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From: orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Orphaned Response
Message-ID: <148@whuxl.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 7-Aug-84 08:36:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: whuxl.148
Posted: Tue Aug  7 08:36:42 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 8-Aug-84 19:30:54 EDT
References: <216@loral.UUCP>, <48400002@hpfclo.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Whippany, N.J.
Lines: 34

SOVIET CHEATING
A joint statement by the
Defense Dept., State Dept., CIA and the Joint Chiefs of Staff
states: "Soviet compliance performance under 14 arms control
agreements signed since 1959 has been good."  The SALT I agreement
established the Standing Consultative Commission in which both 
the US and the USSR can bring questions about arms compliance.
In 1981 the US Commissioner of this Commission stated "The SCC
has never yet had to deal with a case of real or apparently
clear and substantial noncompliance with an existing agreement."
Then what about all the allegations that the "Soviets have cheated"
on past arms agreements?  The State Dept. issued a report dealing
with various questions brought by both the US and the USSR to the
SCC.  In 3 cases of possible Soviet cheating further US intelligence
revealed that there were no violations involved, in one case
both sides later agreed to precise definition of "heavy" ICBM's,
in a final case the USSR ceased the activity the US had considered
as violating past treaties.  The State Dept. Report also dealt with
14 popular allegations of cheating by the USSR that had never been
brought before the SCC and reported in every case that there has
been no Soviet cheating.  In several instances what was alleged as
"cheating" is actually REQUIRED by arms agreements!
The Soviets, for all their faults , do not want to
be incinerated anymore than we do.

This is not to suggest that the Soviets would not or have not tried
to stretch the interpretations of past treaties to increase their own
armaments.  But in this case all past Presidents except Ronald Reagan
have successfully stopped the Soviets by appealing to the body
which is supposed to monitor arms treaty compliance.
              Tim Sevener
              ATT- Bell Labs, Whippany