Communists: Kissed but Not Squeezed

When Russia called the nations of the Warsaw Pact together for their first full-dress ministerial meeting in 18 months, the avowed intention of Soviet Party Boss Leonid Brezhnev was to strengthen the military command structure of the Red alliance. Brezhnev insisted that the conference be held in Bucharest in order to demonstrate that even the recalcitrant Rumanians could be pressed into a show of Communist unity. Yet when the four-day conference ended last week, the best Brezhnev had achieved was a standoff.

In the rambling, 18-page declaration issued from Bucharest's erstwhile Royal Palace, there was not a word about a...

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