79-15-5

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Salt

Transcript Over the past 15 years we have permitted the Soviet Union to derive us of our nuclear advantage while at the same time it increased its superiority in conventional forces. Our once unrivaled advantage in naval strength is melting away. How do we support our friends and defend our vital interests in the Middle East? How do we protect our own freedom? And how in Heaven's name did we get in this perilous situation? Well, we were entranced by the notion that if we pounded our swords into plowshares the Soviets would do likewise. They did exactly the opposite. While we made actual reductions in our strategic programs, they made massive investments in theirs. Oh! they talked about arms control, and even seemed to hold out the promise of real progress. But somehow, progress was always just around the corner--waiting for us to make a few more concessions. In 1972 we presented Salt I as a "turning point in the arms race," and began our reliance on what is called the "SALT process", which included the doctrine of "Mutual Assured Destruction." At the same time the Soviets began their exploitation of our wish to believe. Toward the end of the last administration we began a recovery of our military strength. The B-1 bomber was scheduled for production, the new MX missile was to be accelerated, the decline in our Navy was to be reversed and many other urgent programs were set in motion. With the promise of long range defense programs to provide for our security we went forward with the SALT II negotiations. But now the B-1 bomber has been cancelled without any quid pro quo from the Soviets: the MX has been slowed_ down: the cruise missile delayed the Navy's ship building program out back; and, under the heat of a Soviet propaganda attack, we - have halted development of a weapon that could have neutralized Russia's massive tank forces on the NATO front. Simple arithmetic tells us that the gap in military strength between us and the Soviets can only grow wider if we continue on our present course. When you examine the new SALT II agreement you see that it isn't true, as claimed by some, that it will put a brake on the arms race, save money and be adequately verifiable. SALT II is not Strategic Arms Limitation, it is Strategic Arms Buildup, with the Soviets adding a minimum of 3,000 nuclear warheads to their inventory. We must restore the security of the U.S. and we should make it emphatically known to the Soviets and--more importantly--to the nations of the free world that we intend to do just that. At the same time, let's assure the Soviet Union we will join in any arms limitation agreement that legitimately reduces nuclear armaments to the point that neither country represents a threat to the other. But this treaty, flawed as it is, should be shelved. This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening.		Details Batch Number 79-15-5 Production Date 10/25/1979 Book/Page Online PDF Audio Youtube? No
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