REAGAN SCORES A NARROW VICTORY AS HOUSE PANEL BACKS MX FUNDS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00049R000802060031-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 15, 2007
• Sequence Number: 31
• Publication Date: December 3, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2007/03/16: CIA-RDP84B00049R000802060031-7
CURRENT NEWS
PART I as EARLY BIRD EDITION - 0730
FHday,_December 3, 19.82
By Charles W. Corddry
Washington Bureau of The Sun-
Washington-,president, . Reagan
won the narrowest of victories for the
MX missile yesterday as the House
Appropriations Committee upheld his
request for money to produce; the
weapon and. put off a day of reckon-
ing for the "dense pack" scheme, for
basing It.
The key vote came when the com-
mittee defeated by a 26-26 tie an
amendment by Representative Jo-
seph P. Addabbb. (11:.N.Y.) tQ strike
out $988 million in the bill. for produc.
tion of the first.five'of the interconti-
nental rockets. Mr. Reagan's lobbying
made the difference, Representative
Jack Edwards (R, Ala.), leader of the
pro-MX forces, said later.
Moments after the crucial vote,
the panel approved without debate
two amendments by Representative
Ralph' S. Regula (R, Ohio) that would
forbid spending either the production
money or $600 million for research on
basing methods until March 15.
The Regula measures effectively
would fence_off..ba 'basing and. pro-
duction money until Congress has
time to study Mr. Reagan's contro-
versial plan for stationing 100 mis=
sites in superhardened silos near
Cheyenne, Wyo. They would not slow
the program, according to the admin.
istration.
From Sao Paulo, Brazil, the presi-
dent Immediately hailed his victory,
claiming "right is on our side," but
recognizing that an equally tough bat-
tle now will be waged on the House
floor.
The committee action came in ap-
prov ng a $231. t ion a ens appropria.
tion bill for fiscal 1983, which began October
1. The amount, the panel noted, is "the larg-
est sum ever included in one bill for military
purposes" in U.S. history.
. The figure approved was $26.3 billion
more than the 1982 defense appropriation
but $18 billion less than the administration
had requested. A similar amount is In a
pending Senate version of the bill. But dif-
ferences in content are such that a sum larg-
er than either chamber's may eventually
emerge when Senate-House negotiators re-
MX FUNDS ...Pg. 2
Reagan scores a narrow victory
as Douse panel backs MX funds
WASHINGTON TIMES 3 December 1982 Pg.7
NATO adopts costly
6-year defense plan
BRUSSELS, 'Belgium (AP) NATO
adopted a six-year defense plan yester-
day that may be too expensive to imple-
ment.
It also expressed guarded hope for
better East-West relations under the
new Soviet leadership.
Defense Secretary Caspar Wein-
berger and defense chiefs of 14 allied
countries approved North Atlantic
'treaty Organization force plans that
call for major weapons purchases,
modernization of equipment and better
deployment of forces to meet what a
declaration termed "the continuing
buildup of armaments" by the Soviet
bloc.
The six-year plan is a codification of
all the pledges NATO nations have
made over the past few months to buy
thousands of tanks and anti-tank weap?
one, new warships and hundreds of jet
fighters.
The full plan is secret, but most of
the major details, such as a U.S. pledge
to deploy modern M1' battle tanks in
Europe and plans by Europeans to buy
more U.S. F-16 fighter planes, have
been announced.
"I think there's a recognition of the
need to do all we possibly can;' Wein-
berger said after ministers approved
the plan at an alliance strategy session.
"There's a recognition also that the
economic situation is difficult and dif-
ferent in each country."
In a campaign to get the plan
approved. U.S. Gen. Bernard Rogers.
supreme commander of allied forces
has estimated it may require govern-
ments to make 4 percent-a-year
increases beyond . inflation ..in.. their
defense budgets. Several NATO nations
already have failed to meet a 1978
commitment to increase defense
spending 3 percent a year.
"Quite a few countries have so many
NATO ...Pg. 2
WASHINGTON POST
3 December 82 Pg.
Bush Links
Economics',
A-Arms Pact
By David Hoffman
Washington Past Staff Writer .
Vice President Bush said
yesterday that both the Unit-
ed States and the Soviet
Union face "enormous" eco-
nomic problems that could
affect military spending and
hasten an agreement to limit
the nuclear arms race.
