President Bush summoned his key advisers to the White House Thursday to weigh the positions the United States will take in a new round of nuclear weapons talks with the Soviet Union.
The National Security Council meeting in late afternoon could produce decisions on weapons ceilings, mobile missiles and verification measures.The talks with the Soviets are due to open Monday in Geneva after a six-month recess. The goal is a treaty to reduce U.S. and Soviet long-range nuclear missiles, bombers and submarines by 30 to 50 percent.
Parallel talks also will be resumed on space-based defenses against ballistic missile attack.
Bush called in Secretary of State James A. Baker III, Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, Arms Control Director Ron Lehman and other senior aides.
One of the issues before the group is whether to propose a ban on mobile missiles that carry multiple warheads.
The chairmen of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., and Rep. Les Aspin, D-Wis., said this week that mobile missiles carrying a single warhead should be allowed.
The current U.S. position in the negotiations is to ban all mobile missiles until foolproof ways are found to keep track of the weapons and to ensure that any agreement to destroy some of them is carried out.
A treaty with the Soviets was about 90 percent completed when the negotiations were suspended last November. But the unfinished 10 percent includes several knotty issues, including whether to try to limit air and sea-launched cruise missiles.
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Burt confirmed as N-negotiator
Rejecting "security risk" allegations by Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., the Senate gave former Utahn Richard R. Burt an 89-10 vote of confidence, confirming him as chief U.S. nuclear-arms negotiatior with the Soviets. Burt, currently the U.S. ambassador to West Germany, will preside over nuclear and space negotiations with the Soviets in Geneva and will be chief negotiator at the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks. Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, said he has voted against Burt in the past but supported him now because he has "proven himself."