Reagan firm on ‘star wars’

Press, 15 May 1987, Page 6

Reagan firm on ‘star wars’

NZPA-Reuter Washington President Ronald Reagan yesterday reasserted his right to pursue sophisticated testing of the “star wars” defence system, increasing chances of confrontation with Congress and reinforcing a key obstacle in United States-Soviet arms control talks.

In a new study released by the White House, a State Department legal adviser, Abraham Sofaer, reaffirmed the Administration’s position, first adopted in 1985 at Mr Sofaer’s urging, that the so-called broad interpretation of the 1972 AntiBallistic Missile Treaty (A.8.M.) is the correct one.

The two parts of the study made public "demonstrate that the broad interpretation of the treaty is fully justified by the treaty text and its negotiating history,” Mr Sofaer said. But he and other officials emphasised Mr Reagan had not yet decided to implement the new A.B.M. reading, which has drawn fire from Congress and N.A.T.O. allies, as well as the Soviet Union.