The President's Saltbox

Reagan's team divides over scrapping the treaty

An agreement that was never ratified and is timed to expire Dec. 31 would hardly seem cause for high drama. But this document is the 1979 U.S.-Soviet accord reached in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, popularly known as SALT II. Despite its unratified status, both the Carter and Reagan Administrations pledged not to undercut it so long as Moscow did the same. Congress has demanded to know whether this policy will continue. After fierce debate within the Administration, Ronald Reagan planned to announce his decision early this week: the U.S. "basically" will comply with the terms, but is prepared to break...

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