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The implicit

mised, then they become cause for serious

internal affairs, EPA now carries out a variety

of programs overseas.6 0 This is the inevitable

concern. To be fair, such a situation is not yet

assumption is

in sight. Funding for environmental security

consequence of a security policy that empha-

that any country's

programs at DoD, for example, is $3.9 billion

sizes tackling global ills. The National Security

problems are

for fiscal 2000, or 1.5 percent of the total

Strategy of 1998 epitomized the approach

defense budget.57 The intelligence communi-

when it declared that "the dividing line

America's prob-

between domestic and foreign policy is

ty's expenditures on environmental activities

lems. That was

increasingly blurred."6 1 The implicit assump-

are more difficult to calculate because of the

secret nature of its budgets. Nonetheless,

tion underlying such a statement is that any

made clear in

even if environmental activities did become a

country's problems are America's problems.

Gore's statement

higher priority, it should still be possible to

That was made clear in Gore's statement in

in which he treat-

convert the resources used for environmental

which he treated the global environment as a

monitoring into resources for other, more

national security issue. Exactly where

ed the global envi-

traditional intelligence activities. However,

America's responsibilities stop and other

ronment as a

spending is not the only issue: the amount of

countries' begin is a question left unanswered,

national security

time spent on planning for environmental

as William Nitze at the EPA has demonstrat-

scenarios is just as important, albeit hard to

ed. In outlining his view of the tasks ahead, he

issue.

measure. Although defense environmental

declared that "the potential radioactive pollu-

intelligence and environmental study in mil-

tion of the Arctic . . . , climate change and

itary planning constitute one of the existing

ozone depletion are just the first three on

tasks of the Pentagon and the intelligence

what may become a long list of environmental

community, it is hard to say how much that

threats to the U.S. that need to be addressed

internationally."62 By the end of 1999 the

task has grown. John Deutch declared in

1996 that "much of the work that now falls

National Security Strategy had added to that list,

under the environmental label used to be

declaring that environmental threats to U.S.

done under other names--geography,

security also resulted from the introduction of

resources issues, or research."58 However, the

nuisance plant and animal species; the over-

harvesting of fish, forests, and other living nat-

intelligence community also runs the risk of

ural resources; and the transnational move-

duplicating the activities of other entities.

ment of hazardous chemicals and waste.6 3

The Commission on the Roles and

Capabilities of the United States Intelligence

Where this list might end, and how long U.S.

Community recognized this problem in its

taxpayers will be prepared to foot the bill, is

1996 report when it warned that "the use of

anyone's guess.

technical capabilities to collect information

As America seeks to solve all the world's

on environmental problems is legitimate but

environmental problems, it should realize

should not duplicate what civil authorities

that some paths could lead to conflict. There

are able to obtain. The priority given such

are two ways in which this could happen, as

collection should be weighed against other

we have already seen. The first is for the

requirements."5 9

United States to prepare to get involved in

other countries' disputes that are environ-

The Conflict Scenario: Pushing the

mentally induced or include environmental

Boundaries of Domestic Policy

factors. The second is efforts to cajole coun-

tries into abiding by certain standards, or

The more likely consequence of environ-

actual intervention in the domestic affairs of

mental security policies, however, is an

other countries to sort out an environmental

increased propensity for conflict. One of the

issue; such behavior could lead to resentment

key elements of this trend has been the projec-

against the United States. Intervention may

tion of domestic issues into the international

be welcomed initially by the country in ques-

arena. The case of the EPA illustrates the prob-

tion, particularly if intervention involves an

lem. Once an agency that dealt with purely

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