new permanent popula- Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and Colorado were ing a-bilateral nuclear weapons freeze, tion living in the county after destroyed ina limited nuclear conflict, the but neither hasmuch chance of passage. construction would be about 10,000 Rodger McDaniel,Democratic candi- based on a work force of2,200 - 1,500 loss of voters would not affect the re-election date for US. Senate who lost to Wallop, air force personnel and 700 private sec- of the incumbent president." is not sure there ismuch political future tor employees. in opposition to the MX in Laramie The Chamber of Commerce has County. He took a strong anti-MX stance formed a committee to deal with the during his campaign and he says now, MX construction. Douglas Reeves,' an "I'm convinced that my position hurt investtnent broker and member of the me in Laramie County." committee, said, ''we are taking a very One question that has been down- low-key approach, trying to minimize played is whether the dense pack basing the impact on the city. The productive system is merely a stalking horse for a return to some sort of mobile, deceptive impact.thing toItdois notis toa verytry tohelpfulavoid responsenegative L_~~:~===~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~...:-..Jbasing system like the abandoned race- to say that the MX is immoral or that ' track scheme. This system, which Cheyenne will become ground zero for . between the business community and tatives had either been silent on the a nuclear attack." the government." matter or openly favored it." Ranchers in Laramie County, when Tri-Statehas scored some earlypublic asked why the Cheyenne populace is so n the other Side are the anti- relations victories. The Rocky Mountain supportive of the MXwhen it has been MX people, ledby the Tri-State Farmers Union passed resolutions in rejected by every other state in the OMX Coalition. The coordina- opposition to the MX and in favor of a BOOKS Rockies, are likely to smile knowingly, tor of the group is SisterFrances Russell, nuclear weapons freeze with scarcely rub thumb and firsttwo fingers together a Roman Catholic Sister of Charity. Rus- any debate. In addition, Cheyenne Some books that can help the lay-. and say, "Greed." Reeves,however, dis- sell blames complacency on the part of _ Diocesan Bishop Joseph Hart has issued person understand the national agreed with that assessment of motive. Wyoming's public officialsfor attracting a letter opposing the MXto allofWyom- defense/nuclear war debate: "There aren't many fast bucks to be . the missile to the state. She said, "We ing's Catholics, of which there are about National Defense, by James Fal- made here. The MXwill just mean a- have not had strong representation 67,000. lows; Random House. lightening of the recession. The work from our governor or our congressional force won't be here long enough to jus- delegation. Nevada and Utah probably What Kinds of Guns Are Tbey Buy- tify any major new housing projects, for were not a realistic possibility because olitically, the Wyoming delega- ing For Your Butter, by Sheila Tobias, instance. I won't be advising my clients they had already protested Vigorously tion has generally rolled over Peter Goudinoff, Stefan Leader and to build any major projects. about the 'racetrack' basing mode (see P and played dead in the MX Shelah Leader; Morrow. debate. Sens. Malcolm Wallop and Alan "We're trying to provide some input accompanying story). Montana passed Tbe Fate of the Earth, by Jonathan and help the government get the facts. an initiative in opposition to the system. Simpson and Rep. Dick Cheney, all Schell; Avon (paperback). We want to provide communication So, they chose us because our represen- Republicans,' have supported the fund-

'Words of 'WR,r Kiloton A measure of explosive force equal to 1,000 tons of TNT. The bomb that destroyed Hiroshima was 12.5 kilotons. Lduncb on warning Apolicy of launching missiles and bombers as soon as a nation knows that an enemy attack has started, without waiting for missiles to land. Launch under attacts . Similarto launch on warning, but waiting a little longer to respond. Because of the high speeds that missiles travel, there is very little time between launch and hitting the targets. Both launch on warning and launch under attack avoid destruction of missiles but reliance on these policies could increase the dangers of accidental nuclear war. MAD Mutually assured destruction. A "balance of terror" condition in which each side,possesses the capability to wipe out the other. Megaton A measure of nuclear weapons yield equal to one million tons of TNT.

MIRV Multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle. This is a system by which several warheads launched on one missile can each be aimed for separate targets. Pre-emptive strike An attack launch~d in anticipation of an attack by the enemy. SALT II A treaty designed to last through 1985 that established temporary limits on Fuston ICBMlaunchers, ground- and sea-launched cruise missiles and aircraft carriers. This is a thermonuclear reaction in which light nuclei join together to form a . The treaty was.signed by both US. President Jimmy Carter and Soviet Chairman heavier nucleus, which in tum releases vast amounts of energy. A hydrogen Leonid Brezhnev, but was never ratified by either the US.Senate or the Supreme bomb is based on a fusion .reaction. Soviet.Both countries have abided by its provisions as a matter of national policy, Ground zero however. . The point on the surface of the earth at or directly below a nuclear explosion. Strategic ueapons ' Hydrogen bomb Weapons of long range, -capable of destroying the infrastructure necessary to A thermonuclear weapon in which part of the explosive energy isobtained by fight a war. For instance, strategic weapons would destroy munitions plants, fusion. \ . factories and other economic resources_ ' ,, ICBM Tactical ueapons . Intercontinental ballistic missile. A ballistic missile capable of delivering Weapons of short range designed for use .against military forces on me

warheads at ranges exceeding 3.000 miles.. ." .•.• -battlefield. 'I, •

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IOH/gb Country News - Dec. 10, 1982 SlJellileking 'he sbell gllmf? .·in 'he Grell' Bllsin