But Bush also told report.
ers over lunch at the vice
president's mansion that the
United States still can better
afford to build up its de-
fenses. And he expressed
concern that congressional
attempts to scale down Pres-
ident Reagan's ambitious
rearmament program would
"send a signal" to the Soviets
"that we're not going to be
able to follow through."
Bush, who talked with
new Soviet leader Yuri V.
Andropov in Moscow last
month after attending the
funeral of Leonid I. Brezh?
nev, was questioned about
whether the change in lead-
ership in Moscow can be ex-
A-ARMS...Pg. 6,.
Helen Young, Chief, Current News Banc , 817-8761 !)snip! Fr?edman Assistant Chief
PART II - MAIN EDITION - PUBLISHED AT 1130
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FRIDAY MORNING, 3 DECEMBER 1982
WALL STREET JOURNAL 3 December' 82 Pg.34
U.N. Report on Chemical- Warfare Probe
Sniff n 'porter of THE WALL STR1 Er JOURNAL
NEW YORK-A nine-month United Na-
tions inquiry into charges that the Soviet
Union used chemical weapons in Southeast
Asia and Afghanistan found that certain al-
legations were "well supported" by "cir-
curnstantiai evidence," but didn't reach any
definite conclusion.
In a report to be released today, a three-
man team of scientists appointed by the sec-
retary general points to two allegations as
"well supported." These were the suspected
use of "harassing agents" in underground
water canals in Afghanistan and the use of
"some toxic material" In the area of Laos
where the Nanong people live.
The scientists found toxic chemicals on
p'.ants, in a gas mask and in blood and urine
' a:nples from the alleged victims.
But they said they were "unable to de-
cide . . . whether such exposure was due to
a chemmcal attack or could be attributed to
natural causes." The group said distortions
by certain alleged witnesses, delays in the
reporting of incidents and lack of coopera-
tion by some governments hindered'the in-
vestigation.
The report Is likely .to leave tntsatlsfled
both sides of the bitter "yellow rain" contro-
versy. Those who are convinced that Soviet
and Soviet-aided forces are- using chemical
weapons will Say it doesn't pursue evidence
or draw logical conclusions. But neither
does the report confirm accusations of oth-
ers that the "yellow rkifl" controversy is an
inaccurate propaganda ploy of the Reagan
administration.
"It is frustrating," said Dr. Esmat A.
Ezz, chairman of the Investigating team and
head of the scientific research branch of the
Egyptian armed forces. "We did the beat we
could do, given the conditions." Dr. Ezz,
speaking by phone from. Cairo, said the -sci?
entists had trouble finding laboratories in
neutral countries that would analyze sam7
pies collected in Thailand and Pakistan. "It
was a hell of a job, finding laboratories to
cooperate," Dr. Ezz complained. "It was as
if I was begging a personal favor." He
difficulties in the economic field,' said
NATO Secretary General Joseph Luns.
"Too often these plans have been
adopted and then in reality some coun-
tries have done less than they have
pledged."
British Defense Minister John Nott
said, "There are no signs European
NATO countries can put more money
into conventional weapons"
According to new NATO figures, only
the United States this year will spend
as much as 7 percent of its Gross
National Product on defense, half the
percentage the Soviet Union report-
edly spends.
. Despite the funding problem-s
expressed by the Europeans, Wein-
berger said the pledges to increase
defenses and other measures
atanounced at the meeting would pro-
vide ammunition in the Reagan admin-
istration's'attempt to defeat legislative.
amendments calling for recall of some
i7.$, troops in Europe.
-`L~gfslation introduced by Sen. Ted
Srvens,'R-Alaska, calls for withdrawal
of up to 2,3,000 troops unless the Euro-
peans itnirove their own defenses. ,
The other measures include a
renewal of a commitment by, the Euro-
~,,ppeans to prdvide support for U.S. mili-
Ztary `operations au'tside NATO's
oundaries and a reaffirmation of deci-
ions to deploy 572 new.U.S. Pershing 2
g next year.
explicitly identified by name in the submisr,
slon of the U.S. Is a Dutch journalist, who
allegedly not only filmed a part of a chemi-
cal attack in Afghanistan but also developed
some symptoms which were attributed. to
ehinery" to investigate future allegations of ` 4 - s*ys- But when the group pursued the mat-
Chemical warfare and to make advance lab- tgr# t food that lthe m "the a m, is dsymptoms
dn oratory and security' arrangements. *had vanished and .
