27 January 1999
Source: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aaces002.html

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[DOCID: f:s70is.txt]

106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 70

   To require the establishment of a Federal task force on Regional
                   Threats to International Security.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 19, 1999

   Ms. Snowe introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


   To require the establishment of a Federal task force on Regional
                   Threats to International Security.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Prevention and Deterrence of
International Conflict Act of 1999 (PREDICT)''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) On August 24, 1997, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
        Staff assured Congress in writing that the acquisition of an
        intercontinental ballistic missile capability by a rogue nation
        without the detection of the United States intelligence
        community would be an ``unlikely event''.
            (2) The United States intelligence community did not detect
        the August 31, 1998 launching of an intercontinental multistage
        rocket by the Government of the People's Democratic Republic of
        Korea.
            (3) On May 11, 1998 and May 13, 1998, the Government of
        India broke a 24-year voluntary moratorium by conducting 5
        underground nuclear tests.
            (4) The Secretary of Defense predicted thereafter that
        these tests by the Government of India could induce other
        nations to obtain nuclear weapons technologies.
            (5) On May 28, 1998, the Government of Pakistan announced
        that for the first time, it had conducted 5 underground nuclear
        tests and acknowledged ongoing efforts to place nuclear
        warheads on missiles capable of striking any target in India.
            (6) The Director of Central Intelligence has accepted the
        June 2, 1998, findings of an independent investigation
        revealing that the Central Intelligence Agency lacked adequate
        analytical capabilities to detect the explosions in India
        despite satellite-generated evidence to the contrary and
        repeated declarations by representatives of the Government of
        India of an intent to improve India's nuclear arsenal.
            (7) Written assessments by the United States Air Force and
        the Central Intelligence Agency conflicted on the issue of
        whether the May 10, 1996 transmission to the Government of
        China of a private industry report exploring the potential
        causes of an earlier rocket crash contained information that
        may advance the capabilities of China to launch missiles
        equipped with nuclear warheads.
            (8) The President did not receive or review the Air Force
        assessment prior to his February 18, 1998, approval of a
        license for the export of a commercial satellite to China.
            (9) A March 11, 1998, report by the National Air
        Intelligence Center concluded that Chinese strategic missiles
        equipped with nuclear warheads pose a threat to the United
        States.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND COMPOSITION OF THE TASK FORCE.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the President shall establish the Task Force on
Regional Threats to International Security (in this Act referred to as
the ``Task Force'').
    (b) Composition.--The Task Force shall consist of--
            (1) one official of the Department of State, who shall be
        appointed by the Secretary of State;
            (2) one official of the Department of Defense, who shall be
        appointed by the Secretary of Defense;
            (3) one official of the Department of Commerce, who shall
        be appointed by the Secretary of Commerce;
            (4) one official each of any appropriate United States
        agency (as defined in section 551(1) of title 5, United States
        Code) designated by the President, who shall be appointed by
        the head of the agency; and
            (5) one official each of any appropriate agency, entity, or
        component of the intelligence community (as defined in section
        3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 401a))
        designated by the President, who shall be appointed by the
        agency, entity, or component, as the case may be.

SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE TASK FORCE.

    (a) In General.--Under the direction of the President, the Task
Force shall develop and execute plans, in cooperation with foreign
allied governments when appropriate, for--
            (1) the active mediation of the United States to foster
        negotiations between or among foreign governments engaged in
        civil, ethnic, or geographic conflicts that increase the risk
        of the acquisition, testing, or the deployment of weapons of
        mass destruction;
            (2) trade, economic reform, and investment programs of the
        United States to promote the market-based development of the
        countries described in paragraph (1) to reduce incentives for
        the acquisition or use of such weapons; and
            (3) a revised and integrated intelligence network that
        gathers, analyzes, and transmits all vital data to the
        President in advance of policy decisions related to such
        weapons.
    (b) Reports.--Beginning 6 months after the date of enactment of
this Act, and every 6 months thereafter, the Task Force shall submit a
report to Congress on the progress made during the preceding 6 months
in carrying out its responsibilities pursuant to paragraphs (1), (2),
and (3) of subsection (a).

SEC. 5. TERMINATION OF TASK FORCE AUTHORITY.

    The Task Force shall terminate on October 1, 2001.
                                 <all>