On Friday, September 7, 1979, Presi- The second factor in developing pub- dent )irnmy Carter announced that the lic opinion was a series of town meet- MX missile was coming to the Great ings held by Utah Gov. Scott Matheson Basin region of Utah and Nevada. In the (D) throughout the state in the spring then-current version of the dispersed of that year. These were intended to shelter, or shell game, basing concept, provide citizens with information about the racetrack deployment scheme was the local impacts of the missile and to considered the final solution to insuring hear theit opinions about it. The meet- the survivability of the controversial ings raised questions about water, land weapons system. use, grazing, competition with energy The deployment mode called for development and a host of other issues. each of the 200 nuclear-tipped inter- They also served to. balance the Air continental ballistic missiles to be Force public relations blitz then under- loaded onto 300-ton transports to be way in the form of scoping meetings for driven around 200 oval-shaped road- the environmental impact statement ways. At the edge of these roadways that was to be prepared later that year. were to be placed 4,600 concrete shel- Finally, in April of 1980, Bill Moyers, ters from which the missiles could be in nationally televised debates from the launched. Upon attack by the Soviets, Symphony Hall in Salt Lake City, focused the transports would head for the near- nationwide attention on the deploy- est shelter. The Soviets, uncertain about ment scheme. which shelters the missiles would be in The first real political breakthrough and unable to strike each and every shel- for opponents of the MX came in June, ter, would be assured that the U.S. 1980, when Matheson came out in would be able to retaliate. opposition to the basing scheme. After Artist's conception of dense pack Needless to say, the MX did not come substantial srudy, Matheson concluded to the Great Basin. that the basing scheme lacked credibil- to prevent damage to the launch plat- The racetrack deployment scheme ity from.a technical standpoint, would (continued from preoious page) form. The administration. says the silos proved to be only one more in a long have extensive social and environmen- are not the launchers, the gas-filled con- line of unacceptable basing modes. tal impacts and, basically, WdS a bad idea. would have used about 1,200 square tainers are. This is the sort of hair- President Reagan decided two years In addition, the state was having trou- miles of Utah and Nevada to shuttle the splitting of which diplomatic relations later to scrap the shell game plan. The ble dealing with the Air Force. The Air missiles from shelter to shelter, was the are made, but the Soviets have the same intervening two years provide an Force and its contractors had refused Air Force's preferred plan for protecting type of launch system on some of their instructive lesson in grassroots opposi- state requests .for information, fre- the MX from Soviet weapons. missiles and the U.S.has contended that tion and political courage by some of quently misled the state regarding their RUssell and a numbet of other oppo- they are subject to the SALT II nents in Cheyenne believe that, since the elected officials and prominent activities and generally ignored the provisions. institutions in the two states. state's comments on the proposal. the Russians will eventually outwit the The Center for Defense Information's In the end, the MX was defeated in Matheson came to the conclusion that dense pack, the Air Force will need Norris puts the defense dilemma this Utah and Nevada because of the exten- many of the problems - e.g., man- more land in which to hide the rnissiles.: way: "At the basic level, there are two sive impacts that would have resulted power requirements and impacts on In a meeting with Pentagon brass. Simp- central questions. How much nuclear from the basing concept. No weapons other state industries - were indeed son specifically asked this question and power is enough? And, enough for was assured that there were no plans to system ever proposed promised more unanswerable and that the proposal what? extend the dense pack system to any changes in the land, environment and promised more problems than the state "In the traditional, classic definition lives of the people than the mobile MX wished to deal with. other basing mode. of deterrence, 'enough' was having the Nevertheless, the fate of the funding basing scheme. However, the technical The state would later learn that the capability to, and having the actversaty for MX in Congress is questionable. The deficiencies of the deployment scheme, Air Force had not obtained the neces- know we are capable of inflicting House Appropriations Committee, by a the extensive impacts and the cost ulti- sary permits for entry on state trust unacceptable damage on his homeland. mately contributed to the defeat of the lands or for drilling test and observation vote of 26 to 26, agreed to send the "If this is the definition, we clearly question to the House floor. This past missile. water wells. It took several months to have enough. year in the Senate, MX survived by only As soon as the decision was made to get the Air Force to admit these trespass "However, in the last few administra- three votes and a number of votes have bring the MX to the Utah and Nevada violations and even longer to correct tions, starting with the Nixon years, this reportedly changed since then. several desert citizen groups formed in both them. no longer appears to be the