Edward L.
Ambassador Edward Rowny with Pope John Paul II, June
would reduce to zero their intermediate forces to zero in Europe but that they
would not reduce them at all in Asia. I advised President Reagan that the Soviets
be required to reduce in Asia as well as in Europe, and he backed up my
recommendation.
When I returned from Japan I debriefed Secretary Schultz and President Reagan on
the hard line the Japanese had taken. I learned that the Japanese prime minister
had already cabled the President saying that the INF treaty should provide for zero
intermediate force warheads globally. To my pleasant surprise the President agreed
and said, "Then that's what we'll do." Secretary Schultz argued that a global zero
position would jeopardize our getting agreement to an INF treaty and that the
negotiations were, in fact, going quite well. But President Reagan issued
instructions to inform the Japanese that the U.S. position would call for global
zero.
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