Word: brezhnevs
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...year 1982 was filled with notable events around the globe. It was a year in which death finally pried loose Leonid Brezhnev's frozen grip on the Soviet Union, and Yuri Andropov, the cold-eyed ex-chief of the KGB, took command. It was a year in which Israel's truculent Prime Minister Menachem Begin completely redrew the power map of the Middle East by invading neighboring Lebanon and smashing the Palestinian guerrilla forces there. The military campaign was a success, but all the world looked with dismay at the thunder of Israeli bombs on Beirut's civilians...
...with economic blockades and military pressure. He believes the troubles afflicting the Soviet system make this the time not to isolate the Soviet leadership, but to engage it "at the highest level on a wide gamut of issues." He thinks the death of his erstwhile partner in summitry, Leonid Brezhnev, and the rise of Yuri Andropov have opened "a window of opportunity" for the Reagan Administration...
Nixon thinks Reagan made a mistake by not attending Brezhnev's funeral and meeting Andropov there. Now he is urging that Reagan first convene a "no-holds-barred summit" with the Japanese and West European allies next year "so that we're as unified and firm as possible." After that, Nixon says, there should be a "meaningful, across-the-board set of negotiations with the Soviets about all aspects of our relationship," starting with a Reagan-Andropov summit. Among other things, Nixon says, "I want 270 million Soviets to see President Reagan...
...point strongly toward Soviet complicity. Not only is Bulgaria the Soviet Union's staunchest ally but, according to most experts, the Bulgarian secret service is run directly by the KGB. The allegations could implicate Andropov, who headed the KGB at the time, as well as former President Leonid Brezhnev. Says Stefan Sverdlev, a former colonel in the Bulgarian secret service who defected to Greece more than three years ago: "I do not doubt for one instant the role of the Bulgarian secret service in this attack. But if they did it, it was not on their own initiative." TIME...
...will rarely criticize aides even for sloppy staff work that gets him into political trouble. When he does reject an adviser's views, he usually tries to let the subordinate down as gently as possible. For example, when Secretary of State George Shultz urged him to attend Leonid Brezhnev's funeral in Moscow and talk to the new Soviet leader, Yuri Andropov, Reagan replied, "Gosh, is this the time to reach out on substance when they have their interregnum going on?" Comments Baker: "He makes clear that you don't lose with him just because you lose on a position...