Use Of A-Weapons In Asia Feared

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32303, 22 May 1970, Page 13

Use Of A-Weapons In Asia Feared

(N.Z.P. A. -Reuter— Copy right; WASHINGTON, May 21.

An expert on Asia yesterday said that 5500 nuclear weapons were positioned in South-East Asia and President Nixon might be tempted to use them if the war in Vietnam dragged on for many more months.

Mr Richard Barnett, codirector of the Institute for Policy Studies, a privatelyfinanced research organisation, foresaw a situation where the use of nuclear weapons would be a real possibility. He was speaking to members of the “business executives move for peace in Vietnam,” an anti-war group in Washington to urge Congressmen to cut off funds for the war in South-East Asia. He told them that most of the weapons were aboard aircraft carriers in the Indo-

China area. Others were in Thailand. Mr Barnett said that if North Vietnam launched a big attack when the United States troop level was below 200,000 in South Vietnam, America would be faced with either standing idly by while its allies were killed, or swiftly escalating the fighting. He added that the possibilities of escalation were limited. It would be impossible politically and tactically to send in additional United States troops and bombing the North would have little effect.

“Under these highly plausible circumstances,” Mr Barnett continued, “The pressure would mount to explode a nuclear weapon as a demonstration of American will. “It would be justified (by the Administration) as the ultimate psychological pressure to convince Hanoi that they must negotiate on our terms.” Mr Barnett told the businessmen that Congress must insist on a strong and clear denial from the President that use of nuclear weapons was being considered.