CIA Reading Room cia rdp88 01315r000400360050 7 pdf

CIA Reading Room cia rdp88 01315r000400360050 7

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Approved For Release-, QO` `RJJJ~TRA- G0r1315R~000100360050-7 24 Jul.y 1979 t CS stal”Id SALT 71 By Vernon A. Guidry Jr. Washington Star Staff Writer Sen. Barry Goldwater, vice chair- m:an of the Senate Intelligence Com- mittee, has given the Carter admin- istration a potential boost in its at- tempt to gain ratification of its SALT II treaty with the Soviet Union. The intelligence panel has been conducting its own examination of the issue of treaty verification, the term for the ability of the United States to determine if the Soviet Union is cheating. Goldwater, who is also a member of the Senate Armed Services Com- mittee, indicated at a meeting of that documents the senator thinks will help his case against the treaty. Making the request through the committee, Jackson asked Brown for documents in three categories: a Memoranda from the Joint Chiefs of Staff setting forth their views on the military issues in the SALT ne- gotiations.

? Cable traffic between the U.S. SALT negotiating team and Washing- ton bearing on the negotiating history of treaty provisions. ? Copies of the “joint draft text” at various stages of the negotiations. The joint draft text was the working SALT negotiating document, con- taining both agreed upon language and provisions on which the two sides disagreed. Viewed at various stages, the text would provide “snap- shots” of the negotiations. Brown wrote back, in effect refus- ing the memoranda from the chiefs. He said they would respond to ques- tions when they, appeared before the committee. The secretary said the requested cables weren’t under his jurisdic- tion, but added that it was not State Department practice to turn over day-to-day cable traffic.1 his infor- mation, too, could be had from wit- nesses under’questioning, he $aid. Brown did indicate that copies of the joint draft text would be made panel yesterday that his questions on the issue are being answered.

He was concerned about verifica-‘ tion, Goldwater said, but, “I’ve had that overcome to the point where I; wouldn’t be too. exercised over iti now.” The verification issue is a contro- versial one that is important to treaty ratification. At least one sena. tor, John Glenn, D-Ohio; has indi- cated his vote depends on satisfying his considerable skepticism about verification. The administration hopes to get a positive report from the intelligence panel with Goldwater concurring in its findings. If Goldwater’s verification com- ments were encouraging for the ad? ministration,. there where others, from the Arizona Republican. and elsewhere, that were not. Jackson Opens Battle The expected battle with SALT II critic Sen. Henry Jackson, D-Wash., was joined as the armed services panel opened its own consideration of the treaty. Jackson and Defense Secretary Harold Brown tangled over, among other things, a broad-ranging re- quest from Jacksoi-for SALT-related available. Brown’s letter came up at the hearing and Jackson cautioned against using an “executive privi- lege” argument against supplying the documents.

– Jackson received support from Republican William Cohen of Maine who served on the House Judiciary Committee that recommended arti- cles of impeachment against Rich- ard Nixon before being elected to the Senate.. Cohen criticized Brown’s` re- , sponse and was prompted to recall the edited transcripts that Nixon offered the Congress when it was de- manding the unedited versions of the White House tapes. Brown, while not indicating the documents would be forthcoming, ; said he would be “glad to consider how we can make the substance of the information available to this committee.” Earlier, Goldwater had said he felt the failure to count the Soviet super- sonic bomber called the Backfire in the treaty limits- was coming to be the No. 1 hurdle to Senate ratifica- tion. Approved For Release 2005/01/12 : CIA-RDP88-013)5R000400360050-7

• Creator/s: CIA Reading Room
• Date: 7/24/1979
• Book Topics/Themes: CIA Reading Room

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