THE SUBJECT IS ARMS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000303570072-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 26, 2010
• Sequence Number: 72
• Publication Date: April 10, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/26: CIA-RDP90-00552R000303570072-6
ARTICLE APPEARED 1 10WApril 19865
ON PAGE 8 :/ o 1
WASHINGTON TALK
Briefing
The Subject Is Arms
T hree influential Senators, two
Republicans and a Democrat,
will meet today with a former
chief arms negotiator to discuss Con-
gressional responses in the event
President Reagan decides to breach a
limit on missile launchers that was
established in the second strategic
arms limitation agreement.
At issue is whether the President
will decide to "break out" of the non-
binding limit of 1,200 launchers capa-
ble of handling multiple independent-
ly-targetable re-entry vehicles by
going ahead with May 20 sea trials of
the MIRV-equipped Nevada without
decommissioning other missile
launchers to stay below the limit.
Taking part in the meeting will be
Senator John H. Chafee of Rhode Is-
land, a former Secretary of the Navy
who is the third-ranking Republican
in the Senate and chairman of the Re-
publican Conference; Senator John
Heinz of Pennsylvania, chairman of
the National Republican Senatorial
Campaign Committee, and,S nator
Patrick J. Leah Democrat of Ver-
mont, deputy chairman of the Senate
intelligence committee. Meeting with
them will be Gerard C. Smith, direc-
tor of the Arms Control and Disarma-
ment Agency when the first strategic
arms pact was negotiated.
Although the launcher limit
amounts to a kind of gentleman's
agreement because the second arms
pact was never approved by the Sen-
ate, breaching it could have serious
implications for the future of arms
control, the Senators say.
They agree Congress will have lit-
tle recourse other than budgetary
strictures if the President decides to
exceed the launcher limit, but they
will urge him to find other ways to
carry out the sea trials. They oppose
a suggestion by the Pentagon to dry
dock for repairs submarines
equipped with the older Poseidon
missile launchers, a move that would
give the United States six months to
actually remove and decommission
the launchers aboard them. The Sena-
tors say that is hedging at best.
Wayne King
Warren Weaver Jr.
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/26: CIA-RDP90-00552R000303570072-6