definition of strong defense advocates have questi- states, initially for the purpose of gather- The election of Ronald Reagan as deterrence. Systems are no longer ing information. These groups quickly president .in 1980 and the eventual oned the need for MX. designed to just give you the ability to became the backbone of the anti-MX opposition of the Church of the Litter respond, but to give counterforce forces. Steve Erickson, media coordina- Day Saints also contributed heavily to capability. tor for the Salt LIke City-based MX the demise of the shell game basing. iscussion of the environmental "The assertion often made by the Rea- Information Coalition, said, "Enlight- Reagan had campaigned in opposition and socioeconomic impacts of gan administration is that the Soviets ened self-interest overcame the initial to the proposal. Reagan, the Mormon MX basing seems to trivialize believe that nuclear war can be fought, D fatalism associated with the federal Church and the Opposition of the gover- the issue. The question of environmen- won and survived. Therefore, we need gove r nme nt decision of this nors - Nevada Gov. Robert List (R) tal protection breaks down when you the .same capability. magnitude." also later came out in opposition to the consider the tremendous power of "Do we need the MX? To do what As the impacts became apparent, .deployment in his state - lent credibil- these weapons. However, the deploy- with? If you are talking about a war- many people were willing to speak out ity to the objections of the grassroots. It rnent of the MX raises basic questions fighting strategy, we do. Ifyou are talk- against the project and they, in tum, could no longer be perceived as the about the defense posture of the United ing about deterrence, we don't. swayed others, leading to what became radical cause of a few dissenters. In Nev- States. "This brings us back to the basic a groundswell of opposition. Erickson ada, the issue generated enough signa- Deployment of the MX may violate paradox .about nuclear weapons. said that while thousands opposed the tures on petitions to have it placed on the SALTII treaty, completed under the They're too powerful to be used. But, if shell game basing, there never were the 1980 election ballot, where it Carter administration. Although SALTII this is so, they lose all their strategic and very many people actually fighting the received a resounding "no" from the has never been ratified by the U.S. Sen- diplomatic' value, so we have to keep MX battle on a day-to-day basis. Instead electorate. ate, it has been-official U.S. policy to threatening to use them." abide by its terms. SALTII prohibits the people wrote their letters and turned In December of 1980, the illS +++ building of any more fixed silos. MX is a +++ out to the town meetings when needed. Church issued its Christmas message, four-stage "cold-launched" missile. This article was paid for by the High In the end, a somewhat strange coali- which was highly critical of the world Cold-launching is a technique for eject- Country News Research Fund and a tion of public officials, environmental- arms race. Then on MayS, 1981, church ing a missile from the silo using contain- grant from the Northern Lights ists, ranchers, miners, woolgrowers, officials formally announced their oppo- erized gasses and then firing the engines Institute. Indians, clergy and just plain folks all sition to the proposal. In Erickson's reinforced the interests of each other. opinion, this was the straw that broke A few events in early 1980 gave the camel's back. With the entry of the momentum to the opposition. The first . church into the debate, political opposi- of these was the publication in the Salt tion to the shell game basing was over- Lake City papers in January, 1980, of a whelming in both Utah and Nevada, MXNIXED topographical map of the deployment where the Mormon Church wields tre- region with the missile locations mendous influence. a 54 to 46 majority in the Senate, appro- At HCN press time, the U.S. House of included. From the map, people could . The grassroots work ofletter-writing Representatives voted by a surprisingly val there is far from certain. Even if the see for the. first time that "there would and public meetings along with the large 245-176 margin to delete $I bil- Senate were to restore funding, it is be a missile in nearly every valley from courageous position of the governors of lion from the defense budget for the unlikely that a House-Senate conference the Oquirrh Mountains (west of Salt both states' and the Mormon Church production of the first five MX missiles. committee could reach an agreement Lake) to Fallon, Nevada (about 50 miles made it possible to bring together a coa- The bill does include, however, S3 bil- on the issue. east of Reno )," Erickson said. lition of interests that eventually lion for MX research and development. So, MX funding is probably dead at Early public. opinion polls were run- defeated the MX in the Great Basin. On least for the rest of this lame duck ses- President Ronald Reagan said the ning nearly 60 percent in favor of the October 2, 1982, President Ronald Rea- sion. But the administration will House vote was a "grievous error" and missile system, with little opposition gan formally abandoned the shell game undoubtetlly put on a major push in immediately called upon the Senate to recorded and a large percentage unde- basing in Utah and Nevada. 1983. . restore the construction funds. How- cided. By March of 1980, over 50 per- ever, even though the Republicans hold ':"'nsw cent were opposed. -BrecCooke