Friday, 20 November 1987 Washington, DC
1.
ADHERENCE TO THE "NARROW" INTERPRETATION OF THE ABM TREATY
may be one consequence of the retirement of Casper Weinberger as
Secretary of Defense. An amendment to the Defense Authorization
Bill to require Congressional approval of any Star Wars tests
that would violate the traditional "narrow" interpretation of the
ABM Treaty, was one of several arms control amendments that had
prompted the threat of a Presidential veto (WN 18 Sep 87). On
Tuesday, the House-Senate Conference on the long-delayed Bill
became a melange au trois, with Frank Carlucci, Weinberger's
replacement, representing the Administration. On this one,
Carlucci gave away the store. He agreed to a face-saving
"compromise" under which Congress would drop the ABM amendment in
exchange for an agreement that the DOD would adhere to a
previously announced testing schedule. That schedule involves no
violations of the narrow interpretation in FY 88. Moreover,
Carlucci agreed to make no acquisitions in preparation for such
tests in the next fiscal year. This apparently ends any serious
prospect of violating the narrow interpretation during the Reagan
Administration, and avoids what Sen. Nunn (D-GA) warned would be
a "constitutional confrontation of profound dimensions." Both
houses must still act on the Conference Report.
The Senate ratified the ABM treaty in 1972 by a vote of
88-2, with the understanding that it bans the development and
testing, as well as the deployment, of space-based ABM systems or
components. Two years ago, however, Administration lawyers found
in the language of the treaty an exception for tests involving
"new physical principles." This exception had gone unnoticed for
thirteen years and other experts still can't find it. The "broad
interpretation" of the Treaty was needed by Weinberger for his
plan to deploy a partial ballistic missile defense as early as
1993. It was reportedly Carlucci, as National Security Advisor,
who twarted Weinberger's efforts to persuade the President to
call for early deployment in his 1987 State of the Union address.
2
. FY 88 FUNDING FOR SDI WAS AUTHORIZED AT $3.9B
by the
House-Senate Conference. This splits the difference between the
House figure of $3.1B and the Senate's $4.5B, on the high side.
Although far below the President's request of $5.9B, it still
represents an 11% increase over last years $3.5B. This is only
an authorization. In the ponderous budget process, there must
still be an appropriation. The Budget Summit negotiations could
further reduce SDI. A report issued by the Council of Economic
Priorities contends that in FY 86, SDI accounted for 84% of the
growth in the nation's research effort, public and private.
3. A RESTRICTION ON NUCLEAR TESTS TO LESS THAN 1 KILOTON,
contained in a House amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill,
was dropped in Conference. The restriction would have applied
only as long as the Soviets adhered to the same limitation.
|
