Word: nixon
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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AFTER A DELAY of almost two years, the Strategic Arms Limitations Talks (SALT) began yesterday in Helsinki. The event was barely noticed in this country, and SALT possibly qualifies as the most neglected offspring of the Nixon Administration. The President has scarcely mentioned it in public, being more preoccupied with Vietnam and inflation. One could at least expect him to be concerned about the expense of an arms race. A momentous project like arms control requires vigorous leadership from Washington, which, except for John Mitchell, is a vacuum of such leader ship at the moment...
INFACT, the word "disarmament" is misleading. As Mr. Nixon put it back in April: "The arms talks that at least preliminarily have been discussed do not involve limitation or reduction. They involve only freezing where we are" Secretary Rogers has added that the U. S. wishes to "curb" the arms race, not reduce armaments...
...negotiating position on MIRVs has been at best unclear and at worst, treacherous. When Nixon took office, he refused to suspend MIRV testing (which began in secret under McNamara) or seek an immediate mutual moratorium with the Soviets. Coincidentally, the Administration stalled the opening of SALT until the Pentagon completed the flight tests of the Minuteman and Poseidon missiles equipped with the MIRV system. Technological requirements outweighed diplomatic priorities. By going too far with the development and testing of MIRVs, the President killed in advance hopes of a mutual MIRV moratorium at Helsinki...
...Soviets would probably turn down an agreement which gives the U. S. a first strike capacity and the right to deploy Poseidon and Minuteman III missiles, both MIRVed. A limitation on ABMs would be easier to agree on and easier to enforce than an agreement on MIRVs. The Nixon Administration has offered to give up the ABMs if the Russians stopped work on the SS-9. It has declined to say that it would do the same if the Russians gave up their ABMs. In fact, the Nixon Administration has decided to continue work on both the MIRV...
Talking about influencing the President was another story entirely. This also was part of the hot potato syndrome which seemed to affect Congress on the Vietnam issue. Nixon was someone who had to carry the hot potato, the Congressmen knew that and they appreciated the existence of someone who could be presented with the hot item whenever it was put into their...