NEW NERVE GAS PLAN LEAVES TESTS AND STORAGE UNDECIDED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000403310027-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 9, 2012
• Sequence Number: 27
• Publication Date: August 12, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

ST "Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/09 :CIA-RDP
ARTICLE AP ~ NEW YOFK TIP''ES
ON PAGE 12 August 185
New Nerve Gas Plan Leaves
Tests and Storage Undecided
By BILL ICELLER
Special [o TAe New York Tlmee
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 -The ex-
pected decision to end a 16-year mora-
toriumand resume military production
of chemical weapons is being cele-
brated by the Pentagon as the end of a
long campaign.
But according to a wide range of ex-
perb an both sides of the issue, the de-
bate left unrenolved a number of divi-
sive gt~iem about the future of the
United States' involvement with these
~P~, including where they will be
deployed, how they will be tested and
whether the planned weapons can meet
the Pentagon's strategic needs.
Array of Unresolved Issues
now decided to deploy them oNy is the issues is whether to deploy the nerve , aR,->< mmit anyone can sensibly
United States or on ships, which critics wEetpom fn Europe, where the political ar8ue that forward storage is not'the
'vote will not end the battle over chemi- ~aitivities ~ ~~ are atilt tender preferable mean," agreed Repreaent-
cal warfare: floor figirb over deploying medium- alive Join 1K. Sprott,. Democrat of
gAlthough moat experts say Europe ~ t des and netrtr+onweaparts. South CaroWra, a supporter of the
is the mast likely scene for a battle with a~t~ mat asuper- ~mical program.
chemical weapons, European allies Pow eocount>er would most likely Mr. Sprott, the author of the House
have balked at even discuss the de- ~ in Europe. voted is June to re? amendment requiring a NATO role,
~ .quire that the North thmtic Trea added that E
ployment of the new weapons on their Organization formally agree to ate s burden of dNmical weaponad as bens.
say would be too tar from battlefields. the new weapons, m ib sell before pro- fidaries of the alliance.
9Many scientists and inteWAeace ot= ductiar could begin. To fail to deploy the weapwra in Eu-
ficials believe the United States cannot Afterstroog objection from the pea. rope, he said is as inteiyiewl "indulges
be full confident that its new weaaatn Cagan sad State Department that this ~ Europeans' penchant for escap-
wUl wort without open-air testing, would cause political turmoil in Eu- ism." He added, "The Europeans are
banned in this country since 1999. Yet ~? the Hotrse~Senrtte conter+enoe the ones who aharld to be manufactur-
politicians say there would be em- dropped ~ eat. But the bill bg and ~g chemical weapons...
phaii~ pubuc resistance to resuming would r'equir'e~Pt+eaident to txxrault Aaothet uncertainty in the new nerve
tests. with allies and prepare a detailed de? gm Pam is tenting the wen
ploymeat plea. The measure also ex- After an open-sir teat b 1 p was
y n Presidential commission that co- Pr~eeaes ~ ~~~ ..~ ~ Can- faulted for killing a flack of sheep near
dorsed the production of new nerve ~~?~ that ~ new veerpans wW ro- Dugway ping Ground, Utah, Con-
gases in June is among those who nay gam a,~~g stockpiles, incllyding ape~se banned outdoor tenting uNess the
the Army chemical weapons program in Web ~~, Pentagon certified that it was neces_
maybe obsolete before it is completed. p~g~ offidais ~ b~Lt meY eery for national trectrrlty and the Sec-
They fault the Army for Cwt designing have no Plan to Put the weapon in Eu- remry of Health and Human Services
long-range, unrrwnned weapons to ds ~, ooacur'r'ed that it was sate,
liver dremicai sgenb bshitsd eperay The new weapon are oonsldered Rah' ~ Simulated Tesb
linen without crating the lives at pilots safer to handle than the old open be- All feels of the proposed new wen
treaty ~ ~~ cause they contain separate caaiaters cps. a 1:i~m~Ilimeter artWery sheA and
of nadeRhal chemicals that milt to form -
,~a.auwr vaaaa:aaafa yr oYlalpe
that the impasse can be ~
cause such a treaty would bs eatr+eme~y.
difficult to enfon:e.
Pegible (~ql Arms ltaea
.The Pentagon promoted ib new
th~igt as ~thaP t~ P~'am b part on
determiaattaa would i~adui:e tba Soviet
wu+d amban~ ~e serioue~y for
But talks aimed at eoptrvlliaB c6emi_
cat weapons vs Bone an sus
wet-Pom ~_ ooatain the nerve
A~moestta M. Hoed the Army's
scorer chemical weapon offldal, said
that Ss a result. the flew weapon dap
be stored safely in the United States or
o~ ps, and flown to the front when a'
"I hmes don't think tt makes very
much difference" if the weapaps are
an ~~ ~' Mrs. Hoeber acid in
The Chemiptl Warfare Review Com-
mission also endorsed that view in ib
i'epOrt?
more nerveBasa. ~Haw~ver,_Joha G. Koster, s former
ical warfare said m Jutas that pence-e-~ mtsstan's ~~ said. "It would be
of a ban are "dim" because the fa b?~' ~ to have some tgrwardde.
