Thatcher again has hard words for Soviets

Press, 2 March 1981, Page 8

Thatcher again has hard words for Soviets

NZPA-Reuter Washington The Soviet Union defined detente as “a struggle by all means short of war,” said the British Prime Minister (Mrs .Margaret Thatcher) yesterday. She called on die West to stop Soviet encroachment in Africa and the Gulf. Speaking at a dinner of veterans of the ’ Office of Strategic Services, the World War II forerunner of the American Central Intelligence Agency, Mrs Thatcher strongly attacked Soviet intentions and said the West urgently needed to develop a defence policy beyond the North Atlantic. ;j. The speech was her last official engagement in the United States before leaving for Britain. British officials said her talks with the Reagan Administration. were highly successful. . . . ? ■ About 20Q Irish Republi-

j can . Army sympathisers demonstrated about a block i away from the Waldorf As--1 toria Hotel where Mrs That--1 cher spoke, shouting “Magr gie Thatcher must go, Brit- ) ish torture must stop.” e Mrs Thatcher said the - interests of the Western i allies did not stop at the boundaries of the North Atf lantic Treaty Organisation f countries. ; “There is an urgent need r for a new defence, policy be- • yond the North Atlantic. We ■ must prevent Soviet en- - croachment in regions . vital J to the interests of tHe.mem- > bers of the alliance and to ' the economies of the. world. • This is true in parts of 1 Africa, it is true of the Gulf. ’ Of Mr Reagan, she said: ’ “I welcome therefore the ’ new President’s determina- ' tion to tackle this problem ' without delay. As a loyal ally, Britain will help to the

very maximum of her ability. ■ . “The developing world is recognising the realitities of Soviet ambitions and the Soviet life. There is now determination in the Western alliance. There is new leadership in America, which gives confidence and hope to the free world,” she said. Her speech was filled with praise for Mr Reagan, who shares many of Mrs' Thatcher’s conservative views, as does his Secretary of State (Mr Alexander Haig). Mrs Thatcher said that while she did not -believe the Soviet Union ~was contemplating aggression against the West, she thought Soviet leaders were seeking reassurance for theii own fears. .* “Like men whose consciences are uneasy they find it hard to imagine that others do riot conspire as they do,” she said.

The Russians hoped that knowledge of • their sheei : might would split Europe f and Japan from the United • States so they would gain • influence, outside Europe, . “with the aim of outflanking ■ the West through the i south,” she said. » American and British offt cials said Mrs Thatcher s i two hours of substantive ( talks with Mr Reagan had • produced better under- ; standing on both sides ana : agreement on all major strategic issues, including a need for much study before > the President accepted a So- . viet invitation to a summit i Foreign Secretary ! (Lord Carrington) said in South Carolina that West European efforts in the . Middle East were meant to ’ complement the Amencan- ; sponsored Camp David ; peace accords, not compete with them. ’