REAGAN SAYS OUTLOOK BRIGHTER FOR ACCORD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000402920007-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 8, 2012
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: April 11, 1987
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
'r Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP90-00965R000402920007-1
Reagan Says Outlook
Brighter for Accord
f By David Hoffman
Washington Na Staff Writer
LOS ANGELES, April 10-Pres-
T~ ident Reagan today welcomed So-
viet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's
suggestion to accelerate talks to
limit the number of short-range nu-
clear missiles in Europe.
Reagan also said a "break-
through" on related negotiations to
limit intermediate-range missiles "is
now a distinct possibility."
The president delivered an up-
beat assessment of the prospects
for an accord on the intermediate-
range missiles on the eve of Secre-
tary of State George P. Shultz's trip
to Moscow. Reagan also said "the
welcome mat is still out" for a Gor-
bachev visit to the United States.
But Reagan again denounced the
Soviet Union for espionage directed
at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and
suggested, indirectly, that Soviet
sabotage had not been ruled out in
recent American space disasters.
In response to a question about
whether there was Soviet sabotage
in recent U.S. space disasters, he
said, "Let me just say, we aren't
ignoring anything in our investiga-
tion of the space problem and we
are determined to go ahead with it
and continue with our program in
the next decade or two of having a
space station out there because of
the great good that can come from
it."
However, a senior White House
official said later that while such
investigations are routinely made,
there is no evidence to support a
claim of sabotage.
Reagan said the first item on his
agenda for U.S.-Soviet relations is a
Soviet pullout from Afghanistan.
"The bleeding wound of Afghani-
stan must be healed," he said.
In a speech followed by a ques-
tion-and-answer session at the Los
Angeles World Affairs Council, Rea-
gan expressed puzzlement at what
he called the "outright selling ...
out of our country" by Marine
guards at the Moscow embassy.
The guards have been charged with
espionage in a sex-for-secrets
scheme involving Soviet women.
WASHINGTON POST
11 April 1987
"It's hard to explain,' he said of
the espionage affair. But he then
blamed "value-free education" in
American schools, saying that the
nation has stopped "teaching on the
basis of moral principles of what is
right Or what is wrong." He told an
anecdote about a school counselor
who he said was unwilling to in-
struct-students, that it would be
wrong not to return a billfold with
an address in it and $1,000.
Reagan expressed doubt that
such espionage is "widespread" and
said the disclosures have been "a
severe blow to many of us."
In an address in Prague earlier
today, Gorbachev said that the
Kremlin is ready to discuss reduc-
ing short-range nuclear weapons in
Europe as a means of speeding
agreement on eliminating interme-
diate-range missiles. Gorbachev
suggested that talks on the short-
range missiles run concurrently
witlti.the intermediate-range nego-
tiations.
The short-range issue is consid-
ered the main obstacle to an.Inter-
mediate-Range Nuclear Forces
(INF) agreement. The West, with
NATO European partners in the
lead, has insisted that the removal
of intermediate-range systems-
missiles with a range of 600 to
3,000 miles-would leave a 9-to-1
Soviet superiority in missiles with a
range of less than 600 miles. Any
INF agreement, the West has main-
tained, should include provisions
allowing for the United States to
increase its short-range systems to
match the Soviet level in Europe.
White House officials said they
read Gorbachev's suggestion in
Prague as a gesture to accelerate
the talks and Reagan quickly re-
sponded positively. "I'm pleased to
hear him [Gorbachevi say it," he
said in response to a question.
In his speech, Reagan said the
Soviets had shown "new serious-
ness" on arms control in recent
weeks. "A breakthrough in the talks
on intermediate-range missiles is
now a distinct possibility," he said.
"I challenge the Soviets to join us
in moving ahead on an agreement
on intermediate-range nuclear mis,
siles that enhances overall security
and military stability," he said.
Reagan has often made similarly
optimistic statements on arms con-
trol but has not achieved a single
major agreement with the Soviets
during more than, six years in office.
The president said. the allies' con-
cerns about short-range missiles
"are central. We cannot permit the
benefit of the reduction in longer-
range INF missiles, for example, to
be undermined or circumvented by
a continuing imbalance in shorter-
range INF missiles, in which the
Soviets have a huge advantage."
Reagan again made a general de-
fense of his planned Strategic De-
fense Initiative missile defense sys-
tem, but steered away from dis-
cussing specifics of instructions he
gave Shultz for his meeting with
Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard
Shevardnadze. Reagan also said
that he would share the system
"with anyone" to protect against a
madman launching a nuclear mis-
sile.
The president also reiterated his
.proposal to cut strategic nuclear
forces by 50 percent, but refrained
from discussing any time frame.
The time frame has been the sub-
ject of internal administration dis-
putes recently.
"If I had to characterize U.S.-So-
viet relations in one word it would
be this: proceeding," Reagan said.
"No great cause for excitement, no
great cause for alarm."
Reagan also said the United
States welcomes release of prom-
inent Soviet dissidents but is look-
ing for evidence that broader
changes will be made. He also re-
peated his criticism of Soviet expan-
sionism in Central America and
vowed the United States would con-
tinue to aid the Afghan resistance.
On- the espionage charges, Rea-
gan said coo not res on to
Soviet claims that the United States
had carried out a inst e
Soviet em ass in Washington. He
said U.S. intelligence is subject to
"ri orous oversight" and congres-
sional scrutiny, but he did not elab-
orate.
Reagan also said the United
States would not agree to an inter-
national conference on the Middle
East involving the Soviets and the
Palestine Liberation Organization
until they recognize Israel's right to
exia$.- % an apparent inadvertance,
he referred to the PLO as a nation.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP90-00965R000402920007-1