A House-Senate conference has su- ?~ ar+e easy to ~~~?
thorized 1155 million to begin produc- To some observers, ~t r~ ~
lion of a new chemical bomb and artil- ~ ~ a O0?~
lery shell, billed as a safer replace- Richard E. Cavazos, a retired fonr-
ment for aging stodtpiles of nerve gas. star Army general who served ap
The nerve gas program, part of a bill President Reagan's Chemical Warfare
authorizing xi0Q.5 billion in military Review Comatissioa, which endorsed
Programs for the Hscal year beginning the new chemical program is Jug,
Oct. 1, has been approved by the Senate said he was often etnsperated by the
and is awaiting a final House vote in reluctattee of Pentagon ofiidala a~
September. ?eacltics to look beyaod the immediate
Interviews with Pentagon uiticials, ?t~gh ~ strongly supports the
members of Congress, scientists and nerve Jf~ program, he said is as inter
others involved in the chemical weep- view: "The larger issuer have been
ens debate raise the following points lost ~ Neither aide wartb to addrew
that seem to assure that this year's them. They didn't want to lift that lld."
soil. Pentagon otHcials say they have .3 One of the most politically volatile
main stymied is G4oeva, apd there is . w..w>I.,.,........,..w a....r ?.~_ _r.
PIoY~- Se sttg~es it would bs pos-
sible to store the !>~`ry at~>s ~dsd
with just ape of the two ingredtapb in
last minute ~ry a~~
Cdtks of this plan ttiettspd that hav-
ing to whisk the weapons overseas is a
time of crisis would take up scarce
~rgtt ~~ and posdbly raise the level
of teeosiam.
"If I was a Soviet military
and saw the U.S. rushing tam of cbemi.
~ .m'd~ce to the front, I would as-
sugre I'm about to be attacked with
chemicals and would use mine first,..
ter, as ~ Rove John Edward Por-
.~ --- -` _- ? epublicaa who opposed
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/09 :CIA-RDP90-009658000403310027-5
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/09 :CIA-RDP90-009658000403310027-5
the Bigsye bomb, have been conducted The c~mmissian said the mast urgent
using chemical simulanta, with the as military need was a chemical weapon
foal chemical reactiaos confined to lab- that could reach behind enemy lines to
orataaiea. hit airllelda, command and
..we've had open-air twang with supply depots. It acid the planned Big-
siarulants, and chamber testing wiar eyro bomb "is act the optimal solution?
real agaats," Mm. Hasher said. "'I becattee it will ezpose pools and'valu-
idnnaggn't believe there wW be" open teat- able aircraft to antiaircraft fire. The
thbrkait~s actual weapaoa "and I don't other weapon, an artillery shell, is. for
neoesaary. bataetleld use.
Matthew Meselsoa, a professor of The alternaavea, such as chemical
biochemistry at Harvard University ballistic or cruise missiles, ..have been
' I w~d bme totally unprecedea~ led to ~ ~rt ~. S: military planners,.'
issue btroops untested weapooa. The Dr. welch acid the Pentagon be-
thsy'veusedare just not Wre lieved that the Bigeye, whose vapor
~1~nerve agent. It's uaaefe sot to spray covers oae~third of a square mile'
"doesn't have to be that precise," ao
~Acoording to acieatlsta familiar with pflota can drop lye bomb from a safe
;rogram, open-air teats of chemi- distance.
cal ~~r'till~erYy shells in the 1980's re- He said the proposed weapons will be
vealed that the chemical agent would erwugir for "at least a decade."
occasiaoallq burst i~o flame, destroy-
itseU before hitthig the target Mr. Sprott, boarover, asked,- .'Has
without testa, criaca say, there will be ~ Admirtiatratian been so intent on
no aauranoe the same adng would not breakhtg this I8-year moratorium that
ppepeena with the sew shells. they are willing to go with the weapaas
~Tlwmas J. welch, deputy aasiatant to reaailY at hand, even though those
the Secrbtary of Defense for atomic might not be the best cboioas?'?
energy sad chemical matters. said in Reviving the chemical weapons pro-
an interview, "we have m plans for gram also requires a number of related
opesEair testing and we das-'t see any measures that may generate concro-
need toopen-air test the muniaaos - at Vemy-. .
this time, anyway." A recent report by the General Ac-
w~o spore the ooodiP tloa~he not be ~. ~fouod thatl~ amilitary
..
idmti8ed, acid. Somewhere alas~g the ~a major' ahortagea of detection de-
line, you'Ke got co put that equipment vicea~ combat vehicles with air filters
out under different climatic cadlaons and medical supplies, and that soma
~,
test it. conumardera do not require soldiers to
~Y VARY Qusstloa~ed warlar~dril alsa~~ ~ in chemical
The Chemical warfare Review Com- pra,d~pa of new weapons is also to
mission raised another question about ~ accompanied by diapaeal of the Ar-
~?,I,h~s s>tsll~and~the~ bbom~b~oth are the my'a old stockplle of chemical weep.
products of 1f190'a techrwl ~~ om. But there are disagreements over
o6Y. the the coat and technology of disposal.
commission said, "and military weap-
onry and assumptions have altered in
the metatime."
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/09 :CIA-RDP90-009658000403310027-5