Some misgivings in Europe

Press, 11 May 1979, Page 6

Some misgivings in Europe

NZPA-Reuter Brussels; The S.A.L.T. II agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union limiting strategic arms will force America's European allies to reassess their own nuclear security. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation sources say. Europeans watched the second round of the armslimitation talks from the side-lines, but they will be more directly concerned in future negotiations, towards S.A.L.T. 111. The third round, expected to begin as soon as S.A.L.T. II is ratified, will cover nuclear arms positioned in Europe. Western European countries generally support S.A.L.T. II as a stabilising

factor in East-West relations. But they harbour some misgivings about the' accord's implications for 1 'their security, the sources say. 1 Western Europe’s main I worry is that parity between I the two super-Powers in i strategic inter-continental j arms may shift the competition to shorter-range nuiclear missiles in Europe. This parity is seen as hav- [ ing a neutralising effect on both sides, leaving con' ventional or medium-rang e | nuclear forces as a possible Ifieldl of confrontation, the I sources say. I N.A.T.O.’s tactical nuclear ( forces — atomic weapons ; with the range of heavy .artillery’ — are comparable I or superior to the Soviet! I bloc’s, but the Western al-1

liance has fallen behind ini medium or intermediaterange nuclear weapons. Western Europe is especially concerned about new Soviet arms capable of hitting any target from northern Britian to Sicily — the three-headed mobile SS2O missile and the long-range Tupolev26 bomber known as the Backfire. A specific anxiety about S.A.L.T. II is over a protocol limiting the range of ground-launched and sealaunched Cruise missiles to 600 km, ivhich means they cannot hit Soviet territory from Western Europe. The protocol will last three years, and Washington officials have tried to reassure their European allies by pointing out that the Cruise missiles would not be ready

for deployment within that time.

But Western Europeans! fear that the protocol will set a precedent and that it will be difficult after the three-year period to drop the constraint during the S.A.L.T. 11l negotiations. This would deprive N.A.T.O. of a ■ relatively cheap response to the SS2O, the sources say.

One of the most difficult decisions for N.A.T.O. is) where the new mediumrange missiles will be based. West Germany has said it would accept them on its territory, but on condition that it is not the only European country to do so. A final decision is expected later this year, probably in October or November, the N.A.T.O. sources say.