Questions remain—U.S.

Press, 24 July 1987, Page 6

Questions remain—U.S.

NZPA-Reuter Washington

The United States has welcomed the offer by Mr Gorbachev to scrap all intermediate-range missiles worldwide, expressing hope it will remove obstacles to a treaty and a summit, but wondering what the Soviet leader may demand in return. Moscow has requested a formal plenary session on intermediate-range nuclear forces at the Geneva arms control talks and it is there any hidden conditions in Mr Gorbachev’s offer are expected to be revealed, U.S. officials said.

Mr Gorbachev’s offer, carried by the official Soviet news agency Tass, covers all I.N.F. weapons, longer range missiles — which travel 1000 to 5000 km — and shorter-range weapons — which travel 500 to 1000 km. “We welcome reports of Soviet acceptance of the President’s proposal for the global elimination of U.S. and Soviet longerrange I.N.F. missiles ini-

tially made in November of 1981,” White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater told a news conference.

He said the offer “gives us some reason for encouragement” for an accord on I.N.F. missiles “as well as a possible summit.”

However, he cautioned that previous Soviet offers had been accompanied by conditions and that the United States was eager to see the proposal presented formally at Geneva.

Kenneth Adelman, head of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, echoed this sentiment, but said, “at least the big picture seems positive at this point.” One major issue apparently left unclear by Mr Gorbachev’s remarks was whether the Kremlin would persist in a demand that West Germany’s shorter-range Pershing 1A missiles, which have U.S. nuclear warheads, be included in an I.N.F. agreement.

Washington has steadfastly refused this demand and Mr Adelman has often called the Pershing lAs a “phony issue” raised by Moscow just to cause trouble with West Germany, a U.S. ally.

The Bonn Government only reluctantly agreed to go along with the U.S.N.A.T.O. position endorsing a world-wide ban on I.N.F. missiles, fearing removal of the weapons would leave West Germany vulnerable to Soviet superiority in conventional arms. Mr Adelman and other U.S. officials said it was not known if Moscow was dropping the demand on the Pershing lAs. Mr Gorbachev’s offer could eliminate a key obstacle to a U.S.-Soviet deal that would reduce nuclear arsenals for the first time. U.S. officials have complained that after several months of unusual progress toward an accord Moscow recently slowed the pace of negotiations.