ANALOGOUS SOVIET RESPONSES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85M00363R000300540010-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 11, 2007
• Sequence Number: 10
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2007/09/11: CIA-RDP85M00363R000300540010-3
Analogous Soviet Responses
The first authoritative threat to place US territory at risk in the event
of US INF deployment to Europe was issued by Brezhnev one year ago. Brezhnev
indicated that:
- The Soviet Union will take steps to place the "other
side, including the United States and its territories"
in an "analogous position" once NATO deployment begins.
Andropov in his speech of 21 December 1982, referred to the "ave
consequences" of putting P-IIs in Europe. Minister of Defense Ustgrinov, on 10
March, also was vague in raising the prospect of countermeasures to NATO INF
deployments.
Other recent comments from high officials, however, have been more
specific.
- Senior Central Committee official Zagladin warned on 9 March
that even if the United States deployed only "30 or 40" of
the planned 108 Pershing II missiles, the Soviet reaction
would be the same: to "deploy missiles equivalent to the
Pershing II's, with an equally rapid flight time, in the
vicinity of the United States."
- General Staff spokesman General Chervov on 7 March said that
countermeasures by the Soviet Union and its allies would
affect not only those European states where missiles are
sited but U.S. territory as well, adding that the Soviet
Union "has the capacity to do this."
- Soviet American specialist Arbatov in Pravda on 17 March
warned that Moscow's counterdeployment to actual deployment
by NATO would include Soviet missiles not only in Europe but
also "close to US borders."
Despite their disappointment in the West German election, the Soviets
apparently are still hopeful that political pressures and massive public
demonstrations in Western Europe might disrupt or reduce NATO's INF
deployments. Moscow's threats to put the US in an analogous position are
intended at a minimum to heighten pressure on Washington for an interim
proposal that the Soviets would then use to urge a delay in Western
deployments in hopes that this would lead to a collapse of NATO's fragile INF
consensus.
If the Soviets decide to act on their threats to place the United States
in an analogous position, their options might include:
Approved For Release 2007/09/11: CIA-RDP85M00363R000300540010-3
 Approved For Release 2007/09/11: CIA-RDP85M00363R000300540010-3
Approved For Release 2007/09/11: CIA-RDP85M00363R000300540010-3