PANEL FINDS SALT CAN BE VERIFIED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01315R000400350065-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 10, 2004
• Sequence Number: 65
• Publication Date: October 4, 1979
• Content Type: NSPR

Aproveor Release 2005/01/12 :CIA-RDP88-01315R00040035006~5-2
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v1-.-+ THE WASHINGTON POST
4 October 1979 r~j
Panel Finds
SALT Can
Be Verified
pliance with the arms pact if it was
unable to detect the presence of a,So-
viet "combat brigade" in Cuba for a
number of years. Senior :intelligence
officials have said the two are not di-
rectly related: "
resume- Its separate hearings on SALT.
next week.,
On the floor yesterday, sevP sena-
tors joined in a planned discussion on
the Cuban issue, all. of them declaring
that it should not be allowed to inter-
fere with consideration of. SALT IL
By Robert G. Kaiser
Washi??con ?oat Staff writer
The Senate Intelligence Committee,
which has been secretly assessing for
more than a year America's ability
to monitor the new SALT treaty, will
report next week that the pact's pro-
visions can be verified, informed
sources said yesterday. -
According-to these sources, the In-
telligence Committee's positive find-
ing will be endorsed by an "over-
whelmin'," majority of the commit.
tee's membership, crossing a broad
political spectrum from liberal Demo
crats to Sen. Barry Goldwater (R7
Ariz.).
Several hawkish members of the
committee who oppose the strategic
arms limitation treaty will declare
that it is not entirely verifiable by
U.S. intelligence, these sources said.
The senators reportedly include Jake
Garn (R-Utah) and Henry M. Jackson
(D-Wash.).
The Intelligence Committee's en-
dorsement is regarded by the Carter
administration and senators who are
supporting SALT II as important,
though both acknowledge that verifi-
cation is not the issue it once was in
many senators' minds.
A few months ago, many in the Sen--
ate predicted -that - the ? SALT vote
would hinge. on- members' perception.
of the adequacy- of America's photo
satellites and. eavesdropping devices
to pick up any Soviet violations -of-the,.
treaty. Since then several new issues
have arisen in the SALT debate, de-
tracting attention from, verification.
Also;=Goldwater-and-otlrers-have al--
ready stated publicly that they
thought the treaty could be verified.
The Intelligence- Committee is now,
scheduled to report its findings- to the
Foreign Relations- Committee late
next week. The report has been de-.
layed several times--most recently, it
is said, to allow the Intelligence Coin
mittee to say something about the
relationship between American intelli-
gence concerning Cuba and verifica-
tion of SALT II.
Some senators have asked how the
United States could verify Soviet com-
,Anticipation of the positive report
from the Intelligence Committee is
one basis ;or hopes among administra-
tion officials that the SALT- debate is
about to take a favorable turn for the
White House. -
.Another new source, of pro-treaty
sentiment, officials hope; will be the--
influence of officials from North At-,
lantic Treaty Organization countries,
who have already-quied-Wbegun lobby-'
ing the Senate; calling. SALT II cru
cial for the future of- NATO coopera-
tion:and modernization:-;.
For example,. the West: Germaa.:de-
fense minister; Hans Ape!, is in Wash-
ington and; meeting with key senators.
Apel is stressing the need?for Senate.
approval of SALT II to' avoid the pos-
sible'.' eollaose of NATO: efforts to -
agree on sweeping modernization and,
expansion of the alliance's-nuclear ar-
senal in Europe, according to in-
formed sources. ?
A key: NATO meeting ion these im
provements is scheduled; for Decem-
ber, Apel. notes, and Senate, defeat of
SALT could. all but scuttle it. Accord-
ing to these sources,, the German does.
not dwell~ on the:; merits of.. SALT . II
itself,. but rather, on the. political sig `:
nificance `of a U.S. failure to follow
througl} on such an Important treaty:;
Carter administration officials hope
:.tors-:that:a.vote against SALT- would
amount--to '& vote 'agai.nst? modernize-.~
tion of-NATO nuclear forces, on. the
grounds that the NATO. allies won't
be-interested in such modernization if
they-perceive the-United States. as in-
capable of conducting policies needed-`
to lead the alliance,
Democratic members of.the Foreign.
Relations. Committee-met yesterday to
discuss rules and procedures for the
"markup" of the :treaty now.- sched--.
uled to begin an the afternoon of Oct
15. During the markup the committee
will consider. amendments, reserva-
tions or. understandings, and decide
whether:to approve the treaty for ac-
,lion- by.-the: full :ienate: This process
could. take two weeks. .
Sen. John -Stennis. (D-Miss), chair-
man of the Armed. Services Commit-
tee, said ?yesterday.that his- panel will-
Several said the administration had
mishandled the-flap, but all agreed it
was.not of_ great..significance..Clai-
-borne Pell (D.R-I:). said he hoped the
Cuban troops issue. "will fade-into the
global and national insignificance it
.deserves.
Sen. Edward Zorinsky (D.Neb.) said,
"for the last saveral weeks Chicken
Little has=been loose in-"Washington,
but no; the sky- is not falling." The
Cuba issue, should-not impede consid-
eration of SALT, Zorinsky saitL
Sens..Thomas F. Eagleton (D-Mo.),
John H::, Chafee (R-R.L),? Alan Cran-
ston (D-Calif.), Charles McC Mathias
(R-ivld.) and Don Riegle (D-Mich.) also
took partin this discussion _ ..,_'?
Minutes '.before they spoke,- Sen.
John Tower (R-Tex), took _the floor to
denounce President Carter's proposals',,
for dealing with the-Soviet troops- in
Cuba: "The series of measures to be-
taken taken are : all-. on, our- -side and are
empty of. content or tangible result,"
Tower said. "The Soviets are required
to do nothing.".. : ' ,
Approved For Release 2005/01/12 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000400350065-2