FAVOURABLE NOISES FOR EUREKA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP92S00238R000200050021-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 8, 2013
• Sequence Number: 21
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

446
Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/01/08: CIA-RDP92S00238R000200050021 1
VOL. 31'
European defence programme European defence prog:
Favourable noises for Eureka
EUREKA, the French project for a Euro-
pean alternative to the American "star
wars" or Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
programme, seems to be in a much better
state ? politically speaking ? than it was
a few weeks ago. Or so French sources are
making out, now that the British foreign
minister, Sir Geoffrey Howe, has indicated
to his French counterpart M. Roland
Dumas that he favours Eureka, despite in-
itial British reticence.
The new British position seems to be that
a variable-geometry, high-technology
European programme, run by what the
French describe as a "light" administration
that would include the European Commis-
sion but not be controlled by it, could well
be effective. Sir Geoffrey, it is believed,
would like Eureka to concentrate on the
"coordinated exploitation" of basic
research. This is a logical insistence, as it
is exactly what Britain alone has for long
failed to achieve.
In vitro fertilization
Travemiinde
MOST participants at this year's meeting of
West German physicians (Deutscher Arz-
tetag) believe that the absence of legal
guidelines in modern reproductive medicine
should be made good by their own in-
itiative. Fertilizations outside the mother's
womb now occur in a "legal vacuum".
The physicians resolved to adopt pro-
fessional rules (Richtlinien) to decide bet-
ween correct and incorrect behaviour.
Their unanimous opinion was that such
rules should not be left solely to politicians
and lawyers. Although it was also clear that
many physicians have no wish to play a
decisive role in in vitro fertilization, their
demand was refused that there should be
a stop to the programme until the inherent
complications are understood.
The final communique was described by
some as a presumptuous attempt by physi-
cians to force their morals on the rest of
society, particularly the restriction of the
new technology to married couples.
Supporters of the restriction, however,
hold that marriage and the family are the
more relevant legal and ethical values, and
that exceptions should be allowed only on
the recommendation of a specially found-
ed commission. Both sides agreed that the
"rent-a-mother" (Leihmutter) concept is
unacceptable, if only because of the risks
of commercialization.
The physicians have taken this
initiative now because the federal govern-
ment is as slow and indecisive in this con-
text as in that of recombinant DNA
technology. One aim of the meeting was to
put pressure on the government to clarify
the legal position so that physicians are not
left to decide alone. Jurgen Neffe
However, while Paris is now happy with
London's support, and while admini-
strations in many European states are now
behind Eureka, contradictory statements
and confusions about the project still
abound, both between nations and between
senior ministers of single nations, and par-
ticularly between France and Germany.
Originally, German Chancellor Helmut
Kohl had embraced SDI research in col-
laboration with the United States while
French President Francois Mitterrand had
rejected it, describing it as mere "sub-
contracting" and fearing a drain of
technology and brains to the United States.
But two weeks ago the West German
foreign minister Herr Hans-Dietrich
Genscher had visited the French capital and
expressed doubts about star wars and en-
thusiasm for the Eureka project. Hopes
were high for an agreement of last week's
summit meeting between Kohl and Mitter-
rand at Lake Constance in Bavaria. In the
event Kohl refused to abandon his support
for SDI research, and failed to give any
explicit backing to Eureka.
Afterwards, Le Monde, normally
France's most respectable newspaper, laun-
ched an extraordinary front-page, and ap-
parently politically inspired, attack on
Kohl, describing him as provincial and vac-
cillating, and complaining that deep issues
went completely over his head. But Mitter-
rand on Friday lowered the temperature
greatly by describing Eureka as "a Franco-
German idea", by claiming that it was of
"vital necessity for West Germany" and
that Germany agreed with this. Thus the
waters muddy, and the true Eureka is hard
to find.
At least the French view is becoming
sharper. For example, M. Hubert Curien,
the research minister, has now clearly con-
fined M. Mitterrand's "non" to star wars
to government actions and government
support, and left industry free to decide for
itself whether SDI involvement would pay.
In practice, then, as countries that have said
"yes" or "ja" are unlikely to be en-
thusiastic about SDI research if it involves
the spending of large amounts of govern-
ment money (unless that government is
American), there may be little difference
between the French and other positions.
In further clarification, Curien last week
made the longest public statement yet on
the precise nature of Eureka. He claimed
it was well received in Rome, Copenhagen
and Berne as well as in London (and Bonn),
and promised the first "one or two" real
programmes by the end of the summer. He
was at pains to emphasize the need for in-
dustrial involvement in defining pro-
gramme content and objectives, and said
that such consultations were well under
way. As to what the programmes will be,
Curien remained curiously silent.
Robert Walgate
Ambitions o
Heriot-Watt
WHILE European governments
how to respond to American Se,
State Casper Weinberger's invitati
in star wars ? otherwise the
?Defense Initiative (or SDI) ? rest
SDI organization in Washington
ting any grass grow under its 1
week, an SDI representative in
visited Europe's leading laboratty
tical computing at Heriot-Watt
in Edinburgh, and all but made ar
a $150,000 grant, with a promises
times that amount to come. In ret
fessor S. Desmond Smith and his te.
lead an eight-university Europea?
created by the European Comm:
Brussels to design the first all-opn.
puter, will join an American netwo?
ing for SDI.
The Heriot-Watt group leads th
in this technology. In the past fess
Smith and colleagues were a
demonstrate the first thee-element
optical switches operating at
wavelengths at room temperatun
shows that "an indefinite extensior
tical logic circuits is possible" said Pt
Smith on Monday. Optical computs:
offer not only speed but also eno
parallel processing capability, anc
much interest to SDI proponents, as t
make possible the rapid computation.
ed to identify, track and destroy rn
targets.
Is this the kind of loss of Europea?
technology to the United States th.
French had in mind in putting form
Eureka programme? Not quite. "I'n
to build Europe", says Smith, "and
grant is not going to help them I'm n(
ing to use it".
For Smith, the lesson of this firs'
grant in Europe, which he descritv
"peanuts" compared with his cat
tion's existing ?2 million from
and European sources over the next (
years, is that the US Department of Der
seems to spend not just for defence, by
the whole of American industry. 11
exactly how US industry get into
technology so fast, Smith feels. By cm
in seeking UK support to build prowl=
of a working optical parallel proccs
system, Smith is finding that his reqs.
ment falls neatly between the Departa
of Education and Science, the Departn
of Trade and Industry and the Ministr
Defence. But in an exchange of letters ?
the Prime Minister, her chief scierr
adviser, Sir Robin Nicholson, and ottv
Smith finds there is considerable sum
for an improvement in interdepartma
cooperation. Meanwhile, he is keep
closely in touch with the British governrt
about the American approaches.
Robert Walp
_ A r,nrrvaPri For Release 2013/01/08: CIA-RDP92S00238R000200050021-1