Phalcon Crest

By Inside the Ring

U.S. intelligence agencies reported this week that Israel is nearly
finished with work on a high-technology airborne warning and control
system (AWACS) aircraft for China. The Israelis resumed work on the jet
and U.S. spy services now expect the first of several AWACS aircraft to
be delivered to China late next month.

The intelligence is a sign that the Israeli government ignored recent
warnings about the sale from Defense Secretary William S. Cohen. The
secretary last month urged Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak not to go
through with the deal. Mr. Cohen told him the technology contained in
the high-tech surveillance jet could be re-exported to Israel enemies, a
common practice for Beijing’s military.

U.S. intelligence first detected the outfitting of the Russian jet in
Israel last October, but the sale has been known since 1996. The system
is being outfitted by the Israelis aboard a Russian Il-76 transport.
Inside will be Israel’s Phalcon radar system. The resumption of work on
the jet indicates the Israelis at least temporarily suspended the deal.

The aircraft will boost the Chinese military’s capability to target
enemy forces with “over-the-horizon” surveillance. Some Pentagon
officials view the sale with alarm because its most likely use will be
to directly threaten U.S. aircraft carriers and naval forces in the
Pacific that would be called in to defend Taiwan in the event of an
attack on the island by mainland forces.

The AWACS are part of a major buildup of Chinese military command and
control, the software of warfighting. Earlier this year, China launched
the first military satellite for a new command and control system called
Qu Dian. The AWACS aircraft will further enhance the system.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin visited the $250 million aircraft
during a visit to Israel last month. China could buy between three and
seven additional aircraft.

The Pentagon has said it is opposing the transfer because it will
upset the military balance with Taiwan. At the same time, the Clinton
administration is refusing to approve sales of advanced U.S. weapons to
Taiwan, including Aegis warships that would increase Taipei’s defenses.

Army casualties

Gen. Eric Shinseki, the Army chief of staff, has declared war against
soldier suicides.

“We have a serious problem with suicides in the Army,” the four-star
general says in a message to the troops. “The suicide rate increased in
calendar year 1998, and it appears to have increased once again in
calendar year 1999. In the first five days of January 2000, we have
already had four suspected suicides.”

He adds, “Suicide prevention is commander/leader business. We must
understand potential for suicides and increase awareness for recognizing
individuals who are at risk or exhibiting self-destructive behavior. It
is our responsibility to help our soldiers and civilians understand how
to identify at-risk individuals, recognize warning signs, and know how
to take direct action.”

Gen. Shinseki’s warning comes as the Army is experiencing a record
rate of peacetime overseas deployments. The fast “op-tempo” (operations
tempo) means the average soldier is spending more time away from his or
her family. A recent Center for Strategic and International Studies
survey found soldiers complaining of too many peacekeeping missions and
too few resources to train. Young officers are quitting at an alarming
rate.

Army records show suicides increased by 12 deaths in 1998, to 68.
There were 65 self-inflicted deaths last year.

An Army statement said, “This number, although very small, is
extremely important to the Army since all deaths by suicides are
considered needless deaths by the Army senior leadership.”

The service has begun a suicide prevention program that includes:

  • Setting requirements for suicide risk identification
    training.

  • Requiring a psychological autopsy.
  • Creating local suicide prevention task forces.

Gen. Shinseki’s message said: “Commanders and leaders must
exemplify, by personal example, the Army’s existing policies and
programs. Training is critical — suicide prevention training must be
conducted to standard and the status of training tracked during command
training briefs.

“We are reviewing our suicide prevention program in a commitment to
having the best possible tools and resources available to you and your
commanders. The key to suicide prevention rests with commander, leader
and soldier involvement in caring for our suicide-prone individuals. I
need your urgent attention to this matter. We must take better care of
our people.”

Chairman goes nuclear

Gen. Henry H. Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, blew
his top last week following a report in The Washington Times that the
military service chiefs and the commander of U.S. nuclear forces are
opposing further strategic nuclear cuts — cuts proposed by Moscow and
favored by the White House.

Gen. Shelton put the word out inside the Joint Staff that he wants
“the head” of whoever disclosed internal discussions about the
strategic nuclear force that took place inside the Pentagon’s secret
conference room known as “the tank.”

Adm. Richard Mies, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, based in
Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., informed the chiefs during one secret tank
session that he opposes cutting U.S. nuclear warhead levels below 2,500
— the level agreed to in preliminary U.S.-Russian arms talks.

The four-star admiral explained that the United States would not be
able to carry out its nuclear deterrence and warfighting mission with
less. The mission is outlined in the Single Integrated Operating Plan,
or SIOP.

War maps

Faulty maps were blamed for the CIA’s failure to identify China’s
Embassy in Belgrade last year before it was blown up accidentally by
U.S. B-2 bombers. But there was one success for the map-making and
satellite photograph agency, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency,
known as NIMA.

According to a CIA report, the agency produced “NIMA-in-a-box” for
NATO military forces to use during the war in Kosovo. The spy photos and
maps were accessed by 15 laptop computers and printed out on color
printers.

The system helped “save the life of a downed F-16 pilot” during the
bombing campaign, the report said. “The airborne command and control
center battle staff used NIMA-in-a-box to identify potential obstacles
such as power lines and plotted a safe course for the rescue
helicopter,” the CIA said.

The report made no mention of the mistaken bombing, which China
believes was intentional. No wonder. The report said of the agency’s
role in Kosovo: “CIA analysts provided key analytical support on the
crisis in Kosovo to U.S. policy and military commanders, receiving
praise from U.S. diplomats and military commanders.”

State insecurity

Speaking of laptops, two State Department intelligence officials
disciplined for the loss of a laptop with highly classified intelligence
information have been identified.

They are Alan Locke, head of missiles and space issues for the Bureau
of Intelligence and Research, known as INR. The second is Nancy May, who
was acting INR executive director. The officials were blamed for the
missing laptop that investigators believe was swiped by a contract
employee from a department conference room during renovation.

Critics of the punishment, which was ordered by Secretary of State
Madeleine K. Albright, said the officials were “scapegoats” for
security failures of the department’s higher ups.

Mr. Locke was identified to us in the past as a key player in State’s
cover-up of the sale of Chinese M-11 missiles to Pakistan years ago, a
cover-up that prevented imposition of economic sanctions on Beijing. He
was sent to the Freedom of Information Act office. Miss May is now
working for the Foreign Buildings Office.

Now that 15 other State Department laptops have gone missing,
including one from Morton Halperin, the liberal policy planning
director, how many others will be punished?