Two-Year Study any relevant information."
4 01
h
rt k
t
i
th
The U.N. team of experts was named
following a December 1980 General, Assem?
bly resolution urging an impartial investiga-
tion of reports of chemical wafare.
The group was unable to finish Its work
In a year, and the General Assembly urged
a continuation of the inquiry in December
1981.
UN Secretary General Javier Perez de
Cuellar is expected to present the report to
the General Assembly next week. He
wouldn't comment on it yesterday, saying
he wasn't "in a position to pass judg-
ment."
The report takes a skeptical view of writ-
ten evidence supplied by both the U.S. and
the U.S.S.R. The U.S. gave testimony from
many alleged witnesses and victims, but
wouldn't identify them for the U.N. team,
e repo
e
o s issue
v
er
clh MU,. too. A Soviet statement argued that
ytrichothecenes, a poisonous chemical, oc-
?.:ocu?s in nature from the dispersion of spores
from certain elephant grasses in Vietnam.
But the U.N. team said this "would require
the occurrence of a series of events, each of
which is of a low probability, and thus ...
is unlikely to be valid."
No Symptoms Found
The U.N. group said it interviewed doz-
ens of refugees in Pakistan.and Thailand
who complained of chemical attacks, but
molt showed no symptoms because of the
time elapsed. Others were found to be suf-
fering from unrelated ailments.
The group also examined a gas mask
supplied by Afghan leader Maulvi M.
Younus Khalis. The mask was said to have
MX FUNDS . - . Con-t-3-nu,-
solve their differences.
As for the MX, President Reagan urged
the full House "to show similar wisdom by
upholding the committee position."
Current plans call for the House to take
up the bill next week, with a hope of passage
by Thursday, followed by Senate action and
conference committee aecisions the next
week. This, if it works out, would mean the
Defense Department, almost three months
into the fiscal year, would have an.appropri-
attouan4 would not have to continue operat-
ing under a congressional resolution giving
it temporary spending a~cthority.
Mr. Addabbo, chairman of the House
panel's defense subcommittee, also failed
yesterday in efforts to delete money in the
bill for MX research, the R-1 bomber and
one of the two nuclear-powered aircraft car-
riers.
He fell victim, Mr, Addabbo told report
ers, to "a full-blown effort" by the adminis-
tration.
Mr. Edwards, the. MJX banker, supported
that view. He said he had been able to count
only 20 pro-MX vatca earlier in the week,
and held his breath yesterday when Repre-
sentative Bill Alexander tlD, Ark.) at first
passed during the roil-call vote. Mr. Alexan-
der ultimately cast the No. 26 vote that de?
feated Mr. Addabbo.
The New Yorker, by no means downcast
after the voting, claimed great general suc-
cess with an $18 billion reduction in the ad-
ministration request. He predicted hi. u ould
"do well" on the House floor but did not say
outright that he could be l the P011K there
Mr. Edwards said the panel's tattle
would be repeated on the floor and "n..a vy
lobbying" would be the order of the ds y
President Reagan had phoned several
committee members from Brazil, as har fh-
fense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger from
a NATO meeting in Beleiein anti Vice Presi-
dent Bush in Washington.
In the MX voting, 16 Republicans and 10
Democrats (mostly from the South) support-
ed the president. Five Republici-ins arid 21
Democrats opposed the missile
q Democrats voting to cut production
money included Maryland's only member on
the committee, Clarence D. Long +2d). His
arguments summarize those of mr::oy MX
opponents: experts disagree on the basing
method's effectiveness; the rocket has not
been tested (tests are to start ,=xt month); it
is too expensive; it could upset the nuclear
balance, and it could be 'aeen as a first-strike
weapon because of the, potetiaev of its 10 w:r-
heads against Soviet missile s!.os.
Mr. Addabbo contended it wi::cid be well
into 1984 before the basing matti:r ccu d he
settled, environmental imp cc si,idied and
land acquired, so missile-production runey
was not needed this year The target date for
having missiles emplaced.-late 1986
could be met if production money is provid-
ed next year, he said.
The administration disagrees with that
contention. P
been taken in September 1981 from a dead
Afghan soldier. Analysis of the mask's filter
found it was contaminated with two chemi-
cal-warfare agents.
U. N. REPORT?.,PP;, 6
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