PENTAGON VOIDS ON-SITE POLICING FOR ABM PACT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70B00338R000300110020-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 9, 2006
• Sequence Number: 20
• Publication Date: October 29, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

2R ?e-6'7
Approved F Release 200 1/40: IA-RDP70B00338R000300110020-1
yenta on oid "it is an act of political cour-
age these days for the Russians
even tdt ..awn and talk with
us, sAld one.American official,
4n Site Policinlr". "even their -formal attitude
ward the Vietnam war and the
he
~..---` r? charges - their rebellious Chinese
wusius nuri at
Lnem."
o act The first public tip-off to the
new American approach came
FaBMT
By GEORGE SHERMAN N speech Warnkme,eassweekS, ist assistant cretary Paul
Star Staff Writer
In an effort to lure the Rus, of defense, head of the powerful
sians into talks about limiting office of International Security
costly anti-ballistic missile sy? Affairs in. the Pentagon.
tems, the Pentagon has quietly The bulk of the speach ex.
dropped demands for on-site in: plained how McNamara's deci-
spection to police any such arm; sion to build the so-called "thin"
pact. ABM system was directed
Policy-making officials say against the Chi pse, not the Rtis
that President Johnson and De, sx2'ns
fense Secretary Robert S. Mc But at the end Warnke turned:
Namara have told the Soviet to the hope that "by parallel
leadership that the first mutual actions; or by formal agree-
reductions in ABM's could be ment" the Soviet Union and the
made without either . formal United States can limit their
agreement or any kind of inter- strategic offensive and defensive
national inspection system. forces.
These officials argue that "Moreover," he continued,
American "detection de- should talks with the Russians
vices"-space satellites a n d occur, "we hope to avoid bog-
h i g h - fly i n g reconnaissance ging down in the perennially dif-
planes-are now efficient en- ficult issue of international in-
ough to verify any "informal" spection.
agreement. In essence the same "In considering any possible
"unilateral verification" used in agreement with the Soviet Union
the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty to level off or reduce strategic
would be applied to the ABM's. offensive and defensive systems,
So far the Russians have not or,eyen the. possibility for paral-
responded. They have said they lel! action on the part of the two
will . talk about both offensive countries, we may have to de-
and defensive missile systems, pend on our own unilateral capa-
but have refused to set a date bility for verification."
The conviction in official quar-
ters is that they are deliberately Policy Shift Confirmed
leaving the door open. American. officials confirm that
Machinery Lack Suspected these passages mark a depar-j
tune from, traditional policy on
Experts believe that the Soviet the need for inspecting arms
hierarchy is neither politically, agreements.
nor technically equipped to make They explain that in the case
a quick decision. The military of the ABMs, ?it is quite possible
and Communist party leadership for the United States-and
is too tightly fitted into separate 1~ presumably also the Soviet
compartments to take the broad! Union-to tell from aerial recon-
sophisticated approach of the' naissance when a site has been
McNamara "whiz kids" to arms. bulldozed over. According to
control in the nuclear age. these sources, it is virtually im- '.
But the prediction here is that possible for either side to fool
once the 50th anniversary cele- the other. ~
brations of the Bolshevik revolu- These officials hastily add that
tion are over in November, the relaxation of the demand for!
Russians will make their move- on-site policing of any ABM
on the ABM's. And the Mc-, agreement does not carry over
Namara strategy is to make it to other disarmament measures.
as easy as possible for them by Warnke h i in s e 1 f said that
avoiding initial and unnecessary "far-reaching agreements, par-!
embarras?ments about demands titularly any involving substan-
for on-site inspection and a tial reductions" of offensive)
s ng arms e ntrol pact with misslies, would require agreed f
theUniited Mates. international inspection.
But the overwhelming consen-
sus here is that such agreements
lie too far A a to de-
serve Beta ed s The more
Approved For Release 2006/01/30 c RDR70B0 0G$0 110020-1
going on the most limited -steps