Proliferation: A Foot in the Arms-Control Door

A Foot in the Arms-Control Door

Opponents of arms-control talks have long justified their skepticism by citing Moscow's long-standing refusal to allow arms inspectors on Soviet soil. Last week the Soviets took a small step toward spiking that criticism. At a ceremony in Vienna, the U.S.S.R. signed an agreement that for the first time allows the U.N.-sponsored International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect carefully selected parts of Moscow's civilian nuclear industry. Said Soviet Diplomat Vladimir Petrovsky at the signing: "On the eve of U.S.-Soviet talks in Geneva, we feel it is necessary to create a favorable atmosphere."

The agreement is an adjunct to the 1970 nonproliferation...

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