Edward L. Rowny
Here again, however, there was a catch. Shevardnadze said SLCMs could be dealt
with in the same manner that the Backfire bomber had been handled in SALT II.
He should have realized that this was a nonstarter; the U.S. had no intention of
getting sucked into another "backfire solution" in which the Soviets simply
excluded a class of international strategic systems from the SALT II treaty.
Despite these paltry moves, laden with conditions favorable to the Soviets, Baker
praised what he called "positive d e v e l o p m e n t s It was the standard language
diplomats use when they want to put a good face on a poor state of affairs. Their
hope is that progress will be made if they describe negotiations in a favorable light.
Raker even went further. He said, "We have, in my view, moved from
confrontation to dialogue and now to cooperation."
Shevardnadze, not to be outdone, responded: "I will say without any exaggeration,
these talks have placed Soviet-American dialogue at a new stage." Their
disclaimers notwithstanding, both Baker and Shevardnadze had indulged in serious
exaggerations.
Baker threw a lavish barbecue party at the conclusion of the talks, at which each
of the Soviets was given a red bandanna and a Texas-style hat. Baker did even
better by Shevardnadze, presenting him with a custom-made pair of cowboy boots.
Shevardnadze, impressed that Baker had gone to the trouble to learn his
measurements, reciprocated with a highly unusual gift. He gave Raker an antique
icon, saying that he knew Baker was deeply religious. It was an ironic situation;
the avowed atheist Shevardnadze gave Christian Baker a gift with religious
overtones. An embarrassed Baker sheepishly accepted the gift.
Q ..
Why was Malta picked as the meeting place for the summit?
A ..
When I heard where the meeting was to take place, I raised an objection because
of the connotation that a meeting in the seaport of Malta would involve naval arms
control. But it was too late; preparations were already in motion. The location
had been suggested to the President by his younger brother, an international
businessman who thought the island provided a "charming setting" for a summit.
President Bush's idea of meeting in Malta was similar to President Reagan's idea
of meeting at Reykjavik. The two leaders would meet at some out-of-the-way
place where hotel space and communications facilities were limited, thus
theoretically reducing the amount of attention the world media would devote to the
meeting. But just as it had in Reykjavik, the plan boomeranged; reporters and TV
commentators turned out in full force.
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