U.S. to propose big N-arms cut in Europe

Press, 19 November 1981, Page 9

U.S. to propose big N-arms cut in Europe

NZPA-Reuter Washington President Reagan is expected to announce today that the United States is ready to propose to the Soviet Union a sharp reduction in nuclear weapons in Europe. Administration officials said he would use an important foreign-policy speech to outline the American position for talks due to start in Geneva on November 30 about medium-range nuclear weapons in Europe. They said that in the hastily arranged speech at the National Press Club he was expected to go for the “zero option" — N.A.T.O. would not press ahead with plans to deploy 572 Pershing II and Cruise missiles if Moscow scrapped its SS2O missiles aimed at Western Europe. But American officials feel

that this option, pushed by European allies led by the West German Chancellor (Mr Helmut Schmidt), is unlikely to be accepted by Moscow, They said Mr Reagan could propose a limited alternative by which N.A.T.O. would deploy all 572 nf warhlad e <: d nn C thpfr n <wn e^d f and r »n S ?79 SS4, An AfLiaU «aid dm t I hA Str^mi I na nf °Mr Rnooan’c 0 cnS.'nh m wac Jicated by the Geneva negotiations being less than two weeks away. But they conceded that the haste was related to growing anti-nuclear sentiment in Western Europe and particularly to the visit to Bonn this week-end by the to N.A.T.O.'s plans.

By emphasising readiness to negotiate drastic mutual cuts in nuclear weapons in Europe and even to drop planned new deployments in return for Soviet concessions, Mr Reagan hopes to steal some of Mr Brezhnev’s thunder, officials said. European leaders recently criticised President- Reagan for sa y> n 2 a limited nuclear War COUld be fOUght in Europe, touching off fears that the Continent could become the battleground for a Soviet-United States clash, Chancellor Schmidt said on West German TV that he had discussed the American plan by telephone on Tuesday and the “zero option" was a realistic basis for negotiations, The two super-Powers were bound to have different views, he said.