STUDY SAYS FAILURE TO REACH ARMS PACT WOULD WEAKEN U.S.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01315R000400400028-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 9, 2004
• Sequence Number: 28
• Publication Date: January 9, 1978
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2005/01/12 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000400400028-7
-r1R TIC: I. AP 4 -LREZY
ON PAG.v
THE NEW YORK '1'I;1:S
9 January 1978
Study Says Failure
To eac A runs Pact
Would Weaken U.S.
WASHI: GEC N, Jan. O-Faliure to'
!reach agreement on the terms of a newt
Soviet-American strategic arms accord
could give Moscow a 50 percent advan-
tage in missiles and bombers in the l
1980's, according to a report released
today by Representative Les Aspin,
Democrat of Wisconsin.
The reoort,which Carter Administra
tion officials said elosely matche n e ~'-
gence estimates, concludes that tivith=
a-mv-am agreement t ie Soviet U r
Ili possess aP-A P about
By RICHARD BURT
Special to Ths;iew Yorx Times
the current American -program "would
take the United States to only 2,059 mis-
siles and bombers by 1985." , 11
For the United States to make up this,
gap, Representative Aspin said, it would..
have to spend at least $20 billion in new
weapons over the next decade. "That's
$20 billion we wouldn't have to spend.
if the arms accord is ratified by , Con
gress," he said.
Backing of Administration
Although negotations have not been com-
pleted on a new treaty limiting strategic
arms, -the United States and the Soviet
Union have tentatively agreed. that such
an accord should limit both countries to
about 2,200 missiles and bombers. At
present, the Soviet Union has about 2,500
missiles and bombers and the United
States about 2,100. Any new agreement
must be ratified by the Senate.
Mr. Aspin, who is an active member
of the House Armed Services Committee,
prepared his* report on his own and not
under the auspices of the committee. The
report, however, was thought to have the
backing of the Carter Administration.
`In an interview, Mr. Aspin said his con-
clusions were drawn from public sources
and were.based on the assumption that
Moscow would continue its current
strategic-arms buildup in the event that
a new accord is not completed or as not
approved by the Senate. _ ._..._..:' _
Approved For Release 2005/01/12 : CIA7RDP88-01315R000400400028-7.. -