Nixon’s A.B.M. Case Helped

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32252, 21 March 1970, Page 11

Nixon’s A.B.M. Case Helped

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

WASHINGTON,

March 20.

The disclosure that Russia is encircling Moscow with a new super missile defence shield has bolstered President Nixon’s argument for more anti-ballistic missile sites in America, observers in Washington say.

The Defence Secretary, Mr Melvin Laird, said at an impromptu press conference yesterday that the fourth of the eight A.B.M. sites planned

to ring the Soviet capital was nearly finished. The Kremlin was pressing ahead with its testing of multi-warhead nuclear missiles and would be ready to deploy them by 1972.

Mr Laird’s remarks came at a time when another bitter battle is looming in the Senate over Mr Nixon's request for funds to expand America’s A.B.M. system. The Senate approved the deployment of the first two sites by a mere one-vote majority last year. But Mr Laird’s disclosures were seen today as giving senators justification for voting in favour of more A.B.M. silos. The United States announced last week that it

would begin testing its own multi-headed nuclear missiles in June.

This brought charges that such a move would jeopardise the United States-Soviet arms limitation talks due to resume in Vienna next month after opening in Helsinki.

Asked about new Soviet activities, Mr Laird said: “The Russians have gone forward at a very increased rate of testing since the Helsinki talks. They have increased their A.B.M. testing, they have increased their inter-continental ballistic missile testing, and they have been increasing the rate in which they were going forward with an A.B.M. test as far as intercepts of missiles. “They are continuing new construction at 1.C.8.M. sites. They are continuing the expansion of their offensive force. They are completing their work on the fourth A.B.M. operational site,” he said.